Objective

To be the first player to solve your own Mystery, correctly identifying the Person, Location, and Weapon.

Setup

Each player will receive one Person, one Location, and one Weapon card in addition of two random cards. You must choose exactly one Person, one Location, and one Weapon card, and place them face down in front of you. The two remaining cards are kept secret in front of you.

Playing Hint: You can choose any combination, but try to avoid three of the same suit

Carefully insert the two cards you have left into the card holder behind your hiding screen so only you can see them!

After all players have selected their cards, insert the three cards you picked earlier into the external card holder on the screen of the player to your left. Make sure that player does not see which cards you inserted in their card holder! Place the screen so that everyone except that player can see them.

Note: You will now have received a set of cards from the player to your right, including one Person, one Location, and one Weapon, attached to the outside of your screen so you can’t see them. Your goal is to guess the identity of these cards.

Player's Turn

At the beginning of your turn, if you have no Magnifying Glasses, take one from the general supply. If the supply is empty, take one from the player of your choice instead.

Next, “spend” all your Magnifying Glasses. Each Magnifying Glass spent lets you choose one of the following actions. You can take these actions in any order you choose, and you may repeat the same action more than once (exception: Make an Accusation, see below). Once you’ve spent all your Magnifying Glasses your turn is over and it’s the next player’s turn.

The Actions

Question a Witness

Give your Magnifying Glass to the player of your choice, then ask that player how many cards they see that are of one suit or one category.

The player you ask must answer truthfully (no bluffing is allowed!), based on everything they can see: all the cards on the screens in front of the other players and the two cards behind their screen

Consult the Secret Informant

Give your Magnifying Glass to the player who has no Magnifying Glasses (if more than one, the tied player closest to you, counting clockwise; if all players have at least one Magnifying Glass, discard it to the general supply instead), then choose one of the face down Secret Informant cards, look at it secretly, then put it back where it was, face down.

Note: This option is not available in a six-player game.

Make an Accusation

Give your Magnifying Glass to the player who has no Magnifying Glasses (if more than one, the tied player closest to you, counting clockwise; if all players have at least one Magnifying Glass, discard it to the general supply instead), then try to solve your mystery! Name one Person, one Location, and one Weapon (for example: “It was the Butcher in the Park with the Sword!”). You cannot make an accusation that includes cards you can see (either behind your screen or on other players’ screens).

• If your accusation is correct, you have solved your mystery and you win the game!
• If you're wrong, they just tell you! Your turn is over: discard any Magnifying Glasses you have left to the general supply.

Additional rules for 2 player games

• Ignore the Magnifying Glasses and their rules. Each player always takes only one action each turn.
• When you ask how many cards your opponent sees, you must also specify "including the card on your left" or "including the card on your right". Your opponent only takes into account the card behind their screen on that side

Variants

• Top Secret: This variant is for 3-6 players. Each player is given a top secret token. When you question a witness, you can discard it with the magnifying glass. If so, the question and answer are only visible to the witness and the questioner.