The game of Werewolf takes on a new twist in Murder At Malone Manor, a multiplayer murder mystery played out in real time and filled with sabotage.
Murder At Malone Manor, from White Pot Studios, puts players at the heart of a murder mystery, with modes available for one to six players. Whichever of the modes you choose, you will find yourself in a mansion where there has recently been a crime committed — a murder no less. The homeowner, Baron Malone, has been killed and the killer is among the characters still inside.
It’s the social dynamics of Werewolf and the familiarity of Clue(do).
In the main mode of the game between three and six players are the visitors within the manor, one of them being the murderer. Each player is tasked with figuring out the murderer and murder weapon (who needs the police anyway) through finding clues, however the murderer can sow mischief and move around evidence when other players aren’t looking. It’s a wonderful recipe for chaos and really sounds like it could be a very fun, if frantic, few minutes.
Refreshingly there are also two-player and solo modes. The two-player mode adds an NPC butler who can also possibly be the murderer, while the solo mode is purely a game of deduction, with clues to be found to whittle down the suspects until only the killer remains.
I was first introduced to Murder At Malone Manor back at Pocket Gamer Connects earlier in the year. The developer who pitched the game underlined the absence of support for low-player population in existing Mafia/Werewolf games like Town of Salem. They also stressed that the real-time aspect easily made it stand out from the existing competition. This is undeniable, Murder At Malone Manor feels closer to games like Space Station 13 than Town of Salem due to this pacing.
Murder At Malone Manor is in development for PC and Mac platforms, with console versions to follow depending on reception. The team are currently targeting a late 2019 or early 2020 release date.
