The Key: Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land
The Key: Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 4 briefcase screens
- 4 investigation files
- 1 solution board
- 4 dry-erase markers with erasers
- 9 wooden keys
- 1 mirror card
- 140 cards:
- 54 lab cards: 18 shoe print cards, 18 show ticket cards, 18 snapshot cards
- 86 witness statements
Game Setup
Before the first game, remove the protective film from the mirror card.
- Each investigator takes one briefcase screen (1), puts it together as pictured, and places it in front of them.
- Each investigator also takes one marker (2) and one investigation file (3).
- Shuffle all of the cards (4) and spread them around the center of the table with the back facing up (color code visible). The cards may overlap. All players need to be able to reach them easily.
- Leave the solution board in the box initially, and do not look at it. It is not needed until the end of the game.
- Select a key (5) and place it in the center of the table between the cards. The color of the key shows which case variant you will play this game.
- Place the mirror card (6) next to the key in the center of the table.
Return any game components that are not needed back to the box.
Each investigator tries to combine the witness statements and the lab results quickly and correctly to solve the case. The winner is the player who identifies the right key code using the least amount of clues.
Other Information
The following is known so far:
Days of the Crimes
- The first act of sabotage was carried out on Tuesday, May 5th.
- The second act of sabotage took place one day later, on Wednesday May 6th.
- The last act of sabotage took place on Friday, May 8th.
Perpetrators
The three people arrested are:
- Gonzo Musone, 48 years old – his aging indoor playground "Mega Luigi Country," is regularly rocked by unpleasant scandals. He would prefer to get rid of all the competition to make sure that he finally has the monopoly on children's birthday parties for local families.
- Olivia Goodwill, 54 years old – the mayor of the nearby town of Huddington is one of the fiercest critics of Lucky Llama Land. She is far more interested in the idea of having lobbyists build a shopping center on the land.
- Jennifer "Wings of Glory" Dillington, 22 years old – a semi-professional acrobat and tightrope walker who wasn't employed following her internship at the park. After multiple attempts to steal office supplies, she was finally banned from the park. Narcissistic and offended, she dreams of revenge.
Criminal Tools
The following tools were found in different corners of the park:
- An extremely sharp hunting knife with a red painted handle.
- A highly dangerous stun gun with integrated laser cutter.
- XL round nose pliers with a red rubber handle and serious grip.
Crime Scenes
The following attractions were sabotaged on the three listed days:
- The white-water ride "Mamba Drop," on which even the middle seat is guaranteed to get wet.
- The rollercoaster "Canyon Rail," whose loops are a source of pride for the park and can be seen from a distance.
- The bumper car ride "Danger Mouse," which offers action-packed fun for the young and young at heart in the center of the park.
Thankfully, the sabotage was noticed early that weekend and the attractions were immediately closed. Any potential catastrophes were averted.
The Cards
Despite all this information, we're still completely in the dark! There are a variety of different sources available to you to help you solve the events in Lucky Llama Land. Witnesses were questioned and their witness statements documented on cards that have been categorized. The forensic lab has also brought to light various helpful clues about the perpetrators, and documented them on lab cards. These contain shoe prints, show tickets found at the perpetrators' homes, and snapshots sent in by visitors that could all help bring the truth to light.
Card Value
- Witness statements have 2 or 3 investigative points.
- Lab cards always have 4 investigative points.
The higher the value of the card, the more helpful the clue, especially at the start of investigations.
Color Code
The individual color code on each card shows which cases the card is useful for. Only cards that show a box matching the color of the key selected at the start of the game can help you! Any other cards will lead to an incorrect investigation result.
Category Icons
Each card shows two icons that indicate which aspects of the case this card has information about. The card pictured in the rules, for example, has a witness statement about the perpetrator and the tool used.
The icons are:
- Perpetrator
- Day of the crime
- Murder weapon
- Crime scene
- Theft 1, 2 or 3
Lab Cards
There are 3 types of lab cards:
- A shoe print (1) reveals something about the perpetrator and the crime scene,
- a show ticket (2) about the perpetrator and the day of the crime,
- and a snapshot (3) about the tool used and the crime scene.
To make use of the cards during the game, you must compare clues with information in the investigation file or your briefcase and come to the correct conclusions.
How to Play
1. Investigate
There is no turn order; all players investigate at the same time. On the command "Start your investigation!" all players pick a card from the center at the same time. You can decide for yourself which card you want to draw and look at. Then you need to take it and place it behind your screen. While cards with a higher value provide more specific clues, they count for more negative points at the end of the game.
