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The Murder at the Manor

The setting, the story, and every card in the case file.

Every game of Deceptor takes place somewhere, and the launch setting is Wadsworth Manor — a proper English country-house murder, the kind with a body in the study and a storm outside. Here's the case as your detectives will find it.

The story

Sir Charles Wadsworth was found dead at his manor in the middle of the night.

His widow, Mary Wadsworth, has summoned the best detectives to solve the case — the murderer, the room, the weapon, and the motive.

One of the detectives is the killer. If they are exposed, they will begin to hunt.

Solve it first, or you're next.

The weapons

Eight instruments of murder, all found on the premises. Depending on your player count, four to six of them are in play each game — one of which ended Sir Charles.

Letter Opener — Deceptor weapon card
Letter Opener
For correspondence — and for cutting more than ties.
Fire Poker — Deceptor weapon card
Fire Poker
Standing by the hearth, always within arm's reach.
Straight Razor — Deceptor weapon card
Straight Razor
Kept impossibly sharp. The valet swears it's just for shaving.
Poison Vial — Deceptor weapon card
Poison Vial
Slipped into a nightcap. No struggle, no witnesses.
Antique Pistol — Deceptor weapon card
Antique Pistol
A family heirloom from the study wall — recently cleaned.
Silk Scarf — Deceptor weapon card
Silk Scarf
Elegant, expensive, and very quiet.
Cane Sword — Deceptor weapon card
Cane Sword
A gentleman's walking stick with an ungentlemanly secret.
Champagne Bottle — Deceptor weapon card
Champagne Bottle
The toast of the evening — heavy enough to end it.

The rooms

Wadsworth Manor has eight rooms where the deed might have been done — from the cellar below stairs to Sir Charles's own suite.

Wine Cellar — Deceptor room card
Wine Cellar
Cold, dark, and far from listening ears.
Smoking Room — Deceptor room card
Smoking Room
Cigars, brandy, and conversations that go unrecorded.
Greenhouse — Deceptor room card
Greenhouse
Glass walls — and yet nobody ever sees a thing.
Gallery — Deceptor room card
Gallery
Generations of Wadsworths watching from their frames.
Chapel — Deceptor room card
Chapel
A place for confessions. Some are overdue.
Parlor — Deceptor room card
Parlor
Where guests gather and grudges simmer politely.
Master Suite — Deceptor room card
Master Suite
Sir Charles's own quarters. He should have been safe here.
Servants' Quarters — Deceptor room card
Servants' Quarters
The staff hear everything. Saying so is another matter.

The manor's floorplan, for detectives who like a map:

Floorplan of Wadsworth Manor showing all eight rooms

The motives

The question most murder games never ask: why? In Deceptor, motive is a full deduction category — you can know the killer, the weapon, and the room, and still lose the race because you can't prove the reason.

Greed
The estate is worth a fortune — and the will was about to change.
Revenge
Old wounds. Long memories.
Jealousy
Someone wanted what Sir Charles had — or whom.
Blackmail
Sir Charles knew too much, and charged for his silence.
Lust
A passion that curdled into something darker.
Betrayal
A trusted friend. That was the mistake.
Bloodthirst
No reason at all — the most frightening reason there is.
Scandal
Some reputations are worth killing for.

More settings on the way

The Manor is where every detective starts, and it's free to play. More settings — new stories, new weapons, new rooms, new motives — are in the works.

Know the case file? Time to learn the rules or gather your suspects.