What I learn experimenting with Murder Mystery game over Labor Day
I played two games over the Labor Day weekend at our youth retreat.The first one was a typical modified-Mafia game with plot-driven narration. It was a great game. And it was so twisted.
I borrowed the setting from the 1945 Potsdam Conference (founded at http://kalee.tock.com/personal/mystery/ during my research for my 1952Hollywood birthday project), {Thank you to your documentary of your 2000 game, it helped me a great deal}. And we started out with all the head honchos Truman, Stalin, Churchill and even DeGaule. We were supposed to have two killers and two cops, but one of the cop woke up and the wrong time and turned into a killer. So we had a lopsided 3 killers/1 cop for the whole game. Truman got killed right from the start. And I tried my best to give the clues as straight as possible to lead to the Russians and their Bellhop/spy... But the players had a hard time seeing beyond their emotional responses to accusations from each others. At the end, I had to chalked this one up as one of the rare one where the bad guys win...
Note to self: Next time, wake the cop up first, not the killers!
The second game on the second night was an experiment with a game I found in an outlet toy store. The game called "Fatal Error" by TDGames (probably a failed marketing experiement from them for I could not find anything about it on the net any more). It contains a crime scene poster and description and 55 cards contains evidences, interrogations, anonymous tip, and subpoena power. The plot was about solving a murder of an Internet Mogul in a locked underground bunker with other 6 suspects. Each player were deal 3 cards and at each turn they will need to turn one up to exchange for another card from the deck. From the info gathered with each turn, whoever can correctly guess the who, how, and why would be the winner. Guess wrong and you will be eliminated.
The dynamic of the game is a strange one. Very quiet. No interaction between players (perhaps that's why it's bombed product). The plot was excellent. Absolutely air-tight logic-based. There were multiple plot weaving (which lead me and another group to guess the wrong suspect). We had a guy who in the Police Academy playing with us (and yes, his team won). Watching him work was fascinating. Basically, he keeps on collecting information, organizing them and classifying them. He's not trying to back up a theory (like I did). Just go for the facts. From there, I realize that no matter what, evidence must weights more than interrogations. Evidence won't lie, people could.
Things from the weekend which I could apply to the 1952Hollywood project:
1) Pay attention to the details of the evidences. Everything must fit together for an air-tight conviction.
2) People needs time to digest evidences as the come out to play. The pre-game strategy works well, but then I would need to work on the primary murder case as well.
That's it for now. I am still looking for the perfect murder to kill someone on stage as they are performing. If you have any lead, send them my way.
posted by mar13 @ 9:35 AM
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