The Cold Ledger · A released research file

No Letter This Year

Thirty years of Christmas letters. One year, nothing was mailed.

Thirty years of the family's Christmas letters and card lists, and the one year nothing was mailed. The Cold Ledger has released the research file behind that missing winter.

1–2 detectivesAges 12 and up60–90 minutesPrint or browser $6.99

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No Letter This Year cover from Cold Ledger Games

An archive to read, a timeline to question and answers to commit to before you break the seal. A mystery for a quiet Christmas evening, alone or together.

See how the case opens

Every case starts with this intro: Vic Renner, host of The Cold Ledger, opens the file. Play it before you start reading, with the sound up. It comes with both editions: the digital case plays it on its first page, and the printable's START HERE links to it.

Inside the game

The complete printable and digital galleries, each led by the selected cover film and a look inside.

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The selected Season 4 cover animation, with paper, winter light and snow. Inside the printable edition: what arrives, actual PDF pages with all text blurred, and the family promise for ages twelve and up. No Letter This Year cover: a Cold Ledger case file. Thirty years of Christmas letters; one year, nothing was mailed. 1 to 2 detectives, ages 12 and up, printable or on screen. Twenty-nine went out: thirty years of a family's Christmas letters and card lists, and the one year nothing was mailed. Below, the case file's cover page, and: a death in the family's past, accepted as an accident. Was it? Four answers: work the four questions, write your answers down, then open the sealed solution. Below, the How to Play page and the timeline worksheet, headings sharp and their text blurred to avoid spoilers. Twelve exhibits, four questions, one sealed solution. The first page of each of the four PDFs: Start Here, the case file cover, the graduated hints and the sealed solution's warning page. Everything needed is in these pages; a record can be accurate, and still mistaken. Twelve exhibits: the How to Play page on top, and four case file pages beneath it with their exhibit titles showing and their text blurred to avoid spoilers. Family letters and card lists, a sheriff's report, a coroner's note. Who it's for: one or two detectives. A date night, a solo puzzle evening, or a stocking stuffer for a true crime fan. Below, exhibit pages with their text blurred. Two of you? One reads the family archive, one the official account, then trade. Ages 12 and up. How long it takes: one evening or two. 60 to 90 minutes, with no timer. Below, START HERE and the first page of the hints, and the hints' pacing note: read A to L in order, or take a break after G. Three hint pages, Tier 1 nudges, Tier 2 points and Tier 3 nearly answers, each showing only its objective and tier line, the hint itself blurred. Hints carry no penalty. The sealed solution's warning page, beside the scoring ranks for your solve: Detective, Investigator, Juror and Archivist. Which of you saw past the official account? A tablet showing the case file in a PDF reader, beside four notes: any PDF reader, no app or internet needed, single-page view for the hints, or print it on US Letter in black and white. The fine print: instant download. Four PDFs, 27 pages, US Letter, and black and white is fine. Print at home, or play it all on screen; nothing ships. Below, the first page of each PDF. Content note: ages 12 and up. A death in the family's past, with no graphic detail. No drinking, no gore. Behind it, exhibit pages with their text blurred. Also available from Cold Ledger Games: this case in your browser, on any phone, and The Christmas Letter, the family party game this case stands behind. Each stands alone; neither reveals the other's answer.
The selected Season 4 cover animation, with paper, winter light and snow. Inside the digital edition: what arrives, actual game frames with private fields blurred, and the family promise for ages twelve and up. No Letter This Year digital edition cover: the title on a letter card with a Digital edition plate and Play the cold case on your phone, beside a phone showing the case's page. Thirty years of Christmas letters; one year, nothing was mailed. 12 exhibits, 1 to 2 detectives, ages 12+, 60 to 90 minutes, no printer needed. No Letter This Year digital edition: a phone showing the case's opening page, beside what it does: no printing, nothing to install, play together on one link, progress saves as you go, hints one tier at a time, twelve exhibits and four questions. Along the bottom: 1 to 2 players, 60 to 90 minutes, ages 12+. Who it's for: one or two detectives. A quiet Christmas evening: a solo puzzle, a couple, or a grandparent and a teenager. Two phones on the same case: its opening page, and the Invite players button. Ages 12 and up. How long it takes: one evening or two. 60 to 90 minutes, and your progress saves with your copy. A phone showing the case's pacing note: two detectives follow a starting bundle each, or one reads in order and can take a break partway. Two phones: the list of twelve exhibits, some titles blurred, and one exhibit open on a paper-styled page, its text blurred to avoid spoilers. Two phones: the shared timeline worksheet with its rows blurred, and the Invite players button that sends the case link to a partner. A phone showing the hints page: each of the four questions with a button to open its next hint tier, three tiers each. A phone showing the confirmation before committing answers: once committed, the sealed solution opens. Then score your solve: Detective, Investigator, Juror or Archivist. Actual browser game screen beside the website delivery steps: checkout, purchase email and game link. Details of the digital edition: 1 to 2 players aged 12 and up, 60 to 90 minutes, any current browser, online while you play, your order number reopens your copy on any device, and for families: nothing graphic, no drinking, the death off-stage. Also available, from the same archive: this case as four PDFs to print at home, and its companion, a family party for eight to twenty. The covers of No Letter This Year's printable edition and The Christmas Letter.

