🔍 LEAD DETECTIVE
Coordinator · Final Voice · Runs the room
YOUR EVIDENCE THIS CASE
Phase 0
Setup & Briefing 5 min
Read the Case Brief aloud to the entire group — slowly, with weight. Then assign Role Cards. Give everyone 2 minutes of silence to read Suspect Profiles.
FOCUS Case Brief · Suspect Profiles
- Has everyone been assigned a role?
- Does everyone understand who the suspects are?
- Is the Auto-Host timer started?
END GOAL Everyone knows the case, their role, and is ready to investigate.
Round 1
First Evidence Review 20 min
Call on each role to present their evidence findings. Forensic Analyst goes first. Take notes. Ask probing questions — not accusations, just understanding.
FOCUS Synthesising all evidence reports
- What does the cause of death tell us about who had physical capability?
- Which suspect's alibi sounds weakest based on Round 1 evidence?
- Are there any two pieces of evidence that contradict each other?
END GOAL All evidence is shared. The group understands the basic mechanics of the crime.
Round 2
Alibi Testing 20 min
Lead the alibi session. Go through each suspect one by one. For every alibi, ask the group: "Is this confirmed by an independent source, or just claimed?" Track the answers.
FOCUS Running structured alibi review across all suspects
- Which alibis are confirmed by physical evidence or independent witnesses?
- Which suspect has the least verified account of their movements?
- Are we ready to open Pack B, or do we need more discussion?
END GOAL Narrowed to 1–2 suspects. Timeline has been stress-tested.
Round 3
Pack B — The AHA Moment 20 min
Announce Pack B is now open. Give 3 minutes of silence to read. Then call each player to share their Pack B findings. Drive toward a group consensus: culprit, motive, and method — all three, all with evidence.
FOCUS Synthesising Pack B with Pack A to reach conclusion
- Does Pack B confirm or change our leading theory?
- Can we now name a culprit AND cite the specific evidence that proves each of: culprit, motive, method?
- Is anyone still strongly unconvinced?
END GOAL Group can name the killer with evidence for motive and method.
Phase 4
Accusation Phase 10 min
Call silence. No more discussion. Each player fills their Accusation Sheet independently. Collect all sheets before opening the solution. Count the majority verdict and announce it.
FOCUS Collecting accusations · Announcing majority vote
- Has every player submitted their sheet?
- What is the majority verdict?
END GOAL All accusations submitted. Majority culprit identified.
Phase 5
Solution & Debrief Open-ended
Open 10_SEALED_Solution_Reveal.html. Read each section aloud — pause between paragraphs. Let the revelation land. Then read the Debrief at the bottom and facilitate the discussion questions.
FOCUS 10_SEALED_Solution_Reveal.html · Scoring · Debrief
END GOAL Everyone understands what happened, why, and what they missed.
🧪 FORENSIC ANALYST
Science · Cause of Death · Physical Truth
YOUR EVIDENCE THIS CASE
Phase 0
Setup & Briefing 5 min
Listen to the Case Brief. Locate your evidence files in Pack A — usually autopsy reports, toxicology, and physical crime scene evidence. Do not read yet. Just know where they are.
FOCUS Identifying your evidence files before Round 1
- Where are the autopsy and toxicology reports?
- What is the officially stated cause of death?
END GOAL You know which files are yours and what the official story claims.
Round 1
First Evidence Review 20 min
You present FIRST. Always. Open with: cause of death, estimated time of death, and method. Be precise — state evidence file numbers. Then flag anything that seems inconsistent with the official story.
FOCUS Autopsy · Toxicology · Physical scene evidence
- What was the exact cause and time of death?
- Does the physical condition of the body match the official story?
- Was the victim capable of voluntary action in their final moments?
- Is there any substance, injury, or physical detail that doesn't fit a natural or accidental cause?
END GOAL The group understands the medical facts and whether the scene was staged.
Round 2
Alibi Testing 20 min
As the Timeline Keeper walks through each alibi, your job is to ask: "Does the physical evidence support or contradict this claim?" If the time of death rules someone out or in — say it clearly.
