MicroMacro: Crime City 3 – All In

MicroMacro: All In Crime City is the third instalment in the popular crime solving, deduction game from Pegasus Spiele. MicroMacro is a one to four player game from designer Johannes Sich and features a large (75 x 110cm) black and white cartoon map. The game comes with 16 different crimes to solve. Players will read a small introduction to the crime which sets the scene and then will have to follow the victims, perpetrators and clues to answer questions and eventually solve the case.

No components are destroyed but it is a “one and done” game. Once you have solved the case there is no need to replay them again.

So, what does MicroMacro: All In Crime City bring to the table above the other two instalments. Let’s find out.

Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, All in, in essence brings the same ideas and the same game play as the others in the series. If you liked the other two games there is a very high chance that you will enjoy the latest instalment. If the first didn’t do anything for you then you might want to miss this one.

What I can say is that the cases are the crazy and often ludicrous puzzles to solve and I love the game for that. It is a crime solving, deduction game that doesn’t take itself too seriously with the puns, easter eggs and often bizarre crimes. It adds a touch of charm to a fun and enjoyable game. The crimes are rated based on difficulty and will range in the number of “steps” that you need to take to solve them. Some of the crimes will have multiple suspects that you will need to follow and hunt down. Some crimes are more straightforward and have a more linear path. However, all cases will involve finding a suspect, following the metaphorical bread crumbs answering some questions and ultimately solving the case.

There is a handy dandy star rating system to inform you of the complexity. There is also iconography for each mission detailing the type of “content” that people may be exposed to. This allows players to select certain missions for younger players, skipping the missions that might not be appropriate.

The map on par with the other installments in the series. A gigantic, black and white sprawling map full of cartoon characters and funny scenes. There are funny things to look at, alongside the scenes you need to solve the cases. It is a busy city, with lots of visual information that can, at times, make it difficult to follow the clues you need to follow. Nobody said solving crime was an easy job.

There are, again, arguments between MicroMacro being an activity or game. All I know is that I have played each and everyone of these so far. They are great to play solo or with one other person. I think with four players it could get crowded. They are an enjoyable way to pass a few hours before packing it up for another night. To solve and complete all the cases will take you a decent amount of time and for the cost, for me, it is worth the investment.