31
Tips for creating murder mysteries in my games?
(ttrpg.network)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2025
31 points (97.0% liked)
rpg
3504 readers
15 users here now
This community is for meaningful discussions of tabletop/pen & paper RPGs
Rules (wip):
- Do not distribute pirate content
- Do not incite arguments/flamewars/gatekeeping.
- Do not submit video game content unless the game is based on a tabletop RPG property and is newsworthy.
- Image and video links MUST be TTRPG related and should be shared as self posts/text with context or discussion unless they fall under our specific case rules.
- Do not submit posts looking for players, groups or games.
- Do not advertise for livestreams
- Limit Self-promotions. Active members may promote their own content once per week. Crowdfunding posts are limited to one announcement and one reminder across all users.
- Comment respectfully. Refrain from personal attacks and discriminatory (racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.) comments. Comments deemed abusive may be removed by moderators.
- No Zak S content.
- Off-Topic: Book trade, Boardgames, wargames, video games are generally off-topic.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
@Atlas48 First off, know from the outset whether you want to run a genuine mystery scenario, with an actual truth under the hood where the point is to overcome the challenge of finding that truth, or engage in mystery-*shaped* storytelling where the goal is to end up with a tale that resembles a mystery from the outside while not actually taxing the players' brains. Advice varies wildly depending on which you're doing.
I wonder, in a mystery-shaped storytelling, if starting the adventure by secretely telling a random player "you're the murderer, you killed that person at this time with this weapon at this place" could help you build the mystery part since it would eventually result in having sometimes contradicting information and fake evidence planted by the culprit
Nah, Mafia/Werewolf is actually a third option, and served by games that exist outside "our" roleplaying industry. Look into murder mystery party games for that.
By "mystery-shaped storytelling" I mean more stuff like Brindlewood Bay, InSpectres, Technoir... stuff where even who did it and how just isn't decided at the start.
I know. I played Brindlewood Bay, and we felt that the endings were a little off because of the gameplay rules. That's why I was wondering about throwing an impostor out there to see what would come of it.
@Rhaxapopouetl That doesn't really seem compatible with "roll to see if your theory is correct at the end"...
True, but OP wants to run an impostor/mystery, so i feel i'm not completely out of touch, there.