A timeline is a classic component of many jubensha games. Designing a timeline is essentially designing a puzzle, so I can’t tell you exactly how to do it. There are, however, some basic components to consider first. Next consider elements that make solving the timeline interesting and fun.

I was recently asked about how I start writing a jubensha game and it got me thinking. Perhaps I start with an eccentric cast of characters, or maybe how the murder happens, or even the interesting secrets that a character could be hiding? But after some further thought, I realized the first step to creating a jubensha is much more fundamental: