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The Detective Case

A five-step murder mystery played on phones: crack a coded note, read a seating plan, put the evening in order, log into the club archive and name the time of the crime. About 50 minutes for team building or a dinner party, from one link, no app.

Made for
Teams and training
Difficulty
Hard
Duration
50 min
Steps
5
Locks used
Written answer, Grid 4x4, Ordered switches, Username and password, Numeric code (PIN)
Play the example
The Detective Case: Written answer, Grid 4x4, Ordered switches, Username and password, Numeric code (PIN)

Try it before you copy it

What this template contains

  1. step 1 · Written answer

    The coded note

    🕵️ The victim's pocket holds a note: SBWFO.
    ✒️ Underneath, in shaky ink: 'one step back'.

    🔤 Move each letter one place back in the alphabet to find the club's emblem, a black bird.

  2. step 2 · Grid 4x4

    The seating plan

    🍷 Four guests slipped out before dessert: one per row, never two in the same column.
    🪑 Their empty seats form a straight line starting at the top-left seat.

    🎯 Select those four seats.

  3. step 3 · Ordered switches

    The sequence of events

    🕯️ Switch 1: the toast. 2: lights out. 3: a scream. 4: the clocks are moved.

    🤔 Nobody made the toast.
    The scream came in the dark.
    The clocks were moved with the lights on.

    🎚️ Flip them in order.

  4. step 4 · Username and password

    The archive login

    🗄️ The club archive only speaks English.

    👤 Username: what the butler called you.
    🔑 Password: the hour when Cinderella's carriage turns back into a pumpkin, in one word.

    🔡 All lowercase.

  5. step 5 · Numeric code (PIN)

    The time of the crime

    🔢 Enter the time of that log entry as four digits, 24-hour clock, hours then minutes.

    🕵️ Get it right and the culprit's alibi falls apart.

Ideas to make it yours

  • Cast your guests as club members and hide their names in the reveals
  • Swap the time of the crime for the hour your party started
  • Print the coded note and slip it under every dinner plate

How to use this template

  1. 1

    Play it here first, exactly as your players will.

  2. 2

    Copy it into the builder, then change the codes, the clues and the locked content.

  3. 3

    Publish and share the link or the QR code. Players need no app and no account.

Open it in the builder →

Questions about this template

How hard are the puzzles?
It is one of our toughest trails: a letter cipher, a logic grid, an order of events and a login deduced from clues. Every step has a hint that nearly gives the answer, so no team stays stuck for long.
What do players need?
A phone with a browser, nothing else: no app, no account. A team can share one phone and argue over the clues together, which is half the fun.
Can I write my own suspects and clues?
Yes. Every question, answer, hint, wrong-answer message and reveal can be rewritten, so your colleagues or guests can become the suspects. The lock can still be edited after you share the link.
Is this template free?
Playing it and editing it in the builder are free for everyone, and players never pay. See current plans and features on the pricing page.
Can I change the answers and the texts?
Yes. Every code, clue, hint and piece of locked content opens in the builder, and nothing is saved until you publish.
What do players need?
A phone or a computer with a browser. They open your link or scan your QR code, and never create an account.
How long does it take to play?
About 50 minutes, from the first lock to the locked content.

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