The Unwritten Rules of Playing a Mystery Game as a Couple

There are two ways to play a mystery game.

You can play it alone, sitting quietly with your controller, carefully examining evidence, taking notes, and methodically piecing together the clues.

Or you can play it with your partner.

In that case, you can forget everything you thought you knew about detective work.

Because when two people play a mystery game together, the investigation becomes a completely different experience. Suddenly, you're not just trying to figure out who committed the murder. You're trying to figure out whether your partner is completely insane, why they are convinced that the least suspicious person in the game is the killer, and whether you should point out that they literally walked past the most important clue six times, or haven't read a specific piece of evidence you have been hoarding that pokes holes in their theory.

Over the course of playing mystery, thriller, horror, and story-driven games together, we've discovered that there are certain rules.

Nobody wrote them down.

Nobody agreed to them.

But somehow, we follow them anyway.

These are The Unwritten Rules of Playing a Mystery Game as a Couple.

Rule #1: Whoever Holds the Controller Is Not Automatically the Detective

This is the first and most important rule.

The person holding the controller may technically be controlling the character, but that does not mean they are in charge of the investigation.

The person without the controller is still an investigator.

In fact, they may be the better investigator.

The controller holder is busy walking around, opening doors, examining objects, accidentally walking into walls, and trying to remember which button does what.

The non-controller player has the luxury of sitting there and saying:

"Wait. Go back."

"Back where?"

"That room."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just go back."

This is how mysteries are solved.

Usually Bradley holds the controller most of the time while Amanda uses her mind to put things together and point Bradley where to go.

Rule #2: You Must Investigate Everything

If the game gives you the ability to examine something, you examine it.

Everything.

A book? Read it.

A photograph? Examine it.

A trash can? Investigate it.

A completely ordinary-looking lamp?

That lamp knows something.

You may have no idea why you're examining it. You may already be 99 percent certain it has absolutely nothing to do with the mystery.

It doesn't matter.

You have been given an "Investigate" prompt, and therefore you are legally obligated to investigate.

The alternative is discovering 45 minutes later that the apparently meaningless vase contained the clue you needed to solve the entire case.

And then you have to go back.

We read every poster, note, and menu in Life is Strange several times, it helped to immerse ourselves in that world.

Rule #3: The Nicest Person Is Probably the Killer

This isn't always true.

But it feels true.

There's something deeply suspicious about a character who is relentlessly pleasant.

They're helpful.

They're understanding.

They provide information.

They offer you coffee.

They probably have a tragic backstory.

They're absolutely the murderer.

Meanwhile, the person who looks like they could murder you with their bare hands is often completely innocent.

This is one of the great psychological traps of mystery games.

The scary guy isn't necessarily the killer.

The person who says, "I'm so glad you're here!" while smiling warmly at you?

We're watching you, Susan.

Rule #4: You Are Allowed to Develop Completely Unreasonable Theories

In fact, you're encouraged to.

Mystery games are supposed to make you think.

Unfortunately, "thinking" can quickly turn into constructing an elaborate conspiracy based on one completely insignificant detail.

"Did you notice that he was wearing a blue shirt?"

"Yes."

"Everyone else was wearing black."

"Okay."

"So obviously he's involved."

"But why? Maybe it was dark when he dressed in the morning and thought it was black?"

"I don't know yet."

This is how theories are born.

Eventually, your theory may become so complicated that it requires seventeen different people, three secret identities, an international conspiracy, and possibly time travel.

And then the game reveals the actual culprit.

It's the teacher.

Rule #5: You Must Immediately Accuse Someone

You haven't gathered enough evidence.

You don't know their motive.

You don't even know exactly what crime you're investigating.

Doesn't matter.

You need a suspect.

Preferably one who has appeared on screen for approximately fourteen seconds.

"That guy did it."

"Why?"

"I don't like him."

Perfect.

Case closed.

Rule #6: Saying "Don't Go In There" Has No Effect Whatsoever

Mystery games have taught us something important about human behavior:

Nobody listens.

You can see the creepy hallway.

You can hear the ominous music.

You can practically smell the impending disaster through the television.

And yet the character walks directly toward it.

"Don't go in there."

They're going in.

"Seriously, don't."

Door opens.

"Why are you doing this?"

At this point, your partner may remind you that you are the one controlling the character.

That is irrelevant.

The character is clearly making their own decisions.

You eventually realize you have to go in that room to advance the story.

Rule #7: One Person Will Notice the Clue the Other Person Missed

This is perhaps the most satisfying part of playing together.

You see something.

A tiny detail.

A line of dialogue.

A photograph.

A name.

Something doesn't feel right.

You say:

"Wait."

Your partner stops.

"Go back."

They go back.

"Look at that."

Silence.

Then:

"Oh shit."

Congratulations.

You are detectives.

For approximately 30 seconds.

Rule #8: You Must Pretend You Knew the Answer All Along

Eventually, one of you will correctly predict something.

Maybe you guessed the killer.

Maybe you figured out the twist.

Maybe you realized that the supposedly innocent character was lying.

The moment the game confirms your theory, you are required to say:

"I knew it."

Not "I suspected it."

Not "I had a theory."

You knew.

Even if your original theory was completely different.

Even if you said three hours earlier:

"I'm almost positive it's the brother."

And it turns out to be the sister.

You were still basically right, you were in the ballpark.

Rule #9: "I Told You So" Is a Sacred Phrase

There are few experiences in gaming more satisfying than correctly predicting something your partner dismissed.

You warned them.

You explained your reasoning.

They laughed.

They disagreed.

They called your theory ridiculous.

Then the game reveals the truth.

There is a brief moment of silence.

And then:

"I told you so."

This is not gloating.

This is justice.

Rule #10: Never Trust a Locked Door

A locked door is not merely a locked door.

It is a promise.

The game is telling you:

You will be back here.

Maybe you need a key.

Maybe you need to trigger an event.

Maybe you need to discover a secret.

Maybe you need to finish an entirely different quest.

Whatever the explanation, you will return.

And when you finally unlock that door, there is a strange satisfaction in remembering:

"I knew it."

Rule #11: You Will Become Emotionally Invested in People Who Are Not Real

This one sneaks up on you.

At first, you're investigating a mystery.

Then you meet the characters.

You learn their stories.

You discover their relationships.

You start caring about them.

Suddenly, the mystery isn't just about finding out what happened.

You need to know what happened.

And when something terrible happens to a character you've grown attached to, the investigation becomes personal.

This is where a good mystery game stops being a puzzle and becomes a story.

And that's also where playing with someone else can make the experience even better.

You get to experience those moments together.

And then you realize Lake and Life is Strange both take place in Oregon and begin to wonder how far Arcadia Bay is from Providence Oaks.

Rule #12: You Will Argue About What the Game "Obviously" Meant

Mystery games are notorious for this.

The character says something ambiguous.

You interpret it one way.

Your partner interprets it another.

Suddenly, you're having a ten-minute discussion about a single sentence.

"What do you think they meant?"

"They're obviously lying."

"No, they're not."

"They absolutely are."

"Why?"

"Because of what they said earlier."

"But that was before we knew—"

And now you're reconstructing the entire timeline of events like you're presenting evidence before a jury.

This is normal.

This is part of the game.

Rule #13: Whoever Solves the Mystery First Is Not Allowed to Spoil It

This is perhaps the most important rule of all.

If one person figures it out, they have to keep their mouth shut.

This is harder than it sounds.

You desperately want to say:

"Oh my God, I know who did it."

You cannot.

You must suffer in silence.

You may, however, make vague noises.

"Hmm."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You know something."

"No."

"You absolutely know something."

"I don't."

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"That look you get when you know something."

Silence.

This is torture.

