The Name of the Rose

The Name of the Rose puts you in the shoes of a monk detective trying to unmask the hidden murderer among the brethren. The game unfolds over seven days, each day beginning with a random event tile that tweaks the rules temporarily. Every player draws three cards showing a monk, a location, or the special figures William and Anson. Playing a card moves the indicated piece to a new location and advances the clock – the number of hours is printed on the card and can be reduced by spending previously collected suspicion tiles. When your monk arrives at a location without a piece of his colour, his suspicion score rises by the sum of the two coloured tiles there; if a monk of the same colour is present, you take a tile and lower suspicion by its value, replenishing the pool when the last tile is taken. William adjusts clue points (+/- 3) for all monks present, while Anson shifts suspicion (+/- 5). At day’s end, the player who ends the round takes the event tile, adding two clue points against their monk. Suspicion scores are then converted into clue points – the higher the suspicion, the more clue points earned – and all monks reset to 10 suspicion. On days 1, 3 and 5 each player reveals a colour they are **not** playing, adding layers of bluff. On the final day everyone simultaneously guesses the colours of the others; correct guesses grant extra clue points. The player with the fewest clue points against their monk wins. The blend of hand management, secret deployment and deduction sits in a medieval‑religious setting inspired by Umberto Eco’s novel. With a modest weight (~2.4) and about 75 minutes playtime, it suits 2‑5 players who love mystery, bluffing, and a dash of history.