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* The Monster with 21 Faces, an unidentified criminal who extorted Japanese food companies by poisoning their products, taunted his victims and the police by sending them cryptic letters mocking the authorities stupidity, offering clues on how to catch him and ordering one of the companies he was blackmailing to leave him weird messages in the newspaper.

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* The Monster with 21 Faces, an unidentified criminal who extorted Japanese food companies by poisoning their products, taunted his victims and the police by sending them cryptic letters mocking the authorities stupidity, offering clues on how to catch him and ordering one of the companies he was blackmailing to leave him weird messages in the newspaper. After one police chief killed himself over being unable to find him, he stopped sending letters and was never caught.
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** True crime writer Jason Lucky Morrow, in his book ''Famous Crimes the World Forgot'', identified a possible precursor to Zodiac in "Agent 3X", an unidentified killer who terrorized New York City in 1930 and sent bizarre letters to the newspapers and police claiming to be a secret agent and containing indecipherable coded messages, predictions and threats about when the next murders wold occur (which he often failed to follow through on) and accusations that he was avenging some kind of international conspiracy involving secret documents and stolen money.

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** True crime writer Jason Lucky Morrow, in his book ''Famous Crimes the World Forgot'', identified a possible precursor to Zodiac in "Agent 3X", an unidentified killer who terrorized New York City in 1930 and sent bizarre letters to the newspapers and police claiming to be a secret agent and containing indecipherable coded messages, predictions and threats about when the next murders wold would occur (which he often failed to follow through on) and accusations that he was avenging some kind of international conspiracy involving secret documents and stolen money.
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* Subverted in the case of the Yorkshire Ripper, who for a long time was believed to have went letters and tape recordings to Detective George Oldfield taunting him for failing to catch him and claiming to be Jack the Ripper. However, the real Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, was proven after his arrest to have had nothing to do with the so-called "Wearside Jack" messages, which were eventually traced back to a random crank named John Humble who had apparently sent them for fun.

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* Subverted in the case of the Yorkshire Ripper, who for a long time was believed to have went sent letters and tape recordings to Detective George Oldfield taunting him for failing to catch him and claiming to be Jack the Ripper. However, the real Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, was proven after his arrest to have had nothing to do with the so-called "Wearside Jack" messages, which were eventually traced back to a random crank named John Humble who had apparently sent them for fun.
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* Subverted in the case of the Yorkshire Ripper, who for a long time was believed to have went letters and tape recordings to Detective George Oldfield taunting him for failing to catch him and claiming to be Jack the Ripper. However, the real Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, was proven after his arrest to have had nothing to do with the so-called "Wearside Jack" messages, which were eventually traced back to a random crank named John Humble who had apparently sent them for fun.
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** True crime writer Jason Lucky Morrow, in his book ''Famous Crimes the World Forgot'', identified a possible precursor to Zodiac in "Agent 3X", an unidentified killer who terrorized New York City in 1930 and sent bizarre letters to the newspapers and police claiming to be a secret agent and containing indecipherable coded messages, predictions and threats about when the next murders wold occur (which he often failed to follow through on) and accusations that he was avenging some kind of international conspiracy involving secret documents and stolen money.


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* The unidentified perpetrator of the infamous Black Dahlia murder wrote several anonymous letters to the police, including one containing several personal effects belonging to the victim, Elizabeth Short. Other letters toyed with the authorities by promising that the killer would turn themselves in at a specific time and place only for the killer to not appear, followed by another letter explaining that they had changed their mind. The killer also made a phone call to the ''Los Angeles Examiner'' congratulating the editor on his coverage of the murder and expressing their intent to have fun with the police by turning themselves in only after they were sure the police couldn't catch them on their own.
* SpreeKiller Chester Comer, while dying in the hospital at the end of his killing spree, decided to entertain himself by giving the police multiple different locations to search for his victims bodies, all of which turned out to be wrong (the bodies ended up being found after he died with no help whatsoever from him).

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* Dennis Rader, also known as the SerialKiller BTK would send letters to police and media in Wichita, Kansas including phtos of his crimes and the occasional CreepySouvenir. Ultimately, this lead to his capture, as he wrote a letter asking the police if they would be able to trace a floppy disk to who used it, and [[TooDumbToLive the police told him no]], and soon caught him.

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* Dennis Rader, also known as the SerialKiller BTK would send letters to police and media in Wichita, Kansas including phtos of his crimes and the occasional CreepySouvenir. Ultimately, this lead to his capture, as he wrote a letter asking the police if they would be able to trace a floppy disk to who used it, and [[TooDumbToLive [[BlatantLies the police told him no]], and soon caught him.


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* Keith Hunter Jesperson, the Happy Face Killer, got so angry at a MiscarriageOfJustice where two people were found guilty of committing his first murder ([[ItsAllAboutMe mostly because it meant he didn't get any credit]]) that he wrote a message on the wall of a truck stop bathroom confessing to the murders, followed by sending several letters to police and the media describing all the murders he had committed in detail. He would sign these letters with a smiley face, hence the moniker of "Happy Face Killer".
* The Monster with 21 Faces, an unidentified criminal who extorted Japanese food companies by poisoning their products, taunted his victims and the police by sending them cryptic letters mocking the authorities stupidity, offering clues on how to catch him and ordering one of the companies he was blackmailing to leave him weird messages in the newspaper.
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* The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, the unidentified killer behind the Cleveland Torso murders, taunted Cleveland Public Safety Eliot Ness (yes, [[Film/TheUntouchables that Eliot Ness]]) for his inability to catch him by leaving two of his mutilated victims [[RefugeInAudacity outside Ness' office window, which he somehow managed to do undetected]]. The prime suspect in the case, who Ness had personally interrogated but could not prove anything against, also sent Ness a series of taunting postcards while in a mental institution after the end of the killing spree.

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* The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, the unidentified killer behind the Cleveland Torso murders, taunted Cleveland Public Safety Director Eliot Ness (yes, [[Film/TheUntouchables that Eliot Ness]]) for his inability to catch him by leaving two of his mutilated victims [[RefugeInAudacity outside Ness' office window, which he somehow managed to do undetected]]. The prime suspect in the case, who Ness had personally interrogated but could not prove anything against, also sent Ness a series of taunting postcards while in a mental institution after the end of the killing spree.

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%%Others who sent letters (some of them more coherent than others) include Son of Sam, BTK, and the Axeman of New Orleans. Usually, the capture had little to do with the any attempted mind games: Son of Sam was captured when a witness saw him loitering suspiciously near his illegally parked car around the time of the shootings then confessed quickly. BTK was caught after a floppy disk he sent was traced to a computer registered by a local church (after being assured by investigators in a previous communication that oh yeah, they totally wouldn't be able to trace a floppy disk in any way).

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%%Others ** Others who sent letters (some of them more coherent than others) include Son of Sam, BTK, and the Axeman of New Orleans. Usually, the capture had little to do with the any attempted mind games: Son of Sam was captured when a witness saw him loitering suspiciously near his illegally parked car around the time of the shootings then confessed quickly. BTK was caught after a floppy disk he sent was traced to a computer registered by a local church (after being assured by investigators in a previous communication that oh yeah, they totally wouldn't be able to trace a floppy disk in any way).



* Dennis Rader, also known as the SerialKiller BTK would send letters to police and media in Wichita, Kansas including phtos of his crimes and the occational CreepySouvenir. Ultimately, this lead to his capture, as he wrote a letter asking the police if they would be able to trace a floppy disk to who used it, and [[the police told him no]], and soon caught him.

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* Dennis Rader, also known as the SerialKiller BTK would send letters to police and media in Wichita, Kansas including phtos of his crimes and the occational occasional CreepySouvenir. Ultimately, this lead to his capture, as he wrote a letter asking the police if they would be able to trace a floppy disk to who used it, and [[the [[TooDumbToLive the police told him no]], and soon caught him.him.
* The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, the unidentified killer behind the Cleveland Torso murders, taunted Cleveland Public Safety Eliot Ness (yes, [[Film/TheUntouchables that Eliot Ness]]) for his inability to catch him by leaving two of his mutilated victims [[RefugeInAudacity outside Ness' office window, which he somehow managed to do undetected]]. The prime suspect in the case, who Ness had personally interrogated but could not prove anything against, also sent Ness a series of taunting postcards while in a mental institution after the end of the killing spree.
* John Miller, the killer of eight-year-old April Tinsley, left a number of anonymous notes around the town of Fort Wayne where the murder took place mocking the police's inability to catch him and threating to kill more people (which, as far as we know, he didn't).

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* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in ''Fanfic/NemesisMHA'': Mischief sets up a series of {{Hostage Situation}}s and declares Katsuki as his nemesis in order to get him involved in the investigation. All of the crimes are tied together by their shared past; as Mischief eventually explains, his ''true'' goal in all of this was forcing Katsuki's history as a BarbericBully out into the public eye and [[spoiler:permanently tying them together, as the world now knows that Katsuki was responsible for [[CreateYourOwnVillain creating his own villain]]]].

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* {{Downplayed|Trope}} ''Fanfic/ACharmedLife'' has Light sending L a series of postcards. He also left a coded message for L in his fake suicide note.
* ''Fanfic/TheManyArrestsOfThePhantom'': In the original version, the Phantom Thieves film a video calling card in front of the Diet Building. The police attempt to use this to track down their identities, unaware that the video was actually filmed [[spoiler:in the Metaverse]].
* PlayedWith
in ''Fanfic/NemesisMHA'': Mischief sets up a series of {{Hostage Situation}}s and declares Katsuki as his nemesis in order to get him involved in the investigation. All of the crimes are tied together by their shared past; as Mischief eventually explains, his ''true'' goal in all of this was forcing Katsuki's history as a BarbericBully BarbaricBully out into the public eye and [[spoiler:permanently tying them together, as the world now knows that Katsuki was responsible for [[CreateYourOwnVillain creating his own villain]]]]. villain]]]].
* ''Fanfic/PointOfSuccession'' has B leaving behind various clues and puzzles in order to irritate L throughout his search for the escaped criminal.
* In ''Fanfic/ZumasFear'', Damian Stone kidnaps a group of bunnies that Skye is fond of and forces her to play a trivia game about him. For every answer she gets wrong, he kills one of the rabbits. Ultimately, [[spoiler:only one of the bunnies survives]].

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[[folder:Fan Works]]
* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in ''Fanfic/NemesisMHA'': Mischief sets up a series of {{Hostage Situation}}s and declares Katsuki as his nemesis in order to get him involved in the investigation. All of the crimes are tied together by their shared past; as Mischief eventually explains, his ''true'' goal in all of this was forcing Katsuki's history as a BarbericBully out into the public eye and [[spoiler:permanently tying them together, as the world now knows that Katsuki was responsible for [[CreateYourOwnVillain creating his own villain]]]].
[[/folder]]



* ''Film/TheBatman2022'': The Riddler in this version of the Batman mythos is a particularly manipulative and cruel take on the character. One of his first riddles starts with providing a lengthy ciphered document and a clue for a few letters using [[EvilHasABadSenseOfHumour a very dark pun about the mayor, who he murdered]]. Then, when those letters are highlighted on the ciphered document, it forms the word DRIVE, leading to the mayor's garage of fancy cars, where a USB drive is tied to the mayor's thumb with photos of the mayor with a mysterious girl outside a Mob-owned club - and a program that uses Gordon's email to send them to all of Gotham's journalistic outlets, [[spoiler:and keeping them so distracted dealing with all this stuff that they don't think to ask where the photos were taken from, which would have led them directly to his hideout]]. Later riddles are similarly elaborate, and macabre puns keep making appearances. In an unusual twist, the riddles aren't there to see if Batman is worthy of catching him; [[spoiler:it's because he thinks Batman is a kindred spirit and is, in a messed-up kind of way, trying to connect with him]].




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* ''Film/KnightMoves'': The killer in the film is engaging in a particularly convoluted mind game with the cops and the chessmaster hero where he kills various women on different locations on the island, each one corresponding to a chess move if you map it out onto a chess board.



* ''Film/{{Switchback}}'': The killer started writing [=LaCrosse=] taunting letters when he began hunting him, along with leaving clues and later kidnapping [=LaCrosse=]'s son. In his last letter, he left clues on how to catch him that take a long time for [=LaCrosse=] to figure out.







* ''Film/KnightMoves'': The killer in the film is engaging in a particularly convoluted mind game with the cops and the chessmaster hero where he kills various women on different locations on the island, each one corresponding to a chess move if you map it out onto a chess board.
* ''{{Film/Switchback}}'': The killer started writing [=LaCrosse=] taunting letters when he began hunting him, along with leaving clues and later kidnapping [=LaCrosse=]'s son. In his last letter, he left clues on how to catch him that take a long time for [=LaCrosse=] to figure out.
* ''Film/TheBatman2022'': The Riddler in this version of the Batman mythos is a particularly manipulative and cruel take on the character. One of his first riddles starts with providing a lengthy ciphered document and a clue for a few letters using [[EvilHasABadSenseOfHumour a very dark pun about the mayor, who he murdered]]. Then, when those letters are highlighted on the ciphered document, it forms the word DRIVE, leading to the mayor's garage of fancy cars, where a USB drive is tied to the mayor's thumb with photos of the mayor with a mysterious girl outside a Mob-owned club - and a program that uses Gordon's email to send them to all of Gotham's journalistic outlets, [[spoiler:and keeping them so distracted dealing with all this stuff that they don't think to ask where the photos were taken from, which would have led them directly to his hideout]]. Later riddles are similarly elaborate, and macabre puns keep making appearances. In an unusual twist, the riddles aren't there to see if Batman is worthy of catching him; [[spoiler:it's because he thinks Batman is a kindred spirit and is, in a messed-up kind of way, trying to connect with him]].



* ''Literature/EightySeventhPrecinct'': This is the M.O. of recurring villain the Deaf Man in Creator/EdMcBain's novels. There is a slight aversion in that while the Deaf Man sends taunting clues to the police, they seldom fully decipher them and are more likely to stop his crimes by accident than design.



* OlderThanTelevision: Literature/SherlockHolmes himself had to deal with his share of these villains. This seems to be particularly common for movie and video game versions of Holmes, and less so in the Canon. In particular, he's been sent on scavenger hunts through famous sites in London by thieves ''twice,'' at least -- in the Creator/{{Infocom}} text adventure ''The Riddle of the Crown Jewels,'' and in the more recent ''Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis''. Ironically, Moriarty is the villain and riddler of the former, not the latter.



* Double-subverted in John Buchan's Richard Hannay novel ''Literature/TheThreeHostages''. The villain leaves a riddle for the police, in the form of a six-line poem. [[SubvertedTrope It's deliberately uncrackable]], designed only as a distraction. But, possibly subconsciously, [[DoubleSubverted he laces the riddle with subtle clues]], which the heroes crack thanks to a number of [[ContrivedCoincidence remarkably fortuitous encounters and observations]].
* In ''Literature/BloodWork'', the "Code Killer" leaves the number sequence "903 472 568" at his crime scenes as a taunting hint. The solution? [[spoiler: All the decimal digits are represented except 1, and his real name is Noone ("No one").]]

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* Double-subverted in John Buchan's Richard Hannay novel ''Literature/TheThreeHostages''. ''Literature/AnotherNote'': The villain leaves entire book is about trying to solve a riddle for very, very, difficult one of these. The killer, [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Beyond Birthday]], left several clues leading from one murder to the police, next. None of the investigating officers could even start to decipher B's clues. Only Naomi Misora -- under L's guidance -- and an "unprivate" detective named Ryuzaki could help. The clues lead Naomi Misora ''in person'' to find each and every one of these clues to make sure the effort didn't go to waste. [[spoiler:Ryuzaki ends up doing most of the work. He turns out to be the killer who placed the clues there in the form of a six-line poem. [[SubvertedTrope It's deliberately uncrackable]], designed only as a distraction. But, possibly subconsciously, [[DoubleSubverted he laces the riddle with subtle clues]], which the heroes crack thanks to a number of [[ContrivedCoincidence remarkably fortuitous encounters and observations]].
first place.]]
* In ''Literature/BloodWork'', the "Code Killer" leaves the number sequence "903 472 568" at his crime scenes as a taunting hint. The solution? [[spoiler: All [[spoiler:All the decimal digits are represented except 1, and his real name is Noone ("No one").]]]]
* ''Literature/TheBoneCollector'': (described under Film).
* Subverted in Creator/JorgeLuisBorges' ''Death and the Compass''. Lonnrot thinks he's oh-so-clever for figuring out there'll be four cabalistic assassinations, not just three... [[spoiler:It turns out the first one was an accident, and the second and third were rigged in order to get Lonnrot - who has a very romanticized view of detective work - to come to that conclusion, and show up in a location where his nemesis Red Scharlach can off him.]]
** Deliberately homaged in ''Literature/TheNameOfTheRose'', right down to the perpetrator [[spoiler:being literally named Jorge of Burgos]].



* ''Literature/EightySeventhPrecinct'': This is the M.O. of recurring villain the Deaf Man in Creator/EdMcBain's novels. There is a slight aversion in that while the Deaf Man sends taunting clues to the police, they seldom fully decipher them and are more likely to stop his crimes by accident than design.
* Used by Melisande in ''[[Literature/KushielsLegacy Kushiel's Chosen]]''. She thinks of her attempt to gain control of Terre d'Ange as a game and Phedre as her WorthyOpponent, and so sends Phedre a hint to start her search.
* Subverted in Creator/JorgeLuisBorges' ''Death and the Compass''. Lonnrot thinks he's oh-so-clever for figuring out there'll be four cabalistic assassinations, not just three... [[spoiler: It turns out the first one was an accident, and the second and third were rigged in order to get Lonnrot - who has a very romanticized view of detective work - to come to that conclusion, and show up in a location where his nemesis Red Scharlach can off him.]]
** Deliberately homaged in ''Literature/TheNameOfTheRose'', right down to the perpetrator [[spoiler: being literally named Jorge of Burgos.]]
* Played with in ''Literature/RedDragon'', where the police intercept a fan letter the SerialKiller sent to his idol, Hannibal Lecter. Lecter begins corresponding with him in the sensationalist newspaper ''The Tattler'' with a cryptic message, and as the FBI aren't able to decipher it in time they decided to let go ahead as it's their only means of contacting him, and when they finally deciphered it they could take Lecter's place. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Dragon they were playing mind games with - Lecter's message [[spoiler: told the Dragon the hero and his family's home address, and said he should kill them all.]]
* ''Literature/AnotherNote'': The entire book is about trying to solve a very, very, difficult one of these. The killer, [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Beyond Birthday]], left several clues leading from one murder to the next. None of the investigating officers could even start to decipher B's clues. Only Naomi Misora -- under L's guidance -- and an "unprivate" detective named Ryuzaki could help. The clues lead Naomi Misora ''in person'' to find each and every one of these clues to make sure the effort didn't go to waste. [[spoiler: Ryuzaki ends up doing most of the work. He turns out to be the killer who placed the clues there in the first place.]]
* ''Literature/TheBoneCollector'': (described under Film).

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* ''Literature/EightySeventhPrecinct'': This is the M.O. of recurring villain the Deaf Man in Creator/EdMcBain's novels. There is a slight aversion in that while the Deaf Man sends taunting clues to the police, they seldom fully decipher them and are more likely to stop his crimes by accident than design.
*
''Literature/KushielsLegacy'': Used by Melisande in ''[[Literature/KushielsLegacy Kushiel's Chosen]]''.''Kushiel's Chosen''. She thinks of her attempt to gain control of Terre d'Ange as a game and Phedre as her WorthyOpponent, and so sends Phedre a hint to start her search.
* Subverted in Creator/JorgeLuisBorges' ''Death and the Compass''. Lonnrot thinks he's oh-so-clever for figuring out there'll be four cabalistic assassinations, not just three... [[spoiler: It turns out the first one was an accident, and the second and third were rigged in order to get Lonnrot - who has a very romanticized view of detective work - to come to that conclusion, and show up in a location where his nemesis Red Scharlach can off him.]]
** Deliberately homaged in ''Literature/TheNameOfTheRose'', right down to the perpetrator [[spoiler: being literally named Jorge of Burgos.]]
* Played with
PlayedWith in ''Literature/RedDragon'', where the police intercept a fan letter the SerialKiller sent to his idol, Hannibal Lecter. Lecter begins corresponding with him in the sensationalist newspaper ''The Tattler'' with a cryptic message, and as the FBI aren't able to decipher it in time they decided to let go ahead as it's their only means of contacting him, and when they finally deciphered it they could take Lecter's place. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Dragon they were playing mind games with - Lecter's message [[spoiler: told [[spoiler:told the Dragon the hero and his family's home address, and said he should kill them all.]]
all]].
* ''Literature/AnotherNote'': The entire book is about trying OlderThanTelevision: Literature/SherlockHolmes himself had to solve a very, very, difficult one of these. The killer, [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Beyond Birthday]], left several clues leading from one murder to the next. None of the investigating officers could even start to decipher B's clues. Only Naomi Misora -- under L's guidance -- and an "unprivate" detective named Ryuzaki could help. The clues lead Naomi Misora ''in person'' to find each and every one deal with his share of these clues villains. This seems to make sure be particularly common for movie and video game versions of Holmes, and less so in the effort didn't go to waste. [[spoiler: Ryuzaki ends up doing most Canon. In particular, he's been sent on scavenger hunts through famous sites in London by thieves ''twice,'' at least -- in the Creator/{{Infocom}} text adventure ''The Riddle of the work. He turns out to be the killer who placed the clues there Crown Jewels,'' and in the first place.]]
more recent ''Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis''. Ironically, Moriarty is the villain and riddler of the former, not the latter.
* ''Literature/TheBoneCollector'': (described under Film).Double-subverted in John Buchan's Richard Hannay novel ''Literature/TheThreeHostages''. The villain leaves a riddle for the police, in the form of a six-line poem. [[SubvertedTrope It's deliberately uncrackable]], designed only as a distraction. But, possibly subconsciously, [[DoubleSubverted he laces the riddle with subtle clues]], which the heroes crack thanks to a number of [[ContrivedCoincidence remarkably fortuitous encounters and observations]].



* Played with in ''Series/{{Bones}}''. Serial killer Howard Epps is already in prison when he first appears, but he enjoys finding ways to toy with the FBI anyway. In his second episode, he works with an accomplice on the outside to commit copycat crimes, for the sole purpose of making the FBI (and Dr Brennan in particular) [[ConsultingAConvictedKiller consult him on the case]]. He very purposefully leaves a trail of clues for the FBI to follow, most of which can’t be understood without talking to him and listening to the hints he drops into conversation.

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* Played with PlayedWith in ''Series/{{Bones}}''. Serial killer Howard Epps is already in prison when he first appears, but he enjoys finding ways to toy with the FBI anyway. In his second episode, he works with an accomplice on the outside to commit copycat crimes, for the sole purpose of making the FBI (and Dr Brennan in particular) [[ConsultingAConvictedKiller consult him on the case]]. He very purposefully leaves a trail of clues for the FBI to follow, most of which can’t be understood without talking to him and listening to the hints he drops into conversation.



--->'''The Fisher King:''' ''[confronting Elle Greenaway [[TheVillainKnowsWhereYouLive in her home]] with a gun after she breaks his one rule of "only the BAU team must do this quest" after she does a press conference]'' ''[[BerserkButton ONE RULE! THERE WAS ONLY ONE RULE!]]'' [[HeroKiller I TOLD YOU THAT THIS WAS IMPORTANT!]] ''[shoots Elle, [[SmashToBlack cut to cliffhanger]]]''

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--->'''The Fisher King:''' ''[confronting ''(confronting Elle Greenaway [[TheVillainKnowsWhereYouLive in her home]] with a gun after she breaks his one rule of "only the BAU team must do this quest" after she does a press conference]'' ''[[BerserkButton conference)'' '''[[BerserkButton ONE RULE! THERE WAS ONLY ONE RULE!]]'' RULE!]]''' [[HeroKiller I TOLD YOU THAT THIS WAS IMPORTANT!]] ''[shoots ''(shoots Elle, [[SmashToBlack cut to cliffhanger]]]''cliffhanger]])''



* ''{{Series/CSI}}'': Occurs with vastly more complex clues than usual. It happened with the following: Paul Millander (prop artist who enjoyed taunting Grissom), the Blue Paint Killer (likewise), Nicky's kidnapper at the end of Season 5 (who did it to prove a point), and the Miniature Killer (who only left clues because of an involuntary urge due to psychosis). Arguably, the Strip Strangler was amused at the police and FBI's feeble attempts at capture, but was meticulously neat and planted fake evidence rather than ''leave'' any.

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* ''{{Series/CSI}}'': ''Series/{{CSI}}'': Occurs with vastly more complex clues than usual. It happened with the following: Paul Millander (prop artist who enjoyed taunting Grissom), the Blue Paint Killer (likewise), Nicky's kidnapper at the end of Season 5 (who did it to prove a point), and the Miniature Killer (who only left clues because of an involuntary urge due to psychosis). Arguably, the Strip Strangler was amused at the police and FBI's feeble attempts at capture, but was meticulously neat and planted fake evidence rather than ''leave'' any.



* The final case of the [=DS=] game ''Unsolved Crimes'' is one big series of these.
* The game ''VideoGame/{{Ripper}}'', based on Jack the Ripper. But [[InSpace in the future]]!

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* The final case of ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': Victor Zsasz and his "chase the [=DS=] game ''Unsolved Crimes'' is pay-phones" challenges--Batman has to answer one big series of these.
* The game ''VideoGame/{{Ripper}}'', based on Jack
phone and then glide at high speed to find the Ripper. But [[InSpace in other phone several miles away, or else Zsasz's captive will die. He always puts the future]]!second phone just a bit further away every time Batman thwarts him!



* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' has this with the Phantom Thief, who leaves clues for Naoto after stealing her items. This is a subversion in that the Phantom Thief turned out to be [[spoiler: Yakushiji, the family secretary and he didn't steal the items, they were simply handed to him by Naoto's grandfather, who set the whole thing up as an act so Naoto would stop worrying about the family name and remember that she solved cases because it was something she loved doing.]]

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* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' has this with In ''VideoGame/HopkinsFBI'', the Phantom Thief, titular FBI agent's fiancée Samantha is abducted by serial killer/terrorist/[[CardCarryingVillain cartoon bad guy]] Bernie Berckson, who leaves challenges Hopkins to rescue her by following his trail of clues and uncovering the bodies of his previous victims hidden around the city. Berckson's clues make little sense, their intended solutions [[MoonLogicPuzzle less so]], and [[MST3KMantra it's best not to dwell on]] [[FridgeLogic the absurd amount of preparation and foresight needed]] to have set up his little scavenger hunt in the first place. [[spoiler:And the ultimate payoff for Naoto after stealing her items. This is a subversion in that all this? Berckson uses the Phantom Thief turned out final clue to be [[spoiler: Yakushiji, the family secretary lure Hopkins into shooting and he didn't steal the items, they were simply handed to him by Naoto's grandfather, who set the whole thing up as an act so Naoto would stop worrying about the family name and remember that she solved cases because it was something she loved doing.killing Samantha.]]



* Sandra Lieberman in Trauma Team of the series ''VideoGame/TraumaCenter'' locks the detective in her room with 4 phonebombs planted inside, forcing the detective to waste time solving riddles as she drives off to the airport to murder the First Lady. Naomi succeeding results in Sandra admitting defeat, but Naomi correctly guesses that Sandra [[ISurrenderSuckers has hidden a 5th bomb]] in the offchance that Naomi wins. She finds it in a teddy bear plushie sitting innocuously on the bed, pictured just offscreen above.
* In ''VideoGame/HopkinsFBI'', the titular FBI agent's fiancée Samantha is abducted by serial killer/terrorist/[[CardCarryingVillain cartoon bad guy]] Bernie Berckson, who challenges Hopkins to rescue her by following his trail of clues and uncovering the bodies of his previous victims hidden around the city. Berckson's clues make little sense, their intended solutions [[MoonLogicPuzzle less so]], and [[MST3KMantra it's best not to dwell on]] [[FridgeLogic the absurd amount of preparation and foresight needed]] to have set up his little scavenger hunt in the first place. [[spoiler:And the ultimate payoff for all this? Berckson uses the final clue to lure Hopkins into shooting and killing Samantha.]]
* Case 3 of ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' features a case where a murder was committed to the lyrics of a song sung that night. [[spoiler:It turns out that the events of that night, up to a point, only fit the lyrics by ''accident'', and Trucy Wright's conjecture that there ''was'' a deliberate connection was merely a case of false pattern recognition. Only after her conjecture came up did the killer take action to force a fit with the lyrics, deliberately planting a RedHerring in the process.]]

to:

* Sandra Lieberman in Trauma Team of the series ''VideoGame/TraumaCenter'' locks the detective in her room ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' has this with 4 phonebombs planted inside, forcing the detective to waste time solving riddles as she drives off to the airport to murder the First Lady. Naomi succeeding results in Sandra admitting defeat, but Naomi correctly guesses that Sandra [[ISurrenderSuckers has hidden a 5th bomb]] in the offchance that Naomi wins. She finds it in a teddy bear plushie sitting innocuously on the bed, pictured just offscreen above.
* In ''VideoGame/HopkinsFBI'', the titular FBI agent's fiancée Samantha is abducted by serial killer/terrorist/[[CardCarryingVillain cartoon bad guy]] Bernie Berckson,
Phantom Thief, who challenges Hopkins to rescue her by following his trail of leaves clues and uncovering the bodies of his previous victims hidden around the city. Berckson's clues make little sense, their intended solutions [[MoonLogicPuzzle less so]], and [[MST3KMantra it's best not to dwell on]] [[FridgeLogic the absurd amount of preparation and foresight needed]] to have set up his little scavenger hunt in the first place. [[spoiler:And the ultimate payoff for all this? Berckson uses the final clue to lure Hopkins into shooting and killing Samantha.]]
* Case 3 of ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' features
Naoto after stealing her items. This is a case where a murder was committed to the lyrics of a song sung that night. [[spoiler:It turns out subversion in that the events of Phantom Thief turned out to be [[spoiler:Yakushiji, the family secretary and he didn't steal the items, they were simply handed to him by Naoto's grandfather, who set the whole thing up as an act so Naoto would stop worrying about the family name and remember that night, up to a point, only fit the lyrics by ''accident'', and Trucy Wright's conjecture that there ''was'' a deliberate connection she solved cases because it was merely a case of false pattern recognition. Only after her conjecture came up did the killer take action to force a fit with the lyrics, deliberately planting a RedHerring in the process.]]something she loved doing]].



* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': Victor Zsasz and his "chase the pay-phones" challenges--Batman has to answer one phone and then glide at high speed to find the other phone several miles away, or else Zsasz's captive will die. He always puts the second phone just a bit further away every time Batman thwarts him![[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Subverted in ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'': The heroes follow the hints, [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/comic.php?current=1345 but get the wrong message.]]
** Doubly subverted in that the place they're supposed to be going to is [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/comic.php?current=1404 right next door]].

to:

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': Victor Zsasz and his "chase The game ''VideoGame/{{Ripper}}'', based on Jack the pay-phones" challenges--Batman Ripper. But [[InSpace in the future]]!
* ''VideoGame/TraumaCenter'': In ''Trauma Team'', Sandra Lieberman locks the detective in her room with 4 phonebombs planted inside, forcing the detective to waste time solving riddles as she drives off to the airport to murder the First Lady. Naomi succeeding results in Sandra admitting defeat, but Naomi correctly guesses that Sandra [[ISurrenderSuckers
has to answer one phone and then glide at high speed to find hidden a 5th bomb]] in the other phone several miles away, or else Zsasz's captive will die. He always puts offchance that Naomi wins. She finds it in a teddy bear plushie sitting innocuously on the second phone bed, pictured just a bit further away every time Batman thwarts him![[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
offscreen above.
* Subverted in ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'': The heroes follow final case of the hints, [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/comic.php?current=1345 but get the wrong message.]]
** Doubly subverted in that the place they're supposed to be going to
[=DS=] game ''Unsolved Crimes'' is [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/comic.php?current=1404 right next door]].one big series of these.



[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Website/TheOnion'': [[https://local.theonion.com/homicide-detective-wishes-he-could-go-one-case-without-1832432518 "Homicide Detective Wishes He Could Go One Case Without Having To Solve Elaborate Riddle"]]
--> '''Cartwright''': I joined homicide to help people, not because I relish the challenge of unraveling a series of hieroglyphic-themed letters some wack job mailed me after burying his victim in a sarcophagus with a gimmicky lock and a limited supply of air.

to:

[[folder:Web Original]]
[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''Website/TheOnion'': [[https://local.theonion.com/homicide-detective-wishes-he-could-go-one-case-without-1832432518 "Homicide Detective Wishes He Could Go One Case Without Having To Solve Elaborate Riddle"]]
--> '''Cartwright''': I joined homicide
3 of ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' features a case where a murder was committed to help people, not because I relish the challenge lyrics of unraveling a series song sung that night. [[spoiler:It turns out that the events of hieroglyphic-themed letters some wack job mailed me that night, up to a point, only fit the lyrics by ''accident'', and Trucy Wright's conjecture that there ''was'' a deliberate connection was merely a case of false pattern recognition. Only after burying his victim in her conjecture came up did the killer take action to force a sarcophagus fit with the lyrics, deliberately planting a gimmicky lock and a limited supply of air.RedHerring in the process.]]



[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Subverted in ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'': The heroes follow the hints, [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/comic.php?current=1345 but get the wrong message]].
** Doubly subverted in that the place they're supposed to be going to is [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/comic.php?current=1404 right next door]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Website/TheOnion'': [[https://local.theonion.com/homicide-detective-wishes-he-could-go-one-case-without-1832432518 "Homicide Detective Wishes He Could Go One Case Without Having To Solve Elaborate Riddle"]]
-->'''Cartwright''': I joined homicide to help people, not because I relish the challenge of unraveling a series of hieroglyphic-themed letters some wack job mailed me after burying his victim in a sarcophagus with a gimmicky lock and a limited supply of air.
[[/folder]]



* ''WesternAnimation/BromwellHigh'': One of the girls hides some illegal sweets people are looking for and composes a rhyme telling where they are.
-->If it is the sweets you seek, into the cloakroom you must sneak, and find where I keep my books, and hang my coat and bag on hooks. Behind the metal doors is stowed the sweets what make your head explode.
* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' constantly suspects this happens with certain enemies. It is even weaponized by Negaduck who [[LampshadeHanging lampshades it]] by leaving ridiculously vague trails to his HQ on purpose, simply because Darkwing would never get the idea to simply look at the logo that broadly proclaims it is Negaducks hideout. Interestingly enough, while actual mind games that are supposed to keep him stuck or even killed are solved by Darkwing with ease, mock games take him forever or he may even end up never solving them despite the obvious solution being right in front of him.
* Subverted on ''WesternAnimation/MonkeyDust'' when a serial killer becomes entangled in a furious game of cat and mouse with a police detective. The thrill of the chase is blown when the serial killer accidentally falls asleep in his car at the crime scene after killing a man: blood stained and with weapon in hand. Disappointed that it ended with such an anticlimax, the police detective decides to let the killer go. [[LeaveNoWitnesses Only to be then killed by him]].
* Lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'':
-->'''Master Pho''': I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for that meddling kid.\\
'''Todd''': Actually, you would have gotten away with it if you hadn't left us all those clues.



** Subversion; Bart hides Lisa's report and challenges her with a series of riddles:
-->'''Bart:''' To find it, you'll have to decipher a series of clues, each more fiendish than...
-->'''Lisa:''' Found it!
-->'''Bart:''' Doh!

to:

** Subversion; Subverted when Bart hides Lisa's report and challenges her with a series of riddles:
-->'''Bart:''' --->'''Bart:''' To find it, you'll have to decipher a series of clues, each more fiendish than...
-->'''Lisa:'''
than...\\
'''Lisa:'''
Found it!
-->'''Bart:'''
it!\\
'''Bart:'''
Doh!



* ''WesternAnimation/BromwellHigh'': One of the girls hides some illegal sweets people are looking for and composes a rhyme telling where they are.
--> If it is the sweets you seek, into the cloakroom you must sneak, and find where I keep my books, and hang my coat and bag on hooks. Behind the metal doors is stowed the sweets what make your head explode.
* The animated version of ''WesternAnimation/WhereOnEarthIsCarmenSandiego'' has this in every episode as a ShoutOut to AlphabetSoupCans. [[{{Irony}} Ironically at least one episode has the lead characters being puzzled when clues seem too obvious or follow an unusual train of logic.]]
** As with the games, it's Justified: Carmen is only in it for the thrill of the chase. And she WANTS to either win or lose [[NearVillainVictory very narrowly]]. It's not fun otherwise.
* Subverted on ''WesternAnimation/MonkeyDust'' when a serial killer becomes entangled in a furious game of cat and mouse with a police detective. The thrill of the chase is blown when the serial killer accidentally falls asleep in his car at the crime scene after killing a man: blood stained and with weapon in hand. Disappointed that it ended with such an anticlimax, the police detective decides to let the killer go. [[LeaveNoWitnesses Only to be then killed by him]].
* Lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements''
--> '''Master Pho''': I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for that meddling kid.
--> '''Todd''': Actually, you would have gotten away with it if you hadn't left us all those clues.
* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' constantly suspects this happens with certain enemies. It is even weaponized by Negaduck who [[LampshadeHanging lamshades it]] by leaving ridiculously vague trails to his HQ on purpose, simply because Darkwing would never get the idea to simply look at the logo that broadly proclaims it is Negaducks hideout. Interestingly enough, while actual mind games that are supposed to keep him stuck or even killed are solved by Darkwing with ease, mock games take him forever or he may even end up never solving them despite the obvious solution being right in front of him.

to:

* ''WesternAnimation/BromwellHigh'': One of the girls hides some illegal sweets people are looking for and composes a rhyme telling where they are.
--> If it is the sweets you seek, into the cloakroom you must sneak, and find where I keep my books, and hang my coat and bag on hooks. Behind the metal doors is stowed the sweets what make your head explode.
* The animated version of ''WesternAnimation/WhereOnEarthIsCarmenSandiego'' has this in every episode as a ShoutOut to AlphabetSoupCans. [[{{Irony}} Ironically {{Iron|y}}ically, at least one episode has the lead characters being puzzled when clues seem too obvious or follow an unusual train of logic.]]
logic.
** As with the games, it's Justified: Carmen is only in it for the thrill of the chase. And she WANTS to either win or lose [[NearVillainVictory very narrowly]]. It's not fun otherwise. \n* Subverted on ''WesternAnimation/MonkeyDust'' when a serial killer becomes entangled in a furious game of cat and mouse with a police detective. The thrill of the chase is blown when the serial killer accidentally falls asleep in his car at the crime scene after killing a man: blood stained and with weapon in hand. Disappointed that it ended with such an anticlimax, the police detective decides to let the killer go. [[LeaveNoWitnesses Only to be then killed by him]].\n* Lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements''\n--> '''Master Pho''': I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for that meddling kid.\n--> '''Todd''': Actually, you would have gotten away with it if you hadn't left us all those clues.\n* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' constantly suspects this happens with certain enemies. It is even weaponized by Negaduck who [[LampshadeHanging lamshades it]] by leaving ridiculously vague trails to his HQ on purpose, simply because Darkwing would never get the idea to simply look at the logo that broadly proclaims it is Negaducks hideout. Interestingly enough, while actual mind games that are supposed to keep him stuck or even killed are solved by Darkwing with ease, mock games take him forever or he may even end up never solving them despite the obvious solution being right in front of him.

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Alphabetizing example(s), deleted repeated


%%%
%%
%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
%%
%%%



** "Trembling Metropolitan Police Headquarters: 12 Million Hostages" involved a mad bomber who sent a clue to his next target to the timer screen of his current bomb…seconds before its detonation.

to:

** "Trembling Metropolitan Police Headquarters: 12 Million Hostages" involved a mad bomber who sent a clue to his next target to the timer screen of his current bomb…seconds bomb... seconds before its detonation.



* Subverted in ''Manga/DeathNote:'' the master detective L expects Kira to be leaving messages -- but Kira is just as smart as L is, so only leaves red herrings to throw L off the scent, or meaningless clues to waste his time. And the main purpose of leaving the messages was in fact for Kira to [[HowDoIShotWeb test the limits of the Death Note's power]]. Leaving false clues for L was just a side benefit.
* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Lelouch invokes this in the Brittanian Army by publicly asking Jeremiah Gottwald if he really wants people to find out about "Orange". He then Geasses Jeremiah into letting him escape, making it look like this "Orange" was a threat that Jeremiah caved to. Truth is that "Orange" is meaningless, and Jeremiah is innocent of any crimes or conspiracy by Brittanian law, but this still disgraces him and gets him investigated.



* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Lelouch invokes this in the Brittanian Army by publicly asking Jeremiah Gottwald if he really wants people to find out about "Orange". He then Geasses Jeremiah into letting him escape, making it look like this "Orange" was a threat that Jeremiah caved to. Truth is that "Orange" is meaningless, and Jeremiah is innocent of any crimes or conspiracy by Brittanian law, but this still disgraces him and gets him investigated.
* {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''Manga/DeathNote'': the master detective L expects Kira to be leaving messages -- but Kira is just as smart as L is, so only leaves red herrings to throw L off the scent, or meaningless clues to waste his time. And the main purpose of leaving the messages was in fact for Kira to [[HowDoIShotWeb test the limits of the Death Note's power]]. Leaving false clues for L was just a side benefit.



*** Unfortunately for him, his daughter, [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]], was angry at him for trying this while claiming to be reformed, and became The Spoiler, leaving clues to her father's crimes for Batman. [[ArtifactTitle So that's what the hell her name means.]]

to:

*** Unfortunately for him, his daughter, [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]], was angry at him for trying this while claiming to be reformed, and became The Spoiler, leaving clues to her father's crimes for Batman. [[ArtifactTitle So that's what the hell her name means.]]means]].



* Issue #6 of ''ComicBook/UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan'' had Spidey and the Human Torch working together to stop The Wizard, who left logic-based puzzles as clues to his next caper. The crime spree was The Wizard's attempt to prove that he was smarter than the Torch, but [[GeniusBruiser Spider]]-[[TeenGenius Man]] solved them all fairly easily.



* Issue #6 of ''ComicBook/UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan'' had Spidey and the Human Torch working together to stop The Wizard, who left logic-based puzzles as clues to his next caper. The crime spree was The Wizard's attempt to prove that he was smarter than the Torch, but [[GeniusBruiser Spider]]-[[TeenGenius Man]] solved them all fairly easily.



[[folder:Films]]

to:

[[folder:Films]][[folder:Films - Live-Action]]
* ''Film/TheAbominableDrPhibes'' accidentally dropped a medallion with some Hebrew lettering at the scene of one of his crimes, which tipped the police off to the Old Testament [[ThemeSerialKiller theme of his serial killing]].



* The killer in ''Film/{{Anamorph}}'' hides an anamorph in each crime scene that depicts the next one. He also leaves messages for Aubrey.



* ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', [[spoiler:although that was all part of a ThanatosGambit]].

to:

* ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', [[spoiler:although In ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopII'', this is the BigBad's apparent modus operandi, by leaving so-called "alphabet clues" at the scene of each of his daring crimes. It turns out to be a {{subversion}}, as the clues are designed to distract the {{By The Book Cop}}s' attention and set up a RedHerring scapegoat while the real mastermind escapes.
* ''Film/TheBoneCollector'' (originally a book) has a killer who leaves clues at each murder scene relating to his next crime. Upon further investigation, it turns out
that he has been killing and leaving clues for ages but no one was all part smart enough to notice.
* {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''Film/DieHardWithAVengeance'' with "Simon" playing a Simon-Says type game with the main character through the first half
of the movie in order to prevent a ThanatosGambit]].bomb from being detonated. Subverted in that [[spoiler:it's shown to simply be a way to get [=McClane=] (and the entire NYPD) out of the way while Simon pulls off a heist of the federal reserve]].
* In ''Film/HellraiserInferno'', the Engineer serial killer is constantly leaving messages to Detective Joseph Thorne as he kills the people around him and leaves behind the dissected fingers of his child victim. [[spoiler:This is because Joseph is actually both the cop and the murderer. "Hunt the Engineer and the Engineer hunts you".]]



* Subverted in ''Film/TheWatcher''. Oh sure, the SerialKiller would like to get the detective to play a game with him, but the detective doesn't care [[spoiler: in part because ItsPersonal]]

to:

* Subverted in ''Film/TheWatcher''. Oh sure, ''Film/K20LegendOfTheMask'': K-20 is a PhantomThief who is cocky enough to send messages of what he is going to steal and challenges the SerialKiller would like to get Akechi, the famous detective to play catch him. [[spoiler:Subverted when it is revealed that Akechi ''is'' K-20. He sent the messages so that his Akechi persona would be brought into protect against the crime and he would be at the centre of any security around his targets.]]

* John "Jigsaw" Kramer does this in ''Film/SawII'', having abducted Eric Matthews' son Daniel and left him with numerous other victims -- including Amanda Young,
a game previous survivor of his games -- in a house filled with death traps, and is recording the whole thing, which becomes useful when Eric and a SWAT team show up to arrest him. John says the son will be returned alive and safe if Eric just has a conversation with him, but the detective doesn't care [[spoiler: house is also filling with nerve gas that will kill everyone inside in part two hours. [[spoiler:Daniel is locked in a safe in John's lair, and the recordings were already made, unlike the team's impression that it was live. Everyone other victim in the house is already dead apart from Amanda, and when Eric shows up to the house thinking he'll find Daniel, Amanda reveals that she's John's apprentice, and the whole thing was a revenge scheme of hers because ItsPersonal]]Eric once framed her for a crime and ruined her life. It ends with Amanda leaving him to die in the Bathroom from the [[Film/SawI first film]].]]
* ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', [[spoiler:although that was all part of a ThanatosGambit]].
* In ''Film/TheSnowman2017'', Harry Hole declares that the killer is playing games with them - although that element, while prominent in the trailers, was apparently cut down by a significant degree as a result of the movie's legendarily TroubledProduction.



* ''Film/TheAbominableDrPhibes'' accidentally dropped a medallion with some Hebrew lettering at the scene of one of his crimes, which tipped the police off to the Old Testament [[ThemeSerialKiller theme of his serial killing]].
* In ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopII'', this is the BigBad's apparent modus operandi, by leaving so-called "alphabet clues" at the scene of each of his daring crimes. It turns out to be a {{subversion}}, as the clues are designed to distract the {{By The Book Cop}}s' attention and set up a RedHerring scapegoat while the real mastermind escapes.
* John "Jigsaw" Kramer does this in ''Film/SawII'', having abducted Eric Matthews' son Daniel and left him with numerous other victims -- including Amanda Young, a previous survivor of his games -- in a house filled with death traps, and is recording the whole thing, which becomes useful when Eric and a SWAT team show up to arrest him. John says the son will be returned alive and safe if Eric just has a conversation with him, but the house is also filling with nerve gas that will kill everyone inside in two hours. [[spoiler:Daniel is locked in a safe in John's lair, and the recordings were already made, unlike the team's impression that it was live. Everyone other victim in the house is already dead apart from Amanda, and when Eric shows up to the house thinking he'll find Daniel, Amanda reveals that she's John's apprentice, and the whole thing was a revenge scheme of hers because Eric once framed her for a crime and ruined her life. It ends with Amanda leaving him to die in the Bathroom from the [[Film/SawI first film]].]]
* ''Film/TheBoneCollector'' (originally a book) has a killer who leaves clues at each murder scene relating to his next crime. Upon further investigation, it turns out that he has been killing and leaving clues for ages but no one was smart enough to notice.
* Subverted in ''Film/DieHardWithAVengeance'' with "Simon" playing a Simon-Says type game with the main character through the first half of the movie in order to prevent a bomb from being detonated. Subverted in that [[spoiler: it's shown to simply be a way to get [=McClane=] (and the entire NYPD) out of the way while Simon pulls off a heist of the federal reserve.]]
* In ''Film/HellraiserInferno'', the Engineer serial killer is constantly leaving messages to Detective Joseph Thorne as he kills the people around him and leaves behind the dissected fingers of his child victim. [[spoiler:This is because Joseph is actually both the cop and the murderer. "Hunt the Engineer and the Engineer hunts you".]]
* The killer in ''Film/{{Anamorph}}'' hides an anamorph in each crime scene that depicts the next one. He also leaves messages for Aubrey.
* ''Film/K20LegendOfTheMask'': K-20 is a PhantomThief who is cocky enough to send messages of what he is going to steal and challenges the Akechi, the famous detective to catch him. [[spoiler: Subverted when it is revealed that Akechi ''is'' K-20. He sent the messages so that his Akechi persona would be brought into protect against the crime and he would be at the centre of any security around his targets.]]
* In ''Film/TheSnowman2017'', Harry Hole declares that the killer is playing games with them - although that element, while prominent in the trailers, was apparently cut down by a significant degree as a result of the movie's legendarily TroubledProduction.
%%* ''Film/AlongCameASpider''. %% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample

to:

* ''Film/TheAbominableDrPhibes'' accidentally dropped a medallion with some Hebrew lettering at {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''Film/TheWatcher''. Oh sure, the scene of one of his crimes, which tipped SerialKiller would like to get the police off detective to the Old Testament [[ThemeSerialKiller theme of his serial killing]].
* In ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopII'', this is the BigBad's apparent modus operandi, by leaving so-called "alphabet clues" at the scene of each of his daring crimes. It turns out to be
play a {{subversion}}, as the clues are designed to distract the {{By The Book Cop}}s' attention and set up a RedHerring scapegoat while the real mastermind escapes.
* John "Jigsaw" Kramer does this in ''Film/SawII'', having abducted Eric Matthews' son Daniel and left him with numerous other victims -- including Amanda Young, a previous survivor of his games -- in a house filled with death traps, and is recording the whole thing, which becomes useful when Eric and a SWAT team show up to arrest him. John says the son will be returned alive and safe if Eric just has a conversation
game with him, but the house is also filling with nerve gas that will kill everyone inside in two hours. [[spoiler:Daniel is locked in a safe in John's lair, and the recordings were already made, unlike the team's impression that it was live. Everyone other victim in the house is already dead apart from Amanda, and when Eric shows up to the house thinking he'll find Daniel, Amanda reveals that she's John's apprentice, and the whole thing was a revenge scheme of hers because Eric once framed her for a crime and ruined her life. It ends with Amanda leaving him to die in the Bathroom from the [[Film/SawI first film]].]]
* ''Film/TheBoneCollector'' (originally a book) has a killer who leaves clues at each murder scene relating to his next crime. Upon further investigation, it turns out that he has been killing and leaving clues for ages but no one was smart enough to notice.
* Subverted in ''Film/DieHardWithAVengeance'' with "Simon" playing a Simon-Says type game with the main character through the first half of the movie in order to prevent a bomb from being detonated. Subverted in that [[spoiler: it's shown to simply be a way to get [=McClane=] (and the entire NYPD) out of the way while Simon pulls off a heist of the federal reserve.]]
* In ''Film/HellraiserInferno'', the Engineer serial killer is constantly leaving messages to Detective Joseph Thorne as he kills the people around him and leaves behind the dissected fingers of his child victim. [[spoiler:This is because Joseph is actually both the cop and the murderer. "Hunt the Engineer and the Engineer hunts you".]]
* The killer in ''Film/{{Anamorph}}'' hides an anamorph in each crime scene that depicts the next one. He also leaves messages for Aubrey.
* ''Film/K20LegendOfTheMask'': K-20 is a PhantomThief who is cocky enough to send messages of what he is going to steal and challenges the Akechi, the famous
detective to catch him. [[spoiler: Subverted when it is revealed that Akechi ''is'' K-20. He sent the messages so that his Akechi persona would be brought into protect against the crime and he would be at the centre of any security around his targets.]]
* In ''Film/TheSnowman2017'', Harry Hole declares that the killer is playing games with them - although that element, while prominent in the trailers, was apparently cut down by a significant degree as a result of the movie's legendarily TroubledProduction.
%%* ''Film/AlongCameASpider''. %% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
doesn't care [[spoiler:in part because ItsPersonal]].



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* ''Series/TheMurders'': The ThemeSerialKiller who Kate pursues in "Stereo" turns out to have already been stalking her, delivering various clues as to his identity and location.
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* Dennis Rader, also known as the SerialKiller BTK would send letters to police and media in Wichita, Kansas including phtos of his crimes and the occational CreepySouvinir. Ultimately, this lead to his capture, as he wrote a letter asking the police if they would be able to trace a floppy disk to who used it, and [[the police told him no]], and soon caught him.

to:

* Dennis Rader, also known as the SerialKiller BTK would send letters to police and media in Wichita, Kansas including phtos of his crimes and the occational CreepySouvinir.CreepySouvenir. Ultimately, this lead to his capture, as he wrote a letter asking the police if they would be able to trace a floppy disk to who used it, and [[the police told him no]], and soon caught him.
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* Dennis Rader, also known as the SerialKiller BTK would send letters to police and media in Wichita, Kansas including phtos of his crimes and the occational CreepySouvinir. Ultimately, this lead to his capture, as he wrote a letter asking the police if they would be able to trace a floppy disk to who used it, and [[the police told him no]], and soon caught him.
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* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':

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* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':''Series/{{Castle|2009}}'':

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* ''Series/Mouse2021'': Jae-hoon leaves a message for Mu-chi at a murder scene then phones him after a press conference, both times to taunt him. Then he gives Mu-chi a challenge: figure out how Jae-hoon chooses his victims, and the child he's kidnapped will be released. Fail, and the child will die. Mu-chi answers the question correctly... [[spoiler: and is rewarded by seeing his brother murdered on live [=TV=]. And Jae-hoon kills the child anyway.]]
* Subverted in ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' in the episode "Sniper". A serial killer draws a hangman game in chalk at the scene of each crime, with another letter filled in each time. The detectives hope that if they can guess the word, they can solve the crime. [[spoiler: It turns out that the word is "eromitlab," a nonsense word -- Baltimore backwards. The killer is simply crazy. There's nothing more to it than that.]]
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': though the police didn't give up on traditional methods entirely. In fact, by ''using'' traditional methods, they're able to catch the perp ''before'' he can complete his intended killings, and even manage to save a victim without stooping to his level.
** Another episode had a copycat serial killer taunt the squad with puzzles just as the original killer had.
* Happens fairly often on ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent''. Goren is particularly good at figuring these out.
** The most significant example is one that's targeted directly at Goren. The perpetrator finds news articles about previous cases Goren had worked and uses details from those to point Goren in the direction of another suspect. Goren figures it out because it's just a little ''too'' specific to his abilities in places.
** Goren's nemesis, Nicole Wallace, often engages in these, especially when she knows he's on the case.
* ''{{Series/CSI}}'': Occurs with vastly more complex clues than usual.
** For starters, it happened with the following: Paul Millander (prop artist who enjoyed taunting Grissom), the Blue Paint Killer (likewise), Nicky's kidnapper at the end of Season 5 (who did it to prove a point), and the Miniature Killer (who only left clues because of an involuntary urge due to psychosis). Arguably, the Strip Strangler was amused at the police and FBI's feeble attempts at capture, but was meticulously neat and planted fake evidence rather than ''leave'' any.
* ''Series/{{NUMB3RS}}'': Usually the clues require advanced mathematics to unravel, since the show's Aesop is that Math is useful and mathematicians are like superheroes -- with math.
** "The Janus List" [[GambitRoulette took this to ridiculous extremes]] by having a spy intentionally set up an extremely convoluted series of complicated codes and puzzles that Charlie will have to solve to get the eponymous list. It's essentially a built-in test; if Charlie is able to get through all of the layers to access the information, then he's proven himself worthy to receive it. He does, although one of the pieces ends up being figured out by Don.

to:

* ''Series/Mouse2021'': Jae-hoon In ''Series/BurnNotice'', Gilroy leaves a message for Mu-chi at a murder scene then phones him after a press conference, both times to taunt him. Then he gives Mu-chi a challenge: figure out how Jae-hoon chooses clues about his victims, and the child identity to Michael this way. To quote Website/TelevisionWithoutPity, "either someone is setting up Mason Gilroy, or Mason Gilroy thinks he's kidnapped will be released. Fail, the fucking Riddler."
* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':
** In the two-parter Tick, Tick
and Boom, the child will die. Mu-chi answers the question correctly... [[spoiler: team and is rewarded by seeing his brother murdered on live [=TV=]. And Jae-hoon kills the child anyway.]]
* Subverted in ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' in the episode "Sniper". A serial
an FBI profiler hunt a killer draws a hangman game in chalk at the scene of each crime, who is obsessed with another letter filled in each time. The detectives hope that if they can guess Nikki Heat, the word, they can solve the crime. [[spoiler: It turns out that the word is "eromitlab," a nonsense word -- Baltimore backwards. The killer is simply crazy. There's nothing more Beckett analogue in Castle's books, and leaves clues to it than that.]]
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': though the police didn't give up on traditional methods entirely. In fact, by ''using'' traditional methods, they're able to catch the perp ''before''
prove he can complete his intended killings, and even manage to save a victim without stooping to his level.
outsmart her.
** Another episode had has a copycat serial killer taunt the squad with puzzles just as the original killer had.
* Happens fairly often on ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent''. Goren is particularly good at figuring these out.
** The most significant example is one that's targeted directly at Goren. The perpetrator finds news articles about previous cases Goren had worked and uses details
sniper leave behind paper dolls cut from those to images of paintings that point Goren in the direction of another suspect. Goren figures it out because it's just a little ''too'' specific to toward his abilities in places.
** Goren's nemesis, Nicole Wallace, often engages in these, especially when she knows he's on the case.
* ''{{Series/CSI}}'': Occurs with vastly more complex clues than usual.
** For starters, it happened with the following: Paul Millander (prop artist who enjoyed taunting Grissom), the Blue Paint Killer (likewise), Nicky's kidnapper at the end of Season 5 (who did it to prove a point), and the Miniature Killer (who only left clues because of an involuntary urge due to psychosis). Arguably, the Strip Strangler was amused at the police and FBI's feeble attempts at capture, but was meticulously neat and planted fake evidence rather than ''leave'' any.
* ''Series/{{NUMB3RS}}'': Usually the clues require advanced mathematics to unravel, since the show's Aesop is that Math is useful and mathematicians are like superheroes -- with math.
** "The Janus List" [[GambitRoulette took this to ridiculous extremes]] by having a spy intentionally set up an extremely convoluted series of complicated codes and puzzles that Charlie will have to solve to get the eponymous list. It's essentially a built-in test; if Charlie is able to get through all of the layers to access the information, then he's proven himself worthy to receive it. He does, although one of the pieces ends up being figured out by Don.
next target.



* In the season 3 finale of ''Series/{{Psych}}'' Shawn faces the Yin-Yang Killer, who only rarely resurfaces to screw with star cops -- by kidnapping a victim and leaving stopwatches and clues, with the victim dying when the star cop fails to solve the clues in time. When the Yin-Yang killer targets Shawn, Shawn gets caught up in the killer's clues, and [[spoiler: then he realizes that is what the killer wants [[DefiedTrope and pretends to give up]].]] Eventually the killer, [[spoiler:pissed off that Shawn isn't playing the game, comes gunning for him]], and is revealed to be [[spoiler: a very crazy-looking Ally Sheedy.]]
** One of the rare straight uses of this trope that manages to be funny: Detective Lassiter thinks the Yin-Yang Killer is testing him, specifically. [[WrongGenreSavvy He is...wrong]].
** They do it all again the next season with Mr. Yang's partner, Mr. Yin. [[spoiler:Who happens to be Mr. Yang's parent. This time, Shawn [[ConsultingAConvictedKiller has Yang as an ally so he can consult her at any time]], but [[ZigZaggedTrope she's so crazy that the information she provides Shawn]] is also concealed behind elaborate riddles. When Shawn tells her that she's making them waste their time and they need the information ''now'', Yang gives Shawn a flat look and says:]]
--->'''Yang:''' [[ComplexityAddiction That is not how my mind works]].
* ''Series/MacGyver1985'' had an escaped criminal foe who went as far as to call him with math equations that would yield a clue when solved.
* Variant: the ''Series/{{Ghostwriter}}'' episode "A Crime of Two Cities". A cross-Atlantic trio of kidnappers is led by a nutty mastermind who insists that they commit their crimes (and communicate with each other) through trick sentences and anagrams, all of which mock their intended victim. Unlike the usual trope, the leader isn't testing the heroes. She's doing it because she's arrogant, and wants to show off how the heroes are incapable of figuring out her clever clues.
* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'':
** Dexter himself does this to mislead the agents investigating his own murders. In a twist, his attempt to mislead actually helps the FBI agent to narrow down the investigation to somebody within the police department. This is because Dexter sends them a 'manifesto' for his crimes that's all over the map, mixing literary references with social commentary, religious diatribes, and crediting both Julius Caesar and ''Gandhi'' as inspirations. It's so scattershot that Agent Lundy deduces that the perpetrator has to be personally familiar with police profiling and was hoping to send them on a wild goose chase.
** Subverted when The Ice Truck Killer sends clues to the police, but they're really meant only for Dexter.
* Often done in ''Series/ThePretender'' by Jarod to the Centre operatives chasing him both to mock them and to leave clues that their superiors were up to shenanigans behind their backs. Done more often in the first couple of seasons... later on, Jarod simply calls them to tip them off about their employer's latest wacky hijinx.



* ''Series/{{Bones}}'' did this with serial killer [[spoiler: Howard Epps.]] It also had the protagonists prepared to pursue far more elaborate puzzles than the killer was actually leaving them, before one of their number realizes they've "endowed" him with brains he doesn't have.

to:

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'' did this with serial killer [[spoiler: Howard Epps.]] It also had ''Series/CriminologistHimuraAndMysteryWriterArisugawa'':
** The culprit behind
the protagonists prepared three "Study in Vermilion" cases deliberately goes out of his way to pursue far more get Himura involved, seemingly out of a desire to challenge Himura. This leads into the Orange Tachibana case, where the culprit sets up an elaborate puzzles than ruse to frame Mutobe and challenge Himura's skills. [[spoiler:Of course, it then turns out that Mutobe was the true culprit and framed himself to throw off suspicion. His reason for getting Himura involved was his jealousy at his crush, Akemi, holding Himura in such high regard.]]
** The ABC Killer leaves envelopes challenging both the police and Himura to try and catch them before they're able to kill a person for each letter of the alphabet. [[spoiler:It's revealed at the end that it wasn't actually
the killer leaving the envelopes, but a reporter who wanted to rope Himura into the case.]]
* ''{{Series/CSI}}'': Occurs with vastly more complex clues than usual. It happened with the following: Paul Millander (prop artist who enjoyed taunting Grissom), the Blue Paint Killer (likewise), Nicky's kidnapper at the end of Season 5 (who did it to prove a point), and the Miniature Killer (who only left clues because of an involuntary urge due to psychosis). Arguably, the Strip Strangler
was amused at the police and FBI's feeble attempts at capture, but was meticulously neat and planted fake evidence rather than ''leave'' any.
* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'':
** Dexter himself does this to mislead the agents investigating his own murders. In a twist, his attempt to mislead
actually leaving them, before one of their number realizes they've "endowed" him helps the FBI agent to narrow down the investigation to somebody within the police department. This is because Dexter sends them a 'manifesto' for his crimes that's all over the map, mixing literary references with brains he doesn't have.social commentary, religious diatribes, and crediting both Julius Caesar and ''Gandhi'' as inspirations. It's so scattershot that Agent Lundy deduces that the perpetrator has to be personally familiar with police profiling and was hoping to send them on a wild goose chase.
** Subverted when The Ice Truck Killer sends clues to the police, but they're really meant only for Dexter.



