1925, a basement speakeasy on Chicago's South Side
Death at the Gilded Lily
Chicago, 1925. The Gilded Lily's owner is dead behind his own bar — poisoned during the midnight show, while the band played on.
- Difficulty
- easy
- Time
- 25–40 min
- Suspects
- 3
- Rooms
- 5
- Exhibits
- 14
- Kind
- Noir
- World
- Gaslight
- Price
- Free
The death
Silas Crane. Owner of the Gilded Lily, 52. Charming to the customers, ruthless with the books, and careful — very careful — about what he drank. Found: his office behind the bar, slumped over the night's takings, just before the last set ended.
Everyone here
Every one of them has a version of that night. One of them is lying about murder.
- Vivian Larouxtorch singer
- Joey Malonebartender
- Franklin Dunnclub manager
Where it happened
The Club Floor
Smoke, brass, and forty tables under a low ceiling. The stage where Vivian sings, and where every alibi claims to have been.
Behind the Bar
Joey's kingdom: bottles ranked like soldiers, the private shelf up high, and a clear view of the office door.
The Back Hall
A short corridor between the noise and the money. Crane's office at the end; the cellar stairs to the side.
Crane's Office
Ledger, safe, and a whiskey shelf with one private bottle. Where the club's truth was kept — and where its owner died.
The Cellar
Crates and cold air. The legitimate stock, and one confiscated batch that was never supposed to be touched again.
Contains: murder · alcohol · organized crime
Before you start
- Is Death at the Gilded Lily free to play?
- Yes. Death at the Gilded Lily plays free in any browser with no download and no account. Culprit is free to play.
- How hard is Death at the Gilded Lily?
- It is rated easy — a good first case — the contradictions are findable without a notebook. There are 3 suspects, 5 locations and 14 exhibits to find.
- How long does Death at the Gilded Lily take to solve?
- About 25–40 minutes. You can leave and come back — the case remembers where you were.
- Can the suspects actually lie to me?
- Yes. Each suspect is played by an AI actor with something to protect, and they will deflect, misremember and lie outright. What they cannot do is change the facts of the case: every case is proved solvable before it is published, so the contradiction is always there to be found.
