Night in the Cistern — an online hidden-role game scenario
An underground palace, a forest of columns over dark water and the mystery of two Medusa heads.
▶ Play this scenarioThe story
Istanbul, 1545. A travelling scholar learns something astonishing: people in the old quarter lower buckets straight through the floors of their houses and pull up water — and sometimes live fish. A forgotten underground palace lies beneath the city. At night the explorers go down into the Cistern with lanterns and a boat: among three hundred columns they must find the legendary place where columns rest on the heads of Medusa. But a secret Keeper of Secrets has come down with them: he believes some mysteries should stay in the dark, and stalls until the torches burn out.
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. Fish under the floor
1545. In the old quarter next to Hagia Sophia people lower buckets through the floors of their houses and pull up water — and sometimes fish. In one courtyard the explorer finds a forgotten staircase leading underground. Below lies dark water and columns that seem to go on forever.
Chapter II. The column of tears
Among hundreds of identical columns one is unlike the rest: it is covered in patterns like frozen tears, and water always runs down its stone. They say it shows the way further, into the farthest vaults. You must find it in the dark.
Chapter III. Medusa's gaze
In the far corner, legend says, two columns stand on the heads of Medusa — one lying on its side, the other upside down. Nobody knows who placed them that way, or why. The last night, the last torches — find Medusa before the light goes out.
Roles
Lay a path along the Cistern's walkways to the column with the head of Medusa.
Stall: the torches must burn out before the explorers find Medusa.
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
Echo under the vaults. At the start of a round one random player secretly learns what's hidden in one of the dark corners.
A bit of history
The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan) was built in 532 under Emperor Justinian and supplied the city's palaces with water. Its vault rests on 336 columns, and in a far corner two of them stand on stone Medusa heads — where they came from is still debated. You can visit the underground hall today: it is one of Istanbul's most mysterious museums.
🗝️ This place is also in the game Two Keys →
FAQ
How many players do I need for “Night in the Cistern”?
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 “Night in the Cistern” different from the other scenarios?
Echo under the vaults: At the start of a round one random player secretly learns what's hidden in one of the dark corners. 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.