CSI: the Board Game

History

CSI: The Board game was published in 2004 by Specialty Board Games, Inc. It is based on the Emmy Award-winning television series CSI – Crime Scene Investigation which tells the stories of a team of Las Vegas forensic scientists led by Gil Grissom. The team investigates and solves unusual crimes.

CSI Las Vegas went on the air in 2000, and has since won many television awards. The CSI legacy grew in 2002 with the launch of the highly-successful CSI:Miami.

The eight murder cases in the game are written by Canadian award-winning crime writer Max Haines who has researched and written about murder mysteries since 1972. Each case is also reviewed by forensics experts.

Game Pieces

The game can be set up quickly because most of the game pieces remain in inventory until they need to be distributed to a player. The game comes with:

• 1 CSI game board
• 8 crime stories
• 24 suspect and evidence cards
• 2 Grissom cards per story
• 26 disclosure cards
• 4 arrest warrants
• CSI handbook that includes crime scene descriptions, crime scene photos, crime solutions, rules and glossaries
• 4 playing pieces
• 8 CSI characters
• 1 die

Playing CSI: The Board Game

Players start the game by agreeing upon which of the eight crime stories included in the game they want to solve:

• Critical Target
• Secrets Among Sisters
• Fatal Foursome
• Corporate Casualty
• Rock Bottom
• Last Dance
• Leave Them Wanting More
• Cold Comfort

Players then take on the roles of crime scene investigators on Grissom's forensic team. Players take turns collecting evidence from the crime scene and from the seven crime lab divisions:

• Interrogation
• Autopsy
• Identification
• Trace
• Ballistics
• Forensics
• DNA

Each player reviews the crime scene descriptions and photos and then investigates and analyzes the evidence in order to determine which of the three suspects committed the crime. It is very easy to get engrossed in the details of the crime and it's easy to lose track of time. Total play time can be anywhere from one to two hours.

Age Adds Dimension

The game is not difficult to play but it certainly a much more sophisticated crime solving game than Clue, the children's crime game. CSI: The Board Game tests each player's deductive reasoning skills. The game is designed for two to four players or two to four teams of players, age 13 and older. This game can be a lot of fun for adults and teenagers to play together. It can also take on a much larger dimension when played by adults who may have more patience to read and analyze all of the clues.

Winning the Game

The winner is the first player to enter Gil Grissom's office with an arrest warrant that correctly determines the means, motive and opportunity of a specific suspect to commit the crime being investigated.

Other CSI Games and Kits

Additional versions of the game are available. You can also purchase booster packs which contain new crime stores and evidence cards:

• CSI: Miami board game
• CSI Senses Game
• CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder computer game
• CSI Crime Game and Booster Pack #1
• CSI: Miami Booster Pack
• CSI Facial Reconstruction Kit
• CSI Fingerprint Investigation Kit
• CSI: Forensic Entomology Kit

Where to Buy

• Amazon.com
• Boardgames.com
• BoardGameGeek.com
• AreYouGame.com
• Target
• Toy and game stores
• eBay
• Craig's List