- BGG rank
- BGG #1,749
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Scotland Yard
1983
Rules assistance for Scotland Yard
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Scotland Yard
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Scotland Yard is a board game released in 1983 for 2–6 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Manfred Burggraf, Werner Schlegel, Dorothy Garrels, Fritz Ifland, Werner Scheerer, and Wolf Hoermann and its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement, Secret Unit Deployment, and Team-Based Game.
About the game
In Scotland Yard, one of the players takes on the role of Mr. X. His job is to move from point to point around the map of London taking taxis, buses or subways. The detectives – that is, the remaining players acting in concert – move around similarly in an effort to move into the same space as Mr. X. But while the criminal's mode of transportation is nearly always known, his exact location is only known intermittently throughout the game. The 125 fare tickets are 5 black, 23 pink underground, 43 green bus, 54 yellow taxi. Similar to The Fury of Dracula Clue: The Great Museum Caper Ghost Chase Letters from Whitechapel Garibaldi: The Escape Specter Ops Whitehall Mystery
Publishers
- Majora
- Korea Boardgames
- Funskool Games
- Grow Jogos e Brinquedos
- Milton Bradley
- Otto Maier Verlag
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- Ravensburger AG
- Educa Sallent SA
- Kawada, Co. Ltd
- Bonaparte
- ツクダプリスクール (Tsukuda Preschool)
Questions and answers
Scotland Yard supports 2–6 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 Scotland Yard is 45 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 Scotland Yard for ages 10 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.
Scotland Yard has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Scotland Yard belongs to these categories: Deduction and Travel. Its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement, Secret Unit Deployment, and Team-Based Game. 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 Scotland Yard are: Manfred Burggraf, Werner Schlegel, Dorothy Garrels, Fritz Ifland, Werner Scheerer, and Wolf Hoermann. 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 Scotland Yard 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.