The Lantern Archive + Free Mini Case

Five paper plans. Four couriers. One missing festival archive. A leak has forced the Lantern Festival archive into temporary storage. The approved plan is missing from the reading room. Use the approval records, dispatch slips and shelf notes to identify the right packet, trace its journey and recover its five-digit release code. Complete pack: US $4.99 minimum. Free mini case: no payment required. The Lantern Archive — complete investigation Twelve evidence cards with three connected deductions: approval, delivery and storage. Six recovery questions and a complete explanation of the chain. One or two readers; no host, acting, outside research or special props. Offline HTML with twelve individually opened hints and a closed solution. Separate player, hints and solution PDFs in A4 and US Letter. Print only the nine player pages; keep the optional help on screen. The complete investigation is a separate downloadable pack. The free mini case below is optional and is not required to solve it. Both are fictional, non-violent mysteries in English. Try the free mini case A Receipt Out of Time is a small, complete four-evidence case. Play it in the browser or download its free HTML/PDF pack. The free mini case is not the full investigation. Before you buy This is an initial release awaiting voluntary reader playtesting. Clue assignments, PDF layout and local browser behaviour were checked by an agent. Enjoyment, difficulty and actual playing time have not been established with readers. No duration is promised. HTML notes disappear when you reload; record important notes separately. The download needs a ZIP extractor, a web browser or PDF reader. No account or internet is needed to use the extracted files. Voluntary full-case playtest Seven copies remained unclaimed at our 1 October 2026, 16:48 UTC check. Some links below may already be claimed; each claim page shows current availability. If you want to try the complete investigation and optionally share reader feedback, choose one unclaimed link below. Each copy must be linked to an itch.io account before downloading. Please claim only one; if a link is already claimed, try another. These are complimentary playtest copies, not purchases. No payment, interview, mailing list or positive review is required. Copy 1 claimed · Claim playtest copy 2 · Claim playtest copy 3 · Claim playtest copy 4 · Claim playtest copy 5 · Claim playtest copy 6 · Claim playtest copy 7 · Claim playtest copy 8 · Claim playtest copy 9 After reading, an optional spoiler-free comment can include whether you finished, approximate time, the highest hint used and any unclear instruction. Do not post solutions or personal details. Once all nine copies are claimed, the free mini case remains available and the complete pack keeps its US $4.99 minimum price. Optional feedback You can leave a comment with approximate time, whether you finished, the highest hint used and any unclear instruction. Please avoid spoilers and personal details. Feedback is optional, with no interview or appointment. Creation disclosure Story, puzzle text and code were created with generative AI and reviewed by an agent. This is not a human playtest. No stock images are used.