How to write a mystery?

[229]

Even if we start talking about closing "previous thread" during game mode, all we replace it with is people who reset their game completely.

Right! I was thinking something close to that too, although I hadn't quite got there.

229, have you ever played a tabletop RPG about solving mysteries? Because you've said a few things that tie in with the principles behind those games, especially with how you plan to handle clues and evidence.

No, I didn't even know there were games like that. How do they work?

 

[Thorn_]

229, have you ever played a tabletop RPG about solving mysteries? Because you've said a few things that tie in with the principles behind those games, especially with how you plan to handle clues and evidence.

Dunno how much this fits, but it got me thinking of a few games. Ctuhulu Dark. It's a Lovecraft(Obviously) based game where when a play rolls a die? They're actions go well. They always go well.

The string attached is that if players want to see you fail, they can roll and who gets the highest result, gets to dictate what happens. The brilliance of this, is the sheer chaos and paranoia of it. Complete madness of what has happened, what didn't, and who, if, and when someone is going to suddenly try to screw you over.

Paranoia: The game is ran by a completely insane computer. Security clearances about what players can and can't do. It's a game where cheating is considered fine unless you get caught. The in game characters, don't know the rules and if proven that they do, will be executed. Example: Players can argue that something provides say that X thing lets do them Y action. However, players aren't supposed to know rules. Since they know that X thing would allow them to do Y action, they are therefore a cheater and die. If they haven't read the rules, they are not a cheater, but cannot do Y action, and die.

InSpectres: A supernatual/scifi mystery game. Success if rolled over 4, is determined by the player who narrates results. If less, by the Gm. There's also a stress mechanic about how players handle situations and a thing called Franchise Dice, which determine the pacing of the mission and how close they are to succeeding.

Anyway, those are just my random thoughts. I don't think much of these things could really be implemented in Chyoa format, without excessively using variables at every turn.

 

[Patzo]

No, I didn't even know there were games like that. How do they work?

A lot of these games are designed around the principle that interpreting clues is more fun than finding clues. Therefore, if the players are in a scene with a clue, and there's no reason they wouldn't just find the clue, they should just find the clue. The challenge comes from examining the gaps in their knowledge: what information do they need to solve the mystery, and how do they get that information? Once they have that down, actually getting information should be straightforward.

Another principle is the Three Clue Rule. It's a rule of thumb that for every piece of information you want the players to find, you need three clues pointing to it. They might ignore two of the clues, whether by not finding them or not realizing their significance, but the odds of missing all three are slim. For instance, let's say you want the players to figure out that two of their neighbors, 18 y/o Lanie Smith and 43 y/o Mr. Henderson, are having an affair. Here are some clues you might give them:
> Mr. Henderson's phone has naughty texts on it from a woman who's not his wife. A little snooping shows it's Lanie's number.
> Lanie's friends all know she's been sleeping with an older man, one who's still married. A little snooping catches Mr. Henderson sneaking out to see Lanie.
> When Mrs. Henderson is out of town, Mr. Henderson has dinner at a fancy restaurant with his "niece." A little snooping finds him at dinner with Lanie.

@Auraicide, I actually haven't played any of the games you mentioned, though Cthulhu Dark is right up my wheelhouse. I'm drawing my thoughts from the various takes on Gumshoe.

 

[229]

Auraicide, I can't say I understood that, but okay.

Patzo, that sounds like a better way to do this. It also gave me an idea for a sort of "Who is fucking who" mystery. Do you have anything else on how that would work?

 

[Patzo]

Sorry for my delay in getting back to you! A lot of the games are horror-centric, so I can't think of anything more specific than that right now. I'm happy to answer other questions you might have as you write it, though!

Actually, one more suggestion is to write the mystery out as a web of clues rather than a linear series of events. Create a diagram of all the clues and how they connect to each other; how the main character can find them; and how they lead the main character to the mystery's solution.

 

[Nemo of Utopia]

Actually, one more suggestion is to write the mystery out as a web of clues rather than a linear series of events. Create a diagram of all the clues and how they connect to each other; how the main character can find them; and how they lead the main character to the mystery's solution.

I think this is a good suggestion.