Game Rules for Deception: Murder in Hong Kong

Hey there! Welcome to the thrilling world of Deception: Murder in Hong Kong. This is a game where I’ll guide you through the rules, so you can jump right in and start having a blast.

Game Overview

In Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, you’ll find yourself in the midst of a murder investigation. One player will take on the role of the Forensic Scientist, while the others become Investigators. The catch? One of the Investigators is the Murderer, and another is the Accomplice. Together, it’s their mission to deceive the rest of the players and get away with murder!

Setting Up the Game

Before we can get started, let’s set up the game. The Forensic Scientist will shuffle the Means of Murder cards and the Key Evidence cards. They’ll secretly choose one of each and place them in front of themself. These cards represent the murder weapon and a crucial piece of evidence that the Investigators need to find. The Location tiles are also shuffled and placed face-down on the table.

Each player will then receive four Scene tiles and one Role tile. The Scene tiles represent clues related to the murder, while the Role tile determines if the player is an Investigator, the Murderer, or the Accomplice.

The Gameplay

Now, let’s dive into the gameplay itself. The Forensic Scientist will give a clue to the Investigators, using only the Scene tiles in front of them and the Cause of Death cards. The tricky part? They can’t talk! So, the Investigators must carefully observe the clues and work together to piece together the puzzle.

Once the Investigators have discussed their thoughts, they can accuse someone of being the Murderer. If they’re right, they win! But if they accuse an innocent player, time keeps ticking as they continue their investigation.

When all the Investigators have made an accusation, it’s time for the final round. The Scientists will reveal the Key Evidence and the Accomplice will be revealed. The Investigators must now figure out the precise means of murder while identifying both the Murderer and the Accomplice.

Conclusion

That’s it! Now you’re ready to play Deception: Murder in Hong Kong. Remember, as an Investigator, you need to stay sharp and pay close attention to the clues. Good luck, and have a blast unraveling the mystery!

Welcome to the vibrant city of Hong Kong, where a chilling crime has occurred. As a part of our dedicated team, you and your fellow Investigators have been tasked with unraveling the mystery. We arrive at the crime scene to find a collection of intriguing objects, each potentially holding a crucial clue. Our mission is to piece together the “Means of Murder” and uncover the “Key Evidence” that will lead us straight to the killer.

But wait, it gets even trickier! Among us lurks the very person we are trying to catch – the killer themselves! As the Forensic Scientist guides us with valuable clues, the murderer cunningly tries to sow seeds of confusion and doubt, desperate to evade justice.

Do not underestimate the complexity of this case. Will our team have the sharpness of mind needed to crack the code, or will the villain outsmart us all and go free, forever escaping justice?

What’s Inside the Box?

Welcome to the mysterious world of Mystery Express! When you open the box, you’ll find a collection of intriguing cards and tiles that will transport you to another time and place. Let me walk you through what’s included:

The Components

• 200 Clue cards
• 90 Means cards
• 12 Role cards
• 32 Scene tiles
• 6 Bullets
• 11 Badges
• Rule book

The Roles

Forensic Scientist x1

Hey there, as the game master in this thrilling murder mystery, I hold all the secrets to the crime. My job is to help the Investigators figure out the “Key Evidence” and “Means of Murder.”

When the Investigators manage to crack the case by correctly identifying these clues, we all win the game!

Now, here’s the challenge for me: I can’t give any hints about the solution using words, gestures, or even my eyes.

One Sneaky Murderer

When a crime is committed, I, the Murderer, select 1 Clue card and 1 Means card to solve the crime. These cards will serve as the “Key Evidence” and the “Means of Murder,” respectively.

My goal as the Murderer is to conceal my true identity and divert suspicion onto someone else. Even if my identity is revealed, I can still win the game if nobody correctly identifies both the “Key Evidence” and the “Means of Murder.”

You, the Investigators

When it comes to solving the crime, us Investigators have an important task on our hands. We need to carefully analyze the hints provided by the brilliant Forensic Scientist.

