Mr. Ree!: The Fireside Detective
Mr. Ree!: The Fireside Detective Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
For the millions of people, young and old, who delight in reading Detective and Mystery Stories (not because they condone crime, but because they have secret ambitions to solve crimes) the game of Mr. Ree is fascinating fun and relaxation. The Law needs trained men, like Mr. Ree the Detective, who by vigilance and superior thinking can unravel the trail of evidence which every criminal leaves behind him. The culprit must be brought to justice and the innocent suspects must be cleared. HOW GOOD A DETECTIVE ARE YOU? Other players in this game will play against you — one of them will commit a crime right under your nose. Can you play the part of Mr. Ree and catch the criminal? That's the Challenge in the game of Mr. Ree.
Contents
- One game board illustrating Aunt Cora's Dwelling.
- Four Weapons (Hatchet, Revolver, Knife, Bottle of Poison).
- Seven Character Cards — AUNT CORA - NIECE RHODA - ARTIST GEORGE - MR. PERRIN - BUTLER HIGGINS - MAID BEATRICE - MR. REE.
- Seven plastic playing pieces, depicting 7 Characters, with hollow bases to hide weapons.
- Eighty playing cards including the 4 murder cards.
Players
For 4 to 7 Players.
The Set-Up
- Break playing card sheets apart. Shuffle playing cards and place them face down on their allotted space on the game board.
- Place the revolver in living room, the hatchet in wood shed, the knife in kitchen, and the poison in bathroom.
- Break character card strip apart. Shuffle Character Cards and distribute them face down, one to each player. Each player places his character card face up in front of him.
- Each player then takes a playing piece to correspond with his Character Card which character he assumes throughout the game.
NOTE: Characters in excess of the number of players are eliminated from the game. In case of 4 players, the Mr. Ree playing piece is rotated around the house in regular order by one of the players and when the murder is committed the victim then plays the part of Mr. Ree.
- One of the players now reads aloud "THE PLOT THUS FAR" so that everybody will know the part he or she is playing and the background of the story.
The "Plot Thus Far"
In this house lives Aunt Cora, a wealthy spinster, with her orphaned niece Rhoda, who is her heir. A house party is in progress. Aunt Cora is upset because Rhoda has invited George, a struggling young artist with whom she is in love, whereas she would prefer Rhoda to marry another guest, the handsome Mr. Perrin. Perrin, posing as a man of means, is actually in serious financial trouble and needs Rhoda's inheritance as a way out. George is naturally intensely jealous of Perrin. In the household is Butler Higgins, an ex-convict and Maid Beatrice, a faithful servant, both of whom expect to be mentioned in Aunt Cora's will. Maid Beatrice is in love with Mr. Perrin, but he resents her.
The local police, having received information of Butler Higgin's past, has sent the famous detective, Mr. Ree, to keep a watchful eye on Aunt Cora's household. From this point on, the plot develops, leading up to the "MURDER" which is eventually committed.
Everyone is a potential victim and everyone is a suspect, for, all of these people have their own personal motive to do away with at least one of the characters present at the party. The motives are jealousy, revenge or money.
General Method of Play
Each of the players (except Mr. Ree) has only 4 simple things to remember in playing this game, namely:
- He must draw cards on his turn and move his playing piece according to the card instructions.
- He must try to get one or more of the weapons sometime during the game in order to commit the crime.
- He must attempt to throw off suspicion by continuously passing refreshment cards, to as many other players as possible at any time during the game, so that when he wishes to pass the "murder" card to his victim, it will be difficult for Mr. Ree to detect him.
- He must never look at any cards that have been passed to him by other players, until it is his regular turn.
NOTE: Mr. Ree plays according to "Special Instructions for Mr. Ree."
The Play
Mr. Ree or his substitute, in case of 4 players, starts by placing his playing piece on the board at "The Gate". The player on Mr. Ree's left then draws a playing card from the deck on the board and moves his playing piece according to the type of card he has drawn, as follows:
A. "Go to —" (certain position on board) Card:—Player reads his card aloud, moves his playing piece to that position and keeps the card in his hand. This card cannot be used again.
