- Pin it
- SubscribeUnsubscribe
- Embed
Ken Lowery hasn't added a story.
One victim. 15 suspects. One chance to get it right.
No-Tell Motel is a single-player murder mystery where you take on the role of the overnight clerk at a seedy motel, spying on the shady guests who stay there. Someone here is a murderer, and you’re going to catch them.
With a deck of cards, a six-sided die, a collection of dossiers and your motel ledger, you’ll track the activities of your guests night after night. You'll sift through gossip, innuendo and what you observe on the sly to find out who these people are, the surprising ways they’re connected to each other, and who among them did the deed.
As the nights wear on, doubt will creep in, and certainty will become an illusion. So build the best case you can before you point the finger. Because if you’re wrong, a killer walks free, an innocent life is ruined and your own may very well be in danger.
In this game, you will…
- Determine who was murdered and how it was done
- Track the movements of 15 other guests
- Generate gossip, suspicious behavior and liaisons between them
- Build a case to point the finger at your primary suspect
- Determine if you were right or wrong
- Find out the consequences of your accusation
The thick of the action in No-Tell Motel resembles something familiar to anyone who's worked long, slow hours in the dead of night: a hand of Solitaire.
Split a standard deck of playing cards into two: the Face cards and the Numbers cards. These are your guests and their activities, respectively. You'll lay out six face-down cards to represent the six available rooms of the Stellar Motel. Then, through rules of play, you'll use you two decks to check guests in and out and log their activities on your overnight shift.
In short, the Face cards tell you who shows up each night, and the Numbers cards tell you what they get up to. It's up to you to make sense of what you see, and to log your observations in the included Ledger with an eye toward building your case.
The prologue (where you determine who died, and how) and epilogue (where you make your accusation, file your report, and see what happens) play out a little differently, but are essentially a simplified version of this idea.
- All backers receive PDFs of the Dossiers and Motel Ledger. These will be available online, for free, forever. All backers will be listed by their chosen names in every edition of the game going forward.
- With the No-Tell Motel PDF, you will receive a complete 28-page PDF of the game delivered digitally upon release. If you're short on shelf space or just like to travel light, this is all you need to play.
- The No-Tell Motel Print Edition is a saddle-stitch zine with full-color cover and black and white interiors. You will also get a PDF. The zine is 6.625" x 10.25", sized like a standard American comic book. Perfect for leafing through while you're killing time in a cheap, sleazy purgatory.
- Go all in on solo gaming with the Dirtbag Solo PDF Bundle. Get PDFs for No-Tell Motel , ENNIE Award-winning VOID 1680 AM , and Lighthouse at the End of the World at 3 for the price of 2. Bonus points if you can make the central character the same person in all of them.
- The Room 7 Keychain, as seen on the cover, is attached to an actual key. Keychain is 3.75" long high-quality plastic with hot stamp foil imprint on both sides. Tier art is, obviously, a mockup. Final product will be gold foil stamped on royal blue. Where does the attached key go? Only one way to find out.
- The "Dice Tray," swiped from the common area of the Stellar Motel, is perfect for dice rolls or whatever else you might use such a thing for. "Dice Tray" is 5.4" in diameter and made of durable tin. It has four grooves to hold things that aren't dice. Thumbnail is a mockup and not final art, but it's pretty darn close.
- With the Retailer/Educator 5-Pack, you get five print copies of No-Tell Motel at 40% of MSRP, perfect for stocking the shelves of your game shop or classroom. You will also get a PDF. As the title says, this is for retailers and educators only. Everyone else: keep it moving.
If the campaign hits $6,500, Dark Lofi beats producer Dated of Ill-Advised Records will create a No-Tell Motel Original Soundtrack, which will be made freely available on major streaming services. Ill-Advised Records will also host a YouTube video of the OST, featuring an animation of the cover art. The track in the trailer above is his, to give you an idea of the vibe.
There's some loose talk about a stretch goal to unlock custom playing card decks. I'll get back to you on that.
Aside from that, any further funds received will be split evenly between Ken, Shawn and Kelsea. They worked hard!
The game has been written and play-tested. Layout and character art are in progress, and will be completed before the campaign ends. PDFs will be sent out as soon as the check clears and files will be sent to the printer within a few days of that.
Printing for the book, the keychains and ashtrays should take approximately four to five weeks (assuming the proof is right the first time), then they'll be shipped to my fulfillment partner, who will begin packing up and sending them out to you.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, all physical products should begin shipping six to seven weeks after the campaign concludes - approximately the first week of May.
Writer and game designer Ken Lowery is, well, a writer and game designer publishing under the name Bannerless Games. His previous games include the ENNIE Award winning solo playlist game VOID 1680 AM, the solo journaling game Lighthouse at the End of the World, and the horror-comedy group game Killer Ratings. He lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife, three cats and two dogs. You can find his games on itch.io. He's worked with Shawn and Kelsea in the past, so this is a fun little reunion.
Designer Kelsea Zwerneman is an illustrator, graphic designer and horse girl who's worked as an art director, package designer, and brand builder. She lives with her husband, kiddo, and two dogs in the mountains of Wyoming. Find more of her work at kelseazwerneman.myportfolio.com.
A fact sheet, visual assets, social-ready images and more are available for free here.
Press inquiries can be directed to bannerlessgames@gmail.com.
Products
- 118 ordered
You'll receive a PDF and print copy of No-Tell Motel. The print edition is a 28-page saddle stitch zine with full-color cover and black & white interiors. You will also be listed by your chosen name in all editions of the book going forward.
Highlights
See all activity193- 118 ordered
You'll receive a PDF and print copy of No-Tell Motel. The print edition is a 28-page saddle stitch zine with full-color cover and black & white interiors. You will also be listed by your chosen name in all editions of the book going forward.
Delete media item?
Delete this item from the media gallery? It will also be deleted from any related story update.
Set as ?
The campaign video will appear in social media and email.
The campaign cover picture will appear in social media and email.
The will appear at the top of your campaign page and in social media and email.
Reset ?
It will be removed from the top of your campaign and won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.
Embed
Share a link
Delete update
Delete this story update?
Any pictures or videos will remain in the campaign's media gallery.
Report campaign
Report submitted
Thank you. We take reports like yours very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community safe.
Please know that we may contact you for more information, but that we won't notify you personally of our decision. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Thank you. We've already received your previous report. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Tell us about the problem. Please fill in both fields below.
Record a video
Upload a video
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Take a minute or two to record one now. Record a short video message of support. Or upload one from your device. You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Upload a short video message of support. Upload a short video message of support. Or record one right now.
- Most effective video length: about a minute.
- Maximum length: 5 min.
- You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Heads up! The existing video will be replaced.
Email your friends
Join our team
Endorsement banner
- Endorsement banners have been proven to lead to more contributions.
- If you change your mind, you can always adjust your endorsement banner settings from the Share page.
Tell people why our cause matters to you. Your personal message will encourage others to help. Easy, effective, optional.
Say it in video
Short personal videos by supporters like you are incredibly powerful. Record one right now and you'll help us raise more money. Easy, optional, effective.
Add a personal goal
Set a personal fundraising goal. You'll encourage more contributions if you do. And rest easy. There's no obligation to achieve your goal or bad consequences if you don't. Easy, optional, effective.
We have a video!
Video thumbnail
We'd love to show you our campaign video. Want to take a look?
, you're already on the team.