Case 001Case open
Briar County, Washington · 1928
The Vanishing at Briar Station
A film archivist vanished. The station kept moving. Two clocks remember different times.
1–6 investigators · 45–75 minutes · Moderate
$14.95Open Case 001
Original historical mysteries · Print or screen
History left
the clues.
A complete mystery night built like a miniature production—fair-play evidence, beautiful artifacts, and a finale worth gathering for.
The table is the stage. The evidence takes its places. No acting required.
Two cases open · One workshop edition · No app, host, or murder
Player evidence
Evidence-led fiction · Fair-play logic · Theatre-made
Solve a case
Two case files are open.
Begin at a 1928 railway station or step onto a 1936 theatre stage. Both are complete, host-free investigations with fair-play evidence, progressive help, multiple reading formats, and an optional theatrical layer.
Case 002Case open
Marlowe Theatre · 1936
The Ghost Light at Marlowe Theatre
The prompt book is gone. The ghost light is on. Prove who stopped opening night—and why.
1–6 investigators · 40–65 minutes · Moderate
$16.95Open Case 002
Case 003Future case
Kestrel Radio · 1937
The Seventy-Two-Second Silence
The carrier held. The program vanished. Seventy-two seconds were chosen for a reason.
1–6 investigators · 45–75 minutes · Challenging
In developmentAsk about its release
Case 004Future case
Halcyon Hotel · 1936
The Midnight Letter at Halcyon Hotel
A letter crossed a locked hotel after midnight. Its nine-minute route is still in the records.
1–6 investigators · 35–60 minutes · Approachable
In developmentAsk about its release
Every open case is complete: no subscription, app, or outside research. Future files appear here only after clearing the same logic, format, and release checks.
Build a case · Workshop edition
Do not just write a twist.
Build proof.
Casecraft turns theatre craft and answer-first puzzle design into a facilitator-ready mystery-writing workshop for teens and adults.
- 50-minute, 90-minute, or three-session routes
- Modeled mini-case, facilitator guide, participant workbook, cards, slides, and editable templates
- Large-print, semantic HTML, and adaptable DOCX formats
- License for one named educator or one physical library branch
$24.95See the Workshop Edition
One obvious beginning
Open the file.
Or call the cues.
Recommended / host-free
Reader’s Mode
Open one complete evidence file, investigate directly, and stop for a full theory before the answer. Progressive help stays separately closed.
- Solo, couple, family, or small group
- Print, screen, or hybrid play
- Nothing to configure before starting
Optional theatrical layer
Director’s Mode
Add a participant-led, under-one-minute cold open, voice cards, act breaks, optional readings, and a final curtain call.
- The director investigates with the group
- No rehearsal or advance solution
- No non-playing host required
Premium without friction
Everything earns its place.
One obvious start
A one-page opening route gets investigators into the evidence immediately.
Progressive help
Notice, connect, and narrow before any answer appears.
Complete access
18-point print, semantic HTML, keyboard support, and high contrast.
One tidy download
Nine clearly labeled buyer files, including accessible alternatives and offline tools.
Archive Fragment 00 · Free
The Misfiled Playbill
A dedication vanished before the house opened. Five first entrances name the hiding place.
Try the complete Curio rhythm in about ten minutes: claims, timed evidence, one elegant extraction, a proof worksheet, progressive hints, and a humane theatrical reveal.
00
1+ investigators · about 10 minutes
No printing, signup, app, host, or outside knowledge.
About Curio Caseworks
Mysteries made with a theatre-maker’s eye.
Curio Caseworks began with a question: what if a printable mystery felt less like a worksheet and more like opening night?
Each original case combines fictional archival evidence, historical texture, fair-play puzzle design, and theatrical pacing. Direction means shared attention and a satisfying reveal—never forced acting.
Before you open the file
Frequently asked
Do we need to print everything?
No. Every case works from a screen. Print the evidence or shared table pieces only when you want a more tactile investigation.
Does someone have to host?
No. Reader’s Mode is fully self-guided. Director’s Mode adds an optional participant-led cold open, voice cards, act breaks, and curtain call—the director still investigates and needs no advance solution.
Is this a murder mystery?
No. Curio cases use meaningful historical stakes without murder, gore, or graphic content.
What happens if we get stuck?
Every objective has three progressive hint tiers and a spoiler-safe offline checker. A wrong answer never reveals the right one.
Can everyone read the files?
Each complete case includes true 18-point print, semantic HTML, keyboard-friendly tools, and high-contrast options. Sound never carries a clue.
What arrives after purchase?
Each listing names its exact contents. Every complete case arrives as one tidy ZIP with designed evidence, separated progressive help, large print, semantic HTML, an offline checker, historical context, and a license. Casecraft adds facilitator materials, editable templates, and workshop slides.
Take your places
Solve a case.
Or build one.
Choose a complete investigation, open the free Archive Fragment, or bring Casecraft to your next writing program.
Questions: josh@curiocaseworks.com