The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Whenever I need to explain this game in a hurry, my explanation is "It's just like Clue, but you're trying to commit the murder rather than solve it."

The players are murderers roaming about Dr. Lucky's palatial mansion. Everyone is trying to be the one who gets to end the Doctor's life, but somehow he manages to miraculously evade each attempt...

The game is played on a board that is made up of eight pieces of poster board. This has the advantage that the whole game can fit into a 4" by 6" envelope, but the disadvantage is that players tend to accidentally bump pieces of the playing surface and disconnect entire wings from the mansion. It's not a big deal, really.

As is traditional for Cheapass Games, no playing pieces are included. I've found this is actually a big plus, as players get the opportunity to be really creative and use whatever comes to hand to represent themselves. At the game I played today, our players were a metal bracelet, a nickel, a dime, a pop tab, a small watch, a free cheeseburger coupon, a lunch token, and a clump of pocket lint. My favorite Dr. Lucky miniature is our wind-up walking nose, but you can use whatever you want.

After choosing miniatures to adequately represent your inner self, players are dealt six cards, Dr. Lucky is assigned a room, and the game begins. Players can only try to kill Dr. Lucky when they are out of sight of other players; much of the game is spent maneuvering with the Move cards to get to a room where the murder attempt can be made in seclusion.

Once in position, a player can use a variety of weapons, from a Big Red Hammer to a Civil War Cannon to a Tight Hat. Or, you can use no weapon at all and just poke him in the eye with your finger. Each card has a value for the attempt; the other players must play Failure cards that add up to that number. More fun comes in here as players try to bluff, pretending they are out of Failures and forcing them out of other players' hands.

The game is a very amusing diversion for anywhere between 3 and 8 players (it's possible, but not very entertaining, with 2). The only gameplay complaint I have is that the very end of the game is anticlimactic. Tension builds up as the last Failures are used up, and murder attempts come closer and closer to succeeding. Then, the last player tries, all the other players pass, and that's it. The game's done.

Still, it's easy to teach and learn, portable, and a lot of fun. Plus, the whole game costs $6. Right, $6. I recommend scraping up whatever change is under your sofa and grabbing a copy.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Kill Doctor Lucky
Author: James Ernest Category: Board game Company/Publisher: Cheapass Games Line: n/a Cost: $6.00 Page count: n/a ISBN: n/a Playtest Review by Sam Lindsay-Levine on 05/15/99. Genre tags: none	Whenever I need to explain this game in a hurry, my explanation is "It's just like Clue, but you're trying to commit the murder rather than solve it." The players are murderers roaming about Dr. Lucky's palatial mansion. Everyone is trying to be the one who gets to end the Doctor's life, but somehow he manages to miraculously evade each attempt... The game is played on a board that is made up of eight pieces of poster board. This has the advantage that the whole game can fit into a 4" by 6" envelope, but the disadvantage is that players tend to accidentally bump pieces of the playing surface and disconnect entire wings from the mansion. It's not a big deal, really. As is traditional for Cheapass Games, no playing pieces are included. I've found this is actually a big plus, as players get the opportunity to be really creative and use whatever comes to hand to represent themselves. At the game I played today, our players were a metal bracelet, a nickel, a dime, a pop tab, a small watch, a free cheeseburger coupon, a lunch token, and a clump of pocket lint. My favorite Dr. Lucky miniature is our wind-up walking nose, but you can use whatever you want. After choosing miniatures to adequately represent your inner self, players are dealt six cards, Dr. Lucky is assigned a room, and the game begins. Players can only try to kill Dr. Lucky when they are out of sight of other players; much of the game is spent maneuvering with the Move cards to get to a room where the murder attempt can be made in seclusion. Once in position, a player can use a variety of weapons, from a Big Red Hammer to a Civil War Cannon to a Tight Hat. Or, you can use no weapon at all and just poke him in the eye with your finger. Each card has a value for the attempt; the other players must play Failure cards that add up to that number. More fun comes in here as players try to bluff, pretending they are out of Failures and forcing them out of other players' hands. The game is a very amusing diversion for anywhere between 3 and 8 players (it's possible, but not very entertaining, with 2). The only gameplay complaint I have is that the very end of the game is anticlimactic. Tension builds up as the last Failures are used up, and murder attempts come closer and closer to succeeding. Then, the last player tries, all the other players pass, and that's it. The game's done. Still, it's easy to teach and learn, portable, and a lot of fun. Plus, the whole game costs $6. Right, $6. I recommend scraping up whatever change is under your sofa and grabbing a copy. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Kill Doctor Lucky