Layered Leads

A solo investigative game of quiet towns, incomplete truths, and the stories we choose to tell.

Layered Leads is a solo investigative tabletop game about uncovering meaning rather than solving puzzles. You play an investigator brought in to assist local authorities in a small town, slowly building a case by following leads, revisiting familiar people and places, and noticing what keeps returning — and what never quite fits.

There is no single hidden solution. Instead, the truth emerges through play.

Using a deck of cards laid out as a grid, you move carefully from lead to lead, revealing surface details and deciding whether to press deeper. Some paths grow clearer with time. Others go cold. When the investigation ends, you must decide what case you are prepared to present — and whether the system is willing to hear it.

What You’ll Do

• Explore a 5×5 grid of layered investigative leads

• Reveal cards that represent People, Places, Evidence, and Complications

• Track recurring names and locations as Echoes that point toward the heart of the case

• Keep brief, focused notes that highlight connections rather than conclusions

• Assemble a theory when the investigation ends — complete or not

What Makes It Different

• No fixed solution — your discoveries shape the mystery

• Slow, deliberate pacing inspired by quiet towns and routine systems

• Emergent narration driven by repetition, pressure, and choice

• Light rules, deep interpretation — meaning comes from context, not tables

Included Content

• Complete core rules for solo play

• Clear guidance for journaling and note-keeping

• Three ready-to-play case files set in the Harborlight Region (1980s Maine):

  • Murder by the Mile

  • Any Other Name

  • Fatal Room Service

Requirements

• One standard deck of playing cards (jokers removed)

• 1d6 and 1d12

• A notebook or journal

• A marker or token

• A quiet evening

Players: 1
Play Time: 60–120 minutes per case

Inspirations

Layered Leads is inspired by:

• CARTA — for spatial exploration and slow revelation

• Hints and Hijinx — for open-ended mysteries and interpretive play

Both influences are used under Creative Commons licenses and credited in the book.

This game is best suited for players who enjoy:

• Solo journaling RPGs

• Mysteries without tidy answers

• Small-town settings and human-scale stories

• Games that reward attention, patience, and reflection

If you enjoy thoughtful, bittersweet investigations that linger after the cards are packed away, Layered Leads was made for you.