two-keys/GAMES.md

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.

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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).

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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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Difficulty: 1 Easy · 2 Medium · 3 Hard · 4 Expert · 5 Nightmare ☠️ In the harder murder mysteries, locks only give facts. The killer is never handed to you; the accusation needs facts from several chapters.

9. Dead Air (murder mystery · 30 min · 🔑🔑🔑)

Roles: Detective (A) / Night Intern (B). Hint penalty 3:00.

Ch	Lock	A has	B has	Answer
1	Last song	Track lengths	Run sheet (23:00 start, 2:00 intro, 1:30 talk) + alarm 23:31:35 (15 s rule)	GHOST SIGNAL (23:25:00–23:31:20)
2	Honey last safe	Lab: OKAYEST DJ mug negative, ON AIR mug + honey positive; meeting minutes	Kitchen camera log (offline 23:09–23:21); generator test booked by M. Venter	23:06
3	Studio door card	Card register (decimal); Kyle lost card at 22:30 meeting with Marisa	Door log in hex (0x1A1 at 23:12)	Kyle's card (0x1A1 = 417)
4	Stencil message	6×6 letter grid	Card with cut-out windows	SALE IS FORGED

Killer: Marisa Venter. Booked the generator test to kill the camera, left the meeting 23:11–23:17, used Kyle's stolen card at 23:12 to take the EpiPen, put peanut oil in the honey. Motive: Rex would reveal on air she forged his signature to sell the station. Red herrings: Zanele (served the fatal tea), Kyle (his card), Tumi (engineer), Owen (superfan, stuck in reception).

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10. The Masquerade at Montague House (murder mystery · 40 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑)

Roles: Inspector (A) / Lady's Maid (B). Hint penalty 3:00. 1 accusation attempt, 4 questions.

Ch	Lock	A has	B has	Answer
1	Who arrived as Raven	Logic clues 1–4	Logic clues 5–8	Odette (verified unique: Agatha Stag/crimson, Rupert Fox/green, Ivy Swan/black, Silas Lion/silver, Odette Raven/gold)
2	Who the footman saw	Footman: Raven + black cloak	Cloakroom: Raven ↔ Swan swapped at 23:00, cloaks kept	Ivy
3	Dagger pot	Gardener: primes not watered	Disturbed pots 4, 9, 11, 15; spotless gloves	11
4	Julian's confession	Polybius numbers + method	Motto FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BOLD; Marsh family gossip	MARSH WAS INNOCENT

Killer: Ivy Marsh · wearing Odette's Raven mask · armoury dagger, buried in cactus pot 11 · Julian framed her father and took Montague House.

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11. The Kalahari Expedition (murder mystery · 60 min · ☠️ Nightmare)

Roles: Magistrate (A) / Camp Clerk (B). Hint penalty 4:00. 75-minute time limit. 1 attempt, 4 questions.

Ch	Lock	A has	B has	Answer
1	Lantern time	Star-trail photo: lantern at 60°–75° of arc	Shutter opened 22:00, sky turns 15°/hr; Clara alibis Reyes 22:00–04:00	02:00
2	Boot size	Print 31.5 cm, chevron, sand adds ~1 cm	Size card + boot inventory	11 (Reyes & Dunmore have size 11 chevron)
3	Watchman at 02:00	Rota rules; Samuel's fake snakebite (4 cm marks, sedative)	Watchkeepers + Night 1 = Reyes; murder on Night 3	Pienaar → figure went to north row (Dunmore, Kessler, Reyes)
4	Samuel's note	Vigenère ciphertext + method	Key word KOFFIE; tobacco list (pipe: Reyes, Dunmore)	HE SMELLED OF PIPE SMOKE
5	Diamond source	Gem report: sample K-3, never water-worn	Reference samples; prospectus "found by F. Dunmore"	KIMBERLEY
6	Telegram	Book-cipher numbers	Expedition handbook	SALTED

Elimination: size 11 chevron → Reyes, Dunmore · Reyes alibied by Clara · pipe smoke → Dunmore. Killer: Felix Dunmore · struck Marlowe at the dig at 02:00 and put him in the pit · drugged Samuel and faked a snakebite · the diamond find was salted with Kimberley stones.

