This is the one that kicked off the "German Invasion" for our gaming group. Adel won the Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year) in 1990. The most sophisticated version of "Scissors, Stones, Paper" you'll ever play, our game results are in doubt until the last move of the game. Adel is best played by 5 players, though 4 is also acceptable. Ostensibly, each player is a British "club" member engaged in a race to assemble the best collection of antiques by visiting a series of English manors and crossing the finish line first (and farthest). Play is simulatneous and fast (very little down time here) and each turn presents you with several difficult options to choose from. I've played this game 20 times and never tired of it. Highly recommended.

This is probably my favorite game. It's fun. It doesn't take too long. It is hard for me to win it, but when I lose I feel like 'I could've won if I'd only played better,' instead of 'if I'd had better luck.' That especially makes me want to play it again and again. Some of the antiques are so cute that my wife will take them, even if there are better cards she could take. She wins anyway. Often everybody picks a detective at the same time, and then everybody laughs out loud. I like the try-to-read-other-people's-minds aspect of the game very much. The game will be different every time, because it depends so much on what the players are like as people. How many games are there that involve interaction with others, hard-thinking, and laughter, all at once? It's good stuff.

Adel Verpflichtet is one of the most impressive jobs of mixing excellent balanced play with strong mechanics and it's all amazingly built on a foundation of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

I have seen some diehard gamers suggest this game is nothing more than that basic childs game, but that's like suggesting that the Indy 500 is just driving a car.

The theme here works very well. You feel like a snob much of the time and feel like a crook when you're stealing items from another player, etc.

The game pieces and board are excellent. It's easy to learn, teach and play and all moves along at a nice pace. The strategy elements are subtle but essential. This is far from a basic guessing game.

The game is best targeted to moderate gamers who enjoy the social interaction elements gaming brings as opposed to the more intense gamers who are mainly interested in only the game.

In my group, it has yet to fail to provide an excellent play experience.

The game is fantastic. By Hook or Crook embodies

the elements of all great games, it posseses the

need to get more power and the ability to get it

by any means. The ability to steal artwork and to exact revenge on your opponents makes this a game for true gamers. I recommend it for all gamers regardless of age or gender.