> Markdown version of [/videos/1273-how-to-automate-your-murder-mystery?t=0](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1273-how-to-automate-your-murder-mystery?t=0). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md).

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# How to Automate your Murder Mystery

Ever wondered how to trigger real-world electrical circuits using standard JavaScript? Learn how to combine Svelte, Home Assistant, and a Raspberry Pi to automate an immersive murder mystery.

- **Speakers:** Daphne Oakes, Tiger Oakes
- **Event:** WeAreDevelopers LIVE
- **Published:** December 16, 2024
- **Duration:** 22:00
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1273-how-to-automate-your-murder-mystery

## Summary

Transforming a traditional paper-and-pen murder mystery party into a tech-driven interactive experience requires merging web development, smart home orchestration, and foundational hardware skills. To solve the common issue of guests forgetting character identities throughout the night, a digital character sheet app was built using Svelte for its built-in CSS and animation support, paired with Convex for real-time network data syncing. To ensure professional UI formatting across diverse user-generated photos, the application integrates Thumbmark—an ML-powered image processing API that automatically detects faces and crops them uniformly via a simple URL request, entirely bypassing the need for complex backend image blob processing.

Elevating the dramatic tension of the event requires breaking out of traditional client-side applications and into the physical environment. A dramatic murder sequence of dimming lights and sound effects was orchestrated using Home Assistant and Node-RED, proving that complex, multi-room hardware sequencing can be achieved via intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces without extensive custom coding. For physical clue retrieval, a DIY electronic treasure chest was engineered using a Raspberry Pi, a relay, and an electromagnetic lock. By leveraging the NPM `onoff` library to manipulate GPIO pins, a standard Node.js HTTP server listens for POST requests from a SvelteKit-powered password form—demonstrating how basic web interactions can seamlessly toggle physical electrical circuits.

Ultimately, building immersive event technology reveals that hardware integration is highly accessible for web developers, often requiring little more than following basic wiring instructions and applying existing JavaScript knowledge. This intersection of acting, puzzle design, and engineering highlights how software can transcend standard enterprise apps, transforming everyday code into a medium for local showmanship and real-world gaming.

**Keywords:** murder mystery computer automation, svelte framework applications, convex real-time database, machine learning image cropping api, home assistant iot orchestration, node-red visual programming, smart home lighting sequences, raspberry pi gpio control, javascript hardware integration, electromagnetic relay circuits, physical computing with sveltekit, interactive escape room puzzles, npm onoff hardware library, event showmanship through code

## Chapters

1. **Upgrading traditional murder mystery games with custom software** (00:00) — Addressing the limitations of paper game kits by integrating smart home automation and custom web applications.
1. **Building a real-time responsive directory with Svelte and Convex** (03:44) — Overcoming the difficulty of tracking multiple characters by developing a synchronized guest application.
1. **Standardizing guest photos automatically using Thumbor machine learning** (05:23) — Eliminating manual photo formatting at the door by automatically detecting and cropping faces through an open-source processor.
1. **Scripting atmospheric lighting routines with Home Assistant and Node-RED** (08:20) — Amplifying narrative tension during the event by choreographing smart light automations over a centralized local API.
1. **Designing a programmable escape room chest with external hardware** (11:50) — Elevating static puzzle elements by wiring together an electromagnet and a Raspberry Pi to create physical locks.
1. **Creating a hardware unlock interface utilizing a SvelteKit server** (18:06) — Enabling guests to interact with physical hardware by passing form inputs through a lightweight local web server.
1. **Finding creative applications for software skills in everyday hobbies** (20:13) — Encouraging developers to push beyond standard utility programming by applying their technical knowledge to entertaining physical scenarios.

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