I really like the consept of this game and have preordered it. I have read over the rulebook many times now to make sure I have a really solid grasp of the rules and I think I have them nailed down. I am just not sure how I am going to explain everything to my group. Any suggestions?

I could just go through the rulebook page by page going through everything, but I am afraid it will be information overload.

I could set up all the characters and the board ahead of time and just lead everyone through the first round or so. That way they could jump in quicker, but no one likes people to tell them what to do.

I could just hit some of the main mechanics and just let them figure out the rest as we play the game. But then I get to hear, you didn't tell me I could do that, I would have done something completely different.

Any Ideas?

My first game will probably feature the roleplaying angle: Explain everybody the world and that there was a murder. Then let everybody choose their characters without even so much as explaining the smallest bit. Then I'll translate the background story for everyone so it will feel like an RPG.

From then on, I reckon, I'll introduce rules and mechanis on the fly and as needed. Obviously, this will make the first game a rather long one, but who isn't expecting this anyways?

Before the first round, I will also explain some basic principles - like how to make somebody the murderer, what the three pillars are the game is build upon, etc. Just a quick rundown so people know the gist. Obviously it is important for people to know how to incriminate suspects.

Take it very slow your first session and expect to make mistakes. If possible each player should read the rules before sitting down to play the game.

I don't think this isn't a game that you learn in one session.

I met up with some folks from FFG over the weekend, and we gave the game a go. None of us (even the FFG folks) were that familar with the rules, so we did a quick go-over of the basics, and decided to work our way through the rules as they came up. I have to say it was similar to Arkham -- there are alot of rules, but most of them only need to be gone over when a particular instance occurs. By the end of the second "day" I think we had most of the basics down. Play became pretty smotth after that.

I think this is a game that is easy to demo and teach, as long as you don't get too bogged down with the rules to start. Introduce the basics -- movement, obtaining and placing evidence, how to use the cards -- at the start of the game. SPend a few minutes about the plot cards and baggage, then jump in and start playing. We had a fun time playing, and I look forward to getting my own copy later this week to play with.

I agree with the general consensus here that this is a game best experienced rather than explained.

I would point out, though, that players who are not used to Victory Points will need a primer on what they are all about. The game isn't a 'solve the murder and you win' setup, in fact you might prove your hunch guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt and still lose. I would recommend going over the different sources of points and how they might be affected. In short, make sure that the players know how to win. The rest can be picked up as you go along.

Haven't gotten the game yet (debating on if I want it, very few people I know are serious enough about boardgames to play without me jumping through hoops to get them to try), but how I plan on explaining it:

Start off by explaining a bit about the game backstory: it's in the future, androids and clones are beginning to show up, and I'll list the characters with a brief description ("brief" meaning I'll say something like "This is Louis, the corrupt cop. This is Floyd, the android." and so on). After everyone picks (or maybe I'll pick for them, speed up the setup a bit) and we get set up, I'll go over the core rules. What you can do to score VP ("You can score points by solving the murder, uncovering the conspiracy, or by dealing with your own personal demons"), how to play light/dark cards, and what you can do in a turn (what you can spend time on). After that, I'll start with the first turn and try to hit on as many points as possible as I play, and from there I'll just explain rules as they come up.