If even one of us can correctly identify both the “Key Evidence” and “Means of Murder”, we’ve got the Murderer cornered and we all win – the Investigators and the Forensic Scientist.

But here’s the twist – the Murderer (and sometimes the Accomplice) could be one of us Investigators! That means we have to be extra careful and defend ourselves from false accusations.

The Accomplice

The Accomplice is a choice you can make when there are 6 or more players in the game. I will give you inside information – I know who the Murderer is, and I also know how the crime was pulled off. Here’s the catch: if the Murderer manages to escape without being caught, both the Accomplice and the Murderer win.

Now let’s talk about the Witness x.

The Witness is a special role you can play as the Accomplice. When you choose to be the Witness, you become an investigator who has personally seen the criminals leaving the crime scene. But here’s the twist: you have no idea who the actual murderer is, or who the Accomplice is. It’s a complete mystery to you, and you don’t even know how the crime was committed. It’s like being in the dark!

Now, here’s where things get really interesting. Let’s say the Murderer is caught by the authorities. If the Murderer can somehow figure out who you are, then you’re in big trouble. Being identified by the Murderer means certain death for you. And guess what? The Murderer and the Accomplice get away with their crime, and they win the game. So, you need to be extremely careful and stay hidden.

Before the game starts, there’s some setup involved. First, put all the Event tiles back in the game box. They’re not needed for this variant. Then, each player gets dealt 4 Clue cards and 4 Means cards. These cards should be placed face up in front of each player so that everyone can see them. Take a moment to look at all the cards on the table. This will give you an idea of what clues and means are available to you and the other players. Now, let the game begin!

When you play Clue, remember that the graphics on the Clue and Means Cards are just for reference. You have to use your imagination based on the texts.

2. Your Characters

Let’s start by choosing the roles. Take out a number of Role cards equal to the number of players:

• For a game with 4 to 5 players: there should be 1 Murderer, 1 Forensic Scientist, and all the rest are investigators.
• For a game with 6 to 12 players: there should be 1 Murderer, 1 Forensic Scientist, 1 optional Accomplice, 1 optional Witness, and all the other players are investigators.

Any unused Role cards should be returned to the game box. Shuffle the Role cards that will be used and give one to each player face-down.

The player who receives the Forensic Scientist card will reveal their identity and act as the game master. They will discard their Clue and Means cards and use the Scene tiles instead. Remember, all the other players have to keep their roles secret.

In your very first game, I suggest giving the role of the “Forensic Scientist” to the player who is the most expressive and animated. This person will have an important role to play in the game. They will need to guide and oversee the game, so choose someone who can handle that responsibility.

Now, let’s talk about badge tokens. In this game, each player (excluding the Forensic Scientist) will receive a badge token. This token is a way of indicating that the player has not yet tried to solve the crime. It’s important for each player to display their badge token clearly in front of them. Any unused tokens should be returned to the box.

Now that we have the roles and tokens sorted, let’s move on to the game play itself.

During the first part of the game, the Murderer will secretly choose the solution to the crime by selecting the “Means of Murder” and the “Key Evidence”. It’s up to the Forensic Scientist to lead this part of the game and follow these steps:

1. The Forensic Scientist instructs everyone to close their eyes and confirms that all eyes are indeed closed. This is an important step to maintain the secrecy of the Murderer’s selection.

I’m sure you’re curious about the game of Deception: Murder in Hong Kong. Let me walk you through the steps so you can understand how it works.

First, the Forensic Scientist stands up and gathers all the players’ attention. They say, “Murderer (and Accomplice), open your eyes.” Once the Murderer and Accomplice have opened their eyes, the Forensic Scientist asks the Murderer to indicate the ‘Key Evidence’ and ‘Means of Murder.’ The Murderer points to one Clue card and one Means card from their hand.

