joshuaandClaude Opus 5.5
bbe44e84c4
Add ten new games (18 in total) and the engine features they need. Story: Dead Air, The Masquerade at Montague House, The Kalahari Expedition, The Alchemist's Vault, Submerged: Deep Lab Nereid, The Kestrel Bank Job. Games can now set their own hint penalty and a hard time limit, shown as a countdown; running out ends the game with the fail ending. Defuse: Tick Tock: Overtime. Manuals are now rulesets, so each game has its own solver. Adds indicator lights, per-level strike limits, and the Passwords, Morse Light and Say It Back modules. Sync: In Sync: Deep Cuts. Adds telepathy (typed word) and ranking rounds, and a per-round bar for the key. Labyrinth: The Drowned Catacombs and The Mirror Maze. Adds one-way gates, a relative (no compass) Explorer, a mirrored Navigator map, and mazes with a lantern count other than three. Validation now rejects a maze where a gate can leave the Explorer stuck. Difficulty runs from 1 to 5. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
341 lines
14 KiB
YAML
341 lines
14 KiB
YAML
id: dead-air
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engine: story
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category: murder-mystery
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title: Dead Air
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tagline: A legendary DJ goes silent live on air. Four minutes of nothing. One killer in the building.
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estimatedMinutes: 30
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difficulty: 3
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players: { min: 2, max: 2 }
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theme: { primary: "#d7263d", accent: "#f9c80e", background: "#0c0a12", headingFont: "Playfair Display" }
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rules:
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hintPenaltySeconds: 180
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roles:
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A:
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name: The Detective
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blurb: You have the police file. Lab results, statements, staff records.
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B:
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name: The Night Intern
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blurb: You work the graveyard shift at Night Owl FM. Logs, run sheets, cameras, gossip.
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intro: |
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**Night Owl FM, Johannesburg. 23:31.**
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Rex Daniels has hosted the midnight show for 22 years. Tonight he promised listeners
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"the biggest announcement in the history of this station, at midnight sharp."
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He never made it. A song ended, and nothing came after it. Just hiss.
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The producer found him slumped over the desk, his tea still warm.
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Five people were in the building. **Every one of them had a reason.**
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⚠️ *Harder case: the locks give you facts, not the answer. You'll have to connect them yourselves in the accusation.*
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suspects:
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- id: zanele
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name: Zanele Dube
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role: Producer
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description: Runs the desk, makes Rex's tea, knows his every habit. Has been passed over for promotion three times.
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- id: kyle
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name: Kyle Pretorius
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role: Junior DJ
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description: Ambitious, loud, and openly waiting for Rex's slot.
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- id: marisa
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name: Marisa Venter
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role: Station manager
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description: Co-owns the station with Rex. Was "in meetings" all night.
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- id: tumi
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name: Tumi Nkosi
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role: Sound engineer
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description: Keeps the old place running on duct tape and prayer. Rex once got him written up.
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- id: owen
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name: Owen Hart
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role: Superfan
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description: Calls in every night. Turned up at the gate tonight with flowers for Rex.
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chapters:
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- id: ch1
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title: Ghost Signal
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narrative: |
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The automation computer kept playing what it was told. The dead-air alarm caught the silence.
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First question: **which song was playing when Rex went quiet for good?**
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clues:
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A:
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- id: a1-automation
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title: Automation log, tonight's queue
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type: log
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body: |
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| # | Track | Length | Status |
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|---|-----------------------------|--------|----------|
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| 1 | Neon Rain | 4:12 | PLAYED |
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| 2 | Highveld Heart | 3:48 | PLAYED |
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| 3 | Slow Dance in a Fast Car | 5:05 | PLAYED |
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| 4 | Paper Moons | 3:55 | PLAYED |
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| 5 | Ghost Signal | 6:20 | PLAYED |
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| 6 | Last Train Home | 4:40 | NOT PLAYED (needs manual start) |
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- id: a1-security
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title: Gate security log
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type: log
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body: |
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22:30 · Owen Hart at gate with flowers. Not on guest list. Refused entry.
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22:30–23:50 · Owen sits in reception with guard Sipho. "Wouldn't stop talking about Rex."
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B:
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- id: b1-runsheet
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title: Producer's run sheet
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type: document
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body: |
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**Midnight Show, standard format**
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- Show opens **23:00:00** sharp. Rex's intro link: **2:00**.
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- Rex talks for **exactly 1:30** after every song. He's never late. Ever.
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- Songs play straight from automation. Rex must start each song manually.
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- id: b1-alarm
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title: Dead-air alarm printout
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type: log
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body: |
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```
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** DEAD AIR ALARM ** 23:31:35
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Trigger: silence > 15 seconds on main output
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```
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lock:
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id: lock-song
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prompt: Which song was the last thing listeners heard?
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inputType: text
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format: Song title
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answers: ["GHOSTSIGNAL"]
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hints:
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- The alarm fires 15 seconds after silence starts. Work out when the silence started, then build the show's timeline.
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- Silence started at 23:31:20. Add the intro, each song, and each 1:30 talk break, starting from 23:00:00.
