Someone at This Table Is a Killer
You came here because you were invited.
So did everyone else.
Then you discovered your host was dead.
One of you killed them.
Welcome to the game.
Your phone knows things the others don’t
Each player has a private AI Bot working with them. Your Bot will send clues, secrets, suspicions, and the occasional piece of gossip directly to your phone.
Your character card on the table tells everyone who’s who.
Right from the beginning, you know one thing for certain that nobody else knows.
Keep it secret.
To solve the murder, you need four answers:
WHO killed the host?
WHERE did it happen?
WHAT was the weapon?
WHEN did it happen?
Nobody has the whole story. You’ll have to piece it together.
Use your tally sheet from the very first clue. It’s at the top of your page, and it saves as you go. Cross off everything you’ve ruled out.
The clues tell you what didn’t happen
Most clues don’t give you the answer. They eliminate a wrong one.
Not the hammer.
Not the library.
Not midnight.
Not that suspect.
And here’s where it gets interesting: the other players are getting different clues.
When a clue arrives, it’s your turn
Ask the table one question about anything you’re still unsure of, on any of the four questions:
“Can anyone prove it wasn’t the hammer?”
You’re not asking who did it. You’re asking who can rule something out.
Maybe someone can prove it wasn’t the hammer.
Maybe nobody says a word.
Either way, pay attention.
When the table has answered, tap Done. That passes the turn and sends the next clue out.
How to answer
If your Bot has told you it wasn’t the hammer, you must say so: “I can prove it wasn’t the hammer.”
If you know it was the hammer, stay quiet. You can’t prove it wasn’t, and that was the question.
That means silence comes from somebody. The player holding the certain fact is always one of the quiet ones. Keeping your secret is about how you act, not just what you say.
Early in the game, a silent table tells you almost nothing. As more clues come out, the same silence gets very interesting.
Your Bot is watching too
At some point your Bot may tell you that every clue for one of the four questions is now out. That message is private. Nobody else knows you got it.
From then on, silence on that question means something. If your Bot says every weapon clue is out, and you ask “Can anyone prove it wasn’t the hammer?” and no one answers, then it was the hammer.
Pay attention to what doesn’t get answered.
Everyone had a motive
Your Bot will also uncover motives.
Old grudges. Secrets. Jealousies. Money. Betrayals. Things perhaps better left unsaid.
Motives are not proof.
But they certainly make dinner more interesting.
Then the rules change
Eventually the clues stop. All the evidence is out and the turns are over.
Now everyone can talk freely. Ask questions. Compare notes. Challenge conclusions. Watch who suddenly gets quiet.
You can bluff about your suspicions and theories. You can’t lie about what your Bot told you. If you claim a clue, it has to be real.
And never reveal the one fact you were given as certain. That secret stays yours.
Now you’re racing.
You get one shot
When you think you’ve solved it, submit your answer from your tally sheet. You’ll get one chance to check it before it’s locked in.
WHO · WHERE · WHAT · WHEN
You can submit any time. You don’t have to wait for the clues to run out.
But you can submit only once.
The game ends after all four players have submitted.
The first player to submit the correct answer wins.
And if nobody gets it right?
The killer gets away. Only the killer will learn the truth, and whether they share it is up to them.
So keep your secret. Watch your phone. Listen to the table.
And don’t assume the person sitting across from you is trying to help.