The case file
16 pages with 14 documentary pieces per language. Short documents may share a page. Both folders are available from the start.
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AN EMPTY FRAME. COMPETING STORIES.
Off Catalogue
A painting is missing.
The frame is still there.
- 1–4 adults
- Approx. 60–120 min
- Approachable medium difficulty
PDFs to print or read on screen.
The whole case works offline after downloading.
CHOOSE YOUR SHOP · SAME CASE
Base prices; taxes shown by each shop. English and Spanish included. Digital download, no physical item shipped.
Play time and difficulty are editorial estimates, not yet timed with human players.
Prefer to try first? Play Seat 14 for free →
AFTER THE RECEPTION
The painting is gone.
The stories remain.
After a reception at an auction house, the owner is told her painting has been stolen. Compare the accounts, follow the objects and reconstruct what happened to her painting.
Both folders are open from the start. Read, connect the evidence and separate proof from suspicion before making your case. No host or assigned roles.
THE FIRST PIECES OF EVIDENCE
14 documents.
What holds up?
Correspondence, workshop and transport records,
printed messages and more.
Actual case-file samples. Click to enlarge. You receive digital files, not papers in the post.
Hints when you need them
A separate 5-page PDF per language, with two hint levels. Open it only when you want help.
A complete ending
A separate 5-page PDF per language: solution and epilogue. Compare your explanation when you are ready.
Both languages
Two ZIP downloads: English and Spanish. Each contains the three original PDFs and start-here instructions. Both tell the same story.
DOWNLOAD. OPEN. INVESTIGATE.
Take the investigation
with you.
Start with the case file
Download the ZIP from your shop, extract it and keep the three PDFs together. Open the Case File first; if your PDF reader blocks a link to another file, open it manually by name.
On paper or on screen
A PDF reader is required; printing is optional. For paper: A4, single-sided, actual size, checking a page first. Keep notes wherever you prefer and open hints or the ending when you choose.
Offline after downloading
No website, activation or account is needed to play. Internet is only needed to buy and download, or visit optional brand links. There are no interactive enquiries or automatic game saves.
GOOD QUESTIONS
Keep the mystery
in the game.
Do I need to print?
No. Read the case file on screen with a PDF reader or print it. For paper: A4, single-sided, actual size.
Do we need internet?
Only to buy and download. Afterwards, the case file, hints and ending work offline. Optional brand links need internet.
Can I play solo?
Yes. Investigate solo, as a couple or in a group of up to four adults. No host or assigned roles.
What if we get stuck?
The hints PDF has two levels. Open it when you want help; some hints share a page. The ending is in a separate file.
Can we pause?
Yes. Keep the PDFs and your own notes wherever you prefer. There is no automatic game save or game account; resume from your notes.
Which languages are included?
Each purchase includes English and Spanish in two ZIP downloads. They tell the same case, not two different stories.
FOLLOW THE TRAIL?
Open the case.
Make your case.
CHOOSE YOUR SHOP · SAME CASE
Base prices; taxes shown by each shop. English and Spanish included. Digital download, no physical item shipped.
File support: hello@crookedcluegames.com. Payments and refunds are handled by the shop where you buy.