Case file 03 · Mystery · Story

Cold Type

A 1974 newsroom, a retracted headline, and a typesetter who kept the original.

▶Take the case No download · no account · refreshing starts the case again
MysteryStoryDetectiveSingle playerEvidence

Controls — Tap a line of enquiry, or press Space to read on. Refreshing the page starts the case again.

How to play

  1. Read the briefing in the composing room, then pick a line of enquiry.
  2. Question all three people before you accuse anyone — two of them are lying, and one of them is lying about something small.
  3. Name who killed the story and the piece of evidence that proves it.

Tips

  • The page book holds two orders for the same page. Find out which one the night editor could actually have written.
  • A typewriter has habits. So does a person. Match the habit to the machine, then the machine to the room.
  • The second edition sets at 03:30. Every interview you skip is a version of the story that never gets printed.

About this game

Cold Type is set in a mill-town evening paper in November 1974, where the story is real, the order to kill it is typed, and the man accused of writing it has never used a typewriter.

The talk is period-plain: newsroom, metal type, clock cards. Unfamiliar words are usually explained by the next line of dialogue.

No download, no account, no tracking, no ads.

FAQ

Is this based on a real newspaper?

No. The Ledger, its staff and the contract are invented, though the trade is not.

Do I need to know about printing?

No. Everything the case needs — type, plates, clock cards — is explained as you find it.

Can I accuse before I have all the evidence?

You can. The evidence list only shows what you are actually holding, so an early accusation is usually a weak one.

More mystery games

See all →