Family printable mysteries

Choose a fictional adventure with a complete set of paper clues, host help and a final mission.

This collection brings together 15 games from across the catalogue. Check the ages and actual clues on each game; the same setting can involve a different reasoning task.

The Lost Maker Label: Use the maker receipts and tray ledger to follow the completed record. Match printed keys, then report the requested field. A planned or cancelled entry cannot prove a move.

Cross-check evidence

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

The Lost Maker Label

A maker lent a model under a symbol tag; the delivery desk recorded only the matching tray. Work together to find the missing maker label.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Rain-Path Witnesses: Use the walk reports and boot-tag book to follow the completed record. Match printed keys, then report the requested field. A planned or cancelled entry cannot prove a move.

Cross-check evidence

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Rain-Path Witnesses

Rain smeared a path sign, and a cancelled walk must be separated from the walk that happened. Work together to trace the waterproof message pouch.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Museum Shadow Case: Use the projection notes and frame register to follow the completed record. Match printed keys, then report the requested field. A planned or cancelled entry cannot prove a move.

Cross-check evidence

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Museum Shadow Case

A frame was moved during a projection test; the first room note describes the rehearsal, not the later move. Work together to locate the puppet frame.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Bridge Supply Convoy: Trace a legal supply journey from S to F. The map's arrows are one-way roads. Visit every required stop, stay inside the travel budget and use the cheapest complete journey. Report all stop letters.

Plan a resource route

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Bridge Supply Convoy

The convoy must collect rope before the crossing, avoid a closed lane and carry enough repair supplies. Work together to route the bridge repair convoy.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Seed Parcel Carriers: Three growers need seed, water and shade labels in one parcel. Some cards serve two needs. Choose the lightest complete set within the six-unit carrier limit and report its letters alphabetically.

Plan a resource route

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Seed Parcel Carriers

A light kit must cover three growing needs, then each parcel must use a road that can carry its load. Work together to choose the seed parcel carriers.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Rooftop Shuttle Route: Trace a legal supply journey from S to F. The map's arrows are one-way roads. Visit every required stop, stay inside the travel budget and use the cheapest complete journey. Report all stop letters.

Plan a resource route

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Rooftop Shuttle Route

The shuttle route must visit a charger before it reaches the roof where the boxes are needed. Work together to plan the rooftop supply route.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Dusk Observatory Shift: The team needs time for both the job and the journey. It cannot start before the earliest time, leave a window unfinished, or arrive after the deadline. Which departure window works? Times are minutes after opening.

Build a timetable

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Dusk Observatory Shift

The crew needs a slot long enough for setup and travel before the observing window closes. Work together to rebuild the dusk observing schedule.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Community Oven Orders: Arrange the four event cards using every witness note. "Immediately before" means there is no event between them. Report the requested position after the whole order has been checked.

Build a timetable

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Community Oven Orders

The model bakery has cooling and packing steps that must fit between the order checks. Work together to reconstruct the paper bakery run.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Lantern Stage Rehearsal: Arrange the four event cards using every witness note. "Immediately before" means there is no event between them. Report the requested position after the whole order has been checked.

Build a timetable

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Lantern Stage Rehearsal

Stage cards contain both immediate handoffs and longer before-and-after relationships. Work together to reconstruct the lantern rehearsal.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Fog-Bell Signal: Each signal means one different word. Use the training examples to recover the legend. Words marked "any order" may be swapped; compare shared signals across cards. Decode the received message from left to right. The desk uses this message when handling the fog-bell panel.

Decode a signal

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Fog-Bell Signal

The training cards give pairs of meanings in mixed order; shared signals reveal the missing legend. Work together to configure the fog-bell panel.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Relay Station Echo: Each signal means one different word. Use the training examples to recover the legend. These examples keep their order. Decode the received message from left to right. The desk uses this message when handling the echo receiver.

Decode a signal

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Relay Station Echo

A receiver repeats its inputs; the crew must distinguish the signal order from an unordered training key. Work together to set the echo receiver.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Decode a signal

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Garden Beacon Repair

A repaired beacon begins at recorded dial states; every recovered pulse must be applied, including zero turns. Work together to configure the garden beacon.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Pond Neighbor Network: Use only the fictional food-web rules printed here. Start with the food available now. A creature becomes available when its food rule is met. Find which named visitor can live here; a loop cannot create its own first food.

Connect a habitat

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Pond Neighbor Network

One pond visitor needs both foods while another can use either, so the food web must be read carefully. Work together to build the pond-neighbor habitat.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Desert Shade Shelter: These are fictional field cards for a paper model. Compare all the recorded conditions with the habitat requirements. A card that passes only one rule is not enough. Report the one card that meets every rule.

Connect a habitat

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Desert Shade Shelter

Shade, dryness and access are separate requirements; a nearly suitable card may fail just one. Work together to design the dune-creature shelter.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Canopy Nest Build: Use only the fictional food-web rules printed here. Start with the food available now. A creature becomes available when its food rule is met. Find which named visitor can live here; a loop cannot create its own first food.

Connect a habitat

Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 min

Canopy Nest Build

The nest must match a linked food web and provide five different parts without cutting any paper. Work together to assemble the canopy nest model.

6 clues · 2–6 players · No cutting

See clues & prepare

Choose by the task instead

Compare the five ways to solve and find a new challenge in a familiar setting.