Free · no account
Chapter 1: The Empty Cabinet
- Two locations: the dome and the snowy yard
- Three leads: the weather drum, the footprints and the cabinet
- Private testimony for every player
- Its own solution, and a cliffhanger
Play online · a device each
Snowfall at Hollowfell
A cosy winter mystery you solve together. Search a snowbound observatory, compare what each of you was told, and agree who took the comet plate before the plough comes at noon.
- 2–6 players
- Phones, tablets or laptops
- About 10–15 min free · 45–60 min whole case (estimates)
- Ages 12+ · no murder
In short
Snowfall at Hollowfell is a cooperative online mystery game for 2 to 6 players. Everyone joins a private room on their own device, searches illustrated scenes of a 1962 observatory and gets different private evidence, so the group has to talk, compare and pin clues to a shared case board before agreeing who took the comet plate, how and why. Chapter 1 is free; the host’s At Yours Plus unlocks the whole case.
The free chapter, and the whole case
At Yours Plus · US$4.99/month or US$29/year
The whole case
- Chapter 2: the kitchen and boot room, the library and the darkroom
- Five more leads: boots, a torn note, a star cipher, a light box and the missing plate
- The group accusation and an ending that explains every clue
- Unlock it after Chapter 1 and carry on in the same room
At Yours Plus also unlocks the full versions of our other online games, with their included printable companions. The annual plan is US$29, against US$59.88 for twelve months.
Rooms, phones and privacy
Your evidence is yours
The room sends each screen only its own testimony, scraps and key, plus whatever you pin to the shared board. Other players can’t read your notebook.
RoomsRooms last two hours, and the host can add time in the final 30 minutes. Reopen your invitation in the same browser to get your seat back, or save your private recovery code from Room options. Room data is removed when the room closes.
How do you play an online mystery together?
You search the scenes, share what only you know, and agree on one answer as a group.
Search the scenes
Five illustrated locations, from the dome to the darkroom. Tap the glowing markers to examine the cabinet, measure the snow in a footprint or turn the weather drum. Several leads are open at once, so you can split up.
Compare what only you know
At breakfast each of you heard something different, and in Chapter 2 you each hold scraps of a torn note and part of Winnie’s cipher key. Read yours aloud; nobody can solve it alone.
Agree who, how and why
Pin evidence and notes to the shared case board, draft a theory, then propose an accusation. Everyone has to agree. The ending explains every clue, including the ones you missed.
Play in the same room, or apart
Everyone needs their own device either way, because each screen holds private evidence.
Side by side
On the sofa or round the table, each with your own phone or laptop. Talk freely; keep your own screen to yourself, because your testimony is private.
Over a video call
Start your usual call, then everyone opens the room link. Read your testimony aloud, and pin evidence so everyone can see it. Works across time zones and countries.
Just the two of you
A proper couples or long-distance case: the evidence splits in half, so every clue needs both of you. About an hour for the whole case (an estimate).
Questions
What is Snowfall at Hollowfell?
A cooperative online mystery for 2 to 6 players. You each join a private room on your own phone, tablet or computer, search illustrated scenes of a snowbound observatory in December 1962, and work out together who took a glass plate that may show a new comet, how and why. Nobody plays a suspect and there is no murder.
How many people can play, and does it work for two?
2 to 6 players, each on their own device. The evidence is dealt between you, so with two players you each hold half of it and have to compare everything: it works as a proper couples or long-distance case. With six, everyone holds a smaller share and the group splits up to search.
Can we play over a video call?
Yes. Open a video or voice call as usual, then everyone opens the room link on their own device. At Yours does not provide the call. Read your private testimony aloud, and pin physical evidence and short notes to the shared case board so everyone can see them.
What is free, and what does At Yours Plus add?
Chapter 1, The Empty Cabinet, is free: two locations, three leads and its own solution, about 10–15 minutes (an estimate). The host’s At Yours Plus (US$4.99/month or US$29/year) unlocks Chapter 2: three more rooms, five more leads, the group accusation and the ending that explains every clue. One host covers every player; guests never pay. When you solve Chapter 1, the host can unlock Chapter 2 in the same room without starting again.
How long does the whole case take?
Our design target is about 45–60 minutes for the whole case, including the free chapter. That is an estimate until more groups have played it, and there is no timer: take as long as you like while the room is open.
What age is it for?
Ages 12 and up. It is a cosy theft mystery with no violence or injury: a missing photograph of the night sky, some white lies and a twist.
What if we get stuck?
Every lead has three hints that get gradually more direct. Anyone can take one, and the whole group sees when you do. No clue you need is locked behind a hint, and the ending lists every clue, including the ones you missed.
What happens if someone’s connection drops?
The room keeps the case: the board, every notebook and every lead. Reopen the invitation in the same browser to get your seat back, or use your private recovery code on another device. If someone has to leave early, they can hand their notebook to another player first.
Can we play it again?
The case has one solution, so a second play gives the same answer. It is a good one to host again for a new group: the evidence is shared out differently every time.