Hi Newcomer, and thank you for taking the time to check out the iSleuth.org website.
If you’re like most people, you stopped by to see what this mysteriously branded website is all about. After all, it’s tied to a pretty unique kind of true crime podcast, which is cool in its own right, but what is all this about an interactive game?
As a massive true crime fan over my entire life, I’ve always tried to find a true crime vehicle and/or a platform that would not only provide me with the traditional kinds of true crime content and entertainment, but I’ve also really yearned to find a platform that would allow me to channel that inner detective – you know what I’m talking about, that part inside each and every one of us serious true crime fans. I’m referring to that piece of each of our souls that writhes and festers within us whenever we start thinking about the true crime genre and some of the most intriguing crimes that have occurred throughout history, be they mastermind-level schemes, murders, or disappearances of people of all ages and from all walks of life.
I’m serious! Once I saw my first episode of Forensic Files some 25 years ago, I was helplessly hooked for life!
But in that prevailing quarter century, I’ve yet to find any true crime vehicle that could manage to quench my thirst for trying to solve the unsolvable and immersing myself in the lure of that kind of intense mystery. So, after waiting about 25 years for someone else to develop that kind of all-immersive mystery experience, I endeavored to indulge that passion myself and set my butt to work trying to create it – not just for me, but for everyone else out there like me – which I’m now assuming means you too!
So what did I create?
Basically, the iSleuth True Crime Game which I’ve named The iSleuth True Crime Experience, will provide intricately in-depth case files of actual unsolved cases which have baffled investigators for many years and by this point, will almost certainly remain unsolved forever. Myself and a panel of avid sleuths just like you have compiled all of these case files, police reports (through Freedom of Information Act requests), investigators’ notes, police reports, actual crime scene photos when available, and every other scrap of evidence or potential evidence that exists and might pertain to each case. Our panel has evaluated all of this evidence and come to a conclusion regarding who we believe to be the most likely suspect.
For the purposes of the game, we will endeavor to provide an immersive virtual atmosphere of intrigue as we disseminate those intricately detailed case files to all of the participants in each case file scenario.
These games will not be quick! Each case will last exactly 2 weeks and will run from Saturday evening to Saturday evening, with pre-scheduled meeting times in between for group remote chat sessions.
They will be very intricate and very detailed and will include chat sessions in our specially designated player chat rooms as well as group conferences so we can perform debriefings as if in an open squad room – just like actual investigators do it. In that realm, we will be able to share links to relevant news stories, and websites pertaining to the crimes, share photos, and discuss the cases together and in real-time, so that nobody gets any information that everyone else didn’t receive.
In the end, each player will submit their investigative hypothesis to our virtual District Attorney with the hope that the DA will accept their criminal methodology and issue a warrant for their suspect’s arrest! The end scenario for each case will have already been determined by our panel of sleuths, and whoever comes the closest to that exact scenario, will be deemed the winner! Think of the old board game Clue – except here we will be dealing with REAL crimes and the method and manner of killing will not be restricted to the cardboard and plastic options that come with the board game, but will be determined solely by the killer or killers in each case. It will be up to you – our iSleuth virtual detectives – to use whatever means might be at your disposal to investigate these crimes and establish a likely resolution to each previously unsolvable case.
So what does the winner get?
Actually, I’ve thought long and hard about that, and what I’ve decided is that our winners will actually be rewarded in several ways.
First, monetarily, the grand prize for each case will be determined by the number of participants. We will aggregate the entry fees of all the payers and after collecting a percentage of those proceeds to cover the expenses of running the game and to pay our minimal staff, the winner will receive the rest (a total of 40% of all the proceeds) if they can come to the same conclusion as our panel of true crime experts on all 5 relevant elements of the case. If none of the participants can exactly match all 5 of our panel’s most likely scenarios for each of the 5 elements of the case, the contestant that comes closes will win the consolation grand prize of $500.00. The next closest contestant will win $250.00 and the third-place contestant will win $100.00. (All monetary transactions – players’ entry fees, and prize payouts – will all be transacted through Paypal – there will be no exceptions).
I hope this has answered at least most of your questions about iSleuth, though I’m sure some of you will still have more. Please be sure to listen to the introduction to iSleuth as part of our podcast’s first episode. It is already uploaded and live. In it, I explain many of the idiosyncrasies of our company, our podcast, our website, and the competition which I’ve named The iSleuth True Crime Experience. You can also feel free to address any additional questions, comments, or concerns to us by emailing info@isleuth.org, and be sure to stay tuned as our first game is scheduled to begin on Saturday, August 3rd, and will conclude on Saturday, August 17th!
The biggest question you have to answer is – do you have what it takes to solve crimes that have stumped seasoned investigators for years – sometimes decades??
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