102nd ♫ | sell your soul to the devil on the street corner

[superorbit]

The Murder Game Meme



You know the script. You wake up in a place you've never seen before, with a whole bunch of complete strangers and there's a mysterious voice or a mascot or what have you ready to let you know how things are going to work around here.

The rules are simple: You're trapped here, with no hope of release or rescue. You've been provided with all the basic necessities you need to live comfortably, and all you have to do is settle down and live out the rest of your days here in peace. But if you can't do that -- if you're really so desperate to escape that you'll do anything -- then there's one teeny tiny thing you have to do first.

All you have to do is kill somebody.

But it's not quite that simple. Every death will be followed by a period of investigation, followed by a trial in which the survivors will attempt to solve the mystery and out the culprit. If the survivors guess correctly and out the culprit, the killer is executed and life goes on. But if the survivors guess wrong, then the culprit is free as a bird and everyone else is executed.

Even with the promise of freedom, can you really bring yourself to kill so many other people?

tl;dr: it's a murdergame meme. TIME TO HAVE A BIG OL' MURDERGAME BLAST.


Settings

1. High School A classic! Doesn't matter if you're too old or too young to be in high school -- you've been enrolled and the only way for you to graduate is to kill a fellow student. But hey, the faculties are nice!
2. Tropical Island Weren't you just hankering for a nice tropical vacation? No? Too bad! You're going to have a nice sunny vacation at the beach and if you don't like it, just kill someone and go home. Simple!
3. Prison It doesn't matter if you don't remember committing any crime; you've been tried and found guilty of something or other and now you can go ahead and rot away in jail. If you ever want to see the sunlight again, better put that criminal mind to good use and get rid of your inmates.
4. Mall A huge mall stuffed full of stores, places to eat and all the regular amenities like deadbolted doors and the threat of death. It's like Black Friday but even worse because you can't leave and all the rest of the shoppers might actually kill you for real this time.
5. City Holy shit, you've got the run of a whole city this time around! Maybe with all this room to keep out of each other's way, you'll be able to make sure no one starts killing people. But probably not.
6. Cruise Boat YOU'RE ON A BOAT, MOTHERFUCKER. The accommodation is all five star, even if there's no one around to act as wait staff. The only snag is that you still have this whole murder thing hanging over your head – but on the plus side, they have those little drinks with the umbrellas in, so...
7. Space Station THE FINAL FRONTIER... Maybe you're familiar with space stations like this or maybe all this future tech is fascinating to you. Not like it matters either way, of course, because you won't be getting out of here unless you lay down a murder on someone.
8. Wildcard! None of the above scratch your murder itch? Go wild and come up with your own setting!



Downtime

1. Excuse Me, Who Are You? You've just woken up in this weird place and you have no idea what's going on. But hey -- maybe this stranger's more informed than you. Or maybe you can put your heads together and investigate what's going on.
2. Social Link Go! Well, if you're going to be stuck in here for however long, you might as well get to know the people stuck in here with you. You've got plenty of rooms to explore together and there's enough to do to keep you occupied. How do you plan on passing time without killing each other?
3. Vending Machine Woes Somewhere in this place there's a mysterious vending machine that spits out all manner of bizarre items and occasionally dispenses items that belong to you and the other people trapped here. You've got a fat stack of tokens and nothing to lose.
4. The Corners of My Mind So as it turns out, your lovely hosts have been fiddling with your memories. Maybe you're just discovering this now or maybe you've had a particularly upsetting memory regain you're dealing with.
4. Wildcard! GO WILD AND BE FREE (or as free as you can be here, anyways)