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- Ghost Signal ran from 23:25:00 to 23:31:20, and Rex never came back to talk after it.
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successText: |
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**Ghost Signal**, 23:25:00 to 23:31:20. Rex's last words on air ended at 23:25:00:
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*"Longest song of the night, which means it's tea time. Back in six, Joburg."*
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He never started Last Train Home. Whatever happened, it happened during Ghost Signal.
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keyName: Needle Key
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- id: ch2
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title: The Last Cup
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narrative: |
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The paramedics say anaphylactic shock. Rex had a severe peanut allergy and everyone knew it.
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His EpiPen was not in his bag. And he'd been drinking tea all night.
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clues:
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A:
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- id: a2-lab
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title: Lab report, rushed
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type: report
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body: |
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**Cause of death:** anaphylaxis (peanut protein, Ara h 2).
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| Item tested | Peanut protein |
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|---------------------------------------|----------------|
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| Mug "ON AIR" (in Rex's hand) | **POSITIVE** |
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| Mug "WORLD'S OKAYEST DJ" (studio sink)| negative (honey residue present) |
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| Jar labelled "REX ONLY" (honey) | **POSITIVE** |
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| Tea bags, kettle water, milk | negative |
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- id: a2-minutes
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title: Boardroom meeting minutes
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type: document
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body: |
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**Quick staff meeting, 23:08–23:20.** Topic: Rex's "midnight announcement".
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Present: Zanele Dube, Tumi Nkosi, Kyle Pretorius, Marisa Venter (chair).
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*23:11 · Marisa steps out "to take a call from the lawyers". Returns 23:17.*
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Nobody else left the room. (Rex on air, Owen in reception.)
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B:
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- id: b2-camera
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title: Kitchen camera log (motion triggered)
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type: log
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body: |
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| Time | Who | What |
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|-------|---------|------|
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| 22:45 | Rex | Makes himself rooibos. **Black, no honey.** |
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| 22:58 | Tumi | Fills water bottle |
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| 23:05 | Kyle | Instant coffee |
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| 23:06 | Zanele | Makes Rex's tea in the **WORLD'S OKAYEST DJ** mug, honey from **REX ONLY** jar. Takes it to studio. |
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| 23:07 | (empty) | · |
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| 23:09 | · | **CAMERA OFFLINE** |
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| 23:21 | · | Camera back online. Kitchen empty. |
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| 23:24 | Zanele | Makes Rex's tea in the **ON AIR** mug, honey from **REX ONLY** jar. Takes it to studio. |
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- id: b2-maintenance
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title: Tumi's maintenance whiteboard
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type: note
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body: |
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*Generator test TONIGHT 23:09 (booked by M. Venter this afternoon, last minute??).
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Cameras + kitchen plugs drop for about 12 min. Studio is on the UPS, stays live.*
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lock:
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id: lock-safe-honey
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prompt: What's the last time the honey was definitely safe?
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inputType: code
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format: "HH:MM"
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answers: ["2306", "1106", "1106PM"]
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hints:
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- The honey jar is positive now. Was it always? Look at the first mug with honey in it.
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- The OKAYEST DJ mug had honey and tested negative. When was that cup made?
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- Zanele made the OKAYEST DJ cup at 23:06, and Rex drank it and was fine.
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successText: |
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**23:06.** The honey was clean at 23:06 and poisoned by 23:24.
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The camera was on from 23:06 to 23:09 and from 23:21 to 23:24, and nobody touched the jar then.
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So the honey was poisoned **while the camera was off, 23:09 to 23:21.**
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keyName: Honey Key
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- id: ch3
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title: The Studio Door
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narrative: |
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Rex's EpiPen always lived in the side pocket of his bag, which sits in the studio lounge.
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The lounge has a card reader. Someone went in while Rex was live in the booth.
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clues:
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A:
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- id: a3-register
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title: Staff access card register
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type: table
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body: |
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| Staff member | Card number |
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|-------------------|-------------|
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| Rex Daniels | 401 |
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| Zanele Dube | 409 |
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| Marisa Venter | 412 |
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| Kyle Pretorius | 417 |
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| Tumi Nkosi | 423 |
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- id: a3-kyle
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title: Kyle's statement
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type: transcript
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body: |
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"I had a one-on-one with Marisa in the boardroom at half ten. Left my card on the table.
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Went back for it at ten to eleven and it was gone. I reported it to security, check the book.
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Then I was stuck in that meeting from eight past till twenty past. Ask anyone."
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B:
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- id: b3-doorlog
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title: Studio lounge door reader
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type: log
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body: |
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```
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CARD READER v2.1 · IDs IN HEX (Tumi: "don't ask")
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22:45:02 ID 0x191 IN
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23:12:40 ID 0x1A1 IN
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23:13:55 ID 0x1A1 OUT
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23:24:31 ID 0x199 IN
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23:31:50 ID 0x199 IN (panic button pressed)
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```
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- id: b3-reception
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title: Reception lost-property book
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type: note
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body: |
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*22:52 · Kyle P. reports staff card missing. Says left in boardroom. Card NOT cancelled (system down for generator test prep).*
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lock:
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id: lock-card
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prompt: Whose card opened the studio lounge at 23:12?
