Suspect Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective
• Components
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • I. Introduction Phase
  • II. Investigation Phase
    • 1. Investigation
    • 2. Testimony
    • 3. Discussion
• Clue Verification
  • • 4. Preparation
  • III. Voting Phase
• Game End
• Tips Before Playing
  • Become the protagonist of the scenario.
  • A clue you thought unimportant could be the most important clue.
  • Share information and take notes.
  • Play to the very end with the same players.
  • For a broader understanding of the scenario
• Scenario List

Objective

If you are the culprit, bring suspicion to another player.

If you are not the culprit, find the culprit while keeping your secret hidden.

is a game where players become protagonists who uncover the truth of a story. The culprit is hiding among you. Find the truth by collecting and sharing clues to finally reveal the culprit.

Components

Warning: Do not check components until instructed.

• Scenario Box x 4
• Starting Player Marker x 1
• Verification Token x 12
• Pawn x 4
• Rulebook x 1

* Gameplay requires writing tools. Writing tools are not included in the packaging.

Setup

Double-check the episode number, then find the Scenario Box for that episode.

Note: Scenarios have a specific play order. If it's your first time, start with episode 1 .

1. Take out all components from the Scenario Box and check if they are consistent with what is written on the box. Return the Secret File and Epilogue File in the box without checking its contents.
2. Place the Game Board face up at the center of the table.
3. Place the Victim Card near the Game Board. Anyone can check the information on the front and back of this card at any time during the game.
4. In a face down pile, stack Clue Cards 1 to 58 in order (1 on top).
5. Place the Sticker Board near the Game Board.
6. Lay out the picture side of the 4 Character Cards on the table. Choose a character by taking a card and placing it in front of you.
7. Take 1 Pawn, 3 Verification Tokens, as well as the Character Scenario and Name Tag corresponding to your chosen character.
8. Choose a player to read the [Public Information] aloud. Warning: Your Character Scenario includes critical secrets specific to your character. Be careful not to show its contents to other players.
9. Read the Character Scenario by yourself and understand your character. Tip: It is recommended that you fully understand your Character Scenario. You can refer back to it at any time.
10. The oldest character is the starting player. That player receives the Starting Player Marker and begins the game.

Gameplay

Order of gameplay: I. Introduction Phase → II. Investigation Phase → III. Voting Phase

I. Introduction Phase

In a clockwise order beginning with the starting player, each player reads aloud the [Introduction] on the back of their Character Card. Move on to the Investigation Phase once everyone has introduced themselves.

II. Investigation Phase

This phase has 12 rounds. Each round is divided into the following 4 steps.

1. Investigation → 2. Testimony → 3. Discussion → 4. Preparation

1. Investigation

Players take turns in a clockwise order beginning with the starting player.

On your turn:

1. Place your Pawn on an empty location (refer to "Location Example" below).
2. Within the location, select a number that does not have a check box. Take the Clue Card with the matching number from the Clue Card deck. After reading its contents by yourself, place that Clue Card in front of you face down.

* If there is no empty location, you may place your Pawn on an occupied location.

Location Example

• An area on the Game Board with white boundaries is called a Location. The above image shows Locations: Jade's Car, Isaac's Car, and Container.
• Locations within a Location are independent areas. Therefore, even if there is already an Investigation in the larger or smaller Location, the remaining Location is still available for Investigation.
• Some Locations are discovered from Clue Cards instead of the Game Board. These Locations are considered independent areas and can be investigated by anyone.

Investigation Example

Jane decides to investigate "9 Slipper" within the Container. The Pawn must be placed within the Container and the #9 box must be marked. Then the corresponding Clue Card is taken.

Search (information mark)

During gameplay you may encounter specialized terms (especially pharmaceutical) that you are unfamiliar with. Although gameplay is possible without fully understanding these specialized terms, the quality of gameplay improves if you have a strong understanding of these terms. Players are allowed to search these terms on the internet during the game. Searchable terms are marked with an information mark. Please note that the Search function is not an essential aspect of the game, and that there is no guarantee that your search results will be accurate.

2. Testimony

After all players complete their Investigation, players can share its details with others. Players take turns clockwise from the starting player. Players can lie or refuse to provide Testimony. During this step, players can use Verification Tokens to check Clue Cards of other players (refer to page 6, Clue Verification).

If there is an Event on the Clue Card as shown below, perform the Event written in [brackets]. These details must not be omitted or false. Refer to Event below.

Event

1. New Location: Add a new location to the Game Board. Find the Sticker or Clue Card with the corresponding alphabet or number, and reveal these to all players as they are added to the Game Board. Players can investigate here starting from the next round. (Shown with an alphabet-letter icon.)
2. Choice: The effect of these cards depend on player choice. The player who draws this card chooses a number to proceed with. You are not required to reveal details of unselected Events. You are not allowed to choose nothing. (Shown with a yellow fork-arrow icon.)
3. Further Investigation: Immediately reveal this Clue Card to all players and add it to the Game Board. You must investigate this Clue Card once more immediately. Other players can investigate here starting from the next round. (Shown with a down-arrow card icon.)

3. Discussion

After all players complete their Testimony, the Discussion step begins. During this step, players may freely ask and exchange questions and opinions without any restrictions. During this time, players can use Verification Tokens.

Tip! You can view your own Clue Card at any time.

Clue Verification

Verification Tokens can be used to view the Clue Card contents of other players. Used Verification Tokens are removed from the game.