Rule #14: The Person Who Didn't Solve It Will Eventually Blame the Game

If your partner doesn't figure out the mystery before the reveal, there are only a few possible explanations.

They missed a clue.

They misunderstood a character.

They made an incorrect assumption.

Or, and this is by far the most likely explanation...

The game didn't give them enough information.

This is an important distinction.

You weren't wrong.

The game was unclear.

Obviously.

Rule #15: You Will Both Have a Different Favorite Character

You can play dozens of games together and agree on almost everything.

But eventually, there will be a character you absolutely love.

And your partner will hate them.

Or vice versa.

"How can you possibly like them?"

"What's wrong with them?"

"They're terrible."

"They're complicated."

"They're a terrible person."

"They're interesting."

This is how you know the game has done its job.

Good characters aren't always likable.

Sometimes they're interesting precisely because they're complicated, flawed, frustrating, or impossible to understand.

Rule #16: You Will Occasionally Need to Stop Playing Because You Need to Discuss What Just Happened

This is one of the best things about playing narrative games together.

Something happens.

The credits don't roll.

The game doesn't pause.

But neither of you is ready to continue.

You just sit there.

"Did that really happen?"

"I think so."

"What the hell?"

"I don't know."

And suddenly you're talking about the story instead of playing the game.

That's not wasted time.

That's part of the experience.

The game has dealt you and emotional blow you weren't ready for and now you need to stop for a minute. Brew some tea. Talk about your feelings.

Rule #17: There Is No Such Thing as "Just One More Hour"

There is always one more clue.

One more conversation.

One more room.

One more chapter.

One more thing you need to figure out.

"We'll just play for another hour."

Three hours later:

"Oh shit, it's 1:30 in the morning."

And somehow you're both still convinced you're almost finished.

Rule #18: You Are Not Allowed to Look Anything Up

This one may be controversial.

No walkthroughs.

No Google.

No Reddit.

No searching:

"Who is the killer in ______?"

No YouTube video titled:

"THE ENDING EXPLAINED."

If you're playing a mystery, you have to let the mystery happen.

There is something incredibly satisfying about being wrong on your own terms.

We broke this rule once while playing The Suicide of Rachel Foster, there is a chapter where you just wake up in a church, where is the church in relation to the hotel? What are we supposed to do? Bradley drove down the mountain, in the rain, to get a 4G signal so we could find out where we needed to go to continue the investigation.

Rule #19: Sometimes the Best Part Is Being Wrong

This might be the most important lesson.

We play mystery games because we want to solve them.

But being wrong can be just as much fun.

A good mystery makes you confident.

Then it makes you question yourself.

Then it makes you confident again.

Then it pulls the rug out from underneath you.

When the reveal comes and you're sitting there thinking:

"How the hell did I not see that?"

That's the experience.

That's why we play.

Rule #20: When the Game Ends, the Investigation Doesn't

The credits may roll.

The mystery may technically be over.

But that's when the post-game investigation begins.

"What do you think actually happened?"

"Do you think they were telling the truth?"

"Why did that character do that?"

"What do you think the ending means?"

"Did we make the right choice?"

"Would you have done something differently?"

And sometimes, days later, you'll still be thinking about it.

That's the mark of a good mystery game.

Not necessarily that it fooled you.

Not necessarily that you solved it.

But that it gave you something to talk about after the controller was put down.

The Final Rule

There is really only one rule that matters:

Have fun being detectives together.

You don't have to solve every mystery.

You don't have to notice every clue.

You don't have to correctly identify the killer before the game tells you.

You don't even have to agree.

Actually, disagreeing might be half the fun.

Because when you play a mystery game with someone else, you're not experiencing the story exactly the same way. You're watching the same events, but you're noticing different things, developing different theories, and reacting to different characters.

And every once in a while, one of you will turn to the other and say:

"I told you so."

And honestly?

That's what makes playing together so much fun.

What are your unwritten rules for playing mystery games with your partner?

Tell us in the comments. We're always looking for new rules to add to the list.