Made for your Christmas mystery night

One file, one or two detectives

Read the records together or work through them alone. No cast, host or performance is needed.

Help when you choose it

Three levels of hints for each question: start with a nudge and open the next tier only if you want more.

Keep the ending sealed

Write your answers before opening the separate solution. The file tells you what the evidence supports, and where its limits are.

Choose paper or browser

Printable — $6.99

Four PDFs: Start Here, the Case File, Hints and the separate Sealed Solution. Print on US Letter in black and white, or read the files on a screen. Only open the solution when you are ready.

Digital edition — $6.99

Read the same case in the browser, with a shared worksheet, optional hint tiers and a sealed solution. Each detective can use a phone, tablet or computer. No printing required.

Instant delivery after purchase. Nothing physical ships. For personal use.

Your questions, answered

Is this Christmas mystery for one player or two?

Either. It is a cold-case file for one or two detectives, without a host or characters to perform. Printable and digital each cost $6.99 at regular prices.

How long does the case take?

Allow 60 to 90 minutes to read the file, compare the records and commit your answers. You can pause and return. Either edition costs $6.99 at regular prices.

Can a teenager solve it with an adult?

Yes: the case is for ages 12 and up, with nothing graphic and no drinking. Read together and compare your theories. At regular prices, one $6.99 edition covers the one or two detectives.

What is the difference between printable and digital?

The printable is four PDFs, including separate hints and solution. The digital edition presents the same case in the browser with a shared worksheet. Each costs $6.99 at regular prices.

Do I need to play the party game first?

No. This case stands on its own, and its answer does not reveal the party game. If you want both, the Season 4 Bundle is $37.99 per format at regular prices.

Can this be a stocking stuffer?

Yes. It is a downloadable Christmas mystery rather than a physical parcel. At regular prices, choose the $6.99 printable files or the $6.99 digital edition; the site also offers Buy as a gift at checkout.

What if I need a refund?

You can request a refund within 14 days. The printable becomes final on first download; the digital edition becomes final once the case is first opened. A faulty file or edition is fixed or refunded. See the refund policy for the full terms.

Refund policy

The other half of Season 4

The Christmas Letter is the murder-mystery party for 8 to 20 at a family Christmas, printable or played on everyone's phones. Each stands alone; neither reveals the other's answer.

The Christmas Letter — $34.99 Both games: the Season 4 bundle — $37.99

More from the archive:

Twenty-Two Gifts — $34.99 About Three — $6.99 The Season 3 bundle — $37.99 The Tenth Winter — $34.99 Accident, Drink Involved — $6.99 The Season 2 bundle — $37.99 The Hundredth Episode — $34.99 The Orpheum File — $6.99 The Season 1 bundle — $37.99

Thirty years of Christmas letters. One year, nothing was mailed.

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