The Legend of the Maiden's Tower — an online hidden-role game scenario
Fog over the Bosphorus, a lighthouse gone dark and boats that must make it before dawn.
▶ Play this scenarioThe story
Istanbul, the 18th century. On a tiny islet off the shore of Üsküdar stands the Maiden's Tower — for centuries its light has guided ships through the Bosphorus. But tonight an autumn storm has put the light out, and a thick fog has rolled in from the sea. The tower keeper sends the boatmen of Üsküdar for a new flame: they carry a lantern, oil and ropes, searching the fog for the one landing out of the islet's three where a stairway leads up. But a secret Fog-lover hides among the boatmen: he loves fog more than anything in the world, dreams that it will never lift, and stalls until dawn.
Chapters
This is a story scenario: a new chapter opens before every round, and after the game you see an ending that depends on who won.
Chapter I. The light goes out
An autumn night in the 18th century. A storm has swept over the Bosphorus and put out the lighthouse of the Maiden's Tower. Ships wait in the fog at the mouth of the strait: without a light they can't get past the rocks. The tower keeper calls on the boatmen of Üsküdar — a new flame must be brought before it's too late.
Chapter II. The seagulls know the way
The fog is so thick you can't see your own hand on the oar. But seagulls are circling over the water: the old boatmen say the birds always fly to the landing where the stairs climb up to the tower. Listen for their cries and stay close together.
Chapter III. Before dawn
The last night. The ships have been waiting for three days now, and there's very little oil left in the lantern. If the lighthouse isn't lit before dawn, the ships will turn back. Find the stairs before the sky over Üsküdar turns pale.
Roles
Chart a way through the fog to the landing where the stairs lead up to the lighthouse.
Stall: dawn must break before the boatmen light the lighthouse.
Items
Event cards let you break other players' items, help cards repair them. With a broken item you can't play path cards.
The twist
Lighthouse beam. At the start of a round all players learn one landing that has no stairs.
A bit of history
The Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi) stands on a tiny islet in the Bosphorus, just off the shore of Üsküdar. There was already a fortification here in Byzantine times, and under the Ottomans the tower served as a lighthouse, guiding ships at the entrance to the strait. It took on its present look in 1832 under Sultan Mahmud II, and in 2023, after a major restoration, it reopened to visitors.
🗝️ This place is also in the game Two Keys →
FAQ
How many players do I need for “The Legend of the Maiden's Tower”?
From 3 to 10. If you are short of friends, bots fill the empty seats: they build the route, scout the goals and even bluff in the chat.
What makes “The Legend of the Maiden's Tower” different from the other scenarios?
Lighthouse beam: At the start of a round all players learn one landing that has no stairs. It is also a story scenario with chapters between the rounds.
Do I need to download anything or sign up?
No. The game is free and runs in the browser on a phone or a computer: all you need is a name and a room code.