🕵️♂️ The Vintage Cipher
Welcome to The Vintage Cipher — a deliciously cryptic wine and food mystery designed for the curious minds of mellow.io. You have 3 hours to uncover the truth!
Quest Story:
The Case of the Vanishing Number
Alex, a remote freelancer, moved to a warm Mediterranean country for sunshine while working. After submitting their residence permit application, disaster struck: Alex lost the application number, risking rejection. In a moment of paranoia, Alex hid the number in parts: emails, maps, mementos. Now, Alex can’t recall where the pieces are or which country it pertains to!
🕵️♂️ The Vintage Cipher
Game Flow
THE EVENT At A GLANCE
🍸 Welcome Cocktail + Scene Set (20 min)
Guests arrive and receive a themed cocktail (e.g., “The Vintner’s Secret” or “Cypher Spritz”) and small amuse-bouche.
A host or narrator introduces the mystery live (or via short landing page video).
🕵️♂️ Team Setup and Dossier Access (10 min)
Each of the 6 teams (5 people each) is given access to their digital dossier via a link or QR code on their mobile devices. This includes:
Their team role (e.g., Analysts, Investors, Sommelier team, etc.)
A unique clue or secret (chat log, intercepted message, etc.)
Their character backstories and potential motive
🧩 Hybrid Clue Stations (90 min total)
🔀 Teams rotate through 6 stations, each with a physical setup and digital enhancement.
🍷 Wine Pairing & Bite Integration (During Stations)
Every two stations, teams are served a different small wine and bite pairing. These:
Relate to the station theme (e.g., Cypriot vintage + regional cheese for the Map Station).
May include subtle clues on the label or pairing menu.
🔎 Final Deduction & Submission (20 min)
Teams gather at their table.
Use a digital Final Submission Form to input:
🎭 5. Live Debrief & Twist Reveal (15–20 min)
The host narrates the timeline.
Plot Twist: Dr. Moroz isn’t dead—she staged it to expose a mole.
Optional: Reveal one team had a secret traitor sabotaging clues.
Close with a toast and thank-you.
🍸 Phase 1: The Toast
The mystery begins with a wine-fueled welcome and a celebratory cocktail. But as the first sip settles, Dr. Moroz is gone—and her algorithm with her.
🕵️♂️ Phase 2: Dossiers Assigned
Teams receive secret missions, character backstories, and partial access to encrypted clues. Each team knows something—no one knows everything.
🧩 Phase 3: The Investigation
Explore clue stations, both physical and digital, to decode the mystery. Interview suspects, crack logic puzzles, and follow wine trails across time and data.
🎭 Phase 4: Submit Your Theory
At the end, each team submits their verdict: Who sabotaged the launch? Why? And what secret still lies hidden?
🕵️♂️ The Vintage Cipher
Your Mission Begins Here...
A mysterious freelancer has vanished — but left behind tantalizing clues at four gourmet tasting stations.
Your task: Decode the lost permit number and discover which country they’ve secretly relocated to.
But beware… The flavors may lead you astray.
🕵️♂️ The Vintage Cipher
Game Flow
THE EVENT At A GLANCE
🍸 Welcome Cocktail + Scene Set (20 min)
Guests arrive and receive a themed cocktail (e.g., “The Vintner’s Secret” or “Cypher Spritz”) and small amuse-bouche.
A host or narrator introduces the mystery live (or via short landing page video).
🕵️♂️ Team Setup and Dossier Access (10 min)
Each of the 6 teams (5 people each) is given access to their digital dossier via a link or QR code on their mobile devices. This includes:
Their team role (e.g., Analysts, Investors, Sommelier team, etc.)
A unique clue or secret (chat log, intercepted message, etc.)
Their character backstories and potential motive
🧩 Hybrid Clue Stations (90 min total)
🔀 Teams rotate through 6 stations, each with a physical setup and digital enhancement.
🍷 Wine Pairing & Bite Integration (During Stations)
Every two stations, teams are served a different small wine and bite pairing. These:
Relate to the station theme (e.g., Cypriot vintage + regional cheese for the Map Station).
May include subtle clues on the label or pairing menu.
🔎 Final Deduction & Submission (20 min)
Teams gather at their table.
Use a digital Final Submission Form to input:
🎭 5. Live Debrief & Twist Reveal (15–20 min)
The host narrates the timeline.
Plot Twist: Dr. Moroz isn’t dead—she staged it to expose a mole.
Optional: Reveal one team had a secret traitor sabotaging clues.
Close with a toast and thank-you.
🍸 Phase 1: The Toast
The mystery begins with a wine-fueled welcome and a celebratory cocktail. But as the first sip settles, Dr. Moroz is gone—and her algorithm with her.
🕵️♂️ Phase 2: Dossiers Assigned
Teams receive secret missions, character backstories, and partial access to encrypted clues. Each team knows something—no one knows everything.
🧩 Phase 3: The Investigation
Explore clue stations, both physical and digital, to decode the mystery. Interview suspects, crack logic puzzles, and follow wine trails across time and data.
🎭 Phase 4: Submit Your Theory
At the end, each team submits their verdict: Who sabotaged the launch? Why? And what secret still lies hidden?
🕵️♂️ The Vintage Cipher
Team Profile Dossiers
Each team plays a role in the story. Your character background, perspective, and clues will shape how you see the truth—and how close you get to it. Choose wisely.
🔐 Unlock your Team Profile Dossier
🧩 Your Mission: read a wine label like a pro.
Find the 4-digit password using the information from the bottles.
🍷 The Cipher Clues:
1️⃣ ABV
On the bottle lable find the alcohol level. Round it to the nearest whole number.
👉 (13.7% becomes 14 → (1+4)=5 ) → This is Digit 1
2️⃣ Vintage
Look for the **vintage year** printed on the bottles. Use the last digit of that year.
👉 (2012 → 2) → This is Digit 2
3️⃣ Classification
Take the first letter of the marked PGI / PDO (Protected Designation of Origin).
Convert it to a number (A=1, B=2, …, Z=26).
👉 (e.g. “PGI Limassol” → L =18 → (1+8)=9) → This is Digit 3
4️⃣ Producer Name
Take the first letter of the producers’ names.
Convert it to a number (A=1, B=2, …, Z=26).
👉 (“Aes Ambelis” → A = 1) → This is Digit 4
✍️ Final Code:
Put the four digits together:
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Enter it to unlock your Team Profile Dossier.
📰 Journalists
🕵️♂️ The Vintage Cipher
Investigation Playground
Clue Stations: Crack the Cipher, One Clue at a Time. Move through three clue stations—part live, part digital. Each one holds a piece of the algorithm’s last known trace.
Wine Cipher
Founder’s Tablet
Cypriot Code Map
USB Hunt
USB Hunt
Blind Tasting Challenge
🕵️♂️ The Vintage Cipher
Your Final Deduction
Once you’ve gathered enough evidence, it’s time to submit your theory. Who sabotaged the launch? What was their motive? And what overlooked clue proves it?
🕵️♂️ The Vintage Cipher
Truth is Stranger Than…
Meet Your Host
Find The Venue
Directions
