Hi,
another “dangerous” series are the 18xx. Some things (tile placement restrictions for example) are often slightly different and I can never remember which of these small rules belong to which game.

Fraser, I’ll try to remember to check on the rules to Rue Morgue (a game I own, but have never played) when I get home and add to these lists.  Maybe I’ll do the same for Wyatt Earp as well, as it’s a Mystery Rummy game in all but name.

Yes, these are all great games and the rules provided by US Games are all criminally (and unnecessarily) complex.  I’m hoping the rules RGG gives for the upcoming Bonnie and Clyde will be easier to follow.

Most of all, I just hope to see B&C by the end of the year, as Jay has promised.  It’s as good as any of the games in the series and we’ve been waiting too long for it to appear.

Hope you’re able to get a few games in with your globetrotting wife today, Fraser!  :-)

> If somebody could find me a copy of Mystery Rummy: Murders in the Rue Morgue I’d be happy to update this.

Ooo, sounds like a great “blantant obvious” hint for ChitChat Santa! :-)

You may very well think so Diane, I cannot possibly say ;-)

I wish I could part with my extra Rue Morgue for you but we know the first copy is wearing thin and will soon be no good.

I love the Mystery Rummy series and I’d include Wyatt Earp and History’s Mysteries in the comparison, too. Still planning to do a podcast on the series but I’ve been waiting for Bonnie and Clyde to come out for...uh...years…

When we play this series, we tend to play the same one for a while to avoid the rules confusion. We’ve been on a JH kick of late since we are trying to figure out if it truly is the least interesting of the lot (often mentioned as such by fans of the series). Jury’s still out but I definitely think it is weaker than JR and RM.

Thanks for the enjoyable read.

P.S. More than this series, local Tichu folks will tell you about my problem with forgetting I’m not playing Gang of Four. At least one friendly player has taken to yelling at me before each hand, “No flushes!” ;)

We’ve been on a JH kick of late since we are trying to figure out if it truly is the least interesting of the lot (often mentioned as such by fans of the series). Jury’s still out but I definitely think it is weaker than JR and RM.
I would tend to agree.  We’ve been on a bit of a kick on it too.  The end game seems somewhat forced.  We often find we are both churning through the deck for ages looking for that one card to let us go out.  It doesn’t seem to happen as much in JR or AL

Okay, Fraser, here are the comparisons with Murders in the Rue Morgue (RM) and Wyatt Earp (WE):

Draw:
RM - One card from the deck or discard pile
WE - Two cards from the deck or one card from the discard pile

Play:
RM - One gavel per turn, no exception
WE - One “sheriff” (gavel) per turn, no exception

Play Melds:
RM - At any time
WE - At any time

Play Layoffs:
RM - At any time
WE - At any time
Still consistent!  :-)

Hand ends when:
RM - Twice through the deck
WE - Twice through the deck

Score needed to win:
RM - 100 points
WE - $25,000

Shut out:
RM - Yes, if you go out before the deck is exhausted once, you have certain melds, and your opponents do not (Advanced rules)
WE - Not really, although a player can shut his opponents out of the reward of any given outlaw

Scoring:
RM - Points on cards, bonus points for matching melds, player going out on first deck scores The Orangutan.  Subtract points on cards in hand that could not be played.
WE - Completely different from the other games, it’s based on money placed on outlaws during the game and the point values of your melds for each outlaw.  Cards remaining in the hand are irrelevant.

Take cards from other players’ tableaux:
RM - No
WE - Yes, and from their hands too, with a Most Wanted card

And one more category…

Gavel cards automatically take effect when played:
WE - No, for most of them you must draw a card with a “bullet hole”
All others - Yes

As far as Jekyll and Hyde are concerned, I wouldn’t say it’s weaker, just lighter.  It makes an ideal introduction to the series (Mike Fitzgerald has said he would have been better off starting the series with this one, rather than Jack the Ripper) and is a fine choice when you want a relaxing, but still interesting game.  I do agree, though, that it’s the least demanding of the games and yes, the end game can drag a bit.