PUTTING THE MURDER IN MURDER GAME

1. Motive Your mysterious overseer has decided there's not nearly enough murder going on and so they've ~helpfully~ given you a little push to do the deed. Maybe one of your loved ones is in danger, maybe they're offering more money than you could ever dream of or they're threatening to reveal your deepest darkest secrets. Whatever is it, would you kill for it?
2. Murder WELL APPARENTLY, YES. Are you a killer or are you being killed? Either way, someone's not walking away from this alive.
3. Body Discovery Rise and shine, murdergame! It's a brand new day and someone's dead. Better get investigating!
4. Trial You know how this one goes. Line up all your evidence and sniff out the killer -- or sit there and sweat and hope no one works out you're the murderer. Will they go down with a confession or put up a fight?
5. Afterparty You've survived another trial, but more of your friends have died. Even without the executions, trials are a stressful enough affair. It's time to destress and lick your wounds and support each other.
6. Mastermind It's the end. It's time to uncover all the mysteries behind this murder game -- and find out just who trapped you here. Are they really an unconnected party, or is the mastermind someone among you...?
7. Freedom Just as it says -- you're finally free, but at what cost? Have those you love been returned to you, or are you still reduced to just those who made it to the end? Are you on your own, or is anyone here to help you? And more importantly, how the hell are you going to get home?
8. Wildcard YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO


OPTIONAL FUN

Lots of murdergames have in-universe public profiles for other characters to get the skinny on yours. If you'd like to fill one out to post with your toplevel, peep at the code below!

<center><b>Name:</b> NAME | <b>TITLE (Super High School Level, Ultimate, Champion, etc)</b> <b>Age:</b> AGE | <b>Species:</b> SPECIES | <b>Occupation:</b> OCCUPATION <b>Likes:</b> LIKES <b>Dislikes:</b> DISLIKES <b>Traits:</b> A HANDFUL OF NOTABLE TRAITS <b>Trivia:</b> A PIECE OF TRIVIA</ul>

Comments

[impurifies]

N–no, you don't have to apologize... w–with things as they are, I don't think any of us are looking our best.

[ She crosses the garden, intending to make her way to his side, but stops a few feet away looking uncertain. ]

I... I came to speak to you but– I'm sorry if you wanted to be alone...! I–I can wait until tomorrow...

[crypddyd]

No, it's fine. I don't mind. I just... needed a moment to clear my head.

[impurifies]

... Mm. I understand.

[ She finally closes the rest of the space between them, stooping down to settle herself at his side. It feels oddly presumptuous for her to come this close, but she doesn't want anyone else to overhear what she has to say. ]

After what happened at the trial, I... really couldn't stand to be around anyone. At least for the moment.

[crypddyd]

[he knocks his gauntlets against the ground, trying to get some of the dirt and grass off... It's not working well]

I do not blame you. I... should apologize to them for my behavior, but... I find I can not make myself feel sorry just yet.

[impurifies]

[ She'd had her gaze on his hands at first, but as he speaks her eyes drift up to his face. It's a little bit hard to believe that after how meticulously she'd been set up that anyone would defend her – or more that Dimitri of all people would defend her so vehemently. So viciously.

She wonders if it feels the same for him as it does for her, when she lets some small ugliness show. She wonders if he feels the same sort of fear. ]

I'm... grateful, you know.

[ The words tumble out of her mouth without any finesse or overthinking – she forces them out before she can second guess them, because she needs him to know. ]

That– that you spoke up, at the trial. I really didn't know what to do, I was so afraid that they would vote for me and I–

[ Her face flushes and she has to slump forward and hide her painfully red face in her hands. ]

N–nobody has ever... gotten angry... on my behalf.

[crypddyd]

No one...?

[that's hard for him to believe, but he has no reason to think she's lying]

There is no need to thank me. We are friends, right?

... and I will admit I was a bit frustrated that they were falling for such an obvious trap.

[ but the frame job had been so meticulous. How...?

[impurifies]

[ Her expression turns a little complicated – it's a rueful, frustrated sort of smile that looks out of place on her face. But at the same time, it looks like the sort of expression she's resigned herself to wearing. ]

I don't... blame them for believing it. I–I mean... everyone knows what a strange person I am. And it's not as though they have any reason to really trust me. So... in a situation like this, with someone like me around and seeming like the obvious culprit... I can understand why they might jump to that.

