In most social deduction games, players rely on instinct, behavior, verbal testimony, and social cues to uncover the truth. In 4 Penny Coffins, evidence is key, but it doesn't always mean truth. 

We wanted players to feel like they were building a case the way a detective would, which meant introducing physical evidence that players could collect, share, and draw conclusions from. At the same time, we wanted to preserve the social element that makes the genre so compelling. 

Every crime scene leaves behind fingerprints, witnesses, footprints, receipts, and other clues that can implicate suspects, confirm alibis, or completely derail an investigation. 

Designing Evidence in 4 Penny Coffins 

Designing evidence turned out to be a balancing act. 

Evidence that is too bulletproof is unsatisfying for both the Ripper and Innocents. The Ripper feels unfairly exposed, while Innocents are robbed of the opportunity to actually deduce anything. Evidence that is too random or inconsequential creates the opposite problem, making accusations feel arbitrary, and making it difficult for players to determine what matters. 

Ultimately, evidence in 4 Penny Coffins is designed to be pieces of a puzzle. 

You can learn that a player walked down the street where a murder occurred, but not why they were there. You can learn that a witness was bribed, but not why they were bribed. You can discover that a player is carrying a suspicious weapon, but not why they have it. 

Evidence tells players what happened. It rarely tells them why. 

That uncertainty is where 4 Penny Coffins thrives because in Whitechapel, the truth only matters if people believe it. 

Following the Evidence 

In 4 Penny Coffins, players can take on one of three professions: a Police Officer, a Doctor, or a News Hawk. Each profession brings a different investigation toolset to the table and starts with different items. 

Police players can uncover fingerprints from weapons, helping track who may have handled evidence prior to the murder. Doctors can analyze blood splatter from various weapons to better understand what happened at the crime scene, while News Hawks can use their camera to gather witness testimony and photographic evidence from around Whitechapel.  

As the investigation unfolds, players may encounter: 

• Fingerprint-covered weapons 

• Witness photos with marked locations 

• Bloody footprint trails 

• Vendor receipts 

• Bribery records 

None of these clues exist in isolation. A bloody weapon might implicate one player while witness testimony places them somewhere else entirely. Players must decide what evidence is trustworthy... and what evidence may have been manipulated.  

Evidence is Never Simple 

Evidence in 4 Penny Coffins is physical. Players carry it in their inventory, inspect it in 3D, show it to other players, or stash it away from the investigation entirely. That creates a situation where information itself becomes suspicious. 

Why is someone hiding a weapon instead of sharing it with the group? Why does another player suddenly have evidence connected to the murder? Are they hiding evidence to protect themselves from being framed... or are they the ones doing the framing? 

This is where social deduction and investigation collide. 

If you're innocent and evidence starts pointing toward you, it can be tempting to hide a suspicious weapon or keep information to yourself. Unfortunately, those are exactly the kinds of actions a guilty player might take. Innocent players can create suspicion through perfectly reasonable decisions, while the Ripper works to turn that suspicion into accusations. 

The Ripper can take advantage of this uncertainty, too. They are not limited to lying their way out of suspicion. During the investigation phase, they can actively interfere with evidence by bribing NPC witnesses to add or remove names from testimony, tampering with market stall records, wiping fingerprints from weapons, and planting stolen fingerprint samples onto incriminating items. 

That means every clue in 4 Penny Coffins comes with a question attached: is the evidence revealing the truth... or hiding it? 

View game pageWishlist 4 Penny Coffins now to uncover the truth!