Rue Morgue is rummy but to leave it at that misses the whole point. If you get a chance to see or play this game with seasoned players you'll realize what a fantastic game it really is.

Jack the Ripper is a better non-partnership game and its theme works better, but Rue Morgue delivers 'in spades' as a true partnership game. The ability to play Dupin's Help to swap unseen cards with your partner really adds to the fun and strategy. It really builds solid partner play ability while providing a strong game of its own.

Anyone who views this as just rummy with a slight twist has missed the entire concept.

I was not very impressed with Mystery Rummy Case No. 1, but decided to buy this anyway because the 'feed the orangutan' mechanic seemed interesting. I'm glad I did! I know many disagree, but I enjoy Case 2 quite a bit more than Case 1 for several reasons:

1. The rules are simpler, which at first I thought would make it boring. To the contrary, the simpler game play results in quicker hands which keeps things interesting.
2. There are no wild cards in Case 2, so the luck factor is less, which I prefer. Yes, I know, it's rummy so there is a huge luck factor by the nature of the game. But at least without wild cards you have to draw the exact card that you need (or hope one of your opponents ditches it) instead of having several cards you can draw that will work.
3. There are fewer gavel cards so discarding becomes more strategic. Instead of being able to pitch a gavel card each turn like in Case 1, eventually you will have to discard evidence that your opponent needs. The trick is to make the best of this situation. A good example is discarding so your opponent melds the second color for which you have the 'Brilliant Deduction' card. She gets six points for the meld, but you get seven points for the deduction.

The best part of the game is the kitty that is won by the player who goes out (the cards under the orangutan). This adds a nice little strategic element to the basic rummy play. Do you feed in cards you know are probably useless, making the kitty not worth much? Or do you feed in good cards betting on being the first player to go out so you win them? Since you only have two cards to choose from when 'feeding', it often becomes an interesting task of choosing 'the lesser of two evils'.

Getting to look at the top draw card during the feeding process is also a fun bit of strategy and gives you a chance to mess with your opponent a little. If it is a card you need, you can play a Dupin's Help card to get it. If it is something your opponent needs, you can feed it to the ape so she can't get it (not without a particular Dupin card). If it is something neither of you need, you can leave it for your opponent so she wastes her next draw.

Definitely play with the advanced rules once you get the hang of the game. The chance to shut out your opponent is a challenge but worth the risk if you can pull it off. The negative point penalty for using Dupin's Help makes you use those cards much more judiciously. Very good additions to the game.

In summary, while I found Case 1 to be tedious and straightforward (except for the rare times when you have a chance at 'shooting the moon' by making the Ripper escape), Case 2 is quick, interactive, and straightforward. :-) Both games are good variations on rummy and worth owning, but I prefer Case 2 because it is quicker and less cumbersome.