In this notorious game, an inversion of Clue, you hate Doctor Lucky. Maybe he left you out of his will. Maybe he killed your pet rock. Whatever the reason, you want him dead. Unfortunately, so do the other players. Since you don't want to go to jail, you need to make your attempt in secret; if anybody can see you, whistle nonchalantly, and let the Doctor live ... until next time.
Players move around the mansion, collecting murder weapons (to make the murder attempt stronger - doubly so if the weapon is used in an appropriate location); failure cards (to thwart opponents' plans); and movement cards (to try to get together with Doctor Lucky in a secluded location for his inevitable demise). Players try to convince others to use up their failure cards first, the better for when their own attempts come.
- Accessible rules and fast-paced play
- Humor and thematic flavor
- Good for groups and social interaction
- Chaos can feel luck-driven or unfair to some players
- May rely heavily on chance over strategy in some sessions
- Murder mystery comedy with luck-based elements and player interaction
- A murder mystery in a house where players attempt to kill Doctor Lucky using social maneuvering and limited tools
- design journey and practical evolution of a concept into a playable game
- Tomb of the Ancients
- Deadwood
- Holdout
- Magic: The Gathering
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Luck-based win condition — Victory depends on a combination of actions and luck, with the outcome often hinging on chance versus planning.
- Player action selection — Players choose actions each turn to influence outcomes and their chances of success.
- Progression through failure — Repeated attempts improve strength or capabilities, creating a sense of growth even in failure.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- more is not better
- you can't read the label from inside the bottle
- play testers have a tendency to know when something's wrong but have no idea how to fix it
- it's always better to express a loss as a cost instead of a straight up loss