The Ravenscourt Affair: A Vintage 1893 Murder Mystery Case File

A guest is a murderer. You have until the last page to name them.

"The only thing Lady Ravenscourt loved more than a murder was being the one who knew whodunit."

It is the morning of the 15th of November, 1893. Lady Cordelia Ravenscourt — the most feared mystery novelist of the age, "The Duchess of Death" — is found dead at her writing desk. The doctor calls it her weak heart. The coroner finds five times the lethal dose of digitalis in her nightly cup of cocoa. The storm has washed out the roads, so the killer is still trapped inside Ravenscourt Hall… and so are you.

Five suspects. Five motives. One fair, fully-solvable mystery. Read the dossiers, cross-examine the alibis, weigh the evidence — then write your accusation in ink and break the wax seal to learn whether you caught a killer, or merely flattered one.

Could you outwit the Duchess of Death?

• Julian — the charming, penniless heir, drowning in gambling debts
• Eleanor — the quiet secretary who knows every secret in the house
• Dr. Thorne — the family physician, with the very poison in his bag
• Rosalind — the estranged daughter who returned uninvited
• Ambrose Pike — the publisher whose ledgers simply don't add up

What's inside the case file

• The Briefing & Coroner's Report — the post-mortem findings and the scene, exactly as it was found
• 5 Suspect Dossiers — motives, statements, and the secret each one is hiding
• Servants' Testimonies & a Master Timeline — cross-examine every guest's alibi against the clock
• The Evidence Locker — a handwritten letter, a pawnbroker's ticket, a whist score-card, hidden research notes, two wills, and more
• The Deduction Sheet — a tracker to weigh means, motive & opportunity for every suspect
• The Sealed Solution — do not break the seal until your accusation is written in ink

The details

• Players: 1–6 detectives — a delicious solo evening or a dinner-party showdown
• Plays in: 2–3 hours
• Ages: 14+
• Fair play, guaranteed: no gimmicks — the killer can be proven through logic and careful reading alone

Made for a memorable night in

Perfect for date nights, dinner parties, and game nights — and irresistible to fans of Knives Out, Agatha Christie, and Cluedo. It makes a strikingly original gift for the friend who thinks they're the cleverest person in the room. (They're about to be tested.)

Murder, like a good guest, always reveals itself by the end of the evening. Are you clever enough to catch them?