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inputType: choice
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options:
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- { id: rex, label: Rex Daniels }
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- { id: zanele, label: Zanele Dube }
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- { id: marisa, label: Marisa Venter }
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- { id: kyle, label: Kyle Pretorius }
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- { id: tumi, label: Tumi Nkosi }
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answers: ["kyle"]
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hints:
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- The reader shows hexadecimal. The register is in normal (decimal) numbers.
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- "0x1A1 = 1×256 + 10×16 + 1."
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- 0x1A1 = 417, which is Kyle's card.
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successText: |
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**Kyle's card.** 23:12 to 23:13, in and out in 75 seconds, just long enough to empty a bag pocket.
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But Kyle reported that card stolen at 22:52... and the minutes put him in the boardroom at 23:12.
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keyName: Access Key
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- id: ch4
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title: The Midnight Announcement
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narrative: |
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What was Rex going to say at midnight? His notes were in his jacket: a page of crossword-looking
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letters, and a piece of card with little windows cut into it.
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clues:
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A:
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- id: a4-grid
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title: Page from Rex's notebook
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type: diagram
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body: |
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```
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G S C A L C
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H C T E B I
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D H W W S F
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O U R B H B
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T G E O E T
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D U D T Y F
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```
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*Scrawled underneath: "Zan knows how to read these. Lay the card on top."*
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B:
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- id: b4-stencil
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title: Cut card from Rex's jacket
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type: diagram
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body: |
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```
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■ □ ■ □ □ ■
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■ ■ ■ □ ■ □
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■ ■ ■ ■ □ □
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□ ■ □ ■ ■ ■
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■ □ □ ■ ■ ■
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■ ■ □ ■ ■ ■
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```
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■ = solid card · □ = window cut out. Same size as a notebook page, 6 × 6 squares.
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Zanele says: "His old trick. Read the windows left to right, top to bottom."
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- id: b4-gossip
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title: Overheard in the corridor (last week)
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type: transcript
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body: |
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**Tumi:** "Marisa says some media group's buying us. Rex says he never signed anything."
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**Zanele:** "He'd never sell. He'd sooner die on air."
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lock:
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id: lock-stencil
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prompt: What did Rex's hidden message say?
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inputType: text
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format: The message (3 words)
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answers: ["SALEISFORGED", "THESALEISFORGED"]
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hints:
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- The Detective reads out the letters that sit under each □ window.
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- "Row 1 windows are columns 2, 4 and 5: S, A, L."
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- S-A-L-E-I-S-F-O-R-G-E-D.
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successText: |
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**"SALE IS FORGED."** The station's sale contract carries Rex's signature. Rex never signed it.
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At midnight, he was going to tell the whole city, live.
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The only other owner who could sell the station: **Marisa Venter.**
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keyName: Microphone Key
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finale:
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type: accusation
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prompt: Four keys. Put it together. Who killed Rex Daniels?
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maxAttempts: 2
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questions:
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- id: who
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label: Who killed Rex?
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options:
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- { id: zanele, label: Zanele Dube }
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- { id: kyle, label: Kyle Pretorius }
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- { id: marisa, label: Marisa Venter }
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- { id: tumi, label: Tumi Nkosi }
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- { id: owen, label: Owen Hart }
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answer: marisa
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- id: how
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label: How?
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options:
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- { id: tea, label: Peanut in the tea Zanele served him at 23:24 }
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- { id: honey, label: Peanut oil in the REX ONLY honey during the camera outage, EpiPen taken using Kyle's stolen card }
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- { id: epipen, label: Swapped his EpiPen for an empty one earlier in the day }
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- { id: lozenge, label: A peanut-laced throat lozenge from a fan's flowers }
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answer: honey
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- id: why
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label: Why?
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options:
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- { id: slot, label: To take over the midnight slot }
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- { id: writeup, label: Revenge for a disciplinary write-up }
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- { id: forged, label: Rex was about to reveal on air that she'd forged his signature to sell the station }
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- { id: obsession, label: Rejected obsession }
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answer: forged
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successEnding: |
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Marisa doesn't argue. She just looks at the "ON AIR" light, still glowing red.
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She booked the generator test so the kitchen camera would drop. She took Kyle's card off
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the boardroom table at 22:30. At 23:11 she "stepped out for a call", used Kyle's card to get
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into the lounge at 23:12, took the EpiPen from Rex's bag, then slipped peanut oil into his honey.
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Back in the meeting by 23:17. Zanele carried the poison in herself, never knowing.
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**Case closed.** At midnight, Zanele reads Rex's announcement on air. 📻🔑
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failEnding: |
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The wrong person is arrested. The sale goes through. Night Owl FM becomes a 24-hour playlist with no DJs.
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reveal: |
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**Marisa Venter** poisoned the honey with **peanut oil** during the generator test she booked,
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and used **Kyle's stolen card** to take Rex's **EpiPen**, because Rex was going to reveal live
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that she'd **forged his signature to sell the station**.
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