The Curious Affair at Dredmoor
2003
BGG Average Rating
5.0
community average
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Players
6-12
Weight
N/A
Playtime
180 min
Age
10+
⚙️ Game Mechanics
How this game works - core systems and player actions
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🏢 Publishers
📖 About This Game
The Curious Affair at Dredmoor is a party game that blends murderâmystery roleâplay with liveâaction card play, ensuring no two sessions are alike. Players roam different rooms of your house, trading, bluffing, and (occasionally) committing “murder” to collect the cards they need and solve the night’s crimes.
1. Setup
Characters: Each player takes a themed persona (purely for flavor).
Card Objective: Every persona secretly pursues one motive—Ambition, Passion, or Greed—and needs four matching cards to score big.
Deck: Most cards show a motive; four of them are Weapons.
Vaults: Four faceâdown cards are placed in separate “vault” spots around the house.
Everyone starts with four cards and displays two to the player on their right and two to the player on their left.
2. During Play (≈â¯60â¯minutes)
Players mingle and may, at any time:
Trade Cards with another player.
Raid a Vault by swapping a card with its faceâdown card.
The first person to do so is tagged as that vault’s Burglar.
Commit Murder:
Hold a Weapon card.
Lure a victim into a room alone, whisper “Bloodyâ¯Murder,” and tuck the weapon in their nametag.
Take one card from the victim’s hand.
The victim lies “dead” until discovered; the finder swaps one card, then the victim reâenters play (now with only three cards and an exposed weapon).
3. Final Accusations
After an hour, everyone gathers to identify:
Who burgled each vault (4 total)
Who committed each murder (up to 4)
Victims may bluff to protect their killer; burglars try to stay hidden.
4. Scoring
Correct Accusation:â¯+10â¯points to accuser;⯖10â¯to guilty party (killer, victim, or burglar).
Motive Sets:â¯+50â¯points per card that matches your secret motive.
Highest total wins.
Summary: Scheme to assemble your motive set, avoid suspicion, and outwit others in a freeâform hour of trading, theft, and clandestine killings—then see who really has blood (or burglary) on their hands.