120th ♫ | it's hard to feel alive with a knife in your back

[phaiinein]

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></center>

Comments

[goldenambition]

I live alone, so the chance don' come up much. Ain' lived with this many people since I was has a kid, to it's kinda nostalgic.

[scourgingstars]

...It's nice, isn't it?

[He leaned his head on his hand with a small smile.]

I've spent time on my own as well as in the company of a group not wholly unlike this one. Personally, I find this much better.

[goldenambition]

Ya? You do give off the energy of a guy who's used to being with people.

[scourgingstars]

Do I? It's certainly a skill hard learned, to be perfectly honest.

[goldenambition]

Not in the same way as your pallie Whippor, but... hm.

[ he pauses in his chatter. A rarity for Whippoorwill. Thinking]

You come off as someone who's lead a few folks in your time, ya ken me? Maybe not willingly, but when's that ever stopped that kinda thing?

[scourgingstars]

[The corner of his mouth twitched, smile on Ardyn's face no less sincere for the sudden nervous quality to it.]

Well, I...yes, perhaps. I've been in charge of a fair few daemon hunting squadrons over the past years.

[goldenambition]

[ Will watches that flicker of anxiety, head tilting just slightly. But no indication that he noticed shows in his words or tone.]

Huntin', eh? Too bad this place is no good for that kinda thing. I wana see ya take down a nasty.

[scourgingstars]

You may not be impressed--truth be told, I detest fighting. I only resort to a violent option when little else remains to me.

[goldenambition]

[ a talent for leadership but a fear of it. A job that hunts but a hate of violence.

"It's a little sad, innt?" he thinks

But neither of them need or really want to do that level of prodding right now. So instead he slumps dramaticly across the table. Though his wagging tail exposes it as a playact]

Ahhh, come on Ardyn. Ruinin' the romantic image I had!

[scourgingstars]

[He laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.]

I get that quite often, actually. It seems I never quite match up to what people tend to think of me.

[goldenambition]

Not even wot you think of you?

[ kinda a heavy thing to drop while reaching over to steal some cheese, but said just as casually as ever]

[scourgingstars]

Hm?

[Halfway through a piece of cheese himself, Ardyn tilted his head.]

I'm not sure what you mean.

[goldenambition]

Most people picture you a way, yeah? Are you how you picture yourself?

[scourgingstars]

That's quite the heavy question, Will.

[But he did seem to be considering it carefully, with a restless twirling of the ends of violet hair around calloused fingers.]

I...have been through significant changes over my lifetime. More than I can hope to explain even given all the time in the world. So I believe the simplest answer is that I am not wholly sure how I see myself.

[goldenambition]

I like to sling a rock every so often, make sure you're still paying attention.

[ words and tone still flippant, but his ears keep tilted towards Ardyn while he speaks]

Hmm... fair enough.

[scourgingstars]

Oh, I enjoy a change of pace here and there, don't misunderstand. I simply don't have much of an answer--I am simply whatever I have become in this moment, that's all.

[goldenambition]

[ he sits up a bit]

Don' get me wrong. I wasn't fishing for any specific answer. I'm just curious 'bout you.

[scourgingstars]

Well, by all means, you need only ask. We won't get anywhere without some sense of camaraderie, after all.

[goldenambition]

[ his tail starts wagging again]

Exactly! And what's a few philosophical probes after too many drinks between blokes, ya? That's bondin'

[ Will, you haven't been drinking tho]

[scourgingstars]

I don't believe either of us is anything but sober, though I'll go along with it regardless.

[goldenambition]

[ that makes him laugh warmly before snatching more food, guesturing with the bit of broccoli]

Could always change that!

But for now... you should tell me what you wanna eat for next time I handle vits.

[scourgingstars]

Hm...that's a much easier question. I'll eat more or less anything when necessity demands, but I prefer vegetarian when it's feasible. I enjoy fruit, and when I drink it's usually wine.

So what about you, what do you like?

[goldenambition]

Oh, I'mma beer and potatoes kinda guy. Lotsa noodles and cheese and fatty meat. I ain' hard to please!

[scourgingstars]

All the easiest staples. I can certainly work with that when next it's my turn to cook.

[goldenambition]

I'm sure the others won' complain either! Half'a em are too skinny.