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Everyone's A Suspect – Rules (Version: 2019-06-21 beta)

It's a small town and somebody has been murdered. Everyone is a suspect. Including everyone
at this table. Especially everyone at this table.
A cooperative/competitive storytelling card game. For 3-5 players. By Krin Irvine.

In this game, the players create a murder story together. The story will be created one small
piece at a time, guided by prompts. Each player is responsible for one main character of the
story who is connected to the murder victim. Each main character will seem like they could be
the murderer.

Safety & Content Warning

This game is about a murder, and there may be violent content related to the murder. There
may also be other types of violence or abusive behaviors. Discuss as a group whether there is
any off-limits content in this murder story. If somebody declares something as off-limits,
everyone else at the table should respect that without argument. Also, consider using an X-
card. (http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg, by John Stavropoulos)

This game has both cooperative and competitive elements.

Cooperative goal:
The players should collaborate to tell a fun and interesting story together. The story will be told
in individual chapters, and each chapter should feel like part of the same story. The goal of this
story is for every main character to appear to be a possible and credible suspect. The players
should be aiming for the feel of a serial TV show, where at the end of each episode there are
more reasons to suspect many of the characters of committing the murder. The murderer will
only be decided on and then revealed at the end of the game.

Competitive goal:
Meanwhile, during their chapters, players should also competitively try to make their own main
character seem the most suspicious. Players will score each other on how suspicious their
chapters were throughout the game. More suspicion during the game will result in more choice
at the end of the game. Whoever has the most suspicion will have the first chance to decide
whether they want their character to be the actual murderer or not.

Game Summary
There are three phases in the game.
During the Setup phase, you will decide on or create the Setting you will be playing in.
Everyone will also be dealt or create a Main Character they will play.
The Chapters phase is the main part of the game and contains four Chapter Rounds. During
each Chapter Round, you will determine the order for the round, play one Chapter each, then
score the Chapters of the other players.
During the Epilogues phase, everyone will choose the Outcome Type their character has,
whether their character is the Murderer or not, and then share short epilogues about what
happens to their characters after the end of the story.
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Phase One: Setup

Either you will choose a pre-created Setting, or create one of your own.
[beta note: these rules just cover create your own]

Create Your Own DIY Setting

Using the Setting Questions cards, first you will define high-level details about The World like
when and where the story will take place. Then you will define details about the small town
that story is set in, including creating the last tragedy that this town faced before the current
murder. Next you will define details about the murder victim. Finally, you will define how this
person was murdered and other details about the crime.

Choose someone randomly to start and give them the Setting Questions “1) The World” card.
They should choose one question, read the question aloud to the other players, then tell the
other players what their answer to the question is. Then pass the card around the table, each
player answering one question at a time until all questions on this card are answered.

Then complete this same process for the next three setting questions cards:
2) The Small Town
3) The Murder Victim
4) The Murder
If playing with five players – rotate who starts each time so the same players aren’t always first
and last.

The final DIY setting card, “5) Main Characters,” is a little different. Each player should choose
exactly one relationship type for their main character to have to the murder victim. (There will
be unused relationship types.)

Each player should also choose a few more details for their main character like a name, age,
gender, occupation, and hobby. Each player can record these details on a tent card so everyone
will know who main characters are.

When everyone is ready, each player should introduce their character to the group. Say a
couple sentences to describe them and their relationship to the murder victim.

Distribute Special Abilities:

Shuffle the special abilities cards and deal one to every player. Players should keep the cards
hidden and only reveal it when ready to use it. These cards describe unique abilities that each
player has that can affect other player’s main characters once during the game. These cards can
either be played during or immediately after a chapter scene has finished, which will be
described on each card. Each card may only be used once during the game.

Distribute Suspicion Score Cards:

Each player chooses one of the images and takes all of the Suspicion Score cards of that image.
The Suspicion Score cards are numbered 1 through 4.
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Phase Two: Chapters

There will be four Chapter Rounds. During each Chapter Round every player will lead one
Chapter about their Main Character, based on a chosen Chapter Round card.

