Violet's Revenge: The Forensics Trail

What the event is

The proposal uses fictional clues and fabricated documents, public-space investigation, optional participation, and an accessible indoor fallback. It is an event-format companion study, not a replacement for the Yellow Door interactive.

Participant access

Discord is not the public entry point. The invitation is the transition into the participant coordination space. The Violet's Revenge community guide identifies Discord as its day-to-day communication and playtesting-coordination space while GitHub remains the project source of truth.

Public safety resource

HeartSupport is provided as a public support resource outside participant coordination. It is not a substitute for emergency services, clinical care, or event staff response.

Planned structure

• Riverfront / Stone Arch and Mill Ruins area
• Breakfast briefing
• Whittier pop-up case-file phase
• Public landmark clue trail
• Accessible indoor reset / meal period
• Choose an ending: a sober, family-friendly trail or the separate adult concert option at The Cabooze

Sober, family-friendly adventure

Families and people who prefer an alcohol-free outing can complete the Forensics Trail without entering a bar or attending a concert. This is a proposed self-guided branch, not a hosted tour or an announcement of venue partnerships. The shared fictional clue and reflection activity can finish before the evening: “What did someone design for another person to use?” No purchase, score, health disclosure, game victory, or Discord membership is required to follow this public route. Adults remain responsible for the children in their care.

• Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) in Whittier: observe an artwork or designed object and sketch an optional clue. General admission is free; published Saturday hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Verify October 31 access before setting a meeting time.
• Mill City Museum and the riverfront: look for a machine, building, or city system and compare it to the fictional case file. Museum admission, hours, accessibility and travel between stops need a final check. The public riverfront can serve as a shorter outdoor alternative.
• Finish with a meal or a family Halloween activity. Barebones Halloween Extravaganza lists an October 31 outdoor puppet pageant at Powderhorn Park, 7 p.m. (gates 6 p.m.), with pay-what-you-can admission. It is an independent, optional evening destination, with separate travel, weather and ticket decisions.

The Bakken Museum is an optional science and invention detour rather than a required stop. Its October 31 Inventors Club is a separately registered, multiweek youth program; it is not a drop-in event activity. Any market or trick-or-treat listing should be added only after its 2026 date and hours are confirmed.

Two endings: The family branch ends with its own clue and optional reflection. The Cabooze concert is a separate adult option and is never a requirement for completion. Confirm its age policy and all venue details before publishing an operational itinerary. No named venue has agreed to host this project.

Adult cannabis-interest trail (21+)

A separate, optional route for adult medical and recreational cannabis users follows the event's fictional “sin and systems” clue theme and ends with the independently ticketed Chris Webby performance at The Cabooze. It is a planning proposal, not a cannabis event, consumption session, dispensary promotion or venue partnership. Participation never requires purchase, use, a medical disclosure or proof of patient status.

1. Hell's Kitchen, 80 S 9th St: optional meal and opening clue. It is a restaurant, not a cannabis-use site.
2. Devil's Advocate, 1070 Nicollet Mall: second food and reflection stop, subject to hours and access review. It is a separate restaurant from Hell's Kitchen.
3. Choose a dispensary approach: Green Goods Minneapolis, 207 S 9th St, is near Hell’s Kitchen and lists both medical and adult-use sales. If arriving from St. Paul, RISE St. Paul lists both medical and recreational sales; its posted Ford Parkway location is a separate stop before traveling to Minneapolis, not a walkable downtown detour. Choose one if desired. Confirm October 31 hours, address, access and your purchasing eligibility directly with the store. “Sinful” is a product brand, not a verified local dispensary.
4. Evening ending: the Cabooze event listing for Chris Webby. Confirm the October 31 show time, age policy, ticketing, venue access and entry rules directly with the venue before publishing a schedule. A concert ticket is separate from this proposed trail.

All restaurant and retailer stops are independently operated. Do not assume cannabis use is permitted at a restaurant, retailer, concert or along a public route. Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management guidance limits where adult-use cannabis may be used; medical-use guidance has its own conditions. Arrange a sober ride or transit if impaired, and check venue rules for possession and entry. No consumption space or special event authorization has been secured.

Optional pinball observation at LITT

LITT Pinball Bar, 2021 Hennepin Ave, is an optional self-guided stop for people who want to play or watch pinball and ask: How does the table teach a newcomer what to do, and what makes its controls easier or harder to use? Sketch a playfield or jot down an observation only if you want to. This public visit is not a class, hosted crawl stop, partnership or demonstration of a finished project.

LITT is a bar that serves food and nonalcoholic choices; no alcohol purchase is required for this proposed activity. Its published policy welcomes all ages from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; visitors under 18 need a guardian, and entry is 21+ after 8 p.m. Games take quarters. Check Halloween hours, access and any special event before visiting. Families who do not want a bar setting can skip LITT and complete the Mia → Mill City route. The Break the Grid digital pinball maker pilot remains a separate, unapproved proposal; no custom table or physical cabinet is promised here.

Open the routes in Google Maps

Tap a route to open directions on your device. Google Maps can open in its app or browser; choose your travel mode and confirm each stop before departure. These are proposed stop sequences, not tickets, reservations or live event schedules.

• Family daytime: Mia → Mill City Museum
• Family optional evening transfer: Mill City → Powderhorn Park (separate trip to Barebones).
• Adult Minneapolis: Hell's Kitchen → Green Goods → Devil's Advocate → Cabooze
• Adult from St. Paul: RISE → Hell's Kitchen → Devil's Advocate → Cabooze
• Family optional pinball: Mia → LITT → Mill City Museum (LITT is a bar; under 18 with guardian until 8 p.m.).
• Adult Minneapolis via LITT pinball
• Adult from St. Paul via LITT pinball

The St. Paul route and the family evening transfer require planning beyond a downtown walk. Anyone impaired should choose transit or a sober ride. Google Maps does not guarantee that every waypoint will display in every app or browser; check the stop list before starting navigation.

Start-of-day buddy check-in

Before setting off, choose someone you already trust and agree on a meeting point, a check-in time, and what to do if plans change. A parent or guardian makes the plan for their child. This works for every route and never requires joining Discord or sharing a location with the project.

• Apple Find My: if both people use it, share with your chosen person for a limited period and stop sharing when the outing ends. Do not post a Find My link or screenshot publicly.
• Google Maps: share location or trip progress with the chosen person for the time needed, then stop sharing. Check who can view a sharing link before sending it.
• No location sharing: exchange a call or text at departure, at the route ending, and after getting home. Agree in advance who will call if a check-in is missed.

Example personal plan: “Meet at our chosen first stop; text at the last stop and once home. If I miss our agreed check-in, call me first, then our agreed contact.” In an immediate emergency call 911. The event does not collect live locations, track devices, or dispatch a search team. Battery, signal and app settings can fail, so keep a written meeting point and contact plan.

Safety and participation

• Participation remains optional at every stop.
• Buddy/check-in practices and a clear emergency contact.
• No recording by default; visible photo zones only.
• No stored location tracking.
• No requirement to disclose personal information to participate.
• Indoor/tabletop fallback for unsafe weather or walking conditions.

Rights and provenance

This is an independent design/event study. The existence of a proposal does not establish artist participation, approval, endorsement, partnership, venue confirmation, ticketing, or rights clearance. Public release remains subject to the project's existing rights and safety rules.

Related work

Yellow Door alpha · Next Phase release architecture · 50 Ways interactive-narrative writer path