game: [catalogue name needed: not in the facts]

slug: [slug needed]

summary: A detective race played on everyone's phone. Be the first to work out who stole the gift sack and where it is hidden.

A thrilling detective hunt where everyone races to catch the same thief

Someone has taken the gift sack. Every player is racing to be the first to solve the mystery and find out who stole it. To crack it, players have to move around, search for objects, puzzle things out and stay sharp. On their own phone, each player works through puzzles, gathers witness statements and then names a thief and a hiding place. Whoever gets both right first wins.

It suits 10 to 100 players and runs 25 to 40 minutes with the ceremony. Everyone plays alone in their own phone's browser, with nothing to download. A big screen is recommended, though the game works without one.

It is made for the Christmas season, when a lost sack fits any office or family party. The game itself works just as well at any other time of year: a team day, a summer party or a club evening. It is short, so it also makes a good opener for a bigger event.

A race to catch the thief first

Four suspects, four places to search, and a sack that has to be somewhere. Working out who took it and where it went is up to you, and everyone is racing to get there first. Each player picks their own path. Anyone who cracks it after the winner is asked to keep quiet until the ceremony.

Your phone shows how far your nearest rivals have got with their investigation, which pushes you to hurry and take risks. The big screen shows the trail and the time left.

One case, three levels

The game has three difficulty levels. The case is the same on each, and only how hard it is to crack changes. Family suits kids from eight, and the notebook crosses suspects off by itself. On Company and Puzzlers, players need more statements before they can guess, and half the witnesses speak in riddles. A wrong guess brings a snowstorm.

A party game that is not another quiz

The Company level is written for grown-ups at a party or team event, whether that is a Christmas party or any other gathering. It ends with a ceremony: the thief and the hiding place revealed, then a podium and a few special mentions. In the photo hunt, players take photos of objects, scavenger-hunt style, and the host can swap those objects. That lets you make the game harder and tie it to your own venue. The trickier the objects you choose, the more time the hunt fills.

How it works

• The puzzles are not classic quiz questions: players have to work things out, take action and play mini-games, including a photo hunt and a listening puzzle. The host can swap the objects players search for in the photo hunt, which makes the game harder and ties it to your venue. The other puzzles stay as they are.

• Guessing opens after 3 statements on Family and after 5 on the other levels. After a wrong guess, a player needs one more statement before trying again. Everyone always has a fallback. It comes without the extra perks, but no one gets stuck on a puzzle they can't solve, and everyone can play on to the end of the game.

• When 3 in 4 players have cracked the case, everyone left gets 4 minutes to finish.

How to run it

1. Open the host page. Pick a level and a time limit, add your logo, and try it alone in test mode.

2. Choose one of 7 ready-made languages (English, Estonian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German or Italian). You can edit any text under Settings, and you can also add a language of your own.

3. Put the presenter view on the big screen with the sound on. It shows the join QR code and who has joined. No big screen? You can still play! Just share the join QR code or the game code with the players.

4. Press Start the ceremony and click Next through it, or let it run by itself. With no big screen, phones show the winners.