Description

This game is based on the book of the same name by Erich Kästner. In the book Emil's money is stolen after he falls asleep on a train. He realizes he has been robbed and enlists the help of some other children, "the detectives", to help find the man who stole his money.

The game consists of a two-piece board, which joins together like a puzzle, and 31 tiles depicting city scenery that stick vertically into the board. There are 34 places on the board on which the players can move. Each one is covered by a wooden cylinder. The picture of the criminal is under one of the cylinders. One player will move this cylinder around the board.

One player plays the role of the criminal, Herr Grundeis, and the other players are the detectives. Herr Grundeis needs to try to cross the board from the station to the park before the detectives, played by the other players, find him. If Herr Grundeis reaches the park, he wins. If one of the detectives finds him, the detectives win. Herr Grundeis moves first. He roles the black die. The detectives now put on their blindfolds. Herr Grundeis now moves up to the number of spaces indicated on the die. He cannot move more than the number of spaces indicated on the die, but he can move less. The detectives see the die so they know how many spaces the criminal may have moved. The detectives remove their blindfolds and are given a clue that partially describes the tile in front of the criminal. The detectives role the white die in turn and move up to the number of spaces indicated, hopefully stopping in front of a tile that meets the criteria mentioned in the clue. The player checks bottom of the cylinder he has landed on to see if Herr Grundeis is hiding there. Each detective roles the die and moves before Herr Grundeis moves again.