
- BGG rating
- 9.3
Mr. Jack Pocket: Extension
- 2 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5

2010
Rules assistance for Mr. Jack Pocket
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mr. Jack Pocket is a board game released in 2010 for 2 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc and its main mechanics are Modular Board, Map Deformation, and Hidden Movement.
From Bruno Faidutti's site: It has been found again by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc with Mr.Jack Pocket, the small card game derived from Mr. Jack. The board is replaced by a square grid made of nine street cards. The suspects, and among them Mr.Jack, are pictured on the cards. Holmes, Watson and a dog are turning around the grid, a system already used by Bruno Cathala in several games, and can “look” at the streets in a row or column. Every round, like in Mr.Jack, four actions are available. The first player selects one, his opponent two, and the first player then uses the last remaining action. Actions allow moving a detective one or two spaces clockwise around the grid, turning a card in order to change the view of the streets, swapping two street cards or drawing an alibi card. At the end of the round, Mr.Jack states if he can be seen by one of the detectives. Of course, the detectives must identify Jack, who must stay hidden long enough to escape.
Mr. Jack Pocket supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Mr. Jack Pocket is 15 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Mr. Jack Pocket for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Mr. Jack Pocket has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Mr. Jack Pocket belongs to these categories: Deduction, Murder / Mystery, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Modular Board, Map Deformation, and Hidden Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Mr. Jack Pocket are: Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Mr. Jack Pocket as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.