Sleuth Slots 
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For GP2X
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By ruckage 20/08/2007
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www.muddymonkey.co.uk

Programmed in fenix - to install copy the Sleuth Slots folder anywhere onto your SD card. To run simply select the sleuthslots.gpe file.



About
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Sleuth Slots is the first part of my Murder trilogy. The idea behind this trilogy is to explore how a single gameplay mechanic can be implemented into various different types of games. The mechanic I'm exploring is similar to that used in the Cluedo board games to deduce the solution to a murder. Sleuth slots is using the Cluedo style mechanic in the context of a Fruit machine simulation.


Features
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9 account slots that save your balance, money spent, money won and murders solved. They also store any progress made in a game.

Everything you'd expect from a real fruit machine, such as the ability to hold and nudge reels and a feature screen with mini games and of course the murder to solve.

Authentic sounds.



Controls
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Title screens

Start - start game
Stick - moves cursor
B - make selections
For name entry screen se on screen instructions

Game

Start - Display save game and exit options (only on reel screen)
Stick - Moves hand
B - Push on-screen buttons


Instructions
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If you're familiar with real life fruit machines you should feel right at home though you may still wish to read the section regarding solving the murder.

Basic play
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Reel screen
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The first screen you will see when you begin play is the 'reel screen'. On a real machine this would be the lower part of the machine. You will see there are 3 reels with various symbols on them. Along the bottom of the screen are 4 buttons, 3 hold/nudge buttons and a spin button. Buttons are active when they are lit or flashing and can be pressed by making sure the hand is in position and pressing the 'B' button. Pressing the spin button will spin the reels which will then come to stop one at time. If you get 3 matching symbols on the midle row you win the corresponding cash prize. Each spin of the reels costs 50p.

Hold/nudge

After a spin you may notice the Hold/nudge buttons flashing. 

If they flash slowly with no music you are able to hold a reel by pressing the button beneath it. If you then spin the reels any reels that have been held will not spin. this can be very useful and can even occur directly following a win so you can hold all reels and get the prize again. You can cancel a hold by pressing the button again.

If they are flashing fast with music playing you have been awarded some nudges. To the right of the reels the nudge light will be flashing with a number flashing beneath it, this is the number of nudges available to you. You cannot spin the reels again until all nudges have been taken. Pressing the button beneath a reel now will move the reel forward by 1 symbol and then deduct one of the nudges. You continue until the nudges have been exhausted or you match 3 symbols at which point any remaining nudges are lost.

Murder lights

You will notice to the far right of the screen the numbers 1-5 with murder written above them. Illuminating all these will activate the feature screen. These are illuminated when any symbols with a number in the lower right corner stop on the middle row. Normally the lights are cleared when you press the spin button but sometimes they will be held and any numbers that are on the middle line after the spin will be added. you can tell if the lights will be held as they will flash briefly and a sound is played.


Feature screen
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The feature screen is where you can earn big money. To the right is the prize ladder which ranges from 50p to £20. To the top left is the game board and to the right of this is small screen that displays various information. The rest of the screen is taken up with the suspects, rooms and weapons. You will have the option to either roll the dice or collect the current prize value displayed on the prize ladder.

If you choose to roll the dice it will briefly flash various values before stopping and then the lit icon on the the game board will move that many spaces and you must then play that game.

Games

High/Low - you have to guess whether the next number rolled will be higher or lower than the currently displayed dice value. Press the High or low button to make your choice.

Win/Lose - Win and lose will alternate rapidly on the screen. You have to press the roll button when win is displayed.

Odd/Even - You must guess whether the next number rolled will be odd or even. Press the odd or even button to make your decision.

+1 - add 1 to the prize ladder

? - This will cycle through various awards/penalties. Press the roll button to stop on a selection. The awards are: 

+1 - add 1 to the prize ladder
+2 - add 2 to the prize ladder 
Skill stop - the prize ladder will cycle through random values, pressing roll will stop it. This can give you a good boost or can knock the value on the prize ladder down.
Game Over - End of feature, returns to reel screen.

Yvette and wadsworth - allows you to question the witnesses to the murder. See 'Solving the murder' below.

Winning a game will add 1 to the prize ladder but losing will result in game over and return you to the reel screen.



Solving the Murder
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You solve a murder by eliminating the suspects, rooms and weapons until only one of each remains. You do this by landing on Yvette or Wadsworth on the feature screen. 

Upon landing on Yvette/Wadsworth a light will cycle through the suspects, rooms and weapons. pressing roll will select the currently lit item as part of your suggestion. Once you have selected one of each it will be revealed if any of the selected items can be excluded from the enquiry by illuminating them in red. 

Wadsworth and Yvette only hold half of the information each needed to solve the mystery so it becomes important to remember what suggestions you made to each character. Once there is only 1 suspect, 1 room and 1 weapon you have proved by deduction who commited the crime, what room it was in and what weapon was used and you will be awarded the jackpot of £30. A new murder will then be generated for you to try and solve. 

Example - you land on wadsworth and select Miss scarlet, the kitchen and the revolver. Wadsworth knows that it wasn't Miss Scarlet or the revolver so they are illuminated red. You can then check the kitchen when you land on Yvette and if it still doesn't turn red you know that was the murder room and can avoid it for any further suggestions. Even if you figure out the solution early on in the game you still must eliminate all other suspects, rooms and weapons to win the jackpot.



Remember you can save the game from the 'reel screen'. Just press start and follow the on-screen instructions.







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