How the Game Works

You are detectives, trying to solve a complex crime.
The Sidewood police have uncovered clues that might reveal the Motive, Place, and Means of the murder — but only three of them are real.

One of you takes the role of the Ghost, helping the detectives piece the case together.
The only way to communicate with the Ghost is through a mysterious Letterbox, where players secretly send their clue cards.

The Ghost examines the cards received and reveals only those that connect to the true clues as ghost signs, while the others vanish into the pile of lost clues.

By discussing and analysing the revealed signs and the clues that disappeared, you must identify the three genuine clues within a few rounds.

But stay alert — the murderer and their accomplices may be among you, doing everything they can to mislead the investigation and cover their tracks.
The game is played over several rounds
(the exact number depends on the number of players).
  • In each round, every player secretly selects one clue card from their hand and sends it to the Ghost.
  • The Ghost then chooses from these cards and reveals only those that are connected to the true clues.
  • After that, everyone discusses the revealed ghost signs, trying to interpret what the Ghost is pointing toward.
    Meanwhile, the murderer works to mislead the detectives — sending false clues, creating confusion, and bluffing with cards that the Ghost didn’t reveal.
    But they must be careful not to expose themselves too soon.
  • In the final round, all players vote on which clues they believe are real — and on who they think the murderer is.
At the start of the game, each player receives a random role card — among them are the Ghost (the game master), the Murderer, and the Detectives.
The Ghost plays with their role revealed, while all other players keep their identities secret.
  • Evidence Collection
    Next comes the Evidence Collection phase.
    All clue cards are placed face up in the centre of the table — forming a shared Clue Field divided into three categories: Motive, Place, and Means.
    At the start of the game, the players themselves decide which clues belong to which category.
    For instance, an Acorn could suggest that the murder took place in the forest (Place) —
    but it might also symbolise jealousy or obsession (Motive), or even hint at the means if someone was poisoned with nuts.
    It’s entirely up to your logic and imagination to make sense of the clues.
  • Murderer
    The Murderer secretly selects one true clue from each category and shows them to the Ghost,
    while all other players keep their eyes closed.
    These three true clues are the ones the detectives must identify in order to win the game.
    Afterwards, all players draw five clue cards from the deck —these will be used throughout the investigation to test their theories about what really happened.
  • Ghost
    In each round, you choose one of your clue cards and “send” it to the Ghost by placing it on a separate pile.
    The Ghost looks through all the cards received and reveals only those that connect to the true clues on the table — using them to give subtle hints to the detectives.
    Of course, the Ghost cannot speak, gesture, or communicate in any other way.
    Their only means of contact with the living world is through the clue cards they choose to reveal.
  • Afterwards, all players discuss the revealed ghost signs, trying to interpret what the Ghost was pointing to.
    Meanwhile, the Murderer works to derail the investigation — sending misleading cards, creating confusion, and bluffing with the cards they submitted that the Ghost chose not to reveal.
    But they must tread carefully… one wrong move could expose their true identity.
  • In the final round, all players vote on which clues they believe are the true ones — and on who they think the murderer is.
    If the group identifies all three correct clues, or two correct clues plus the murderer’s identity,
    the detectives and the Ghost win together.
The more players, the more intriguing the roles become — accomplices, witnesses, experts, and even a blackmailer.
The extended mode adds character cards with unique abilities, bringing new twists and strategies to the game.