Important! You may only draw cards that show the color of the selected key for the current game! The other cards are useless witness statements or incorrect findings that will mislead you. If you notice that you took an incorrect card, you may continue your investigation without using it but at the end of the game it will still count as one of your used cards.
During investigations you should also pay attention to the icons on the cards.
In which category are you still missing clues? For example, are you still unsure about which attraction was sabotaged on which day? Then look for cards with the symbols for a day and crime scene.
After selecting a card, taking it and evaluating the information (see Evaluating Information), you can immediately take the next card of your choice from the center of the table.
You may not return cards you have drawn! It's entirely possible that you will receive information that you already know. Any investigator can suffer this kind of misfortune.
All cards that you have drawn are placed behind your personal briefcase screen without showing them to the others. You can look at them as many times as you want.
Track the results of your personal investigation in your briefcase using the marker. Use the lower part of the screen for this. Results that you can rule out are marked with an X. You can also circle any findings that you are certain are part of the solution.
For example, if you have determined a perpetrator for the sabotage on May 5th without a doubt, then you can rule them out for the other two days and cross them out on those days.
In this way, the witness statements and lab results let you rule out more and more options until all three sabotages have been clearly solved. In the end there will be only one combination of perpetrator, tool and attraction left.
Evaluating Information
If you have taken a card with a witness statement, you can try to use the statement it contains directly on your investigation board. Sometimes, however, the card only becomes useful later, and you first need other clues so that you can rule something out.
Example of a witness statement: The card reads "A person with a visible tattoo sabotaged on ...". Olivia Goodwill can be crossed out for May 5th as she does not have a visible tattoo and therefore cannot be the perpetrator on that day. This means that she must have sabotaged on May 6th or May 8th.
If you have selected a card with a lab result, take it into your hand and try to analyze the clue carefully with your investigation file.
- There were various shoe prints found at the attractions that are relevant to this case. Look carefully and use the mirror card to examine the shoe print shown. Only one shoe print (1) can be clearly matched with the shoe of a perpetrator. This person is responsible for sabotaging the attraction shown under it (file page 1).
- Find out which of the popular shows the partial tickets (2) the alleged perpetrators had on them are for. Based on the performance times (file page 2), deduce which day the perpetrator must have visited the park.
- As park mascots, the saboteurs were able to access the security areas of the park – but also ended up in a number of visitor photos. In the process they weren't able to completely hide their tools. Have a look at the snapshots (3) that were sent in. There is a photo point at each of the sabotaged attractions. Compare the attractions behind the photo point wall with the park map to find out which of the three attractions the photo were taken at. The found tool was used here (file page 3).
Example: In this snapshot, a tool – the stun gun – can be seen through the perpetrator's disguise. In the background above the photo point fence you can see the Ferris wheel on the left and the ghost town lettering on the right. Comparing with the park map shows that there is only one photo point with a clear view of the Ferris wheel and ghost town from the photographed perspective: the photo point next to the rollercoaster. This means that the stun gun was used to sabotage the rollercoaster.
2. Close the Case
As soon as you have reviewed enough witness statements and lab results that your investigation board has only 9 free or circled spaces (3 different perpetrators, tools, and crime scenes), you can close the case.
If you're the fastest investigator and have finished first, grab the key in the center of the table.
Now the other players can continue drawing cards to try and solve the case. After all, it's not necessarily the fastest investigator who wins the game but the most efficient one.
3. Generate a Number Code
The order (from left to right) of the identified perpetrators yields a solution number that can be seen on the left side of the briefcase.
Example: Gonzo, Jennifer, Olivia = 2. Enter this number in the first space of the combination lock on your briefcase. The same is done for the tool and crime scene.
In the end, this will create a number code consisting of 3 digits.
4. Put the Perpetrators Behind Bars
Check the investigation results as soon as all players have generated a number code. Take the solution board out of the box and place it on the table so that the side with the grey combination locks is face-up.
The fastest investigator, the one who grabbed the key, may now look for a lock on the solution board with a number that matches the number code they discovered.
Is there a lock that shows the number code you determined?
- No? Oh no! Your code isn't right. If the next player in a clockwise direction came up with a different number code, they may now look for their code.
- Yes? Carefully insert the key into the corresponding lock on the board. Now flip the board over.
Does the color of the key match the lock on the back?
- No? What a pity! You've made a mistake somewhere in your investigations and are now out of the running. If the next player in a clockwise direction came up with a different number code, they may now check their solution.
- Yes? Fantastic! You solved the case correctly and the perpetrators are finally behind bars. But were you the most efficient investigator?