FOCUS Cross-referencing physical evidence against claimed alibis
- Does the time of death match any suspect's stated whereabouts?
- Is there physical evidence that requires close proximity to the victim?
- Does any alibi break down when checked against your forensic findings?
END GOAL Physical evidence has been used to confirm or eliminate at least one alibi.
Round 3
Pack B — The AHA Moment 20 min
Check if Pack B has any new forensic files — additional lab results, revised reports, or trace evidence. Read them first. Report any changes to your earlier findings immediately.
FOCUS Pack B forensic/physical evidence
- Does Pack B change or confirm the cause of death?
- Is there new physical evidence that connects a specific suspect to the crime scene?
- Does the method now point unambiguously to one person?
END GOAL Physical evidence chain is complete. Method is confirmed.
Phase 4
Accusation Phase 10 min
Fill your Accusation Sheet independently. Your strongest field is Method — you own the physical evidence. Cite specific file numbers.
FOCUS 07_Accusation_Sheet.html
END GOAL Sheet submitted with method backed by specific evidence citations.
Phase 5
Solution & Debrief Open-ended
During the reveal, pay attention to whether your forensic read was correct. Was the cause of death what you said? Was the method what you identified? Use the debrief to understand what you missed.
FOCUS Solution accuracy · Forensic debrief
⏱ TIMELINE KEEPER
Chronology · Alibi Verification · The Map of When
YOUR EVIDENCE THIS CASE
Phase 0
Setup & Briefing 5 min
Open 06_Timeline_Board.html right now. Keep it open throughout the entire game. Your job starts the moment Round 1 begins — every time someone mentions a time, you record it.
FOCUS Opening and preparing the Timeline Board
- What is the murder window — when did the crime occur?
- What are the fixed time anchors stated in the Case Brief?
END GOAL Timeline Board is open and you're ready to record from minute one.
Round 1
First Evidence Review 20 min
As each player presents evidence, record every timestamp you hear into the Timeline Board. After all reports: read back what you've recorded. Ask: "Does this timeline make sense? Are there any gaps?"
FOCUS Building the master timeline from all evidence reports
- What confirmed times exist for each suspect?
- What periods are completely unaccounted for?
- Who was near the crime scene during the murder window?
END GOAL A working timeline with confirmed entries and visible gaps for all suspects.
Round 2
Alibi Testing 20 min
THIS IS YOUR ROUND. You lead. Walk through each suspect row on the Timeline Board. For every claimed alibi: "What evidence confirms this time? Is it an independent source or self-reported?" Mark confirmed, suspicious, or unknown.
FOCUS 06_Timeline_Board.html — leading the alibi review session
- Which suspect has a gap during the murder window with no independent confirmation?
- Which alibi is confirmed by the most independent sources?
- Is there a suspect whose confirmed timeline makes them physically impossible?
END GOAL Every suspect marked as Confirmed / Suspicious / Eliminated on the Timeline Board.
Round 3
Pack B — The AHA Moment 20 min
When Pack B is opened, update the Timeline Board with any new timestamps or access logs. Check: does the new data change anyone's status from Round 2?
FOCUS Updating the timeline with Pack B data
- Does Pack B introduce a new timestamp that changes someone's opportunity window?
- Does the updated timeline now definitively place one suspect at the scene?
END GOAL Final timeline complete. At least one suspect's opportunity is confirmed or eliminated by Pack B.
Phase 4
Accusation Phase 10 min
Fill your Accusation Sheet. Your strongest contribution is the timeline section — you own the chronological proof of who had opportunity.
FOCUS 07_Accusation_Sheet.html
END GOAL Sheet submitted with timeline-based opportunity clearly cited.
Phase 5
Solution & Debrief Open-ended
During the reveal, check how accurate your timeline reconstruction was. Were there timestamps you missed? Did the Pack B timeline data change the case in a way you anticipated?
FOCUS Timeline accuracy check during debrief
🎙 INTERROGATION SPECIALIST
Inconsistencies · Pressure · The Weak Point in Every Story
YOUR EVIDENCE THIS CASE
Phase 0
Setup & Briefing 5 min
Read the Suspect Profiles carefully. Before Round 1 starts, mentally note: who has the vaguest alibi? Who has the most to lose? You're building a target list.
