Orient Express (board game)
Encyclopedia
Orient Express is a crime fiction
board game
published by Jumbo and Just Games. The game is based on the book Murder On the Orient Express
by Agatha Christie
. The game was designed by Jeff Smets and released in 1985
. The game contains 10 different murder cases, each of which can be played only once. Five new plots were released in 1987.
, going from Paris
to Istanbul
. The players сhoose one case among the 10 possible cases. On each case a murder has been committed by one of the 8 suspects on the train. The suspects are handily named so that the first letter of each forms a successive list of the first eight letters of the alphabet: the actress, the baroness, the count, the diplomat, the entrepreneur, the fortuneteller, the gambler, and the heiress. It is up to the players to solve the mystery before the train reaches Istanbul and the murderer gets away. Prejudices such as gamblers aren't law abiding, fortunetellers lie, colonels are armed with guns etc. must be set aside. It is possible that more than one suspect is guilty.
Another aspect of the solution: players must identify the motive behind the murder. Possible motives: blackmail, espionage, insanity, jealousy, money, and revenge.
The players start in the middle of the train and move around in the two train wagons according to dice rolls. By moving through the train players are able to get clues about the characters by talking to the innocent crew on board or examining the rooms. The suspects can also be interrogated - they never lie but they might be telling useless information. In practice text cards represent the staff, the suspects and the rooms.
An engine pawn is moved one station every time the specialized dice shows a green figure. The detectives receive a telegram about one of the suspects or the victim on certain train stations.
When the train stops at Istanbul each player must announce their solution of the murder. The player with the correct solution wins.
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
published by Jumbo and Just Games. The game is based on the book Murder On the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on January 1, 1934 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year under the title of...
by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
. The game was designed by Jeff Smets and released in 1985
1985 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1985. For video and console games, see 1985 in video gaming....
. The game contains 10 different murder cases, each of which can be played only once. Five new plots were released in 1987.
Gameplay
The game is set on the train Orient ExpressOrient Express
The Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train service originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It ran from 1883 to 2009 and is not to be confused with the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service, which continues to run.The route and rolling stock...
, going from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. The players сhoose one case among the 10 possible cases. On each case a murder has been committed by one of the 8 suspects on the train. The suspects are handily named so that the first letter of each forms a successive list of the first eight letters of the alphabet: the actress, the baroness, the count, the diplomat, the entrepreneur, the fortuneteller, the gambler, and the heiress. It is up to the players to solve the mystery before the train reaches Istanbul and the murderer gets away. Prejudices such as gamblers aren't law abiding, fortunetellers lie, colonels are armed with guns etc. must be set aside. It is possible that more than one suspect is guilty.
Another aspect of the solution: players must identify the motive behind the murder. Possible motives: blackmail, espionage, insanity, jealousy, money, and revenge.
The players start in the middle of the train and move around in the two train wagons according to dice rolls. By moving through the train players are able to get clues about the characters by talking to the innocent crew on board or examining the rooms. The suspects can also be interrogated - they never lie but they might be telling useless information. In practice text cards represent the staff, the suspects and the rooms.
An engine pawn is moved one station every time the specialized dice shows a green figure. The detectives receive a telegram about one of the suspects or the victim on certain train stations.
When the train stops at Istanbul each player must announce their solution of the murder. The player with the correct solution wins.
National versions
- Oriënt Express: Tatort Nachtexpress: Orient-Express: Orient-Express: Orientekspressen: Orient Expressen: Orient Express