[ She says it like it's something she's justifying to herself – maybe this is how she'll go back out and face them all without a grudge against anyone but herself. ]

[crypddyd]

No-!

[he moves like he was about to grasp her shoulders, only to remember his flithy gauntlets. So instead he starts removing them as he talks, snapping one of the leather straps in his frustration. Under them are simple riding gloves ]

She handed them a story on a silver platter and they were so starved for a quick resolution that they never checked for poison or rot. That is their cowardice and nothing more.

And regardless, if you DID kill it would not be-

[he suddenly realize what he is about to say and covers his mouth in horror]

F-forgive me Yuri, that is... that is NOT a proper thing to speculate!

[impurifies]

[ Yuri blinks at him. The rueful look on her face is gone, replaced with an all-too honest surprise that makes her expression painfully easy to read. There's no fear – even after his outburst, she doesn't believe Dimitri would ever hurt her – but something else that, if you could believe it, looks almost like the warm bashful embarassment of a girl not used to receiving kind comments.

She swallows, hard enough to make her throat bob visibly. And then, slowly enough to draw her hand back if he flinches, Yuri reaches out and gently sets a hand on his arm. ]

... It's... alright. I don't mind. Even if it's... something improper... [ She swallows again. ] If it's from you, then that's fine.

[crypddyd]

['if it's you, it's fine' makes him blush, even if the conversation is far from pleasant]

It was... too planned. Not that I think planning is something you can not do, of course! But... I feel if you did attack someone it would be a crime of passion, not an assassination. A building of tension over the week that burst out suddenly. Like, well-

-like something from your book.

[He 'won' the Eye of Markov in the gatcha weeks ago, and she had allowed him to continue reading it. ]

But I suppose she would not be able to fake or hide the kind of evidence that would create.

[impurifies]

[ Whatever she was expecting him to say, it so clearly wasn't any of that. She's not offended by any means - the expression on her face is a painfully sincere look of surprise.

It's... strange. It's not exactly complementary or something she should be wanting to hear, but hearing Dimitri talk about her like that makes her feel as if she's being gently, tenderly picked apart, layer by layer. She's allowed herself to tentatively consider them friends only because Dimitri had been the first one to say it, but hearing that he'd been paying close enough attention to even guess at any of that...

Maybe it makes her a bit pathetic that even something like this makes her chest feel tight. But Yuri's known for a long, long time just how pathetic she is. ]

... I... suppose not... [ Her gaze slides away from his face to the flowerbed – if only because she doesn't think she could cope with meeting his gaze right now. ] I guess it's just... a surprise to hear you say that. It wasn't the sort of thing any of the others were considering, so...

[crypddyd]

Ah, I see... I was completely off base then. I apologize, it was a cruel thing to say.

[and guess who has completely misread this]

[impurifies]

[ Yuri's head whips back around and the hand she has on his arm tightens its grip just a little bit. ]

N–no, it wasn't–!

[ She recognizes herself that she sounds a little too panicked but – if Dimitri was the only one to understand her well enough to not just make a case for defending her, but to care enough to do it... she can't bear to lose that.

After a painful moment of silence, she pulls in a shaky breath and... tries to calm herself enough to speak. ]

It wasn't... cruel. I know it's– a strange thing to be glad about, but... I was surprised because... I didn't think anyone would try to understand me like that.

[crypddyd]

[His defeated expression warms again in relief]

I'm glad- everyone should have someone willing to understand them. Or at least try. To be isolated... is nearly as bad as death, I feel.

['nearly' he said, even if 'is worse' is what he felt]

[impurifies]

[ Yuri doesn't smile, but her expression relaxes and she slowly dips her head in a nod. ]

Mm. Even outside of a situation like this... I think being alone is one of the most frightening things in the world.

[ If the only person you have is yourself then that means the only person you have is someone who loathes you. ... not that she'd ever admit it out loud. ]