Objective of the Game

Mr. Jack is an asymmetrical deduction game for two players, where one takes on the role of Sherlock Holmes and the other assumes the identity of Mr. Jack. The goal for Sherlock is to deduce which of the eight characters is Mr. Jack, while Mr. Jack aims to keep his identity hidden and either escape undetected or last through eight rounds without being captured.

Game Components

• A game board depicting the London district of Whitechapel.
• 8 double-sided character cards.
• Figures for each of the 8 characters.
• 1 round marker.
• Various direction cards.
• 2 pawns (Holmes, Jack).
• 1 hourglass card (to determine if Mr. Jack is visible).

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center.
2. Shuffle the character cards and distribute them around the board.
3. Place the corresponding figures on the board based on the instructions in the guide.
4. One player is Sherlock and the other is Mr. Jack. The role of Mr. Jack is determined by randomly drawing one of the double-sided cards, which remains secret.
5. The Sherlock player receives the hourglass card.

Gameplay

The game is played over a maximum of 8 rounds. Each round consists of two phases:

1. Character Movement Phase

• Four of the eight characters are available to move each round.
• The starting player chooses a character and moves them according to the movement rules.
• The characters can overcome obstacles, such as gaslights or manholes.
• Each character has special abilities that aid in Mr. Jack's escape or in Sherlock's identification.

2. Deduction Phase

• At the end of each round, Sherlock asks if Mr. Jack is visible or invisible.
• "Visible" means the character stands next to a gaslight or another character.
• Based on the response, Sherlock can eliminate suspect characters from the board.

Movement Rules

• Each character can move a certain number of spaces (3 or 4 spaces, depending on the card).
• Characters cannot occupy spaces already taken and can perform special actions like "jumping walls" or "using the sewers" if indicated on their card.

Game End

The game ends in one of the following ways: - Sherlock successfully identifies Mr. Jack before the end of the 8th round. - Mr. Jack manages to escape the board. - If the 8th round ends without Sherlock identifying Mr. Jack, Mr. Jack wins.

Strategic Considerations

• Sherlock: Careful observation and utilization of the characters' abilities to effectively corner Mr. Jack.
• Mr. Jack: Deception is crucial; use neutral characters to create misleading movement patterns and confuse Sherlock.

Sherlock must continually gather information and logically eliminate suspects while Mr. Jack subtly hides his identity or strategically plans his escape route.