New York Noir is a cooperative, narrative, tabletop detective game in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, set in 1930s–1950s New York City.
You're the detective. You solve the case.
New York Noir is meant to be played offline, device and distraction free. All of the materials are freely available.
Alternatively, you can play and author cases on this website using our online map and directory tools.
In the heart of New York City, the high and low of society mingle uneasily side-by-side. Murder... Robbery... Blackmail... Fraud... Every crime tells a story, and not every story has a happy ending.
Sometimes the best you can do is learn to live by a code of your own, and hope you make the right decision when you’re staring down the barrel of a gun.
New York Noir was designed from the ground-up to facilitate fan-made cases.
On this website you'll find guides and tutorials for writing your own cases. Our tools will do the layout and publishing, you can concentrate on the writing. Volunteer editors and playtesters will help you polish your case until it shines. Join our discord to talk with other authors.
The Collector · Part 1
When you arrive at the station you receive bad news. Your partner has been knocked out and is now in the hospital, unconscious. Was it a random mugging, or is his life still in danger? And is it connected to a mysterious person called the “Collector”?
Detective Lucas’ Earlier Cases · Part 1
On Halloween night, a spooky call comes into the station. It’s supposedly a footman from a dilapidated mansion, asking for help because his master was attacked by a ghost. Is it just a prank call, or did something really happen? And if it did, could it have been something supernatural?
High & Low · Dec. 1941
What initially appears to be a simple heart attack may not be what it seems.
High & Low · Nov. 1932
When a fifteen-year employee who's never missed a day of work goes missing in Yorkville, Detective Jack Deverell expects a simple case. November has other plans.
The Collector · Part 2
THIS IS THE CONTINUATION OF CASE 1: THE ROOKIE - You’re ready to finally put some time into chasing the Collector—pull on that thread, see where it leads. But the city’s got other plans. Someone got shot at the art school. The same one you were in yesterday.
High & Low · Mar. 1948
The Wrong Book is a 3-day case set in 1948 New York City, around the Times Square neighborhood. Jack Deverell is a private investigator hired to recover a valuable book stolen under mysterious circumstances.
6/13/1935
Loyal fixer Mask finishes preparations for a party being thrown by his boss Golding, while torrential rains plague NYC.
09/03/1932
Derek Brooks, manager of The Bitter Edge comedy club on Bleecker Street, in Greenwich Village, comes face to face with the ghost of a murdered detective. What Derek really wants is to enjoy some laughs at his club, but he's forced to investigate. Soon, he's mired in the dark mud of the dead detective's last case.
High & Low · June 1915
This is a short tutorial case for New York Noir, told as a flashback from the 1930s to the early 1900s. It is meant to introduce new players to the world of New York Noir.
The Collector · Part 3
THIS IS THE CONTINUATION OF CASE 2, and the final case of the trilogy, so it's time to catch the elusive Collector. You also have to investigate the case of a missing actress. It seems she was kidnapped and the perpetrators demand a big sum of money for her.
Oct 19, 2026
reviewed by rewildman (Reid)
“Gentle Introduction to Fingerprint Directory and Fun, Satisfying Case”
This case is the first one that I played using the Fingerprint Directory and it does a fantastic job using that tool without overwhelming the player. I would definitely recommend this case as a great introduction to the Fingerprint Directory, especially if the idea of using the Fingerprint Directory seems like it will be a slog. (It wasn't at all,…
Oct 11, 2026
reviewed by northfrith
“Fifteen suspects, one victim, whodunnit?”
This was another excellent case from Annamária Kovács. It has a classic Agatha Christie feel, 15 suspects under one roof each of whom had the opportunity to pull off the murder, but who was where and when and who had a motive to kill? Part of the case involves painstakingly piecing together a timeline from witness statements to figure out…
Sep 28, 2026
reviewed by DBS101 (Jake)
“Compelling narrative, good use of mechanics”
Thinus' second case serves as a great tutorial for the marker system and eases you in to the fingerprint directory with an intriguing storyline that isn't too tricky, but enough of a puzzler to make it worth your time, whatever your experience level.
Aug 30, 2026
reviewed by DanAce (Daniel)
“An Excellent, Well-Crafted Story with Deep Characters”
Excellent, well-crafted story. The new magic mechanic is a nice touch and I want to see more. The characters have real depth, and the investigation is compelling with several plot twists. Beautifully written. Highly recommended.
Oct 26, 2026
reviewed by rewildman (Reid)
“Engaging Detection with a Magical Twist”
This case is great fun to play. The magic system is extremely creative and really shows how versatile the New York Noir system is when it comes to playing with genre in a detective story. The presence of magic in this case does not detract at all from the feeling of investigating a satisfying mystery. Everything you already enjoy from…
Oct 26, 2026
reviewed by JonW (Jonathan)
“Creeping Dread and Paranoia Beneath the Surface”
Joined for the livestream playtest. The case starts with the host of a Halloween party being rushed off to the hospital and detective Lucas having to sift through testimony of those present. While most guests don't seem overly concerned with the supernatural, a diary found on the victim opens an odd line of inquiry. The amount of effort that went…
Oct 29, 2026
reviewed by Penguin (Axel)
“Great case”
The amount of suspects were amazing. Lots of content. Documents were well made. It took me a told of 35 hours to play. Case was a high amount of difficult. We received a score of 84. Needs a lot of time and thinking. Played it on paper. Great case. High recommend
Oct 19, 2026
reviewed by rewildman (Reid)
“Something Truly Special”
This case is superb in every way---it is an absolute joy to experience. The writing in this case was absolutely incredible in nailing the noir atmosphere---some sentences made me literally stop and say "Wow" (in the best possible way). The characters in this case are another high point---many of them feel like fully-realized, multifaceted people that feel fully fleshed out.…
Oct 11, 2026
reviewed by northfrith
“A great puzzle with lots of fun choices”
Most cases feel like a story where you have to work out how the puzzle pieces (the crime) fit in. This case is back to front, here you have a puzzle, (the crime) and you have to work out how the story fits in. You have no idea who the people are, what the motive might be or even if…
Sep 30, 2026
reviewed by rewildman (Reid)
“Fun Detective Duo”
This was a very entertaining case overall. I found the dynamic between the two sleuths to be one of the strongest points and hope to see both characters in future cases at some point. The way that the plot was split across the 2-day structure was handled well and the case had some fun twists and turns. The main thing…
Oct 26, 2026
reviewed by admin (Jesse)
“Epic hybrid case combining the mundane and the sublime”
We played this on youtube over the course of 34+ hours (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOC6NYwnZx8o). Tons to love here. A true hybrid case involving a large number of detailed documents, like a dossier game, and combining a classic Agatha Christie setup with a supernatural historical angle. At times we were overwhelmed with details and a large cast of characters, but Anna's historical focus…
Oct 5, 2026
reviewed by DanAce (Daniel)
“Brilliant criminal history directory integration”
This well-written mystery hooks you with historical details, immersive music clips, and a well-crafted story. More than a simple introduction, this first case integrates the criminal history directory perfectly, making it central to the story and setting a high bar. I strongly recommend it.
“Why stomp on the tail of the snake, when you can go for the head?”
