18 clues with progress checks every 3 clues3,016 guests on 52 register pagesColour edition and printer-friendly editionUS Letter and A4 in every download65 pages per PDF, clickable contents for tablets
The head cashier of the Meridian Grand is found dead in the Orangery on the night of the hotel's Centenary Gala. Six witnesses saw something, three pieces of evidence were collected, and the killer's name is somewhere in a register of 3,016 guests. Take the 18 clues in order, cross out every guest each one rules out, check your count at the progress checks, and the last name standing is the murderer. Three of the clues are locked behind small puzzles: a telegram in code, a porter's puzzle about three suitcases and a message that can only be read in a mirror.
Two editions: full colour and printer-friendly
Language: English
Nothing is shipped. One-time payment, not a subscription.
One-time payment · instant download · not a subscription
A name elimination puzzle is a whodunit you solve with a pencil. You get a short crime story, the statements of six people who were near the scene, and a long list of everyone who could have done it: here, the register of a grand hotel with every guest's name, age, room, floor, check-in time, breakfast order, luggage tag colour and key card number.
Then come the clues. Each one tells you something that is true of the killer, such as 'the killer's surname begins with a letter from E to Z' or 'the digits of the killer's key card add up to an odd number'. Every guest the clue does not fit gets crossed out. The first clues wipe out whole pages; the later ones are quick because few names are left. After every third clue a progress check tells you how many guests should still be in the running, so you always know you are on track.
When all 18 clues are done, exactly one guest remains uncrossed. That is the killer, and the solution page explains how every clue came from the story. It takes an evening or a lazy weekend, alone or with a friend reading the clues out loud, and the printer-friendly edition needs nothing but a black-and-white printer and a pencil.
What is in the PDF
Colour Edition PDF, 65 pages, Letter and A4
Printer-Friendly Edition PDF, 65 pages, Letter and A4
Two-page story with six witness statements
Three evidence documents: bar receipt, key card log, torn note
Download the zip and pick the Letter or A4 folder.
Print single-sided at 100%, or open the PDF on a tablet with a pencil tool.
Read the story, the six statements and the evidence.
Apply the clues in order, crossing out every guest each clue rules out.
Compare your count at each progress check.
Solve the three locked clues (telegram, suitcases, mirror) when you reach them.
The last name standing is the killer. Check the solution page.
Questions
How long does it take?
Most players need two to four hours in total. The first three clues take the longest because the register is long; from the middle onwards each clue takes a few minutes. It is easy to stop and continue later, since your crosses stay on the page.
Do I have to print all the pages?
The register is 52 pages and you need all of it. The story, clues and solution take 13 more pages. On a tablet nothing needs printing: the contents page is clickable and every register row has a column for your cross.
Is it playable in black and white?
Yes. The printer-friendly edition has white pages with thin lines, and no clue depends on colour. The luggage tag colour is printed as a word.
How many people can play?
It is designed for one player or a pair. Larger groups can split the register pages and shout out when a clue rules out their rows.
What age is it for?
Ages 12 and up. The crime is a cosy-mystery poisoning with no violence on the page; the clues need careful reading, counting letters and simple arithmetic.
What if my count does not match a progress check?
Go back to the last check that matched and re-apply the clues since then. The solution page also lists the exact number of guests left after every single clue.
Are the locked clues hard?
No. The telegram uses a letter shift whose key is on the page, the suitcase puzzle has three facts and three suitcases, and the mirror message just needs a mirror or a careful backwards read. The answers are on the solution page.
Can I print it for a party or a classroom?
You can print as many copies as you need for your own group. Sharing or reselling the files is not allowed.
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