Chapters are the pieces of the story. During the Chapter for a player’s Main Character, that
player leads what happens. They current player decides, inspired on the card they chose, what
this piece of the story is about. It can also be helpful for the story to try to build on whatever
has already been said in prior Chapters.

Players will be able to choose whether they want to Role Play or Narrate the Chapter. Everyone
can choose different types during the game.
Role Play – A player sets up where they want their character to be, and who else should be
there, then switches to dialogue. They will speak as their main character, while other players
speak for other characters.
Narrate – Instead of dialogue a player can narrate what happens to their character. They relay
events by telling a story about what happened.

Players are in charge of what their own Main Character does, thinks, feels, or says in response
to what is happening. The current player can include another player’s Main Character with
permission from that player, but that other player gets to decide what their own Main
Character will do, think, feel, or say. (Exceptions to this occur if Special Ability cards are played.)

After all of the players have led a Chapter, they will be summarized, and everyone will rate the
suspicion of other main characters, so everyone should pay attention to other people’s scenes.

Chapter Goal: In every Chapter, each Main Character should seem more like a potential
suspect, but not outright admit to anything. There should just be a constant piling up of
circumstantial evidence and playing suspiciously. At the end of your Chapter you want the
other players to be more convinced your Main Character could be the actual murder.

Play Chapter Round 1

Choose a player randomly to start. Give the first player all six of the Chapter Round 1 cards.

Choose a card: They should read the cards to themselves and choose one, then read aloud the
main prompt on the card to the other players.

Choose to Role Play or Narrate: The current player should choose whether they want to Role
Play or Narrate the Chapter.

Lead Chapter: The current player leads a Chapter based on their card.

Proceed clockwise: After the Chapter is over, hand the remaining unused cards to the next
player. Continue this way until everyone has led one Chapter.
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Score Chapter Round 1

Summarize Chapters: First, in the order that Chapters were played in, each player should give a
one or two sentence summary of the Chapter they just had. This is mostly to remind everyone
what happened, but is also an opportunity for the player to describe their Main Character’s
actions in the most suspicious way possible.

Score Chapters: Each player then gives away all of their Suspicion Score cards to the other
players, based on how suspicious they felt their Main Characters were during their last chapter.
The more it seems likely that a Main Character is the real murderer, the higher the Suspicion
Score card total they should give that player.

Players must give away all of their Suspicion Score cards to the other players, face down. They
can give away the Suspicion Score cards in any combination they choose. They can give players
approximately the same number of cards, give some players no cards, give one player all of
their cards, etc. Players may not give cards to themselves, they must give all of their cards to
other players.

Record Scores: After everyone has distributed their Suspicion Score cards, each player should
total the cards they received. Record this total on the Score Sheet.

Return Suspicion Score Cards: Each player takes back all of the Suspicion Score cards of their
image.

Play Chapter Rounds 2-4

The order for Chapter 2 will be the lowest to highest suspicion scores in Chapter 1. (For Chapter
3 use Chapter 2 scores. For Chapter 4 use Chapter 3 scores.) From lowest to highest score, the
players should:
- Choose a Chapter Round Card
- Choose to Role Play or Narrate
- Lead Chapter
- Hand unused cards to next highest scoring player

Score Chapter Rounds 2-4

Each round of Chapters will now be scored in the same process as before:
- Summarize Chapters
- Score Chapters
- Record Scores
- Return Suspicion Score Cards
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Phase Three: Epilogues

First players will choose Outcome Type then Murderer cards, which determine the kind of
ending their main character has and whether they were the murderer or not. Then each player
leads a short epilogue, based on their Outcome Type and Murderer cards.

