Episode 21: Ask the Right Questions: Solving the "Mystery of the Abbey"

Brother Adelmo has been found lifeless at the foot of the cliffs of the Templars' Abbey. Did he slip, or was he pushed? And if so, by whom? It's your job, as monks brought in from outside, to investigate the crime while continuing to participate in the regular life of the Abbey. 

 

This week, Laura and Chris continue their Month of Mystery with "Mystery of the Abbey", a medieval whodunnit published by Days of Wonder. Combining the investigation and questioning elements of Clue, while adding in card play that increase the variety of ways in which suspects may be known and players thwarted, this game offers replayability with an engaging medieval set-dressing. But as Chris and Laura discover, the key to discovery lies in how to ask the right questions. Join them as they get distracted by the minutia of monastic life and offer hints on how to increase the fun. 

 

Games Mentioned:

Mystery of the Abbey - This whodunnit game set in a medieval monastery blends elements of Clue with card driven events that limit play time and increase strategic challenge. The game page at the Days of Wonder site includes PDFs of the Suspect Sheets and Rules Pages.  

Outfoxed - A fun, cooperative game that can be played with nearly everyone. Here's a good playthrough video, though there is a small difference in how the Thief Card is presented. It looks like the earlier game used red and green dots, rather than green dots or blank spaces. This is probably an alteration to make the game less confusing for those with red-green color blindness. If you buy a used copy, that may be an issue. 

 

Clue - This is the current version of the game. Mostly similar to the original, but a magnifying glass option allows players to gain hints. 

 

Books and Movies Mentioned: 

 

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael - Ellis Peters' series of mysteries set in a monastery in Shrewsbury, England is one of our favorites. 

Cadfael - The televisation of the novels starring Derek Jacobi, these aired on PBS's Mystery! years ago but remain evergreen. 

The Door in the Wall - This Newberry Award winning book by Marguerite de Angeli is as engaging today as was when first published in 1949. An excellent tale about 14th century Medieval life with a captivating adventure. 

The Name of the Rose - Written by Italian author and literary critic Umberto Eco, this 1980 mystery novel, set in a 14th century Italian monastery is the aesthetic inspiration for the game, and a fascinatingly intellectual mystery in its own right. 

 

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Intro and Outro Music:

"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Other Music:

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Hall of the Mountain King" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"One-eyed Maestro" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)