Suspects: Mörderischer Marathon
Suspects: Mörderischer Marathon Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
The game contains 52 cards, 1 introduction sheet (with the investigation questionnaire), 1 Document A (marathon route map), 1 Document B (participant list) and 1 solution sheet.
You also need a pen and paper to note your investigation findings and suspicions.
Setup
Take the card deck, the introduction sheet, Documents A and B and the solution sheet out of the box.
- Place the card deck. Do not look at the cards in the deck yet!
- The documents go beside the deck. Look at them more closely only when you are asked to.
- Fold the solution sheet and set it aside. Important: do not look at it. Read the solution sheet only at the end of the game.
- Place the introduction sheet.
- Place the pen and paper.
The top card of the deck is a cover card marked "STOP", which reads: "Do not look at the cards in this deck yet. Remove this cover card only when you are asked to."
Goal of the Game
You want to solve a criminal case together. To do so, you must answer the questionnaire on the introduction sheet. There is no time pressure and you do not need to run a stopwatch. Instead, the number of cards drawn tracks your progress in the investigation. The earlier you reach correct answers in your investigation, the more points you earn.
Game Flow
Once you have read this rulebook completely, you can begin the game. Start by reading the introduction sheet together with the questionnaire. During the game, you may read the documents, and take cards from the deck and look at them, from a predetermined selection. Various symbols may appear that indicate possible actions, for example:
- QUESTION SOMEONE. Example: Draw card 7 and read it to question the corresponding person.
- GO TO A LOCATION. Example: Draw card 4 and read it to go to the indicated location.
- EXAMINE AN OBJECT. Example: Draw card 12 and read it to examine the corresponding object.
- EXAMINE A ROUTE SECTION. Example: Draw card 9 and read it to examine this section of the route more closely.
- TAKE A SNAPSHOT. Example: Draw card 3 and read it to get a picture of the current situation.
Each time you see one of these symbols, you may carry out the corresponding action. You may carry out these actions in any order. For example, you may first question someone, then go to a location, then go somewhere else, then come back to question someone again, and so on. Some cards contain simple instructions, such as: "Remove card 14 from the deck." You must follow these before you continue the investigation.
Unlocking Cards
Some cards only become available after other cards have been drawn. The conditions for unlocking are printed on the respective card.
Connections Between Two Cards
During the game you will also come across cards with "half speech bubbles" that bear a single-digit number. They indicate that certain people have even more to say about an object. You must connect them with other cards.
To check whether there is a connection between two cards, place them next to each other in the same orientation (do not rotate the cards). If two cards placed side by side form a whole speech bubble, and with it a new two-digit number, you may draw the corresponding card.
Questionnaire, Discussion Phases and Points
You can answer the questionnaire at three points during the game. The table on the introduction sheet has columns for the number of cards drawn: 1–25 cards, 26–40 cards, and all cards.
If your last noted answer is correct, you receive points for it at the end of the game. The number of points depends on the number of cards drawn at the time of the answer. All cards read count toward this total, except the STOP card. The earlier you reach correct answers, the more points you earn:
- 5 points if your answer is correct after 25 cards have been drawn.
- 4 points if your answer is correct after 40 cards have been drawn.
- 3 points if your answer is correct after you have drawn all cards.
- 0 points if your answer is wrong at any point.
Three Discussion Phases
Insert a discussion phase after the 25th card drawn, after the 40th card drawn, and after all cards have been drawn. In each discussion phase, talk about the state of the investigation and write down your answers to the questionnaire.
Also note that you receive a "stopwatch" symbol as soon as you have drawn the 26th card (see the questionnaire on the introduction sheet).
After each discussion phase, write down your answers. Then tick the box under the number of cards drawn in the table. If further information comes up during the game, you may change your answers in the next discussion phase. If you do so, tick the matching box in the respective row again.
See page 7 of this rulebook for a detailed scoring example.
Tip: At the start of the game, one person in your group should keep track of the number of cards drawn (for example with a tally). Once you have drawn the 41st card, you no longer need to count the cards. The last discussion phase takes place when you have read all cards.
Note: If you are asked to draw another card directly before a discussion phase (that is, after the 25th or 40th card drawn), you may do so only after you have discussed and noted your answers for the questionnaire.
Variant: If you cannot agree on your answers, you may also answer individually and compare your point totals at the end of the investigation.
End of the Game and Solution
The investigation is over when you have read all cards. Once you have agreed on your answers to the questionnaire, you are ready for the solution:
Take the solution sheet that you set aside at the start of the game, and unfold it. Read it and add up your points. For each question:
- Is your last given answer correct? Then you receive the number of points that corresponds to the ticked box furthest to the right.
- Is your last given answer wrong? Then you receive no points for it.
Note: Your answers do not have to be worded exactly as on the solution sheet. What matters is that the keywords printed in bold there (or equivalent terms) appear in your answer.
Scoring Example
Suppose you had to answer the following questions for your case:
- Who committed the murder?
- Where did the crime take place?
- Which murder weapon was used?
The correct solution would be: "Miss Miller committed the murder in the garage with a 12 mm wrench."
The questionnaire would then be scored as follows (the printed grid of marks is not reproduced here; the worked answers below state the results):
- Your answer "Miss Miller is the murderer." is correct. You noted this answer after drawing 25 cards. You receive 5 points.
- Your answer "The crime took place in the garage." is correct. After drawing 25 cards, your noted answer was "In the kitchen", but you changed your mind after drawing all cards and then noted the correct answer. You receive 3 points.
- Your answer "The murder weapon is a combine harvester." is wrong. You answered after drawing 40 cards. Had your answer been correct, you would have received 4 points. Because the answer is wrong, you receive no points for it.
Your final result: 5 + 3 + 0 = 8 points
Claire Harper's Tips
- Suspects calls for deduction and critical thinking. Your goal is to solve a criminal case and expose the guilty person. Vague assumptions or your gut feeling alone will not be enough.
- If your theories are not backed up by facts or tangible evidence, they are probably wrong. Do not let your imagination run away with you; rely on facts and logic. However, a single clue alone does not mean that a particular person is guilty.
- Stay open! Even if you suspect a person, for example because their fingerprints were found on the murder weapon, that person does not necessarily have to be the guilty one. And if you discover a screwdriver, it is quite likely that it was used to open the safe, but it does not necessarily have to have happened that way. Collect all the clues to find out the truth.
Good luck! Now read the introduction sheet together with the questionnaire and begin the game.