1. 1 Verification Token is required to verify a Clue Card from this round, and 2 Verification Tokens are required to verify a Clue Card from previous rounds.
2. The Clue Card can only be viewed by players who have used a Verification Token for it. After viewing the contents of the Clue Card, it must be returned to the original player. Once the Clue Card has been returned, you must expend another Verification Token to view it again.
3. You can choose to verbally share Clue Card contents with other players. You can also lie.

If there is nothing to discuss, move on to the Preparation step.

4. Preparation

Check how many rounds have been played at the end of each round. If you haven't finished the 12th round, prepare for the next round. Pass the Starting Player Marker to the player on the left and retrieve your Pawn from the Game Board.

After the 12th round, move on to the Voting Phase.

Tip! You can identify the round number by counting Clue Cards.

III. Voting Phase

During the Voting Phase you must follow the steps below.

1. Meeting: Beginning with the starting player, players take turns to talk about the incident and have a free discussion. You can choose to use your remaining Verification Tokens at this time. If there is nothing to discuss, move on to Accusation.
2. Accusation: On the count of three, all players will accuse 1 culprit. All players must participate in this. The player with the most accusations is the prime suspect. If two or more players are tied with the most accusations, the Voting Phase repeats. Note: The Accusation process can occur up to 3 times. If the prime suspect is not determined on the third Accusation, the culprit wins. Everyone else loses. If the prime suspect is determined on the third Accusation, skip Defense and Objection, then proceed with Game End.
3. Defense: The prime suspect can defend themselves and dispute the majority accusation.
4. Objection: After the Defense, players who no longer wish to accuse the prime suspect must raise their hand.
   • If the majority raises their hands, the Voting Phase repeats.
   • If the majority does not object, the game ends.

Game End

The game ends immediately when one of the following conditions are met.

1. The prime suspect has not been determined after 3 Accusations during the Voting Phase.
2. The prime suspect was determined during the Voting Phase without majority objection.

When the game ends, any player can open the Secret File from the Scenario Box and reveal the culprit's face. Win/loss is determined as below.

• If the prime suspect cannot be determined: The culprit wins and everyone else loses.
• If the prime suspect is not the culprit: The culprit wins and everyone else loses.
• If the prime suspect is the culprit: The culprit points out other players one by one and reveals their secret. If the culprit successfully reveals all their secrets, the culprit wins. Otherwise, the culprit and players who had their secret lose and everyone else wins.

Once win/loss is determined, the culprit reads aloud the [Culprit's Confession] on the Secret File.

Tips Before Playing

Become the protagonist of the scenario.

is a role-playing game where each player performs their assigned role.

The performance of your role will dictate the overall mood and feel of the game, which will ultimately impact the playing experience. This does not mean you have to be good at acting. It should be sufficient to adhere to the following precautions.

1. Do not mention the player's actual name during the game. Instead, refer to a player by their character name. Refer to your character as "I", and not in third person.
2. When sharing character information or Clue Cards details with other players, instead of reading the content word for word, try to immerse yourself in the situation and speak naturally. The textual information mainly serves the purpose of increasing your understanding of the game.
3. Do not tell other players that your personal scenario does not contain certain information. Try to come up with a story or say, "I can't remember." or "I don't know." Most of what each character knows is included in their Character Scenario, and anything that isn't explained should be considered forgotten or unknown by the character.

Tip! Keep in mind that a player could fake a story to frame you.

A clue you thought unimportant could be the most important clue.

is not a game where you solve a case by picking decisive Clue Cards that give away the correct answer.

If the game has progressed past the midway point and you still have no leads on the culprit, it might be best to look back at the Clue Cards you've gathered and analyze their relation to other Clue Cards—rather than looking for something new and decisive. Keep in mind that you must understand the relation between multiple information in order to catch the culprit.

There is a cause for every effect. Even if a Clue Card does not immediately help you understand the incident, each clue can provide a direct or indirect hint to the current situation.

Share information and take notes.

All information in are like pieces of a puzzle. There is a limit to the amount of information a single player can gather and understand. Therefore, sharing what you know with other players at the right time can be an effective way to find further clues. For similar reasons, it is also important to take notes on information from other players.

Play to the very end with the same players.

is made up of scenarios that share the same universe. Each Scenario can include information related to the overall societal environment and character relations. Information from previous scenarios can sometimes help you better understand new clues. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you play all scenarios with the same group of players.

For a broader understanding of the scenario

Each Scenario has an Epilogue File. Documents titled "Memories" include the epilogue of the scenario, while "Answers" provide an appropriate way of finding the culprit (Scenario 4 does not include "Memories"). These documents are not required for gameplay. However, if you want to fully understand the story, or if you enjoy the detective/mystery genre, these contents are highly recommended for reading.

Think back on the content and Clue Cards of all the scenarios you have played so far. Reflecting on what you missed in the previous scenario, or the clues you brushed over is another fun aspect of the game.

Scenario List

1. Episode 1. Tragedy of J: An isolated film set—and a corpse. Secrets and ambitions lay hidden, and the truth lies beneath the masks of many.
2. Episode 2. Food Chain: A seemingly random murder in the new wing of the hospital. Is this death related to another? The strange actions of the victim are revealed one after another. Is this conspiracy or betrayal? And who is it that observes the tragedy from afar?
3. Episode 3. Cartel: A snowy winter night. A secret meeting is held in a cabin deep in the mountains. Those gathered are greeted by Big Brother's corpse. Suspicion and discord grows among ambitious individuals. A phone call ends the silence. Then a message from the dead. All results have a cause—every end and every beginning.
4. Episode 4. Q.E.D: A large mansion of a renowned theater actor. That night she was with her husband and those under her employ. Like magic she vanished. Despite claims of ignorance, remnants of atrocity are revealed. Understand this labyrinth...and know that malice blooms in the cold.