Scouting, Volume 78, Number 4, September 1990 Page: 5
98, E1-E12, [8] p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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KILLER
A classic "whodunit," this game is
probably best suited to an overnight
camp-out or some other post outing
where members will be together for
an extended period, but it can also
be played during a brief gathering.
The idea is that a sneaky killer is
operating in your midst and "bump-
ing off" people one by one. With all
players except the killer himself get-
ting an opportunity to play detec-
tive, there's a chance the culprit may
be unmasked and forced to confess
before everyone else becomes a vic-
tim.
The killer may be selected by
having participants draw pieces of
paper out of a hat—one of which is
marked with an "X" to designate the
villain—or by having everyone stand
in a circle with their eyes closed and
holding out a thumb. A nonpartici-
pant chooses the killer by squeezing
one person's thumb.
Once the killer is chosen, a single
wink of his eye directed at an in-
tended victim is all it takes to carry
out his deadly deed. As the game
starts, players mingle and exchange
furtive glances, and the first one who
gets winked at has just been mur-
dered.
Of course, the victims should co-
operate with the killer to conceal his
identity by waiting a few seconds be-
4
m
m
M
m
a
*
tween the fateful wink and the onset
of death throes—which may be acted
out as dramatically as the victim
wishes. For the survivors, mean-
while, the situation grows increas-
ingly grim.
A player who suspects someone of
being the killer may say, "I have an
accusation," and if another player
seconds the accusation, the two ac-
cusers count to three and point to
the suspect. If the suspect turns out
to be innocent, or if the accuser and
the seconder point to two different
people, they must both die on the
spot—even if one of the suspects
happens to be guilty. If the accusers
are right, however, the killer must
confess.
So beware of double crosses and
subtle subplots. What happens, for
instance, if the prime suspect sec-
onds an accusation?
There are several variations of
Killer and myriad opportunities for
innovations, supplemental rules, and
creative strategies. In Killer Plague,
a murder victim can make other
players share his fate by tagging
them as he dies. And Marathon
Killer, in which the game is set up
and players then go about their busi-
ness, is especially good for adding
suspense and drama to a weekend
outing or an all-evening event. H
For an almost endless supply of New Games,
check your library or bookstore for two in-
formative books on the subject: The New
Games Book and More New Games, both
published by Doubleday/Dolphin Books.
E5
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 78, Number 4, September 1990, periodical, September 1990; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353668/m1/55/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.