Does no one have the correct code?
Check that you only used cards showing the color code that matches the key you selected. You may need to draw new witness statements and lab results. Maybe you can work together to discover the solution.
5. Who is the Top Investigator?
All the players who discovered the correct number code check to see who was the most efficient investigator among them. Each player adds up the investigative points on the back of the cards they collected throughout the game.
Warning: Did the player who grabbed the key come up with the correct number code? Then as a reward, they may discard one of their cards with the lowest value. This is not added to their total.
The player with the lowest total number of investigative points wins the game. Congratulations – a promotion awaits!
The other investigators who contributed to the arrest also receive high praise, because they helped justice prevail in the end.
In case of a tie, the investigator who used the least lab cards wins. If there is still a tie, these players win together.
If you want to, you can also check your individual performance in the assessment table for the solo variant.
Example: This player has a total of 19 investigative points. A 2-point witness statement that they used is not counted because they were the fastest (they grabbed the key) and can therefore discard it.
Tips for the Next Game
After each game, wipe your briefcase screens off with the erasers on your markers so that the marks do not stain over time.
Then you can play again right away! Shuffle the cards and spread them out in the center of the table with the color code side facing up. Now you can select a different key and play a new case variant.
Important: The game isn't "used up" after playing all 9 color variants. Each game is about combining the individual clues that you draw, so all case variants can be played as often as you like. The riddle and finding the solution are the real challenges – the identified number combination is only the result.
Solo Variant
In the solo variant, you play alone for the honor of being the best investigator. There is naturally no time pressure to find the solution fastest or scramble to draw the best cards. Instead you need to cleverly select cards.
The solo variant is also good for getting to know the game components and becoming familiar with the investigation method.
The game setup and play are the same as the multi-player variant.
When you have solved the case, check the solution code as usual, using the key and the solution board.
Then calculate how efficient your investigation was. The fewer investigative points shown on the cards you used the better. Unlike in the multi-player variant, you may not discard a card.
| Points | Assessment |
|---|---|
| > 34 points | Unfortunately you failed the investigator's test. Why don't you try again? |
| 32 - 34 points | Whew, that was a close call! Next time you should consider which cards you investigate more carefully. |
| 29 - 31 points | Not bad, but you can probably do better. |
| 26 - 28 points | You're a good investigator. |
| 23 - 25 points | Very good, you're a clever sleuth! |
| 20 - 22 points | Wow, you're a real master investigator! |
| 18 - 19 points | Fantastic! Your boss is impressed, and all the villains fear your investigative skills. |
| 15 - 17 points | You're one of the best investigators around! Nobody can fool you. |
| < 14 points | Wow, you're one of the top investigators in the world! Even Sherlock Holmes could have learned something from you! |
Quick Reference Guide
Goal of the Game
Try to solve the series of sabotages at Lucky Llama Land by cleverly combining clues and witness statements. You need to find out which perpetrator used which tool on which day to sabotage which attraction. The winner is the investigator who works the most efficiently to find the correct solution code and puts the perpetrators behind bars.
Game Setup
- Each player take one briefcase screen, one marker, and one investigation file
- Shuffle all the cards and spread them out with the color code side facing up in the center of the table
- Leave the solution board in the box and don't look at it
- Select a key and place it in the center of the table, within reach of everyone, along with the mirror card
- Return any extra game components that are not needed back to the box
How to Play
1. Investigation
- All players draw a card from the center at the same time.
- Note: the color code must show a box in the selected key color!
- Place drawn cards behind your screen.
- Evaluate and combine clues and statements on the cards, with the help of the investigation file if needed.
- Mark your findings on your briefcase screen.
2. Close the Case
- When there is only one combination of perpetrator, tool and attraction left you can grab the key.
- The other players continue their investigations until they solve the case as well.
3. Generate a Number Code
- Read the number on the left of the briefcase that corresponds with the determined order of perpetrators, tools and crime scenes.
- Enter the numbers in the combination lock of the briefcase.
4. Put the Perpetrators Behind Bars
- The fastest investigator looks for their number code on the solution board and puts the key in the corresponding lock.
- Turn over the solution board. Do the color of the lock and the key match? The perpetrators have successfully been put behind bars.
- Is there no lock with the number code, the color on the back doesn't match, or the key doesn't fit in a lock? Wrong number code. The other players can take turns in a clockwise direction to check their solutions.
5. Determine the Top Investigator
- All players with the correct number code add up the investigative points on their cards. The player with the key may discard one of their cards with the lowest points.
- The winner is the player with the lowest total investigative points.