FOCUS 02_Suspect_Profiles.html — initial read for inconsistency signals
- Which suspect's profile raises the most immediate questions?
- Who claims an alibi that sounds unverifiable?
END GOAL A mental shortlist of which suspects to pressure in Round 2.
Round 1
First Evidence Review 20 min
Listen carefully to every evidence report. Your job: note every statement that contradicts another piece of evidence. Write them down. You're building your Round 2 case file.
FOCUS Cross-referencing claims vs. evidence across all reports
- Did any suspect claim to be somewhere that physical evidence contradicts?
- Is there a statement that changed between the initial report and a later one?
- Which claim is the least supported by independent evidence?
END GOAL A list of specific inconsistencies ready to surface in Round 2.
Round 2
Alibi Testing 20 min
Present the two weakest alibis to the group. For each, make the case for why they don't hold up — cite the specific evidence that contradicts them. Be precise, not emotional.
FOCUS Presenting alibi contradictions · Challenging the group's assumptions
- What specific evidence contradicts this suspect's stated location?
- If this alibi is false, does the timeline now place them at the scene?
- What would it take to completely confirm or rule this person out?
END GOAL The group has confronted the two weakest alibis with specific contradicting evidence.
Round 3
Pack B — The AHA Moment 20 min
After Pack B is read, identify which piece definitively breaks an alibi. State it clearly: "This piece proves [suspect] could not have been where they claimed." Cite the evidence number.
FOCUS Finding the Pack B alibi-breaker
- Which Pack B piece most directly contradicts a suspect's claimed story?
- Is there now enough evidence to state that one specific alibi is impossible?
END GOAL One alibi is definitively broken with Pack B evidence.
Phase 4
Accusation Phase 10 min
Fill your Accusation Sheet. Your strongest field is "Key Contradiction" — you've been building toward this the entire game. Cite the specific evidence that makes the alibi impossible.
FOCUS 07_Accusation_Sheet.html
END GOAL Sheet submitted with a clear, evidence-backed contradiction statement.
Phase 5
Solution & Debrief Open-ended
During the reveal, focus on whether you identified the right contradiction. Was the key inconsistency what you thought? What did you miss?
FOCUS Contradiction accuracy check
💰 FINANCIAL CRIMES ANALYST
Money Trails · Shell Companies · Follow the Motive
YOUR EVIDENCE THIS CASE
Phase 0
Setup & Briefing 5 min
Identify your financial evidence files in Pack A. Bank statements, company registrations, payment records. Note what the Case Brief says about the victim's business or financial life — that's your starting context.
FOCUS Locating financial evidence files in Pack A
- What financial context does the Case Brief give?
- What financial documents are in my evidence set?
END GOAL You know where the money evidence is and what the financial backdrop looks like.
Round 1
First Evidence Review 20 min
Present your financial findings. Look for: unusual payment amounts, transfers to unknown accounts, shell companies, documents with addresses that match other evidence. Connect financial data to people.
FOCUS Bank statements · Company registrations · Payment records
- Is there a payment trail that leads to one specific suspect?
- Are there any companies, accounts, or transactions that don't appear legitimate?
- Does any suspect have a direct financial motive — money gained or threat of money lost?
END GOAL The group understands the financial motive landscape across all suspects.
Round 2
Alibi Testing 20 min
As alibis are tested, ask for each suspect: "Does our financial evidence give them a stronger or weaker motive?" Some alibis are perfect — but the financial motive may still make them the most likely actor.
FOCUS Connecting financial motive to opportunity analysis
- Of our remaining suspects, who has the strongest financial motive backed by evidence?
- Is there a financial document that places a specific person in a specific position of threat or gain?
END GOAL Financial motive is matched to the suspect with the clearest opportunity.
Round 3
Pack B — The AHA Moment 20 min
Pack B often contains the financial smoking gun — the second document that connects to your Round 1 find. Cross-reference it immediately with what you already have.
FOCUS Pack B financial documents — cross-referencing with Pack A finds
- Does a Pack B document connect to a financial find from Pack A?
