I don’t want to try and lay out an entire sample mystery plot, but what I had in mind was a chance discovery very early on — something that it would have been more fun to find out over the course of the entire session — that gave your players a shortcut to the end of the scenario.

That situation might not bother everyone, but it would kind of bother me (both as a player and a GM), and I suspect most groups would find missing out on the evening’s entertainment at least a little bit annoying.

So, can you describe a good mystery-game for me, where finding out the GM:s plot is the source of fun? I’d like to disagree about this it further

My stance being, that pacing the game by refusing information is not the bestest idea. It can stall the game when players don’t get it (It is oh so hard to gauge when you’ve given enough clues) or do like you said – someone has a bright idea and..

The only thing I can do to make mysteries interesting is making choice of investigation the important thing: “Do we really want to pose the hard guestions for Nanny Gray since she has a weak heart..” or “Shall we risk it and chase the suspect while it is possible that real killer is ready to strike”.

On the flipside, what if they mention a specific plan that just happens to be the exact thing you were planning? For a lot of players, seeing the look of shock on your face — the look that reveals they’ve nailed it — might be a good thing, but for some, especially in mystery-oriented games where a lucky guess could bypass huge amounts of material, it wouldn’t be as enjoyable.

That’s where I see your poker face having the greatest utility: when using it keeps your players from finding out something that would make the game less fun for them.

When it descends to the level of pixelbitching, that’s an entirely different problem — bad GMing, in the example you gave. I wouldn’t connect that with the notion of using your poker face as a GMing tool, though.

Usually it just resulted in me changing my plans for the session, and then making them worse for his character. He picked up on it and eventually eased back, but I will never ever ever gamble because it is too easy to read me when I’m trying to keep something concealed.

For example, a smug look on your face could tip the players off that they’re forgetting something, like doing a search. A smile you couldn’t mask lets the players know they’re headed in the wrong direction towards the special surprise you had prepared.

Beg your pardon! Since when did games become more fun by pixelbitching?
“GM: There is a large room in front of you..
Players: We search the room!
GM: You find nothing, there are corridors to left..
Players: We search the corridor!
GM: Nothing, and right..
Players: (panicky) We search IT!”

Even something like noticing players forget a rope when going mountaineering and then trying to hide your giggles is childish. Players forgot. The characters spend days planning. Do you really think they will? And more importantly: Do you see any possibility of this making the game more fun on constant basis? I think the word your looking for is Tedious.

And more over, what is the worst that happens when players know that you’re planning something? “GM is planning something? That means fun, right?”

I could write a full page on how to avoid most problems with metagaming and trust me: poker face is not one of them.

– You in this post is not You the Reader but You the dude who wrote the original. Or even some You of Your choice.

Many a look of sheer joy at the players’ confusion/decision has been buried in the ‘fridge.