The Curse of the Burial Dagger

When everyone is a suspect, and a killer is on the loose, is anybody safe? A mansion near Dundee, 1923. Susie Sato finds herself investigating a murder when her great-uncle and host Lord Hamilton is found dead in his private museum, an ancient Egyptian burial dagger protruding from his back. Could it be the curse of the dagger, an object Lord Hamilton was warned not to remove from the tomb? Or could something else have caused his death? The Curse of the Burial Dagger is an interactive graphic novel murder mystery, created by the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science and digital story studio Fast Familiar. Help Susie uncover different types of forensic evidence, solve puzzles and weigh up contrasting hypotheses. Can you uncover the events leading up to Lord Hamilton’s death and deduce how he died… before the curse strikes again? FAQs What is The Curse of the Burial Dagger? It’s a murder mystery in the form of an interactive graphic novel. You’ll follow Susie as she investigates, helping her solve puzzles and weighing up contrasting hypotheses to figure out who killed Lord Hamilton. It’s also a comedy - if you’ve played any of Fast Familiar’s puzzle games, you’ll know that we like players to have a good time while exercising their grey matter. So it’s not an escape room? Not in a strict sense, no - you’re not trying to escape from anywhere. There are puzzles to solve but there are also clues embedded in the story that you’ll need to look out for. It has elements of interactive fiction too. And Fast Familiar created the game with actual forensic scientists?  That’s right - our friends at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science helped us come up with the story and the puzzles. So you might learn something as well as solving a murder! Is it family-friendly? Absolutely. We think that players aged 10 and up will like The Curse of the Burial Dagger. As a guide, if your young person likes books like Sharna Jackson’s High Rise Mystery series or Robin Stevens’ Murder Most Unladylike, then they’ll probably like this. So it’s just for young players? Nope - because The Curse of the Burial Dagger is about solving a murder rather than just a series of puzzles, it’s a lot about the discussions your group has - which can be as ‘forensic’ as you want.  How long does The Curse of the Burial Dagger normally take?  It depends on how quickly you identify your suspect, but probably between 60 and 90 minutes. How can I play? You can either: Play with people in the same physical space as you, with all of you around the same computer. Play remotely with friends/family who are in different places – you’ll all need to be playing at the same time, and you need a WhatsApp group or to have a Zoom running (other video call providers also available). What do I need to play The Curse of the Burial Dagger? A computer or tablet device and internet access. You will need to use Chrome as your web browser while on a computer (free to download online), or Safari if you are on a tablet. How many people can play at once? Your link will work for up to 6 devices – we recommend teams of 2-5 but you can play in a smaller group, or a larger group if multiple people gather around the same device, or on your own if your murder mystery solving skills are up to it! Do I have to play The Curse of the Burial Dagger at a certain time? No, whenever works for you. Does The Curse of the Burial Dagger have a time limit? No, take all the time you need. Do I need to use my link immediately? No, you can login just before you play. If you have any problems, let us know: help@fastfamiliar.com