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12. The Alchemist's Vault (escape room · 25 min · 🔑🔑🔑)

Roles: Apprentice (A) / Scribe (B).

Lock	A has	B has	Answer
Cabinet	Flasks: numbers + flame colours	Element table + rainbow order	GENIUS (Ge N I U S)
Stone dial	Two balanced scales	Silver = 5, gold = 3 × silver	25
Dotted plaque	Braille ⠍⠑⠗⠉⠥⠗⠽	Braille card; Mercury = Hg	80
Vault (finale)	☉ ☽ ♂ ♄	Symbol → metal chart (+ element table from ch1)	234 (79 + 47 + 26 + 82)

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13. Submerged: Deep Lab Nereid (escape room · 35 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑)

Roles: Pilot (A) / Diver (B). 40-minute time limit shown as a rising water gauge.

Lock	A has	B has	Answer
Hatch valves	Lights L1 L2 L3 L5 on	Valve → light wiring	145 (unique solution)
Breathing gas	210 L at 21%	Tank X 36%, Y 15%	60
Pod location	Sonar legs 300 m E, 200 m S	Chart, lab at E5, 100 m squares	H7
Launch (finale)	Multi-tap code 555·4·3·66·55·9·222	Rewired intercom keypad	SURFACE

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14. The Kestrel Bank Job (escape room · 50 min · ☠️ Nightmare)

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 worn)	Codes are DDMM family dates; social posts	2006 (Mia, 20 June)
Laser hall	Mask bit values per column	Row masks 21, 12, 25, 17, 8	Column 4
Guards	Guards 1 & 2 timings	Guard 3 timing; need 4 clear minutes	22:33
Vault dial	Sons' ages in Roman numerals	Atbash note "MY SONS AGES, ELDEST FIRST"	19-12-07
Box	SQL query + CLIENTS	BOXES table	317
Getaway (finale)	Rail-fence text	Building has 3 floors (= 3 rails)	OLD PIER

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15. Tick Tock: Overtime (co-op defuse · 20 min · 🔑🔑🔑🔑)

4 levels = 4 keys. New: 3–6 wires, indicators (LUV, HUG, BAE, XOX, DTE), passwords, morse, simon. Level 4 runs all six modules with only 2 strikes. Rules are the GAMES-NEW.md Appendix A solver, ported to server/src/engines/defuse.ts (ruleset: overtime); all 40 fixtures in the YAML pass as unit tests.

16. In Sync: Deep Cuts (couples connection · 25 min · 🔑🔑🔑)

Telepathy (type the same word, 3/5) · Spotlight A (4/5) · Spotlight B (4/5) · Ranking (top AND bottom must match, 3/5). 4 keys.

17. The Drowned Catacombs (co-op navigation · 20 min · 🔑🔑🔑)

13×13, 5 traps, 3 lanterns, 3 one-way flood gates, sparse carvings.

#############    S (1,1)   E (11,11)
#S..#.......#    K (3,11) (7,3) (11,5)
###.#.###.#.#    T (2,3) (4,5) (4,7) (10,5) (10,11)
#.T...#K#...#    One-way: (5,9)→E  (5,11)→N  (7,8)→N
#.#.#.#.#.###
#.#.T.#...TK#    Verified: all lanterns + exit reachable without traps,
#.##.##.....#    respecting gates, and no softlocks.
#.#.T...#.#.#
#.#.###.#.#.#
#.......#.#.#
#.###.#.#.#.#
#..K#.....TE#
#############

18. The Mirror Maze (co-op navigation · 30 min · ☠️ Nightmare)

15×15, 7 traps, 4 lanterns, Explorer has relative controls only, Navigator's map is mirrored left-right, two glyphs appear twice (☾ and ✦).

###############    True layout (Navigator sees each row reversed)
#S..#.........#    S (1,1) facing east   E (13,13)
###.#.#.#####.#    K (1,3) (1,13) (3,9) (13,9)
#K#.....#...#.#    T (2,13) (3,5) (5,6) (5,7) (9,5) (13,6) (13,10)
#.####.##.#.#.#
#..T.....T....#
#.###T#.###..T#
#...#T#.#.....#
#.#.#.#.#.###.#
#..K#.#.....#K#
#.#.#.#.###.#T#
#.#.........#.#
#.#.#.#.###.#.#
#KT...#......E#
###############