Mr. Jack in New York

Jack is back, in a new game from designers Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc. Jack, of course, is Jack the Ripper, the central character from Mr. Jack, the 2006 release from Hurrican. In that game, eight characters move around the London game board, with one player knowing which character is Jack and trying to help him avoid being captured and the other player trying to figure out who Jack is and, more importantly, capture him. Each character has a different ability, and each round each player moves two of the four characters available, with one player trying to eliminate suspects and the Jack player sowing as much confusion as possible.

During the real investigation of the Whitechapel murders, a quack doctor named Francis J. Tumblety was arrested, not for the murders themselves but for “gross indecency.” Before he could be tried, however, he fled the country, ending up in the United States.

In Mr. Jack in New York, the New York police have been alerted to Tumblety’s presence and are on the lookout for this suspicious character, especially since crimes are being committed that are similar to those in London. Is Tumblety the person behind the crimes? Or is someone else causing havoc in New York?

The game play in Mr. Jack in New York is the same as in Mr. Jack, with four characters moving each round and one player trying to catch Jack while the other aids his quest for freedom. All eight characters have new powers, however, and the game board can evolve as well each round. An informant can provide information, and Jack can escape on a transatlantic steamer if he makes it to the waterfront safely.