In the second edition, an attempt to solve a case that results in a wrong answer immediately ends the case in a 2-player game, with the player who made the mistake receiving a -2 point penalty.
The problem with this rule is that it can completely break the balance of a 2-player game.
For example, imagine that one player takes a lead in the first case, scoring 7-0. In the following cases, that player can simply make a wrong guess on the very first turn, ending the case immediately and receiving only a -2 penalty.
This means that, instead of giving the opponent a chance to catch up, the player who is already ahead can effectively secure the victory by deliberately ending the remaining cases.
In this scenario, the score would be 7-0 after the first case, followed by -2 points for each of the remaining cases, potentially resulting in a final score of 3-0.
How is this supposed to be balanced?
The rule seems to encourage players who are already ahead to intentionally make mistakes rather than actually play through the remaining cases. In my opinion, this seriously undermines the 2-player experience and makes the game much less competitive.
The problem with this rule is that it can completely break the balance of a 2-player game.
For example, imagine that one player takes a lead in the first case, scoring 7-0. In the following cases, that player can simply make a wrong guess on the very first turn, ending the case immediately and receiving only a -2 penalty.
This means that, instead of giving the opponent a chance to catch up, the player who is already ahead can effectively secure the victory by deliberately ending the remaining cases.
In this scenario, the score would be 7-0 after the first case, followed by -2 points for each of the remaining cases, potentially resulting in a final score of 3-0.
How is this supposed to be balanced?
The rule seems to encourage players who are already ahead to intentionally make mistakes rather than actually play through the remaining cases. In my opinion, this seriously undermines the 2-player experience and makes the game much less competitive.