B. "Go to — and take somebody with you" Card:—Same procedure as "A", but player moves any other player's piece with his own to the designated spot.
C. "Go where you please" Card:—Player does not read the card aloud, but keeps it in his hand for future use and draws another card or cards until he has picked one directing him to a certain location. He may use his "Go where you please card" any time but has to draw another card first on his turn, to throw off suspicion. A "Go where you please card" may be used over and over whenever a player needs it to move to a desired location.
D. "Refreshment" Card:—Player does not read it aloud but keeps it in his hand. He draws additional cards until he gets one instructing him to go to a certain location. A player should pass as many refreshment cards as he wishes, to as many other players as possible, always FACE DOWN, and at any time of his choosing. He does not have to wait his turn. A player receiving a refreshment card or cards from another player must not look at it before his regular turn at play, but must then do so before drawing from the deck. Refreshment cards that are passed to a player are kept by that player in his hand and passed out to other players at any time he chooses. Since the purpose of passing refreshment cards is to conceal the passing of the murder card, they should be passed as often as possible.
E. "Murder" Card:—Player drawing a "Murder Card" from the deck does not read it aloud but keeps it in his hand and draws another card or cards until he has picked one directing him to a certain location. The murder card or cards should be kept for later use in committing the crime.
The play proceeds according to the instructions given by each type of card. After the first player moves into position, the next player on the left draws and so one around the table. [Printed as "so one" in the source; read as "so on".]
Weapons
When a player arrives at the location of a weapon, he takes it and conceals it in the base of his plastic playing piece. A weapon may be taken from a player when another player contacts him. Only one weapon may be taken from any one player at one time. Taking a weapon must be done so carefully that no other player can see what kind of weapon it is. If a player arrives at a location where several players are holding weapons, he may take one from each. If a player takes another player with a concealed weapon or weapons with him to a room where there is also a weapon exposed, he may take one weapon from the player and the weapon in the room.
How to Commit the Crime
To commit the crime a player must have a "Murder Card" and also the "Weapon" indicated on his murder card. After deciding which other player he wants to choose as his victim, he must arrange to arrive at the same location as his intended victim. From this point on, the murderer may pass the murder card to the victim at any time of his choosing in the same manner as a Refreshment card is passed. To throw off suspicion the murderer should not pass the murder card to his victim immediately after contacting him in the same room. He should wait as long as he possibly can and in the meantime he should pass as many available refreshment cards as he possibly can, not only to the victim, but to other players. This is important in order to conceal the passing of the "Murder Card".
Special Instructions for Mr. Ree
After Mr. Ree, the Detective, starts the game by placing his playing piece at the gate, he then waits until all the other players take one turn and then he takes his turn again. He does not draw a card, but patrols the outside of the house by jumping on each turn from one corner of the board to another. He searches all players directly in his line or in any corner to which he comes, for weapons and replaces the weapons to their original positions. While the other players are playing, he watches their movements very carefully and notes on a pad anything which may later help him in solving the crime.
How a Murder Is Discovered
When a player on his turn, looks at the cards passed to him and discovers a murder card, he utters a moan, and laying his playing piece in a horizontal position on the board is considered murdered. Now Mr. Ree takes over to solve the crime and has ten minutes to find the guilty person. He consults his notes and asks any number of questions of the suspects. All persons except the murderer must answer all questions truthfully. The murderer is the only person permitted to answers questions falsely. [Printed as "permitted to answers"; read as "permitted to answer".] If Mr. Ree thinks a player is lying, he may challenge him with "Did you commit the murder?" This direct challenge must be answered truthfully by all players including the murderer. Mr. Ree is allowed 2 Challenges. If he fails to solve the murder with two challenges and within the ten minute time limit, the crime is considered unsolved.