1961–62
OTTAWA
The Reading Room
You play Cold War intelligence analysts.
Somewhere in the Registry, there’s a mole.
CASE 00FREE INTRODUCTION●○○
PRINT-AT-HOME CASE FILES2–4 PLAYERS60–120 MIN
Solve it.
Prove it.
Open the envelope.
Mystery case files you print at home, where every answer can be proved from the evidence and every case moves the story on.
HEAR WHEN THE FILES OPEN
Signup opens soon. Until then, write to sealedenvelopefiles@gmail.com and we'll add you by hand.
We'll write when the first cases are ready, and again when a new one ships. That's all.
Styled with household props. You print the documents; the folder is up to you.
HOW IT WORKS
The answer is always in the file.
- 01
Print the file
US Letter, black and white. No clue depends on colour, so any home printer will do.
- 02
Split the documents
Deal the evidence around the table, from Doc 01 onward. Two to four players, no roleplay, no costumes.
- 03
Answer and cite
Every answer needs at least two documents behind it. Stuck? Four tiers of hints: Nudge, Method, Partial, Answer.
- 04
Open the envelope
The sealed debrief tells you what really happened, and ends with The Proof: which documents prove each answer.
THE SERIES
Eight files in the cabinet.
Each series has its own era, its own cast and numbered cases. Each begins with a short Case 00.
Get it free
1984–85
OHIO
Dial-Up
You play the trusted regulars of a small-town BBS.
Someone on the board knows too much.
CASE 00FREE INTRODUCTION●○○
Paper Ghost · 15–25 min
1955–56
IOWA
The Night Desk
You play the night copy desk of a small daily paper.
Hidden messages in the classifieds.
CASE 00FREE INTRODUCTION●○○
Between the Lines · 15–25 min
1936–37
AT SEA
First Class
You staff the purser’s inquiry office on an ocean liner.
A closed circle at sea.
CASE 00FREE INTRODUCTION●○○
The Empty Kennel · 15–25 min
1925–26
LONDON
Provenance
You work the loss room of a firm of fine-art underwriters.
Forgeries and a gentleman thief.
CASE 00FREE INTRODUCTION●○○
Low Water · 15–25 min
1878–79
BRISTOL
Cabinet of Curiosities
You play junior curators at a natural history museum.
Specimen and fossil forgeries.
CASE 00FREE INTRODUCTION●○○
A Friend of the Museum · 15–25 min
VARROWMERE
AN ORIGINAL FANTASY CITY
The Writ Office
You play inquirers of a guild in the city of Varrowmere.
Each player’s Calling unlocks clues.
CASE 00FREE INTRODUCTION●○○
A Purse of Stones · 15–25 min
1983
SUMMER CAMP · JUNIOR, AGES 8–12
Lights Out
You play the Lantern Patrol at a summer camp.
Cozy camp capers.
CASE 00FREE INTRODUCTION●○○
The Empty Hook · 15–25 min
Styled with household props. You print the documents; the folder is up to you.
WHAT WE PROMISE
Mysteries that keep their promises.
Proven fair
No guesswork. No gotchas. If you can’t prove it from the file, it isn’t the answer.
A story that continues
Each series has a recurring cast and a thread that runs the length of a season. Every case moves it on.
Paper that feels real
Spread it across the table. Hand someone a telex. Argue over a phone bill.
THE KIT, LAID FLAT
What’s in the envelope
Everything prints on US Letter in black and white. Nothing needs a website, a phone or colour to finish.
Comes with a sealed envelope and, we assume, at least one person who wants to peek.
SEASON ONE · IN PREPARATION
Every case leaves a thread.
Leave your address and we'll write when the files open.
Signup opens soon. Until then, write to sealedenvelopefiles@gmail.com and we'll add you by hand.