Before your friends arrive
Open the free prologue on the computer that will show the public scene. Use that computer’s display, connect it to a TV with HDMI, or use your usual compatible screen mirroring. The website does not need a dedicated TV app or an independent projector.
Every phone needs internet access. The hosted room itself does not require all phones to use the same Wi-Fi; your wireless-casting method may have its own network requirements.
Pair the organizer’s phone privately.
After hosting, stay on the organizer setup page. Scan its private organizer QR code with your own phone. This link gives that phone permission to start, pause, request hints, and send the final signal.
Do this before mirroring your computer to everyone. The private pairing code belongs only to the organizer.
If you are already hosting on your phone, choose Use this device to organize & play. You do not need to scan your own phone. Open the shared-screen link on a separate computer.
Put only the public view on the TV.
Choose Open shared screen. A new public tab shows the scene, room code, ordinary join QR code, and player readiness. Put that tab on the TV and keep the organizer page private.
Your friends scan the TV’s join QR code with their own phones, or enter the room code on the join page. This ordinary code does not give them organizer controls.
Take a player seat and get ready.
The organizer can enter a nickname and Join as a player on the paired phone. Each other person uses a recognizable nickname. The shared screen does not take a player seat.
Describe your practice card to a friend, ask about theirs, check the practice box, and tap I’m ready. When two to six players are connected and ready, the organizer starts.
Keep your phone. Share what it says.
My controls contains the stations you operate. Each card names the friend who has its instructions. Clues for friends contains the instructions you can read to someone else. Switch between those two tabs whenever you need.
Say the station’s name out loud. Read carefully, ask follow-up questions, and make your own selection. Do not pass all the phones to one person. A wrong answer can be corrected; it does not end the story.
Bring the chapter’s notes together.
Once all six stations are restored, their operators receive private handover notes. Each includes a digit and a NEXT symbol. The shared screen explains how this chapter orders the notes — the rule can change between chapters.
The organizer enters your six-digit signal. The complete story pauses between chapters, and the organizer chooses when to continue. New chapters redistribute tasks, so check the names on your new cards.
Hints, breaks, and your place in the story
We are stuck.
Ask the organizer to select the station and reveal a hint. The three levels move from a nudge to the solution. Station hints go only to the operator and the person holding its instructions.
We want to stop for snacks.
The organizer can pause and resume. The play timer stops while paused and between completed chapters. There is no reaction-speed penalty or forced countdown.
A phone refreshed or went to sleep.
Return in the same browser on the same phone. A short disconnect or refresh can restore that identity and the chapter’s current state. Wait for Connected before sending a move. Do not clear browser data or switch browsers mid-game.
Can somebody join late or use a replacement phone?
The player list locks when the story starts. Original players can reconnect, but a new identity cannot take a seat in the middle of a chapter. If a player loses their browser identity permanently, the organizer may need to restart with the group. Restarting resets all chapter progress.
How long should we allow?
The prologue is designed for about 5–8 minutes of play; the complete three-chapter story targets 20–30 minutes. These are design targets, not measured guarantees. Allow additional time for connecting devices and your group’s pace.
If you choose the complete story
The complete story is $9.99 for your whole group: one room redemption, not six individual purchases. The redemption is used when the paid room is created, and that room expires six hours after creation. Within that room window you can reconnect and restart the story; restarting does not create a new room.
See the sales terms and refund information before paying. The checkout page shows your final total, including any taxes, before you pay.
Need help with a particular device or order? Visit support.