- Is the motive now fully provable with evidence — not just plausible?
END GOAL Motive is proven by evidence, not just inferred.
Phase 4
Accusation Phase 10 min
Fill your sheet. Your strongest field is Motive — cite the specific financial evidence that proves it. Not "they needed money." Specific: document name, amount, connection to suspect.
FOCUS 07_Accusation_Sheet.html
END GOAL Sheet submitted with evidence-backed motive statement.
Phase 5
Solution & Debrief Open-ended
Check whether you identified the correct financial motive. Did you find the key financial connection, or did Pack B need to complete it for you?
FOCUS Motive accuracy check
💻 DIGITAL EVIDENCE ANALYST
Phone Records · Messages · Digital Footprints
YOUR EVIDENCE THIS CASE
Phase 0
Setup & Briefing 5 min
Identify your digital evidence in Pack A — phone records, call logs, WhatsApp/messages, CCTV access logs, email records. Note who sent what to whom in the final 24 hours.
FOCUS Locating digital/communication evidence files
- What digital records exist in this case?
- Which suspects have documented phone or digital activity?
END GOAL You know what communication evidence exists and who it involves.
Round 1
First Evidence Review 20 min
Present digital findings. Key questions to answer: where was each suspect's phone during the murder window? What communications happened in the hours before the crime that are significant?
FOCUS Phone records · Messages · Access logs · Digital timestamps
- Does any phone record place a suspect near the scene despite a conflicting alibi?
- Is there a message that reveals motive, planning, or guilt?
- Are there calls or messages that were deleted or conspicuously absent?
END GOAL The group understands what digital evidence confirms or contradicts about each suspect.
Round 2
Alibi Testing 20 min
As alibis are tested, use phone tower and access log data to verify or disprove claimed locations. Digital records are often the most objective evidence in the case.
FOCUS Using digital records to verify alibi locations
- Does phone tower data confirm or contradict where a suspect claims to have been?
- Is there digital activity from a suspect during a period they claim to have been elsewhere?
END GOAL At least one alibi is strengthened or broken by digital evidence.
Round 3
Pack B — The AHA Moment 20 min
Pack B often contains the critical digital record — the phone tower log, the deleted message, or the access timestamp that breaks the case. This is frequently your smoking gun.
FOCUS Pack B digital records — often the key breakthrough
- Does Pack B contain a digital record that definitively places someone at the scene?
- Is there a timestamp that makes one alibi physically impossible?
END GOAL The key digital evidence is identified and communicated to the group.
Phase 4
Accusation Phase 10 min
Fill your sheet. Cite specific digital evidence — file name, timestamp, what it proves. Digital evidence is objective; use it to anchor your accusation.
FOCUS 07_Accusation_Sheet.html
END GOAL Sheet submitted with specific digital evidence cited.
Phase 5
Solution & Debrief Open-ended
Check whether the digital trail led where you thought. Was the key digital record in Pack A or Pack B? Did phone tower data play out the way you interpreted it?
FOCUS Digital evidence accuracy review
📷 CRIME SCENE ANALYST
Physical Evidence · Scene Reconstruction · Was It Staged?
YOUR EVIDENCE THIS CASE
Phase 0
Setup & Briefing 5 min
Identify your crime scene evidence — photographs, scene reports, physical evidence inventories, CCTV stills. Your central question from the moment the game starts: does the scene match the official story?
FOCUS Locating scene and physical evidence files
- What physical evidence exists at the scene?
- What does the official story say happened — and what would that actually look like physically?
END GOAL You know what physical evidence you have and what the scene's official story claims.
Round 1
First Evidence Review 20 min
Present your scene findings. The central question: does the physical evidence match an accidental, suicide, or natural death — or does something not fit? Flag every physical detail that seems inconsistent.
FOCUS Scene photos · Physical inventory · CCTV stills · Environmental evidence
- Does the body position, scene layout, or physical evidence match the official cause of death?
- Is there evidence of a struggle, staging, or deliberate cleanup?
- Is there anything present that shouldn't be — or anything missing that should be there?
END GOAL The group knows whether the scene appears staged or consistent with the official story.
