In reality, it’s a selfish scramble to get yourself out of town as fast as possible without the plague, by any means necessary. Items that are not currently available include 9 additional characters cards that were an exclusive for the Kickstarter campaign, along with a silver foil card that acts as a first player marker and reference card. I can’t fathom electing to play with a cheater, let alone somebody who would cheat at a low-stakes social deduction game. The beautiful presentation, lithe footprint and cunning faux-hardback box are simply the icing on a particularly sinister cake.

In Battlestar Galactica, Dead of Winter, and Dark Moon, a crisis check might fail through no fault of the players. Just FYI: the new aspects to Zoo Vadis (unique powers and peacocks) were added in (bolted on) by the good doctor himself. The setup of the game is simple, allowing you to quickly jump in to this mad race to avoid the Black Death.Except that player might be you, so every play begins to look like malice rather than, say, the luck of the draw. On the surface Bristol 1350 is part co-operative teamwork, part racing strategy, and part social deduction. I’m not generally enamoured of ‘party games’ or social deduction as a primary mechanic, however-with its actual (relative) strategic depth and perfect embrace of theme, Bristol 1350 has quickly become a favourite that gathers no dust between sessions. Those who are falling prey to the black death gleefully seek to fan the flames of transmission, while those who remain unscathed must stay alert and agile to suspicious passengers. It is a very interesting mix of social deduction, cooperative teamwork, and making sure you win at any cost.

Signaling is when a player hints at their identity by taking an action that pushes the game-state toward their desired outcome. Even when the maturing Bristol prototype was still a jumble of cheap paper and plastic, my fellow playtesters and I were having a fantastic time together.

When it seemed the universe had decided I was not to receive my package, Sammy defied nature itself to ensure it arrived and I even got a badge.

Even if I did find myself sharing a table with somebody who suffered from such a crippling lack of self-esteem that they needed to pretend to thump everybody at Bristol 1350, then by all means, claim the V.

Swathes of the populace succumbed, whilst many that remained took desperate flight, their conscience unsullied by the ends to which they stooped in their exodus.