I've gathered you all here today...

A murder mystery-themed collaborative storytelling game.

The owner of a large residence has been found dead. The cause of death is unclear. 

Players assume the roles of various individuals with a connection to this residence and its late owner, who have been brought together for questioning by a detective. As they answer the detective’s questions, they tell a story about the events preceding the death and its immediate aftermath, each through their own subjective viewpoint. 

Beyond these basic parameters, all other story elements are co-constructed during play. The story may take place in a classic 1930s English country house setting, or it may take place in any other present-day, historical, futuristic, or fantastical setting. Players’ characters may be friends, family, staff or acquaintances of the deceased, permanent residents or visiting guests, close confidantes or relative strangers. Each has the potential to be an innocent bystander, potential witness, accomplice or killer. 

No-one plays the deceased. In the course of questioning, the identity and backstory of the residence’s owner emerges through the (perhaps contradictory) accounts given by the characters. The investigating detective’s questions are represented by a deck of playing cards. Each card represents a question to be answered by a player on their turn. 

In answering these questions from the perspective of their own characters, players collaboratively develop the world of the story by fleshing out the setting, characters, relationships - and maybe even inclinations, motives or opportunities for murder! 

Hidden secrets, alliances and divided loyalties may emerge as characters seek to unravel the tangled web surrounding this unexpected and unexplained death. 

Resources required: 

A deck of playing cards (including two jokers).

Copyright

This work is based on For the Queen (found at http://www.forthequeengame.com), a product of Alex Roberts, and licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) 

For the Queen™ is a trademark of Alex Roberts. The Descended From the Queen Logo is © Alex Roberts, and is used with permission. 

The X-Card was originally developed by John Stavropoulos and is adapted for use in this game. To learn more about The X-Card, visit http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg. 

Cover photo: Mahdi Rezaei via Unsplash