Unfinished Case of Holmes
Unfinished Case of Holmes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Case Materials
- 5 envelopes with clues
- 14 tablets
- An anonymous letter
P.S. Do not open the envelopes and do not look at the other case materials until you receive the corresponding instructions.
Game Setup
- To play Unfinished Case of Holmes you need to install the free iDventure app on your mobile device. You can download it from the App Store or Google Play by searching, or via the QR codes shown.
- Open the app and select the Russian language.
- Register or log in to your personal account.
- You can choose one of the two modes provided in the game: standard or "Expert". In "Expert" mode the puzzles are harder to solve, as it is intended for players with experience in tabletop quest games.
- After logging in, go to the "All games" tab and download the chosen game.
- Downloading the game may take up to 30 seconds. The game will then appear in the "My games" tab.
Playing the Game
- Open the downloaded game in the app.
- Read the introduction to the case or watch the video introduction. Then press the "Play" button.
- The investigation is divided into stages, each a puzzle. Each stage requires case materials, which are indicated by its description in the app.
- By default you are given 120 minutes for the investigation.
How to Work with the Case Materials
- You may examine a tablet closely if the text of a puzzle mentions the elements depicted on it. A tablet may also contain hints about which other tablets might be useful to you.
- Solving each puzzle may require one or several tablets.
- Do not open the envelopes until you receive the corresponding instructions in the app. The contents of the envelopes may also serve as a hint to which tablets you will need to solve the puzzle.
- Remember: all case materials that you have already used to solve puzzles may be useful to you later in the investigation.
Hints
For each puzzle a different number of hints is available in the app. To choose one or more of them, press the "Help" button.
Attention: each hint takes game time, i.e. it adds extra minutes to your final time.
Some tablets also contain hints needed to solve puzzles. They are marked with a magnifying glass image.
Additional Tools
Besides the case materials, you may need additional items to solve puzzles (for example, scissors). Some special tools (such as a compass or a geographic map) can be found in the app itself. To use them, press the "Menu" button and select the desired tool from the list.
Walkthrough and Answers
If you cannot find the correct answer to a puzzle, or want to better understand how it is solved, follow the QR code shown to a web page devoted to the solutions of the puzzles. Make sure that you have first used all the hints in the app!
Game Variants
Before the game starts, choose together the variant you prefer. You do not need to record your choice in the app. The possible variants:
"Race Against Time"
The app sets a timer for 120 minutes. To win, you must fully complete the investigation within the stated time. This variant suits those who want to challenge themselves, as it is not easy to deal with all the puzzles in this time.
"Thorough Detective"
This variant lets you not worry about time: after receiving the message "Time is up!" in the app, keep playing. Your goal is to bring the investigation to its end.
"Detectives' Competition"
In this variant you can compete against other teams of detectives. Each team needs its own copy of the game and a mobile device. The teams conduct the investigation independently, trying to outpace each other: to win, a team must solve the case with the lowest final time.
Happy investigating, detectives!