The Murder in the Maze game is fairly uncomplicated. First take a deck of cards and pull out the number of cards equal to the number of people playing, being sure to include the ace of spades. Second, deal the cards out to everyone face down so that no one can see anyone's cards. Everyone then looks at their cards and shows no one. Whomever has the ace of spades is the murderer. Everyone turns off their flashlights and retreats into the maze and the fun begins.
As soon as the lights are out, the player who is the Murderer begins counting to 60 to give everyone a chance to hide. The Murderer then begins to seek out the other players and when he finds them, taps them on the shoulder to let them know they have been killed. The Murderer flees and the killed player begins to count to 20. At 20, the victim screams "Murder in the Maze!" Everyone turns their flashlights on and proceeds through the maze to the scene of the crime. The dead tell no tales, so the victim is unable to identify his/her killer and must remain silent. However, the remaining players can accuse whomever they like as they try to discover the murderer. The catch is that the murderer is hiding amongst the accusers and could be actively accusing someone else. This is where the intrigue truly begins.
This is the Trial phase of the game with everyone acting as accused and accuser except the unfortunate dead. The trial and accusations are based on who passed who in the dark and how close everyone was standing to the victim when the lights came on. After official accusations are made, everyone votes on who they think is the killer with majority ruling. That player is then forced to show their card, revealing that they are the murderer...or not. Many an innocent man or woman has gone to their death during this phase of the game. If that player IS the murderer - Great Fun! You Win! Start again! If that player is NOT the murderer (SHIVER) the previous victim and the wrongly accused leave the maze and everyone turns off their flashlights and retreats into the maze once again. This continues until you find the murderer or the murderer gets everyone. Many of the games ended with the last survivor and the murderer facing each other after Murder in the Maze had been called and the lights came up! Good scary stuff! I do recommend playing this game only with people you trust. It can get pretty creepy in complete darkness.
The two pieces included here were also part of the planned deck for Murder in the Maze. The butcher knife was to be the murderer card while the two daggers were to indicate the second murderer. I will explain the second murderer in my next post!
{Graphite on Paper}
More Maze History and Art:
