How Lore works, night by night.
Lore is a murder mystery you play by walking. A new case opens every Monday and runs for seven nights. Your steps unlock clues on a real map of your city, you question the suspects, and on night 7 you name the killer. Here is what happens on each night, and what you need to do.
The basics
Lore runs on a weekly schedule. Every Monday a new case opens for everyone. The case lasts seven nights, Monday to Sunday in your own time zone. Lore calls each day of the case a “night”, but you can walk whenever suits you: morning, lunch break or evening. What counts is how many steps you walk that day.
Lore reads your step count from Apple Health. That is the only Health data it asks for. You don’t need a watch and you don’t need to follow a route. The walk to work counts, and so does the walk with the dog. For a quick visual tour, see how Lore works.
- One case a week. It opens on Monday. You can see what’s open now on this week’s case.
- Fifteen clues. They unlock as you walk, spread across the seven nights.
- A handful of suspects. You can question each of them as often as your question limit allows.
- One accusation. It opens on night 7.
The seven nights
The case is paced so that the walks build up over the week and ease off at the end. Here is how the clues are spread out. The number of steps each clue needs depends on the walking level you pick, which we cover in our guide to walking levels.
| Night | Clues |
|---|---|
| Night 1The case opens. You meet the victim, the suspects and the first two clues. | 2 |
| Night 2Two more clues. A good night to question each suspect once. | 2 |
| Night 3The first three-clue night, so it asks for a longer walk. | 3 |
| Night 4The middle of the case. Compare what the suspects said with what you’ve found. | 2 |
| Night 5The longest walk of the week for every walking level. | 3 |
| Night 6The last full night of clues. Use your remaining questions where they matter. | 2 |
| Night 7One final clue, then accusations open. | 1 |
That adds up to fifteen clues. Some of them point to the killer. Some point somewhere else on purpose. Part of the game is working out which is which.
How a clue unlocks
1. Walk
Each night has step targets. When your steps for the day pass the first target, the first clue of the night appears. Pass the next target and the next one appears. Steps reset at midnight, and each night starts again from zero.
2. Find it on the map
When a clue unlocks, a pin appears on a real map of your city, a short walk from where you are. Lore aims to place pins on public paths and streets and near public places such as parks and squares, and away from private land. The streets you have walked light up on the map. The ones you haven’t stay hidden.
3. Collect it
Walk to the pin, press and hold, and the clue goes into your case file. If you turn on notifications, Lore can tell you when a clue appears or when you are close to one. If you can’t get to a pin, for example because it is on private land, you can move it. See how to play Lore safely for how that works.
If you like to listen while you walk, turn on voiced narration in Settings. A narrator reads the case introduction, the clues and the verdict aloud.
Questioning suspects
Every case has a handful of suspects. You can question them at any point during the week. Hold the mic and ask out loud, or type your question. The suspects are played by AI, so you can ask anything, and they answer in character.
You can also present a clue you have collected. If a suspect’s story doesn’t fit the evidence, the game may tell you. Free players get five questions per suspect for each case. Bureau members get more. Because questions are limited, it pays to collect a few clues before you start asking. Our guide to clues and interrogation has more tips.
If you get stuck, you can ask the Chief for a nudge. The Chief points you in a direction but never gives you the answer. How many nudges you get depends on your challenge level.
Night 7: the accusation
On night 7 you collect the last clue and accusations open. Pick the suspect you think did it and hold to file the accusation. You get one accusation per case and it can’t be undone. The verdict tells you whether you were right, explains what really happened, and you can share it without spoiling the case for anyone else.
The next Monday, a new case opens and it starts again.
If you miss a night
Life gets in the way. If you skip a night, you don’t lose those clues. Clues from earlier nights unlock based on your total steps since the case started, so a longer walk later in the week brings them back. You can also join a case late in the week and catch up the same way.
Your steps also count in your weekly league, where you are ranked against other players by steps. Leagues reset every Monday, the same day the new case opens. And if you want more than one case a week, the Bureau membership opens the archive of past cases.
Frequently asked
When does a new Lore case start?
A new case opens every Monday and runs for seven nights, Monday to Sunday in your own time zone. Bureau members can start it a night early with Night Zero.
How many clues are in a Lore case?
Fifteen: two on most nights, three on nights 3 and 5, and one on night 7. How many steps each clue takes depends on your walking level.
What if I miss a night?
You can catch up. Clues from nights you missed unlock on your total steps since the case started, so a longer walk later in the week brings them back.
Can I accuse the killer before night 7?
No. Accusations open on night 7, and you get one per case. It can’t be undone, so take your time.
Is the weekly case free?
Yes. The weekly case is always free. The optional Bureau membership adds past cases, more questions per suspect and a few other extras.
