CSI: Senses

With several CSI-themed board and computer games already on the market, the latest offering, CSI: Senses, has several elements that distinguish it from its predecessors, the most notable being that the six cases it features are penned by CSI: Crime Scene Investigation creator Antony E. Zuiker. The mini UV lights, bag of plastic bugs and game piece figurines of each of the CSIs also indicate this isn't your average tie-in game.

Though at first glance the components of the game, which also include five different decks of Challenge cards, six sets of Evidence cards and six solve cards might seem intimidating in number, once set up the game is accessible and moves along quickly. Perhaps the most promising initial sign of this is the size of the rule booklet, which is only four pages long. Once the board is set up with the cards in the proper slots and the bugs in their green bag (more on that later), the game gets going quickly.

The first step is to choose which of the eight CSIs you want to play as. The game is designed for two to four players, but players can team up if there are more than four people present. The next step is to choose one of the six cases to solve. Each case comes folded up, with a picture of the crime scene on the outside. All players will get sixty seconds to study the picture before opening the card to answer a question specific to the CSI they've chosen to play as. A correct answer puts you on the shorter path for the duration of the game, with only six squares between each department, while a wrong answer sends you down the longer square path. Don't despair if you end up on the longer path--true to Las Vegas, much of your luck will depend on the role of the die.

Before you can roll that die each turn, you have to answer a question from the challenge card. The first department is Preliminary Investigation, which features a variety of forensics questions and trivia related to the show itself. Though CSI fans have an obvious advantage, even those who don't watch the show regularly will probably be familiar with terms that have slipped into the cultural consciousness, such as GSR and COD. Once players reach the actual department space, however, they're in for a challenge Grissom would appreciate--they select a card with a picture of an insect on it and have to reach into a green pouch and without peeking, pick out the bug on the card from eight rubber insects. This one isn't nearly as easy at seems, and it can take several turns before you can correctly identify the bug on the card in the pouch. Having only sixty seconds in which to do so makes it all the more challenging!

Once you get your bug, the next stop is Crime Scene Sketch, where you'll be asked to sketch various crime-related items for your opponents to guess. Interrogation is the next leg of the journey, and the challenge here requires that you get your opponents to guess the word on the Challenge card without using the synonyms listed below the word to describe it. The Audio/Visual Lab will test your Charade skills as you act out the verb on the card you select. The first player to successfully pass each department gets to read the evidence card for that department out loud, providing crucial clues in the case.

The final leg of the journey is by far the most challenging: Grissom's Office. Here you'll be asked to answer riddles that CSI's fearless leader would appreciate, but can boggle the mind of even the cleverest of players. If you are playing in teams, this is when having another mind around will be the most helpful. If you're the first to finish this round, you get the first crack at the final piece of evidence and get the chance to guess the killer. Write the name of the suspect you think is the killer on a piece of paper and open the solve card for the conclusion of the case. If you're right, you've won the game; if not, you're out and the next player to reach the end will have the opportunity to guess the killer. The first person to do so correctly is the winner.

The verdict? Pure fun. The rules aren't so complicated that they bog the game down, and yet the games many different challenges guarantee that players don't get bored. CSI fans will get a kick out of the mini UV lights, which reveal the answers to the questions in the Preliminary Investigation and the riddles in Grissom's Office. But diehard fans needn't worry that friends they rope into the game who don't watch the show will be lost by any means; finding a specific bug in a bag and puzzling over riddles will be equally challenging to CSI devotees and newbies alike.

But make no mistake--Senses takes into account everything fans love about the show, from the representations of the characters that serve as game pieces to the questions in the Preliminary Investigation that revolve around knowledge longtime viewers have absorbed through years of watching the show. With cases penned by the show's creator, players are also guaranteed a quality mystery on par with the show's stories each time they play.

The only flaw I noticed was a minor one--the timer, a small hourglass with sand inside, occasionally stopped before all the sand had run out, so be sure to watch the timer carefully the first few times to make sure it's working properly. Aside from that, things ran smoothly, and the game took about two hours with three players. With six different cases, that makes for several evenings' entertainment, though as is the case with the first CSI board game, hopefully boosters will follow at some point. Those less than satisfied with the sometimes slow-going first CSI board game will likely find this one a much more lively and interactive playing experience.

CSI: Senses will be released on August 21st and will be priced at $29.95. The game will be available at all major retailers, including Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble. To learn more, visit Specialty Board Games.

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