Case № SHADO-01 Europe 1946
Shadows in the Gallery
A body discovered in a bricked up cellar unlocks the start of a cold case investigation.
The case
Shadows in the Gallery
Find out who is responsible for killing the missing American officer in 1946 and sealing his body away with a European master. Europe, 1946. The war is over - but not all secrets remain buried forever. Step into the shadowy world of the Monuments Men, the real-life heroes who risked everything to rescue Europe's stolen treasures. Decades after the guns fall silent, a bricked-up German cellar is breached, revealing the remains of a missing American officer and a trove of cryptic clues that point the way to his killer. In the aftermath of WWII, the Monuments Men scoured Europe to save priceless art from destruction. But not every masterpiece was recovered and not every hero made it home. Now, you've inherited the final clues to a decades-old mystery. Can you crack the codes, connect the clues, and solve the case that history left behind?
The plot
Europe, 1946. The war is over - but not all secrets remain buried forever.
Step into the shadowy world of the Monuments Men, the real-life heroes who risked everything to rescue Europe’s stolen treasures. Decades after the guns fall silent, a bricked-up German cellar is breached, revealing the remains of a missing American officer and a trove of cryptic clues that point the way to his killer.
In the aftermath of WWII, the Monuments Men scoured Europe to save priceless art from destruction. But not every masterpiece was recovered and not every hero made it home.
Now, you’ve inherited the final clues to a decades-old mystery.
Can you crack the codes, connect the clues, and solve the case that history left behind?
How it plays
This is the latest in our new editions of single box solve cases. Designed to be solved in one long sitting or over two shorter ones, expect the game to take round 2-4 hours of reading, cipher-breaking and cross-referencing. The field guide teaches the techniques you will need. The code-solutions notebook is there for when you get stuck. The sealed envelope at the bottom of the box is the only place the answer is written down so when you’re ready to discover the truth open that envelope to check your solution.
Designed for the curious
Shadows in the Gallery is the natural first step to explore our longer form mysteries. Designed to be played in one sitting, this box is jam packed with material for you to explore. Playfair ciphers, knock code, Caesar ciphers, Vigenère ciphers and letter exchange ciphers are included within this box, with clear signposting and a means of securing answers without any need for online support. The perfect gift for someone who loves history and is ready to take their case file mystery solving to the next level.
The envelope contents
What's in the box
We always theme the contents to the story. This case is set in post-war Europe, so the box contains replica military paperwork, postcards, photographs, newspaper cuttings and war time pamphlets. In a single box story there's less chance for a narrative to develop, but you can piece together the man from the items he's left behind and the story these tell.
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№ 01Replica military paperwork
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№ 02Postcards
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№ 03Photographs
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№ 04Newspaper cuttings
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№ 05War time pamphlets
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№ 06Code-solutions notebook
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№ 07Sealed final solution envelope
Ciphers & cross-references
What you'll be working with.
1946
Built for puzzle-lovers and experienced sleuths this case includes Playfair, knock code, Caesar, Vigenère and letter substitution ciphers like Morse as well as code book and referencing ciphers. Not all codes are easily found, but all are signposted so you know where you should be looking and can check you've found them all before turning to the solution.
Ciphers you'll meet
- Playfair
- Knock code
- Caesar
- Vigenère
- Letter substitution (Morse)
- Code book and referencing ciphers
From the case
A closer look
Ready?Case № SHADO-01
Mail me the case.
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Before you buy
Common questions
I'm new to Cosykiller — where should I start?
Start with An Inheritance of Murder. It's our gentlest case, built for puzzle-minded beginners — Braille, letter-to-symbol substitutions and one-time cipher pads. The Curse of Humanrah is the next step up with knock codes, Vigenère and occasional folding. The Secret of Site Q sits in the middle — challenging but solvable. Shadows in the Gallery is our advanced case, layering playfair, knock code and Caesar ciphers across a post-war art theft — do it once you've worked one of the others.
How old do you need to be to play?
Cosykiller is written mainly for adults, but families can participate together. Every case is rated 14+ for themes of murder, and Shadows in the Gallery touches on wartime violence and post-war trauma, so we'd steer younger players towards An Inheritance of Murder first.
What's inside a Cosykiller box?
It varies by case, but every box contains a cover letter from Fairhall & Brett Inheritance Recovery — the fictional investigators who brief you on the case — followed by the documents like photographs, ciphers, maps, letters, military archives, telegrams, postcards, and other personal effects collected during the investigation. Some cases include dried botanicals, spices, theatre programmes and small physical objects. Each case is a complete story, with the final solution provided at the end. Nothing to download or sign into.
How long does it take to solve a case?
2-4 hours for our single box solves, and between 6-11 hours for some of our longer games. Length of time also depends on the number of players, and how much you like to re-read and how quick you are at spotting and solving ciphers. Most people spread a case over two or three evenings. You can pause whenever you like — put the lid back on, come back next weekend. Nothing expires.
Can I play solo, or do I need a group?
Both work well. Every case is designed to be solvable on your own — no mechanic depends on a second reader. That said, two to four players is where a case shines, because half the fun is arguing civilly about motive over a drink.
I'm stuck on a code — what do I do?
If you become totally stuck on a code, check out the <a href="https://fairhallandbrett.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inheritance hunter's website</a> or join the online community where other detectives swap ideas (link included with your order). If you need one on one help then email <a href="mailto:supersleuth@cosykiller.com">supersleuth@cosykiller.com</a> with your case number and the document you're stuck on and we'll help without spoiling things for you.