Once the Murderer has made their selection, the Forensic Scientist gives them a nod and says, “Murderer (and Accomplice), close your eyes.” This is to keep everyone’s identities a secret.

In some games, there may also be a Witness. In this case, the Forensic Scientist continues and says, “Witness, open your eyes.” The Forensic Scientist then points to the Murderer and Accomplice so the Witness knows who they are. The Witness gives a nod to show they understand, and then the Forensic Scientist says, “Witness, close your eyes.”

It’s a thrilling game that requires careful observation and deduction. By following these steps, you’ll be ready to dive into the world of Deception: Murder in Hong Kong. Have fun!

As the Forensic Scientist, my job is to lead the investigation and solve the mystery. The game begins with everyone closing their eyes, and then I announce, “Everyone, open your eyes”.

2. Investigation

This is the exciting part of the game, where we delve into the clues and gather evidence. The investigation is divided into three rounds, each with an Evidence Collection phase and a Presentation phase. The game can end early if any of the Investigators correctly identifies the “Key Evidence” and “Means of Murder”.

If that doesn’t happen, the game continues until the end of the third round. Let’s walk through the phases:

2a. First Round Of Evidence Collection

When getting ready for this round, I put aside the tiles called “Location of Crime” and “Cause of Death”. Then, I shuffle the rest of the Scene tiles and make a draw deck. From that deck, I randomly choose 4 Scene tiles and one of the set-aside “Location of Crime” tiles. I put these tiles in front of me, along with the “Cause of Death” tile.

2a-I. Gathering Clues

One by one, I put the 6 Bullet markers on the tiles in front of me. Each marker must go on one of the six items listed on the tile. I can take my time or go quickly, whichever I prefer.

Once the first marker is placed, we all get to talk about our thoughts and ideas on the investigation – well, all of us except the Forensic Scientist. They’re the only one who can decide where to place the next markers, based on our discussion. This helps to narrow down the investigation, you know? The order in which the Forensic Scientist places the markers, as well as any signs of certainty or hesitation they show, can actually give us some important clues. The markers can be placed in any order, but once they’re down, they can’t be moved.

2a-II. Presentation

Once all the markers are in place, it’s time for the Forensic Scientist to give us a chance to discuss the evidence. Each player will have a turn to present their thoughts on the “Key Evidence” and “Means of Murder.” We’ll start with the person on the left of the Forensic Scientist and go around in a circle. Each player will have about 30 seconds to share their ideas, but feel free to adjust the time limit if needed.

While someone is presenting, we can’t interrupt or bother them, unless we want to take a guess at who committed the crime.

Second Round of Evidence Collection

Evidence Collection

Presentation:

Final Round of Evidence Collection

Evidence Collection

Presentation

Hey there, let’s talk about something important!

So, the game we’re playing will come to an end as soon as the last player finishes their third presentation. It’s crucial to keep this in mind.

A Mystery to Unravel

Hey there! Did you know that in the game “Solve the Crime,” everyone gets a chance to be the detective, even the killer? It’s true! You can try to solve the crime by pointing to clue and means cards of another player.

If you pick the correct cards that match the “Key Evidence” and “Means of Murder,” the game is over and the detectives win!

But if you choose the wrong cards, the forensic scientist will simply say “No” without giving any hints.

If you make a wrong guess, you have to give up your badge to the forensic scientist. This means you can’t try to solve the crime again, but you can still participate in the game and make presentations.

Remember: If you don’t make a guess before the last presentation, you’ll miss your chance. So use it or lose it!

Closing the File: The End of the Game

The chase comes to a close with one of these outcomes:

1. If you decide to “Solve the Crime” and skillfully choose the “Key Evidence” and “Means of Murder,” the game ends, and we all emerge triumphant! The Forensic Scientist, Investigators, and even the Witness claim victory!
2. If all players miss their chance to crack the case (either by guessing incorrectly or failing to “Solve the Crime” by the third and final round), then the Murderer and Accomplice have the last laugh. They are the victors, and we all go home defeated.