Round 2
Alibi Testing 20 min
When suspects are discussed, ask: "Does the physical scene evidence require the perpetrator to have specific knowledge, access, or physical capability that limits our suspect list?"
FOCUS Linking scene evidence to suspect capability and access
- Does the crime method require knowledge or access that only specific suspects have?
- Does physical evidence narrow down the killer's approximate size, strength, or familiarity with the location?
END GOAL Physical evidence has been used to limit the suspect pool by capability and access.
Round 3
Pack B — The AHA Moment 20 min
Check for any Pack B physical evidence — a found object, a second scene report, trace evidence. The murder weapon or a key physical object often appears in Pack B.
FOCUS Pack B physical evidence — often includes the weapon or key object
- Does Pack B contain physical evidence that directly connects a suspect to the scene?
- Is there an object that shouldn't be where it was found — or that was found somewhere that tells a story?
END GOAL Physical connection between suspect and scene is established.
Phase 4
Accusation Phase 10 min
Fill your sheet. Your strongest contribution is to the Method field — use physical evidence to describe exactly how the crime was committed. Cite the specific object or scene evidence.
FOCUS 07_Accusation_Sheet.html
END GOAL Sheet submitted with physically-grounded method description.
Phase 5
Solution & Debrief Open-ended
During the reveal, check whether your scene reconstruction was accurate. Was the scene staged in the way you identified? Did you find the key physical evidence or did Pack B need to deliver it?
FOCUS Scene reconstruction accuracy check
⚖️ DEVIL'S ADVOCATE
Challenge Everything · Defend the Dismissed · Demand Proof
YOUR EVIDENCE THIS CASE
Phase 0
Setup & Briefing 5 min
Read the Suspect Profiles. Identify the suspect the group is least likely to suspect — usually the one with the weakest apparent motive or a very solid alibi. You'll defend this person until evidence forces you to concede.
FOCUS 02_Suspect_Profiles.html — identifying who the group will dismiss
- Who is the group most likely to ignore — and why?
- What is the weakest assumption in the official story?
END GOAL You have a working hypothesis that challenges the most obvious suspect.
Round 1
First Evidence Review 20 min
After each evidence report, ask one probing question: "What does this evidence actually prove — vs. what are we assuming it proves?" Push the group to distinguish fact from inference.
FOCUS Distinguishing evidence from assumption across all reports
- What does this evidence definitively prove vs. what is the group inferring?
- Is there an alternate explanation for this finding that doesn't implicate the obvious suspect?
- Which piece of evidence has the group accepted too quickly?
END GOAL The group has interrogated at least one assumption they were treating as fact.
Round 2
Alibi Testing 20 min
Actively defend the suspect the group is most ready to dismiss. Make the best possible case for them using existing evidence. Force the group to find positive proof — not just "they had motive and no alibi."
FOCUS Defending the dismissed suspect with evidence
- What evidence actually points TO the leading suspect — not just what fails to rule them out?
- Is the group's leading theory based on proof or on the absence of a better explanation?
- Could the physical evidence support an alternate culprit?
END GOAL The group has been forced to find affirmative proof rather than settling for elimination.
Round 3
Pack B — The AHA Moment 20 min
After Pack B is read, reassess your position. If Pack B definitively rules out the person you were defending — concede clearly and state why. If your position is strengthened, say so.
FOCUS Reassessing the devil's advocate position with Pack B evidence
- Does Pack B confirm or destroy the alternate theory you've been defending?
- Was there merit to the challenge, even if the conclusion changes?
END GOAL You have either conceded or strengthened your position with Pack B evidence.
Phase 4
Accusation Phase 10 min
Submit your genuine best theory — not your devil's advocate position. The accusation is real. Fill your sheet based on what the evidence actually shows.
FOCUS 07_Accusation_Sheet.html
END GOAL Sheet submitted with your honest conclusion — devil's advocate mode is off.
Phase 5
Solution & Debrief Open-ended
During the debrief, your contribution is unique: did the devil's advocate position have genuine merit? Did it help the group think more rigorously, or send them in circles? Be honest.
FOCUS Evaluating the devil's advocate contribution to the group's accuracy