Okay, so I wanted to try something new with mapping, something a bit more interactive and fun. I’d heard about these “murder mystery” maps, where you basically create a map that also tells a story and players can uncover clues and solve a mystery as they explore. It sounded like a blast, so I decided to give it a shot.
Start with an Idea
First, I needed a story. I thought about a classic whodunnit scenario. I sketched out a basic plot: a wealthy businessman found dead in his mansion, a handful of suspects each with their own motives, and a detective (that’s the player) who needs to figure out who did it. I wrote down a few key locations for the mansion like the study, the library, the kitchen, and the garden. Just some rough ideas to get me started.
Build the Map
Then came the fun part – building the map! I used a simple online map creator. Started by laying out the mansion rooms. I made the study where the body was found, added a secret passage connecting the library to the garden, just to make things more interesting. I added details like furniture, windows, and doors. I got a bit carried away with the garden, adding a maze and a creepy old shed.
Place the Clues
With the map ready, I started placing clues. I wrote down little snippets of information – a torn letter, a muddy footprint, a missing will, stuff like that. I placed these clues strategically around the map. Like, I put the torn letter in the study near the body, and the muddy footprint near the garden entrance. The idea was to make players really search and pay attention to the environment.
Suspects and Stories
Next, I fleshed out the suspects. I gave each of them a backstory and a reason to want the victim dead. The jealous business partner, the disgruntled maid, the estranged son – you know, the usual suspects. I wrote down their alibis and some dialogue, which I planned to reveal as the player interacted with them on the map. In fact, I got a little bit of inspiration from a film i watched before. And I put one of the suspects on the second floor to make them have an alibi at the beginning of the game.
Playtesting
Once everything was set up, I did a few playtests myself. I pretended to be the detective and went through the map, looking for clues and talking to the suspects. I found a few issues, like some clues were too hard to find, and some of the dialogue didn’t make sense. So I made some adjustments, moved some clues around, and rewrote some of the dialogue. After a couple more rounds of testing, it felt like it was in a good place.
Share It!
Finally, I shared the map with some friends. They loved it! They had a great time exploring the mansion, piecing together the clues, and trying to solve the mystery. They even gave me some feedback, which I used to make the map even better. It was so cool to see people enjoying something I created. Now I think maybe I will make my next map about a train, just like the movie that inspired me before.
Overall, it was a really fun and rewarding experience. It’s definitely something I’d recommend trying if you’re into mapping and storytelling. You learn a lot, and it’s a great way to flex your creative muscles.
