# GAMES.md: Spoiler Guide (designer reference, NEVER served to clients)

Every lock below needs info from **both** players. "A has / B has" shows the split.

---

## 1. Death at Vineyard Hollow (murder mystery · 20 min · 🔑🔑)
Roles: **Inspector** (A) / **Estate Insider** (B)

| Ch | Lock | A has | B has | Answer |
|----|------|-------|-------|--------|
| 1 | Cellar keypad | Butler: "year it began, read backwards" | Gate plaque: Est. 1874 | `4781` |
| 2 | Time of death | ME temp 34.5 °C at 23:10, 1 °C/hr | Keycard log | `20:40` |
| 3 | Poisoned bottle | Lab: red, decanted, cork ends in 7 | Cellar book | `1998` Cabernet Reserve |
| 4 | Diary cipher | Ciphertext "ORAN BFJAC OARMJH", "rack-shift" | Rack 9 = his heart | `FIRE SWART FRIDAY` (shift −9) |
| 5 | Poison source | Tox: fresh *Digitalis* leaves; Vos's tablets sealed | Foxglove bed behind Swart's workshop; card in his apron | `FOXGLOVE` |

**Killer:** Pieter Swart · foxglove extract in the 1998 Reserve · to avoid being fired and exposed for label fraud.
**Red herrings:** Dr Vos (digoxin, near the time window), Marcus (heir, in cellar too late), Isabelle (wanted the estate).

---

## 2. The Last Set at the Blue Lantern (murder mystery · 10 min · 🔑)
Roles: **Detective** (A) / **Regular** (B)

| Ch | Lock | A has | B has | Answer |
|----|------|-------|-------|--------|
| 1 | Drum solo time | Setlist with song lengths | Set started 23:00; solo = last 2 min of Caravan | `23:20` |
| 2 | No alibi | Band walks off during drum solos; Ruby sits out instrumentals | Bar/coat-check alibis (Ruby at coat-check 23:21) | Sammy |
| 3 | Safe | Sheet music notes C·A·F·E | Piano sticker numbers C1…B7 | `1643` |
| 4 | Gun location | Search log: piano not searched | Max: dead "thunk" on low keys | `PIANO` |

**Killer:** Sammy Keys · Vincent's .38 under the drum solo, hidden in the piano · Vincent stole his songs and was about to sell them.

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## 3. Murder on the Southern Star (murder mystery · 25 min · 🔑🔑)
Roles: **Passenger Detective** (A) / **Railway Inspector** (B)

| Ch | Lock | A has | B has | Answer |
|----|------|-------|-------|--------|
| 1 | Master key box | Rule: carriage × compartment, 4 digits | Plan: Gold Suite = carriage 6, comp 23 | `0138` |
| 2 | Real time of death | Watch 01:15 Greenwich; local is +2h; needle wound | Timetable: Matjiesfontein 03:10–03:20; thump at a platform | `03:15` |
| 3 | Telegram sender | Telegram text | "Name hidden where every line begins" | `HUGO` (acrostic) |
| 4 | Who lied | Corridor watched, nobody passed; only Vera owns a fur coat | Porter: fur-coat lady off car 6, back on car 4 | Vera |
| 5 | Motive word | "V. = 3·7·8·4·2·8", "ask the line" | Numbered stopping list | `FORGER` |

**Killer:** Countess Vera Orlova · hatpin to the base of the skull during the Matjiesfontein stop · Ashby had discovered she was a jewel forger.

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## 4. The Clockmaker's Attic (escape room · 15 min · 🔑) (best "first game")
Roles: **Tinkerer** (A) / **Collector** (B)

| Lock | A has | B has | Answer |
|------|-------|-------|--------|
| Trunk | Robin 3, Owl 7, Fox 9 | Sampler: dawn bird, hunter, night bird | `397` |
| Music box | "Sky-bow top to bottom, skip what the pendulum stole" | Painting: red, gold, green, blue; pendulum is green | `RED GOLD BLUE` |
| Gear drawer | Gears 48 → 16 → 24 teeth | Turn crank 5 times, count Gear C | `10` |
| Door (finale) | "Order treasures by year made" | Inventory with years | `FOREVER` |

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## 5. Signal Lost: Station Echo (escape room · 15 min · 🔑🔑)
Roles: **Comms Officer** (A) / **Engineer** (B)

| Lock | A has | B has | Answer |
|------|-------|-------|--------|
| Warning light | Morse chart | Blinking lamp `...-/./-./-` | `VENT` |
| Breach | Current pressures | Normal pressures + ">30% drop" rule | `GRN-3` (Greenhouse, ~33% drop) |
| Generator | Crew roster (5 aboard) | Call sign EC-127 + "× crew aboard" | `635` |
| Beacon (finale, roles swap) | Blinking lamp `..../---/--/.` | Morse chart | `HOME` |

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## 6. Tick Tock Together (co-op defuse · 10 min · 🔑)
Technician (A) sees the device, Expert (B) reads the manual. 3 levels = 3 keys.
Device is generated server-side and solved by a solver that implements the manual exactly. Fixtures in the YAML are the unit tests.

## 7. In Sync (couples connection · 15 min · 🔑)
Round 1 match, Round 2 predict about A, Round 3 predict about B. 3/5 matches = key. One replay per round.

