INTRODUCTION

“Los Angeles was the kind of place where everybody was from somewhere else and nobody really dropped anchor. It was a transient place. People drawn by the dream, people running from the nightmare.” – The Brass Verdict (2008)

In terms of thematic settings, the genre known as noir has continued to be a reliable source for the works of art known as pulp fiction regardless of medium. Originally coined by French movie critic Nino Frank in 1946, the term was used as a way to define the popular black-and-white crime dramas that Hollywood was churning out at a steady clip. It should therefore come as little to no surprise that Chronicles of Crime, a board game featuring criminal investigations, would turn to this never-ending well of inspiration for its first expansion titled Noir. On paper, from a solitary point-of-view the premise for this expansion is a match made in heaven, as you find yourself taking on the role of the lonely private investigator trying to solve the case against the backdrop of the dog-eat-dog world that is Los Angeles during the 1950’s. However, much like in real life there is a lot more to it than meets the eye and in the world of Noir not everything is as clear-cut as one might suspect. As the old saying goes, “crime never sleeps” so grab a cup of coffee and sharpen your pencil because it is time to hit the streets of La-La Land.

Full disclosure: a review copy of the Chronicles of Crime: Noir expansion was kindly provided by publisher Lucky Duck Games.

COMPONENTS

I have a small confession to make; I am not particularly fond of the art direction in the base game of Chronicles of Crime. There is something about the way the characters are illustrated, staring back at me with a fixed gaze that I find borderline… creepy for a lack of a more eloquent euphemism. Noir on the other hand is absolutely gorgeous, containing some of the finest illustrations I have seen in quite some time. In terms of actual content, the expansion includes 15 new locations befitting to the time period and also new decks of character and evidence cards. The overall quality of the included physical components is fine, nothing to write home about but perfectly serviceable.

One thing that is worth emphasising is how the game tackles the historical backdrop and source materials that are implemented in Noir, a time period that can be described as problematic when compared to the norms and moral values of today. The rulebook not only acknowledges these issues but also provides several designer notes illuminating the influence and impact of noir as a genre when designing this expansion which I thought was a really nice touch.

THE SOLO MODE

In the Noir expansion to Chronicles of Crime you take on the role of private investigator Sam Spader, a man with an appetite for whiskey and a talent for spotting a lie who will stop at nothing in order to solve the case, even if it means crossing the line separating moral and justice. Throughout the course of four scenarios you will unearth dark secrets and discover a city that is a far cry from the typical glitter and glamour of Hollywood, where fallen angels roam the streets in search of prey and the only one you can truly trust is yourself. From a narrative standpoint, the notion of stepping into the shoes of the lone wolf private eye is a thematic setting that really sings to me as an avid enthusiast of solo board and card games. In Noir, there is no elite team of forensic scientists and investigators to turn to for guidance in order to progress through the story. Instead it is just you, a single individual pitted against powerful people who are capable of committing horrendous acts of crime. As it turns out, the standard tropes of detective pulp fiction actually work in Noir’s favour rather than to its detriment.

In terms of game mechanisms Noir preserves the same core structure that is present in Chronicles of Crime, where you will scan QR codes using the official app in order to obtain clues or pieces of evidence needed to solve the case. That is not to say that Noir simple regurgitates every single aspect of the base game, instead there has been several revisions and tweaks to the formula. For example, the passing of time has a much larger impact on the way you conduct your investigation. Rather than being inanimate objects, the characters you come across often have their own agenda which sees them moving from one different location to another depending on the time of the day. This creates a much-needed dynamic structure to the narrative, as you have to keep a watchful eye on the clock as it marches forward in order not to miss an opportunity to meet a person or obtain valuable information. Another new addition is the introduction of a monetary system. Nothing in this world is free and if the clients want to enlist your particular skill-set then they will have to pony up a pretty sum in order to cover your expenses.

Which dovetails nicely into the biggest new addition in terms of game mechanisms and that is the action cards. Gone are the forensic boards from the base game in favour of these new cards which represent various ways for you to interact with the game system. You can bribe law enforcement officers and other key personnel to allow you access to restricted areas like crime scenes. Or you might suspect that a suspect is lying to you and therefore decide to shadow the person in question across town in the hopes of acquiring a new lead. There is even the option to commit to the crime of breaking and entering in your relentless pursuit for the truth. Personally, I love the action cards. Not only do they provide additional avenues for gathering evidence, they will occasionally throw you off guard as to how a character will react to your actions. You might think that trying to intimidate a suspect will make them spill the beans, only to have the person stonewall any further questions on your behalf. Or a patrolling security guard might catch you red-handed trying to break into the office of a potential suspect. The implementation of the action cards creates a sense of urgency, as you are never entirely sure what ripple effects will emerge due to your course of action in any given situation.

Unfortunately, all of my positive comments regarding the Noir expansion are eclipsed by the rather significantly sized elephant in the room and that is the writing which, in its current form, is severely lacking both in grammar and syntax. The structure and tone of the written material has a “synthetic” feel to it, creating a sensation closely resembling uncanny valley but in textual form, as if the narrative was generated using translating software; the grammar might be correct but the flow of the sentence comes off as being delivered by a machine rather than an actual person. On more then one occasion I found myself unsure as to whether a character’s erratic behaviour was caused by their personality or how the actual story is presented. In a game that is more or less entirely built on a foundation of telling a story, the writing becomes an issue of significant proportion which severely impacted my experience in a negative way. In terms of thematic representation, Noir desperately wants to be perceived as a no-nonsense, hard-boiled gritty experience for the player. Instead, what I am left with is a game that ends up feeling less like reading a novel penned by author Cormac McCarthy and more like the manuscript for the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

FINAL THOUGHTS

At the end of the day as much as I would love to, I find myself unable to look past the grammatical and narrative issues that plague the overall experience of playing Chronicles of Crime with the Noir expansion. It is a crying shame, considering how much I thoroughly enjoy and applaud the implementation of the action cards and the absolutely stunning artwork. As a proof of concept, Noir certainly ticks a lot of boxes and provides an additional framework to expand upon in future iterations of this interactive game system. Fingers crossed that the final expansion Welcome to Redview will live up to the proverb “third time is the charm”.