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Nessie's True Identity
2019
Rules assistance for Nessie's True Identity
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–99 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Nessie's True Identity
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Nessie's True Identity is a board game released in 2019 for 2–99 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Naotaka Shimamoto and its main mechanics are Deduction.
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About the game
"Could it be what I think it is...!?" As the only witness to the mythic creature, you are determined to protect Nessie's romance and mystery, while also providing hints to the enthusiasts to promote the creature's popularity. Enthusiasts, get on the search boat to discover Nessie's True Identity! Will the truth be uncovered? Or will the mystery deepen? To play the game, place the Nessie figure on one end of the table and the ship on the other end, with the five characters W H A T ? lying down between them. If you are the lead player, think of any noun to serve as Nessie's true identity. (Proper nouns are discouraged.) The other players — the Nessie fanatics — now try to guess this identity. At the start of a round, you give a one-word hint to the hidden identity. Each fanatic then makes one guess about this identity in whatever order they want. If none of the guesses are close to Nessie's identity, move the ship farther away from Nessie and stand up one of the letters; if any guesses are close but not correct, move the ship closer to Nessie, then stand up one of the letters. If one of the guesses matches the identity, don't reveal this when the player guesses. Instead, at the end of the round after all players have guessed, move the ship adjacent to Nessie. On the count of 3, each fanatic must point to the person who they think gave the correct answer, which might be themselves. If more than half the fanatics identify the correct guess, they win; if not, then you win. If five rounds pass and no one has guessed the correct answer, then you'll all be staring at WHAT? and realizing that the clue giver didn't do a good job. Nessie's True Identity includes a scoring system in case you want to have everyone be the clue giver once and keep track of points earned over multiple games. The second edition of Nessie's True Identity features larger components and reorganized rules, along with a new sighting information card, coverage board, and pen.
Questions and answers
Nessie's True Identity supports 2–99 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Nessie's True Identity is 20 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 Nessie's True Identity for ages 8 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.
Nessie's True Identity has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Nessie's True Identity belongs to these categories: Party Game. Its main mechanics are Deduction. 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 Nessie's True Identity are: Naotaka Shimamoto. 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 Nessie's True Identity 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.