Murder on the Cosmic Express Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Before the Game
• Gameplay
  • Murder Phase
  • Investigation Phase
  • Interrogation Phase
  • Arrest Phase
  • Determining the Winners
• Variant for a Longer Game
• Variant for 3 Players
• Strategic Tips for New Players

Components

The game contains 19 cards and a 1-minute sand timer.

Roles:

• Undercover Detective
• Murderer
• Captain
• Accomplice
• Liar
• Butler

Items:

• Candle ×3
• Fire Extinguisher ×3
• Wrench ×3
• Trash ×4

Before the Game

Create two decks of cards: a role deck and an item deck.

The role deck must always contain:

• Undercover Detective
• Murderer
• Captain
• Accomplice

The item deck must always contain:

• Candle ×3
• Fire Extinguisher ×3
• Wrench ×3

3 players: create the decks as described above, but see the 3-Player Variant.

4 players: create the decks as described above.

5 players: add the Liar to the role deck and two Trash cards to the item deck.

6 players: add all roles to the role deck and all items to the item deck.

Gameplay

The game consists of the following phases: Murder, Investigation, Interrogation, and Arrest.

Murder Phase

• Deal one role card and two item cards to each player, face down.
• The remaining card is placed face down in the middle of the table. This card determines which item is the murder weapon.
• Each player must look at their own cards.
• The dealer then follows this script:
  • Say: "Everyone must close their eyes." (Note: the dealer must close their eyes too!)
  • Wait a minute, then turn over the murder weapon card.
  • Say: "The Murderer may open their eyes and look at the murder weapon."
  • Wait a moment, then say: "Murderer, close your eyes."
  • Turn the murder weapon card face down and say: "Everyone open your eyes."

Investigation Phase

Start the 1-minute sand timer. It is recommended to place the timer on the murder weapon card so that no one turns it over by accident.

Players may agree to exchange one item card at a time with another player. There is no turn order; players may trade as quickly as they like. The recommended trading system is:

• Place a card face down in front of another player, with your hand still resting on the card.
• You may pull your hand and the card back at any time.
• That player may place another card next to your card, after which you may exchange the cards.

The Investigation Phase ends when the sand timer runs out. No more trading is allowed. Go to the Interrogation Phase.

Interrogation Phase

The Undercover Detective reveals their role card. Players may share any information they consider important, but they may not reveal any cards (role or item). When the Undercover Detective has decided which player should be arrested, go to the Arrest Phase.

Arrest Phase

• The murder weapon becomes known when the card in the middle of the table is turned over.
• The Undercover Detective must arrest one player.
• All players reveal their cards (roles and items).
• Determine the winners.

Determining the Winners

• The Undercover Detective wins if they do not have the murder weapon and the Murderer is arrested.
• The Murderer wins if they have both murder weapons* and are not arrested.
• The Captain wins if they do not have the murder weapon and the Murderer is arrested.
• The Accomplice wins if they do not have the murder weapon and the Murderer is not arrested.
• The Liar wins if they do not have the murder weapon and either (a) they are arrested, or (b) no one else has won (one of these).
• The Butler wins if they have two Trash cards and the Murderer is arrested.

* If the murder weapon is Trash, the Murderer needs only one Trash card.

Variant for a Longer Game

Play as many games as there are players (for example, four games for four players), and record the result of each game. Record the wins of the Undercover Detective and the Murderer (dice or tokens in three different colors work well for this). The player with the most wins is the winner.

• In case of a tie, the player with the most wins as the Undercover Detective wins.
• If it is still a tie, the player with the most wins as the Murderer wins.
• If it is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

Variant for 3 Players

The 3-player variant uses a Dummy Player. Play by the normal rules with the following exceptions and clarifications.

Murder Phase: Before dealing role cards, remove the Undercover Detective from the role deck. Shuffle the deck and deal one role card face down to the Dummy Player. Return the Undercover Detective to the deck, reshuffle, and deal one role card face down to each remaining player.

When dealing item cards, the Dummy Player also receives two item cards, face down. The Dummy Player's item cards must be placed within reach of all players.

Investigation Phase: In addition to the normal trading rules, each player may exchange one item card at a time from their hand for one of the Dummy Player's item cards.

Arrest Phase: The Undercover Detective may arrest the Dummy Player.

Strategic Tips for New Players

The Investigation Phase lasts only one minute, so you need to trade cards in order to gather the maximum amount of information as quickly as possible.

Hunting the Murderer (Undercover Detective, Captain, Butler)

Look for people who stop trading early. The Murderer knows exactly what they are looking for and may grab the murder weapon and stop trading. Look for people who refuse to trade a particular card from their hand. This could be a Murderer holding one murder weapon and waiting to get the second. If you have found a murder weapon, watch what happens when you give it to someone. This is valuable information that can be shared during the Interrogation Phase. Keep trading as much as possible. A constant circulation of cards helps everyone work out what the murder weapon is.

Suspicious Activity (Accomplice, Liar)

Try to stop trading earlier. Try to draw suspicion to yourself by refusing to exchange a card. But remember: you must not be caught holding a murder weapon! During the Interrogation Phase, say false information. Try to tell the Undercover Detective that you gave a murder weapon to someone and that they kept it. Or say to everyone that you are the Murderer... at the very least this will tell the Undercover Detective that you are not the Captain or the Butler, and they may want to arrest you.

Undercover Detective

Obtaining information during the Interrogation Phase about where items went is very valuable (if you can trust that information). Remember that before arresting someone you will see what the murder weapon is.

Murderer

You will be tempted to stop trading early, but this will make the Undercover Detective's job of identifying you easier. You need to sell the murder weapon, then try to get it back in the next trade. Everyone else will gladly get rid of it. During the Interrogation Phase, consider naming the real murder weapon and accusing someone else of holding it. Or consider naming the wrong murder weapon. This may deflect some suspicion. You may even bluff by accusing yourself.

Liar

As soon as you work out what the murder weapon is, try to hold on to it until the timer runs out. If you can then give it to someone who is not the Murderer, you will make everyone else lose... which means you win! But be careful: if no one takes it from you before time runs out, you lose.

Butler

Collecting Trash is important, but if you keep it too early, the other players may think you are the Murderer. Try to sell Trash before you collect 2 of them and stop trading. This is a reliable strategy, but do not wait too long. If players become convinced that Trash is not the murder weapon, they will want to keep it.