## 8. Labyrinth of Lanterns (co-op navigation · 10 min · 🔑)
Navigator (A) has the map, Explorer (B) sees only their own cell. 3 lanterns, 3 hidden traps.

```
###########      S start (1,1)       K lanterns (7,3) (9,5) (1,7)
#S..#.....#      E exit  (9,9)       T traps    (4,5) (6,7) (3,9)
#.#.#.###.#
#.#...#K..#      Verified by BFS: every lantern and the exit are
#.#####.#.#      reachable from S without stepping on a trap.
#...T...#K#
###.###.#.#
#K..#.T.#.#
#.###.#.#.#
#..T....#E#
###########
```

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## 9. Dead Air (murder mystery · 30 min · 🔑🔑🔑)
Hint penalty +3:00. Two accusation attempts.

| Ch | Lock | Answer |
|----|------|--------|
| 1 | Ghost Signal | `GHOST SIGNAL` |
| 2 | The Last Cup | `23:06` |
| 3 | The Studio Door | Kyle |
| 4 | The Midnight Announcement | `THE SALE IS FORGED` |

**Accusation:** `marisa` · `honey` · `forged`.

## 10. The Masquerade at Montague House (murder mystery · 40 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑)
Hint penalty +3:00. **One** accusation attempt.

| Ch | Lock | Answer |
|----|------|--------|
| 1 | Who Wore What | Odette |
| 2 | The Raven in the Conservatory | Ivy |
| 3 | The Missing Dagger | `11` |
| 4 | Julian's Confession | `MARSH WAS INNOCENT` |

**Accusation:** `ivy` · `raven` · `dagger` · `father`.

## 11. The Kalahari Expedition (murder mystery · 60 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑🔑)
Hint penalty +4:00. **75-minute limit.** **One** accusation attempt.

| Ch | Lock | Answer |
|----|------|--------|
| 1 | Star Trails | `02:00` |
| 2 | Footprints | `11` |
| 3 | The Watch Rota | Pienaar |
| 4 | Samuel's Note | `HE SMELLED OF PIPE SMOKE` |
| 5 | The Diamonds | `KIMBERLEY` (the Big Hole) |
| 6 | The Unsent Telegram | `SALTED` |

**Accusation:** `dunmore` · `same` · `struck` · `fraud`.

## 12. The Alchemist's Vault (escape room · 25 min · 🔑🔑🔑)
Hint penalty +3:00.

| Lock | Answer |
|------|--------|
| The Five Flasks | `GENIUS` |
| The Philosopher's Stone | `25` |
| The Dotted Plaque | `80` |
| Door (finale) | `234` |

## 13. Submerged: Deep Lab Nereid (escape room · 35 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑)
Roles: **Pilot** (A) / **Diver** (B). Hint penalty +3:00. **40-minute limit**, shown as the water level.

| Lock | A has | B has | Answer |
|------|-------|-------|--------|
| Pressure valves | Warning lights: ON ON ON off ON | Which lights each valve flips | `145` |
| Breathing gas | 210 L at exactly 21% oxygen | Tank X 36%, Tank Y 15% | `60` |
| Find the pod | 300 m east, then 200 m south | Chart: lab at E5, 100 m squares | `H7` |
| Launch word (finale) | Keypresses 555·4·3·66·55·9·222 | The rewired keypad | `SURFACE` |

## 14. The Kestrel Bank Job (escape room · 50 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑🔑)
Roles: **Inside Man** (A) / **The Wheel** (B). Hint penalty +4:00. **55-minute limit.**

| Lock | A has | B has | Answer |
|------|-------|-------|--------|
| Staff door | Worn keys 0, 2, 6 (0 most) | Codes are family dates DDMM; Mia born 20 Jun | `2006` |
| Laser hall | Column bit values 16/8/4/2/1 | Row masks 21, 12, 25, 17, 8 | `4` |
| Guards | Guard 1 from 22:03 every 7, Guard 2 from 22:05 every 11 | Guard 3 from 22:02 every 6; need 4 clear minutes | `22:33` |
| Vault dial | Sons' ages in Roman numerals: VII, XIX, XII | Atbash note: "my sons' ages, eldest first" | `19-12-07` |
| Box number | SQL query + CLIENTS table | BOXES table | `317` |
| Getaway (finale) | `MUTLEETSTHODIREAEP`, "rails = floors" | 3 floors; how a rail fence works | `OLD PIER` |

## 15. Tick Tock: Overtime (co-op defuse · 20 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑)
The sequel: its own manual (`ruleset: overtime`), indicator lights, and three new modules (Passwords, Morse Light, Say It Back).
4 levels = 4 keys; the last level has all six modules and only 2 strikes. Fixtures in the YAML are the unit tests.

## 16. In Sync: Deep Cuts (couples connection · 25 min · 🔑🔑🔑)
Round 1 telepathy (type the same word, 3/5). Rounds 2 and 3 predict about A, then B (4/5).
Round 4 ranking, subject alternating A/B (top **and** bottom must match, 3/5). One replay per round.

## 17. The Drowned Catacombs (co-op navigation · 20 min · 🔑🔑🔑)
3 lanterns, 5 traps (1:00 each), and three one-way flood gates:
(5,9) east only · (5,11) north only · (7,8) north only.

## 18. The Mirror Maze (co-op navigation · 30 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑🔑)
4 lanterns, 7 traps (1:30 each). The Navigator's map is served **mirrored left to right**; the Explorer has no compass
(forward/left/right/back from the way they face, starting east). Two glyphs (crescent, star) appear twice.