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Go From Clueless to Creator

Learn how to make your own mystery-themed video game.

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The Problem

Mystery is consistently one of the most popular genres across all entertainment. Whether it's a detective solving a murder mystery or a group of characters trapped in an ontological puzzle, mysteries have captivated our curious imaginations.

But despite their popularity -- while you might be able to find resources to help you plan a mystery novel or maybe even make a mystery film -- there's nothing out there that helps you learn how to make a mystery-themed video game.

That is, until now.

The Solution

Mystery Game Masterclass: From Clueless to Creator is your one-stop shop for learning how to make your own mystery themed video game.

The course is structured into 3 major steps:

  1. Brainstorming your idea
  2. Planning your outline
  3. Building your prototype

Over the past several years I’ve studied hundreds of mystery games to see what underlying ideas the best ones all share. From those observations, I’ve developed a series of frameworks to help anyone regardless of experience level better understand the complexity of the mystery genre.

Characters, clues, twists, and so on are complicated concepts. Most stories that people write don’t need to hold up logically, but mystery stories are held to a higher standard. It’s not just about keeping people engaged, but about surprising them with a moment of enlightenment at the very end. This task can seem incredibly daunting if you’ve never successfully done it before.

So, my frameworks are designed to quickly and easily create those parts of your story, and integrate them into each other — as well as integrating them into your actual game mechanics, puzzles, and programming.

Finding even just a course on mystery writing is hard enough. Mixing that with video game development and interactivity is such a rare combination.

By the end of the course, you will:

  1. Have a solid mystery game idea.
  2. Have a functional prototype to test your idea.
  3. Have an outline to guide you to the finish line.

Keep in mind, you won't get any of those things if you don't actually put in the work yourself and apply what is taught in the lectures. But if you do, then this is the one and only course that will teach you step by step how to go from clueless to creator!

Learn from a Mystery Expert

My name is Anton Strickland, and I'm the creator of the popular mystery game Detective Butler: Maiden Voyage Murder, project manager behind the award-winning mystery game Reaplaced, and founder of Mystery Gamedev. With 15+ years of mystery gamedev experience, a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, and a passion for seeking truth, you won't find a better instructor for these lessons anywhere else.

What you'll get: 

Mystery Game Masterclass: From Clueless to Creator is structured into 6 in-depth modules designed to guide you step-by-step through the mystery game creation process.

  • Modules 1 & 2 (Mystery Ideas) are available immediately.

  • Modules 3 & 4 (Mystery Outlines) unlock after 1 week.

  • Modules 5 & 6 (Mystery Prototyping) + Bonus Content unlock after 2 weeks.

Each pair of modules includes roughly 5 hours of focused training, totaling 15+ hours of lessons across the entire course. The pacing is designed for about 1 hour of dedicated learning per day, though you’re free to move at your own speed.

Every module concludes with a quiz, a homework assignment, and downloadable handouts to help reinforce what you’ve learned.

AS PART OF OUR LAUNCH PACKAGE, WE ARE MAKING THIS LIMITED-TIME OFFER:

FIRST, you'll immediately be eligible for a 90-day free trial for Mystery Gamedev Academy ($75 value). As soon as you enroll in the course, you should receive an email with instructions to join an exclusive paid community which includes:

  • Weekly Q&A sessions to help get through course material
  • Forum to discuss the course with other student
  • Full ongoing access to Q&A archives

SECOND, the first 25 students to enroll in the Mystery Gamedev Masterclass will receive 1 complimentary 60-minute Mystery Gamedev Coaching Session, redeemable anytime within 1 year of purchase.

THIRD, all students who are actively enrolled in From Clueless to Creator as of January 1, 2026 will automatically receive free access to the upcoming follow-up course, From Prototype to Product, at the time of its release.

If you qualify for either bonus but do not receive it, please email us and we will promptly resolve any technical issue.

Please note that while a 30-day refund period is provided to ensure your satisfaction, any promotional bonuses (including the coaching session and free follow-up course) will be voided if a refund or chargeback is requested.

So in summary:

  • Instant access to From Clueless to Creator.
  • Instant access to Mystery Gamedev Academy for 90 days.
  • Free Mystery Gamedev Coaching Session, valid for 1 year.
  • Access to From Prototype to Product as soon as it releases.

All for a one-time payment of $497. 

Mystery Game Masterclass: From Clueless to Creator

  1. Introduction

    2 lessons
    1. Welcome! Start here.
    2. Introducing your instructor

  2. 1 - Mystery Fundamentals

    9 lessons
    1. What is a mystery game?
    2. What makes mystery games fun?
    3. How anyone can make a mystery game
    4. Tropes, tricks, and twists
    5. Crafting a curious question
    6. Hiding a satisfying answer
    7. Choosing the right idea
    8. QUIZ #1
    9. HOMEWORK & HANDOUTS #1

  3. 2 - Planning Your Game

    10 lessons
    1. Story structure
    2. Structuring for solvability
    3. Rules of Fair-Play
    4. Game structure
    5. Structuring pacing
    6. Non-linear structure
    7. Research methods
    8. Creating your outline
    9. QUIZ #2
    10. HOMEWORK & HANDOUTS #2

  4. 3 - Worldbuilding

    9 lessons
    1. Defining your setting
    2. Choosing your setting
    3. Main characters
    4. Supporting characters
    5. Creating your characters
    6. Character relationships
    7. Character secrets
    8. QUIZ #3
    9. HOMEWORK & HANDOUTS #3

  5. 4 - Theorycrafting

    8 lessons
    1. Basics of clues
    2. Logic and reasoning
    3. Turning clues into theories
    4. Turning clues into twists
    5. Mastering misdirection
    6. Creating the solution path
    7. QUIZ #4
    8. HOMEWORK & HANDOUTS #4

  6. 5 - Interactivity

    10 lessons
    1. Interactive mysteries
    2. Mystery game mechanics
    3. Choosing your mechanics
    4. Generating gameplay ideas
    5. Basics of puzzle design
    6. Puzzle structure and flow
    7. Turning mechanics into puzzles
    8. Balancing puzzle difficulty
    9. QUIZ #5
    10. HOMEWORK & HANDOUTS #5

  7. 6 - Building Your Prototype

    11 lessons
    1. Why prototyping matters
    2. Identifying your MVP
    3. Choosing your game engine
    4. Programming concepts
    5. Deduction systems
    6. Decision systems
    7. Discovery systems
    8. Building your prototype
    9. Evaluating your prototype
    10. QUIZ #6
    11. HOMEWORK & HANDOUTS #6

  8. Bonus Content

    3 lessons
    1. Congratulations! And next steps.
    2. Behind the Scenes: Detective Butler
    3. Fair-Play Mystery Rules: A Deep Dive

Start Learning Today

$497

Click below to begin your journey to becoming a Mystery Gamedev!

Become a Mystery Gamedev