MicroMacro: Crime City: Rules, Scoring & Strategy
A cooperative visual detective game with a giant illustrated city map and sixteen cases, where the same characters appear at different moments of a crime story.
A cooperative visual detective game with a giant illustrated city map and sixteen cases, where the same characters appear at different moments of a crime story.
Learn the full gameplay flow, important special cases, worked examples, game suitability and related choices. This guide distinguishes the base game from expansions or alternate editions.
Why it stands out
A cooperative visual detective game with a giant illustrated city map and sixteen cases, where the same characters appear at different moments of a crime story.
Game at a glance
Player count
1–4 players.
Main mechanic
A cooperative visual detective game with a giant illustrated city map and sixteen cases, where the same characters appear at different moments of a crime story.
Learning
Read setup, then turn flow, then examples.
Rules scope
Base edition, with optional modules noted separately.
What makes MicroMacro different?
MicroMacro: Crime City is a cooperative observation-and-deduction game designed by Johannes Sich and Hard Boiled Games, and winner of the 2021 Spiel des Jahres. It is less like a conventional board game with turns and dice, and more like a large shared visual investigation. Small illustrated scenes across the city show people at different moments, allowing players to reconstruct what happened and in what order.
This guide stays spoiler-free: it describes the official process without identifying perpetrators, solving any included case, or copying protected case artwork.
What is in the box?
The original standalone Crime City box contains a large black-and-white city map (approximately 75 × 110 cm), 16 cases presented through 120 case cards, a magnifying glass and rules. The box can be played solo or cooperatively by up to four investigators; individual cases commonly take around 15–45 minutes. The original product is rated 12+, and cases contain crime stories that vary in intensity.
Set up the illustrated map
Spread the entire city map on a large table or mount it on a wall with good lighting. Make sure investigators can look closely at different parts without creasing or blocking the art. Sort the case-card stacks without mixing their sequence, choose a case appropriate to your group’s comfort level, and keep its hidden answer cards unread until prompted.
For a first investigation, start with the publisher’s recommended tutorial case so everyone learns how visual events unfold. A magnifying glass or bright task lamp can help when several small characters are close together.
How to start and progress through a case
Read the first case card aloud, then search the city map together. Each subsequent case card provides a question or objective that asks you to find a person, location, earlier event or chain of evidence. When you believe you know the answer, follow the card’s instructions for checking it and advancing to the next step.
The game does not normally require one person to act as a permanent referee. Investigators can exchange observations openly, discuss theories and search different areas in parallel. Work at your group’s pace rather than rushing to the end.
Reading a visual timeline
A character may appear several times on the city map, representing different points in their story—not several separate people. Look for consistent clothing, carried objects, direction of movement and background details. A bicycle in one scene and the same person walking elsewhere may reveal an earlier or later moment.
Original spoiler-free example: you notice someone standing near a kiosk with a parcel and elsewhere see what appears to be the same person outside a building without it. You might search for a third scene showing what happened to the parcel. The solution requires a defensible sequence of observations, not simply naming the first character whose clothing looks similar.
Using answers without ruining a case
Each investigation has its own directed sequence of cards and answers. Avoid reading ahead: knowing a later revelation can undermine several earlier questions. If stuck, revisit the full map and look for small scenes involving the same object or character rather than immediately consulting all answers.
A useful method is to identify the crime scene, look for witnesses and possible routes, then trace the key person’s earlier and later appearances. The map is a continuous information space, but not every visible incident belongs to your active case.
How does a case end and how do you win?
A case is solved when the group completes its full question sequence correctly and reconstructs the required events. There is no standard money total or individual victory-point race. The experience is cooperative: the payoff is a correct account of what happened, supported by map details. Once a case is solved, record its completion and choose a different case next time.
Is it suitable for children?
The original Crime City includes murder and other crime themes, so the age-12 recommendation deserves attention even though the map has a playful illustrated style. Case-content indicators vary by publication and can help select suitable scenarios. The newer MicroMacro Kids titles are separate products aimed at younger audiences; they should not be confused with a child-safe mode inside the original Crime City box.
Is the replay value limited?
A fully solved case cannot provide the same first-time mystery again, although the map can still be enjoyed for visual searching. Crime City includes sixteen cases; other standalone boxes in the series add new maps and separate investigations rather than requiring you to own the original. The official MicroMacro website also offers additional puzzles and mini-cases, although some material can contain case or map spoilers.
Strategies for spotting a clue
Change scale: alternate wide-area scanning with careful inspection of individual scenes. Track people, not just places: consistent clothing and objects link distant moments. Recheck assumptions: a scene that seems late may actually be early. Divide the map: teammates can search different neighborhoods, then compare findings. Avoid answers too early: the fun is in identifying the chain of evidence yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is MicroMacro: Crime City cooperative?
Yes; all investigators solve cases together.
How many cases are included?
Sixteen in the original standalone Crime City box.
Do you need to own other boxes?
No, the original Crime City is standalone.
Are there dice or turn-by-turn movement?
No; gameplay centers on investigating the illustrated map and answering case questions.
Does this guide reveal solutions?
No, it deliberately avoids case spoilers.
Sources and editorial disclosures
Publisher instructions or official game information. Independent editorial content; no firsthand testing or publisher affiliation is claimed. No original game art or case solutions are reproduced. Check the rules supplied with your printing for edition-specific details. Editorial policy and corrections.