To solve the murder by correctly deducing:
- who committed the murder,
- the weapon used,
- the room in which the murder took place.
- Adults and children over the age of 8 years.
- Ideally, 3 to 6 players, although it can be played by 2 players.
- Each player requires a seperate computer.
- Each player chooses a character from the menu provided.
- The computer selects the murder, the murder weapon, and the room in which the murder takes place.
- The remaining characters, weapons, and rooms are evenly, randomly distributed between the players.
- If there are 4 or 5 players, there will be 2 left over, and 3 left over in the case of 5 players. These cards are made known to all.
- The playing board is displayed on the left of your screen. There are a number of boards available and the person who scheduled your game has chosen the board to use.
- There are currently two boards available. These are:
- Murder in the house. This is a depiction of the Houses of Parliament, with a suitable set of reprobate suspects and weapons.
- Murder at the palace. This is a depiction of a palace, again with a suitable set of suspects and weapons.
- Players are shown on the board as circular-coloured counters.
- Corner rooms contain secret passages which can be found by hovering the mouse above them. A secret passage will 'flash' whenever it is available for use. You enter a secret passage by clicking on it.
- The dashboard is to the right of the playing board.
- The two-row table at the top of the dashboard contains status information.
- Row1 contains:
- A timer indicating the duration of the game so far.
- The name of the persons whose go it is. This is in green when it is your go, red otherwise.
- The current sound setting, this can be either: 'sound on', 'sound off' or 'just mine'.
- Row2 contains:
- A button labelled 'ACCUSE'. The button is only visible during your go.
- A button labelled 'CHANGE'. This button can be used at any time to toggle the sound settings.
- Below the status information are 4 areas that are collapsed at the start of the game. When they are required, these areas expand and push the information below them down. Each of these areas is the full width of the dashboard. The areas are:
- An information area which is used to display information such as the value of the dice thrown on each turn; when a player takes a secret passage; any question asked, and the response made etc.
- The area used to ask a question. This is composed of a series of drop-down menus and a button to press once the question has been formed.
- The response area. This area is displayed when you have been asked a question. The menu holds the set of possible responses you are allowed to make. You press the 'REPLY' button to give your response.
- The accusation area. This area becomes active when you press the 'ACCUSE' button. You are prompted to remind you that this is a one-time action and if you get it wrong you are eliminated from the game. The area itself contains drop-down menus to make your accusation. There are two buttons. The 'MAKE ACCUSATION' button and the 'CANCEL' button.
- The remainder of the dashboard is divided into two columns:
- The first column: Consists of a notepad in the form of a table. This table automatically records the information that you have been told as the investigation unfolds.
- At the top of the second column is the area for the dice shaker. The dice shaker appears on your turn. You can shake the dice by clicking on the shaker.
- Below the shaker is a set of deductions that can be inferred from your opponents questioning other players in the game. As you learn more information these deductions are automatically resolved, and your notepad is updated accordingly.
- The computer randomly chooses the player to start.
- Play proceeds in a clockwise direction.
- If you are outside of a room, you must shake the dice. You can move your character the number of squares indicated by the dice towards the room you want to enter. You can only move your character in a horizontal or vertical direction (not diagonally). You cannot pass through a square occupied by another character. You cannot pass over the same square twice in the same turn. To enter a room, you must pass through one of the doors of the room. Once you enter a room the count on the dice is deemed 'used up'. If you are in 'sound on' mode, the computer will count out each time you move onto a new square.
- On entering a room, you can ask a question.
- If you are in a room, you have the choice of asking a question or shaking the dice to exit the room. Once you have shaken the dice you must exit the room, you cannot change your mind and ask a question.
- If you are in a corner room, you have the option of using a secret passage. The secret passage will be flashing. Click on it if you want to use it. On arriving at the new room, you ask a question. If you shake the dice, you can no longer use the secret passage.
- Having shaken the dice you click the mouse on a square on the same row or column as your counter and which is on the path that you want your counter to take. You continue doing this until the value on the dice is used up or the counter representing your player enters a room.
- You ask a question at the following times:
- When you first move into a room.
- On your turn. when you are in a room and you have not shaken the dice, and you don't want to exit the room on that turn.
- After you have taken a secret passage.
- When you ask a question, you must decide:
- Who to ask.
- Which character you are suggesting did the murder.
- Which weapon they used.
- The room that you are in is supplied as the room in which the murder was carried out.
- If a question is asked of you, your response menu is displayed. You use this to select your response:
- If you hold none of the cards suggested, you have to respond, 'I cannot help'.
- If you hold just one of the cards suggested, you give that card as your response.
- If you hold 2 or more of the suggested cards, you choose the card that you want to show to the questioner. All other players are informed that you could help the questioner.
- A record of your response is shown to all other players. The person who asked the question is informed of your actual response, all other players are told either that you could or couldn't help.
- When a player responds to another player positively then you can deduce that that player holds at least one of the three cards mentioned in the question. This information is automatically recorded for you under the heading 'Deductions'.
- if you hold information about the whereabouts of any of those three cards, or later you become aware, then the deduction can be further refined. If this leads to knowledge about the ownership of a card this will be recorded in your notepad.
- You can use deductions to help frame questions that will lead you to gain the most knowledge.
- On your turn, if you think you have solved the mystery of who committed the murder, with which weapon and in which room you can make an accusation.
- You have to be in the murder room.
- You initiate making an accusation by pressing the 'ACCUSE' button.
- You can make an accusation in the same turn as asking a question. When you receive a response to a question, you have 5 seconds to press the 'ACCUSE' button before the turn passes to the next player. You then have a further 30 seconds to submit your accusation. If it is not done in that time, the turn passes to the next player.
- On pressing the 'ACCUSE' button you are warned that if your accusation is wrong you will be eliminated from the game. You have the option of pressing the 'CANCEL' button or proceeding with your accusation. To proceed you set your accusation on the three menus and then press the 'MAKE ACCUSATION' button.
- If your accusation is correct, you have won the game. The time it took to win the game is recorded in a database. If your time is in the top ten times achieved for the class of game you played, you will appear in the winner's league table.
- If your accusation is wrong you are eliminated from the game, you will not get another turn. You are required to stay around to answer any questions that are asked of you.
- If you are eliminated from the game and your character is blocking a doorway, your character will automatically be moved into the room it is blocking.