Professor Ravenwood's Time Machine is a semi co-op mystery/investigation game for 2-6 players. It features elements of hand/resource management, take-that, variable player powers plus randomization which ensures it cannot be played the same way twice. Players must work by shipping goods and trading with each other to earn enough money to buy the supplies they need to reach each location. Once a player has the necessary supplies and holds one of the 28 map locations, they can move to the investigate phase. Each location is always a mystery. There could be someone in hiding, holding a set of blueprints, or a shady character you will have to deal with. It may also contain a mystery crate with unknown contents.. Mystery crates however are padlocked, and can only be opened with a skeleton key. They may contain missing components of the Time Machine or unusual artifacts which will convey positive or negative effects onto the player, or everyone else. At one of the locations, Professor Ravenwood has been locked away. When he is found, the identity of the mole can be revealed, which is one of the players chosen secretly at random at the beginning of the game. With their cover blown, that player now becomes a Saboteur, receiving a unique deck of instruction cards, and whose mission is to subvert the search and recover as many of the missing blueprints and components before the others. Players share the win or loss against the Saboteur, however each is also out for their share of the reward, so the person who contributes the most to the search will gain the victory points and be declared the winner. If the Saboteur wins, all is lost. Professor Ravenwood's Time Machine must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. -description from designer