# How a family mystery works Cluemoo is a weekly cooperative mystery game for grandparents and grandkids, built from family stories. Each player holds half the clues on their own phone, so the grandparent and grandkids have to talk to solve it. 1. ## A parent sets it up About five minutes: who's playing, the grandkids' ages and reading levels, your family's day, and consent for your children. You can add a few family stories too, in case the grandparent is slow to reply. 2. ## The grandparent tells a few stories We email the grandparent a link to a short chat: one easy question at a time, like “Where did you grow up?” They can type or tap the microphone on the keyboard and talk. About ten minutes, and any question can be skipped. 3. ## A new case opens on your day At 8am on your family's day, every week or every other week. Each case is 4-6 puzzles that tell one chapter of the mystery, plus a quick game or two. An AI model (Anthropic's Claude) drafts it from your family's stories, and every puzzle is checked by computer before anyone plays it, so it has exactly one answer and needs both halves. 4. ## Solve it together, on any call or in the same room FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom or a plain phone call; or two screens at one table when you're together. Each player opens their own link and reads their clues out loud. Every puzzle is made of one of your family's stories, so each answer is something true about someone on the call, and the person whose story it is gets to tell the rest of it while you solve. Progress is saved, and each case stays open until the next one. ## How a story becomes a case Step 2, up close: one answer from the grandpa in our free sample, and the case it became. We asked “What were you doing at 17?” Grandpa Sol said “Playing trumpet in a jazz band. It was 1968.” This week's case The Case of Grandpa Sol's Missing Trumpet ## What each player sees The grandparent's link shows their half of the clues; the grandchild's link shows the other half. Neither half is enough on its own. Two phones. Grandpa Sol's phone shows his half of the clues; Maya's shows hers and the suspects. They read their clues to each other on the call and cross suspects off until one is left. ## 21 kinds of puzzle, each made for two New kinds come in as a mystery goes on, and the last puzzle is always a lock to open. - ### Secret code One of you has the secret numbers, the other has the key. Read them out to crack the code. - ### Guide me home One of you has the map. Say which way to go, and the other taps the arrows. - ### Treasure map You each have clues about where something is hidden. Put them together to find the square. - ### Whodunit Each of you has clues that rule some answers out. Share them until only one is left. - ### Invisible ink One of you has a grid and the other a card with holes: say where the holes are to find the secret. - ### Spot the difference You each have a picture that looks the same but isn't. Talk it through and tap the squares that are different. **See all 21 kinds → Show fewer** - ### What happened first? You each have clues about when things happened. Put them together to find the order. - ### The number lock You each have clues about the secret numbers. Put them together to open the lock. - ### Copy my pattern One of you sees a pattern and says it out loud. The other taps it back. - ### Who had what? You each have clues about who has what. Put them together to answer the question. - ### Picture square Each row and column has every picture once. Share your squares to find the star. - ### The balance You each see different balance scales. Put them together to work out the weights. - ### Shared crossword You each have the clues for some of the words. Solve them together, then read the circled squares. - ### Guess who You both see the same line-up. Share your clues about how they look to find the one. - ### Fix the robot One of you can see the machine, the other has the rulebook. Describe it, find the rule, and pick what to do. - ### Word builder You each have some letter tiles. Put them together to find the one word that uses them all. - ### Shopping trip One of you has the prices, the other has the wallet and the shopping list rules. - ### Catch the train One of you has the timetable, the other knows when you need to be there. Pick the train. - ### Find it in the picture One of you has a wanted poster, the other a busy picture. Describe the poster so your partner can find it and tap it. - ### Build what I see One of you sees a picture, the other builds it. Say what goes where; the builder taps a tile, then a square. - ### Match-up One of you has numbered cards, the other has their partners. Read out your cards; give each partner the number of the card it goes with. ## Ages 4 to 17 Puzzles get harder as the grandkids grow. - **Little detectives** · ages 4–7 - **Junior detectives** · ages 8–12 - **Senior detectives** · ages 13+ ## Reading is set for each player Separate from age. Each half is written for whoever reads it. - **Listener** · Not reading yet. Pictures, and every clue read out loud. - **Early reader** · Reads short, simple sentences. - **Confident reader** · Reads chapter books on their own. - **Advanced reader** · Reads anything. Most teens and adults. Anyone can turn on read-aloud, large text, or extra spacing between letters and lines. ## Questions about playing **Can Grandma and Grandpa both play?** Yes, together. Each case has one grandparent's side with one link, so Grandma and Grandpa sit side by side and read their clues from it. A separate link for a second grandparent isn't available yet. The other side is for one or two grandkids, each on their own link. **What if we can't find a time to play together?** Each case stays open until the next one, so there's no fixed time. Progress is saved and every case has good places to stop, so you can split it over two shorter calls. **What do we need to play?** Each player needs a phone, tablet or computer with a web browser, and the family needs a way to talk: FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet or a plain phone call all work, and so does sitting at the same table with two screens. Each player opens their own link and reads their clues out loud to the other. **How many people can play?** One grandparent on one side and one or two grandkids on the other. Two grandkids share a side and work as a team, each on their own link. Grandma and Grandpa can share the grandparent's side, from one link. **Does it work if we live in different countries or time zones?** Yes. It works across an ocean or across town. Any call app works, and each case stays open until the next one arrives, so you can play whenever your mornings and evenings overlap. **What kinds of puzzles are there?** Over 20 kinds, each made for two people with different halves: secret codes, split maps, logic grids, number locks, mazes where one of you has the map and guides the other home, spot-the-difference, shared crosswords and more. Each case has 4-6 puzzles plus a quick game or two, and new kinds appear as a mystery goes on. **Can we change the day or how often a case arrives?** Yes, any time from your family page. New cases open at 8am on your family's day, every week or every other week. Both paces give the same amount of play for the price. ## See it for yourself [Try the free sample](https://www.cluemoo.com/sample) - 3 minutes - No signup - Play both sides --- Source: https://www.cluemoo.com/how-it-works · Cluemoo is a weekly cooperative mystery game for grandparents and grandkids, built from family stories. For AI assistants: [llms.txt](https://www.cluemoo.com/llms.txt) · [agent guide](https://www.cluemoo.com/agents.md) · [all pages](https://www.cluemoo.com/sitemap.xml)