Case 0014 · October 28, 2026

The Altana at High Water

The sirens sang for acqua alta. He climbed to the roof to watch the tide, as he always did.

Tonight's case — free to play Difficulty: ●●●○○

The briefing

On Wednesday night the sirens sounded for acqua alta and Venice went quiet under the rising water. At 23:05 Giuseppe Scarpa, a retired lagoon pilot, fell from the wooden altana on the roof of his palazzo in Cannaregio when a section of its rail gave way.

The rest of the briefing is waiting in the case file.

The victim

Giuseppe Scarpa, age 72Retired lagoon pilotFor forty years Giuseppe guided ships through the channels of the lagoon, and he still knew every sandbank by heart. On every night of acqua alta he climbed to the altana on his roof to watch the tide peak and write it in his logbook.

The suspects

Chiara ScarpaGlass designer · Daughter
Tommaso VianelloOarlock carver · Tenant
Davide BoscoloWater-taxi skipper · Family friend
Lucio ZennaroRetired boatbuilder · Neighbour

How to play this case

DifficultyMedium (3/5)
The suspects4
TimeAbout ten minutes

4 suspects and 16 pieces of evidence wait in the file. Sweep your flashlight across the scene, listen to every voiced statement and pin what doesn't add up. You have three accusations to name the killer, the method and the motive; after that, the morning paper tells the whole story.

About this case

Case 0014, “The Altana at High Water”, opened on October 28, 2026. Difficulty: Medium (3/5). It puts 4 suspects and 16 pieces of evidence in front of you, all connected to Giuseppe Scarpa. Like every Midnight Casebook file, it is a fair puzzle: there is no trick ending and no outside knowledge needed — everything that points to the answer is somewhere in the scene, the evidence or the statements.

Questions about this case

Is “The Altana at High Water” free to play?

Yes. It is tonight's case, so it is free for everyone until the next case opens at midnight. Play it in your browser or in the iPhone or Android app — no account needed to start.

How hard is this case?

Difficulty: Medium (3/5). Difficulty follows the week: Monday's case is the gentlest, Friday's and Saturday's are the toughest, and most players close a daily case in about ten minutes.

What if I get stuck?

Hints open one at a time: the first points to evidence worth a closer look, the second to a contradiction, the third explains one part of the puzzle. Free players get one hint per case, plus an extra one on hard cases during their first seven solves; Casebook Pro unlocks all three. Each hint costs 10 points and each wrong accusation 20, but time never counts against you.

Do I need to download anything?

No. The case plays in any modern browser at midnightcasebook.com/play, and there are also iPhone and Android apps. Sign in with Apple or Google when you want to keep your streak, scores and badges on every device.