Micro Macro: Hidden object meets detective work
Do you love hidden object pictures, but finding Walter hasn't challenged you for a long time? Then try Micro Macro. Instead of striped shirts, there are crimes that you have to solve.
Crime City is a wild place. Someone is thrown to the ground on one corner, a body is found just a few steps away, blackmailers and victims sit opposite each other in a café. All crimes are included. You can no longer undo the deeds, but you can at least make sure that the cases are solved. All you need are good eyes and a bit of deduction. Because Crime City is a huge, monochrome hidden object picture.
Attention, spoilers! (On the backs of the cards, not here)
The first thing you notice when you lift the lid off the box of "Micro Macro: Crime City - Full House" is a warning. I'm not supposed to look at the back of the cards, because they contain the answers to the questions on the front. Where is the crime scene? What was the murder weapon? There are 18 cases with different levels of difficulty to solve. There are small envelopes to keep all the cases together with the corresponding question cards.
The special thing about the hidden object city map is that the traces of the perpetrator and victim can be traced back. So I go back in time in search of clues. If you have trouble seeing the city because of all the criminals, there's a magnifying glass for you. It's actually more of a thicker piece of plastic film, but it does the job. I've never needed it so far. Not because the puzzles are so easy, but because my eyesight isn't my biggest problem.
I sometimes have a little trouble concentrating. I'm distracted by other events in the city, which isn't necessarily surprising in a hidden object game. At least I benefit from these distractions later on in other cases. While the other players start searching for a crime scene in a corner somewhere, I already know where it is and proudly shout it out to the others.
Fun with and without children
According to the manufacturer, the co-operative game is suitable for ages 10 and up. However, I have heard from trustworthy sources - parents in my environment - that it should work even earlier with a little help. And the puzzles are fun even without children. I recently played "Micro Macro: Crime City - Part 1" of the series with a friend over a beer in a pub. The waitress was a little confused for a moment as to why the two of us needed another table, but reluctantly accepted the move when she saw the black and white paper map.
Apropos black and white. It's probably not meant to be, but once all the cases have been solved, the hidden object picture also makes a great colouring-in picture. And apparently you can make a huge map out of the individual city maps from the different editions. At least that's what I saw in an Instagram post from the publisher "Edition Spielwiese". However, one part is still missing.
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.