Quill Riddle: Quickfire, a Museum Night Watch

About Quill Riddle: Quickfire

The Quill Riddle Museum is an Art Deco palace of green marble and gold that the city forgot to close. Every night, once the last visitor has gone, one exhibit in a hall climbs down from its plinth and goes for a wander: the clipper model sails round the fountain, the clockwork lark sings in the stairwell, the general’s bronze bust gives orders to the umbrellas.

You are on the night watch. A row of plinths stands in front of you, and the guard’s radio crackles with what the cameras saw, one clue at a time: it is not made of glass, it is older than the Victorian age, it stood next to something made of silver. Every clue is true of the exhibit that moved, and together they leave only one. Tap it before the fuse of the case burns down: the sooner you are sure, the more the case scores, and a streak of closed cases multiplies your points up to three times.

A wrong tap cracks that exhibit’s glass case, burns two seconds and ends the streak, so a guess can cost you. Close three cases in a row and the flash camera catches the culprit mid-sneak: its photograph develops in front of you and is pinned to the night log. Each watch is ten cases in one of six halls, under one night’s rule: a Quiet Night, Whispering Halls where every clue only says what it is not, or an Alarm Night with a shorter fuse and bigger scores. Choose your level, fade the exhibits the clues rule out, slow the clues down, or switch on Practice for a watch with no fuse at all.

How to play

Read the hall and the night’s rule on the brief card, then open the hall. Switch on Practice there for a watch with no fuse.
The guard’s radio reads a clue at a time: every clue is true of the exhibit that moved.
Tap that exhibit (or press its plinth number, 1 to 7) before the fuse burns out.
The more fuse is left, the more the case scores; each case closed in a row adds half a step to the streak, up to ×3.
A wrong tap cracks that exhibit’s glass, burns two seconds and ends the streak. Close three in a row to catch the culprit on camera.

Controls

Tap the exhibit that moved, or press its plinth number, 1 to 7
Arrow keys or D-pad — move between plinths; Enter, Space or Ⓐ — press the one in focus
N or Next clue — the next clue in Practice; the switch on the brief card — Practice
Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

How do I know which exhibit moved?

Every clue the radio reads is true of the exhibit that moved. Check each one against the plinths: when all the clues are in, only one exhibit fits them all. You can tap sooner if you are sure.

How is a case scored?

A case closed at once scores 100; the score falls with the fuse to 30. Each case closed in a row adds half a step to the streak multiplier, up to three times. A wrong tap burns two seconds and ends the streak.

Is there a way to play without the clock?

Yes. Switch on Practice on the brief card: the fuse is gone, the next clue comes when you ask for it, and nothing is recorded. The settings also have slower clues, for a fuse half as long again.

What changes from night to night?

Each watch has a hall and a rule: a Quiet Night, Whispering Halls (every clue says what it is not), or an Alarm Night with a shorter fuse and half as many points again. Today’s watch is the same for everyone.