Choose Outcome Type Cards:

The Outcome Type cards determine whether a character's story ending is good or bad (or
mediocre) and how good or bad it is. The Chapter 4 ratings determine the order in choosing
Outcome Type cards. Again, the choosing occurs lowest to highest and each player will choose
only one card.

Hand the cards to the player with the lowest Chapter 4 score, they read the cards and choose
one, keeping the card they selected hidden from the other players for now. They hand the
remaining cards to the next highest Chapter 4 scoring player until everyone has chosen one
card.

Choose Murderer Cards:

There should be just as many cards as there are players. There should be one “You are the
murderer.” Card, and the rest “You are not the murderer” cards. These cards determine which
main character was really the murderer.

This time the order of choosing is highest to lowest. This gives the player with the most
suspicious Main Character the first chance at choosing whether their Main Character will be the
actual murderer.

In highest to lowest order, players should choose one of the Murderer cards. Again, keep the
cards selected hidden to maintain mystery as long as possible.

Share Epilogues:

The epilogues will take place in any order the players think is appropriate, with the exception
that the person who chose the murderer card should go last.

Players will share short epilogues for each of the Main Characters based on the Murderer and
Outcome Type cards they chose.

One at a time, players will first share the content of their Outcome Type card, revealing how
good of an ending their character has. Then, in a few sentences describe the overall outcome
for their character.
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Everyone's A Suspect - Rules Summary

Phase One: Setup

- Answer the Setting Template Questions one at a time. Record answers.
- Choose relationships for your Main Characters and create details about them.
- Introduce Main Characters around the table.
- Deal everyone a random Special Ability card.
- Give everyone a set of Suspicion Score cards.

Phase Two: Chapters

(4x for Four Chapter Rounds)

Determine order for this Chapter Round.

(Chapter 1 is random. Future chapters are based on immediately prior chapter,
low to high.)

Play one Chapter each:

- Choose a card from the Chapter deck.
- Read the card prompt aloud.
- Decide whether you want to Role Play or Narrate.
- Role Play or Narrate the chapter.

Score the Chapters.

- Summarize Chapters
- Score Chapters
- Record Scores
- Return Suspicion Score Cards

Phase Three: Epilogues

- Secretly choose Outcome Type cards (based on chapter 4 scores, low to high)
- Secretly choose Murderer cards (based on total score, high to low)
- Share epilogues, murderer goes last.
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Everyone's A Suspect – Setting Template Answers

1) The World 2) The Small Town
Year: Size:

Terrain: Trade:
When
Country:
Tragedy:
What
Season:
Tragedy:
How
Weather:
Recovered:

3) Murder Victim 4) Murder

Where
Name:
Found:
How
Age:
Murdered:
Pronouns: Who Found:

Occupation: When Died:

Something
Hobby:
Strange:

5) Relationships
Current close relationship Past relationship

Relative Co-Worker / Co-Hobbyist

Position of Authority to Victim Position of Low-Status Under Victim

Notes:
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Everyone's A Suspect - Suspicion Score Sheet

Player Name:

Character Name:

Used for Chapter

Chapter
Round 2 card selection.
(lowest → highest) Round 1:
Used for Chapter
Chapter
Round 3 card selection.
(lowest → highest) Round 2:
Used for Chapter
Chapter
Round 4 card selection.
(lowest → highest) Round 3:
Used for Epilogue card
Chapter
selection.
(lowest → highest) Round 4:
Used for Murderer
card selection. Total:
(highest → lowest)

Everyone's A Suspect - Suspicion Score Sheet

Player Name:

Character Name:

Used for Chapter

Chapter
Round 2 card selection.
(lowest → highest) Round 1:
Used for Chapter
Chapter
Round 3 card selection.
(lowest → highest) Round 2:
Used for Chapter
Chapter
Round 4 card selection.
(lowest → highest) Round 3:
Used for Epilogue card
Chapter
selection.
(lowest → highest) Round 4:
Used for Murderer
card selection. Total:
(highest → lowest)