* In ''Series/BurnNotice'', Gilroy leaves clues about his identity to Michael this way. To quote Website/TelevisionWithoutPity, "either someone is setting up Mason Gilroy, or Mason Gilroy thinks he's the fucking Riddler."
* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' does this in the first season finale, "The Great Game." In a somewhat unique instance, the perpetrator is using unsolved cases as the bait for Sherlock, forcing him to dig up the truth so that his victims won't be killed.
* Fox Mulder of ''Series/TheXFiles'' tends to get into these with reasonably human [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]], such as John Irvin Barnett from "[[Recap/TheXFilesS01E16YoungAtHeart Young at Heart]]", [[spoiler:Mulder's ex-mentor]] from "[[Recap/TheXFilesS03E14Grotesque Grotesque]]", Robert Modell a.k.a. "[[Recap/TheXFilesS03E17Pusher Pusher]]", and [[spoiler:Modell's even eviler twin]] from "[[Recap/TheXFilesS05E08Kitsunegari Kitsunegari]]".
** Prior to his assignment to the X-Files, Mulder was a criminal profile and wrote the profile that got one man convicted to a death sentence. When the man claims he's psychic and can help the police find the kidnapped victims of the week, Mulder decidedly does not believe his claim, pointing out that this is the kind of game the convict would try and pull. Conversely, Scully starts believing the guy.
* The ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' episode "Murdoch in Toyland", in which Murdoch is left a series of talking dolls designed to give him just enough clues to reach the next one, and also to make him overthink things and miss more blatant clues. Murdoch's nemesis escapes, and returns to torment him some more [[spoiler:by framing his love Dr. Ogden as a murderer. He also claims human love fascinates him and that he wants to see whether he could give up his life for hers.]]
* In the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Bloodbath", Starsky is snatched by a cult whose psychotic leader is in prison; he gives Hutch just enough cryptic clues to track Starsky down in the nick of time.



* In the ''Series/{{Castle}}'' two-parter Tick, Tick and Boom, the team and an FBI profiler hunt a killer who is obsessed with Nikki Heat, the Beckett analogue in Castle's books, and leaves clues to prove he can outsmart her.
** Another episode has a sniper leave behind paper dolls cut from images of paintings that point toward his next target.
* Parodied on ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' with the "Identity Killer", a serial killer whose MO is to leave multiple forms of identification at the scene of each crime. Including two separate utility bills, and a T-shirt being worn by the victim with his photo on it and the text "I WAS KILLED BY (photo)". [[PoliceAreUseless The police still can't catch him.]]
* One episode of ''Series/TheNanny'' did this with a humorous bent. C.C.'s dog Chester is kidnapped in the park, and the crooks call the Sheffield residence with a demand of $20,000. C.C. turns the tables by going on television and offering the ransom as a reward to anyone who can capture the criminals. Fran decides that she and Val can solve the crime by using this trope--she overheard an ice cream truck playing "The Way We Were" in the background of the phone call, which points to Greenwich Village, and then notices a school on the truck's route, recalling hearing a bell ringing in the message, too. Of course, she and Val end up getting caught too, and the dognapppers put Mr. Sheffield through a series of bizarre instructions (such as looking for a key in the bottom of a YMCA's swimming pool) before he can deliver the money.
* In the ''Series/{{Shoestring}}'' episode "Mocking Bird," a mugger calls Radio West after each attack to leave taunting messages about Eddie's inability to catch him.
* Played with in one episode of ''Series/{{NCIS}}''. Their victim, a sailor, is found with a business card in his pocket with the blood of a murdered prostitute and a taunt that there are more murders to come. The team gears up to play games, and... [[spoiler: it turns out the dead sailor WAS the killer. The original killer. He'd intended to become a police-taunting SerialKiller, but he was murdered before that could happen. HIS killer wasn't so kind as to leave any deliberate clues.]]


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* Variant: the ''Series/{{Ghostwriter}}'' episode "A Crime of Two Cities". A cross-Atlantic trio of kidnappers is led by a nutty mastermind who insists that they commit their crimes (and communicate with each other) through trick sentences and anagrams, all of which mock their intended victim. Unlike the usual trope, the leader isn't testing the heroes. She's doing it because she's arrogant, and wants to show off how the heroes are incapable of figuring out her clever clues.
* Subverted in ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' in the episode "Sniper". A serial killer draws a hangman game in chalk at the scene of each crime, with another letter filled in each time. The detectives hope that if they can guess the word, they can solve the crime. [[spoiler: It turns out that the word is "eromitlab," a nonsense word -- Baltimore backwards. The killer is simply crazy. There's nothing more to it than that.]]
* Happens fairly often on ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent''. Goren is particularly good at figuring these out.
** The most significant example is one that's targeted directly at Goren. The perpetrator finds news articles about previous cases Goren had worked and uses details from those to point Goren in the direction of another suspect. Goren figures it out because it's just a little ''too'' specific to his abilities in places.
** Goren's nemesis, Nicole Wallace, often engages in these, especially when she knows he's on the case.
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'':
** Though the police didn't give up on traditional methods entirely. In fact, by ''using'' traditional methods, they're able to catch the perp ''before'' he can complete his intended killings, and even manage to save a victim without stooping to his level.
** Another episode had a copycat serial killer taunt the squad with puzzles just as the original killer had.
* ''Series/MacGyver1985'' had an escaped criminal foe who went as far as to call him with math equations that would yield a clue when solved.
* ''Series/Mouse2021'': Jae-hoon leaves a message for Mu-chi at a murder scene then phones him after a press conference, both times to taunt him. Then he gives Mu-chi a challenge: figure out how Jae-hoon chooses his victims, and the child he's kidnapped will be released. Fail, and the child will die. Mu-chi answers the question correctly... [[spoiler: and is rewarded by seeing his brother murdered on live [=TV=]. And Jae-hoon kills the child anyway.]]
* The ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' episode "Murdoch in Toyland", in which Murdoch is left a series of talking dolls designed to give him just enough clues to reach the next one, and also to make him overthink things and miss more blatant clues. Murdoch's nemesis escapes, and returns to torment him some more [[spoiler:by framing his love Dr. Ogden as a murderer. He also claims human love fascinates him and that he wants to see whether he could give up his life for hers.]]
* One episode of ''Series/TheNanny'' did this with a humorous bent. C.C.'s dog Chester is kidnapped in the park, and the crooks call the Sheffield residence with a demand of $20,000. C.C. turns the tables by going on television and offering the ransom as a reward to anyone who can capture the criminals. Fran decides that she and Val can solve the crime by using this trope--she overheard an ice cream truck playing "The Way We Were" in the background of the phone call, which points to Greenwich Village, and then notices a school on the truck's route, recalling hearing a bell ringing in the message, too. Of course, she and Val end up getting caught too, and the dognapppers put Mr. Sheffield through a series of bizarre instructions (such as looking for a key in the bottom of a YMCA's swimming pool) before he can deliver the money.
* Played with in one episode of ''Series/{{NCIS}}''. Their victim, a sailor, is found with a business card in his pocket with the blood of a murdered prostitute and a taunt that there are more murders to come. The team gears up to play games, and... [[spoiler: it turns out the dead sailor WAS the killer. The original killer. He'd intended to become a police-taunting SerialKiller, but he was murdered before that could happen. HIS killer wasn't so kind as to leave any deliberate clues.]]
* ''Series/{{NUMB3RS}}'': Usually the clues require advanced mathematics to unravel, since the show's Aesop is that Math is useful and mathematicians are like superheroes -- with math. "The Janus List" [[GambitRoulette took this to ridiculous extremes]] by having a spy intentionally set up an extremely convoluted series of complicated codes and puzzles that Charlie will have to solve to get the eponymous list. It's essentially a built-in test; if Charlie is able to get through all of the layers to access the information, then he's proven himself worthy to receive it. He does, although one of the pieces ends up being figured out by Don.
* Often done in ''Series/ThePretender'' by Jarod to the Centre operatives chasing him both to mock them and to leave clues that their superiors were up to shenanigans behind their backs. Done more often in the first couple of seasons... later on, Jarod simply calls them to tip them off about their employer's latest wacky hijinx.
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'':
** In the season 3 finale, Shawn faces the Yin-Yang Killer, who only rarely resurfaces to screw with star cops -- by kidnapping a victim and leaving stopwatches and clues, with the victim dying when the star cop fails to solve the clues in time. When the Yin-Yang killer targets Shawn, Shawn gets caught up in the killer's clues, and [[spoiler: then he realizes that is what the killer wants [[DefiedTrope and pretends to give up]].]] Eventually the killer, [[spoiler:pissed off that Shawn isn't playing the game, comes gunning for him]], and is revealed to be [[spoiler: a very crazy-looking Ally Sheedy.]]
** One of the rare straight uses of this trope that manages to be funny: Detective Lassiter thinks the Yin-Yang Killer is testing him, specifically. [[WrongGenreSavvy He is...wrong]].
** They do it all again the next season with Mr. Yang's partner, Mr. Yin. [[spoiler:Who happens to be Mr. Yang's parent. This time, Shawn [[ConsultingAConvictedKiller has Yang as an ally so he can consult her at any time]], but [[ZigZaggedTrope she's so crazy that the information she provides Shawn]] is also concealed behind elaborate riddles. When Shawn tells her that she's making them waste their time and they need the information ''now'', Yang gives Shawn a flat look and says:]]
--->'''Yang:''' [[ComplexityAddiction That is not how my mind works]].
* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' does this in the first season finale, "The Great Game." In a somewhat unique instance, the perpetrator is using unsolved cases as the bait for Sherlock, forcing him to dig up the truth so that his victims won't be killed.
* In the ''Series/{{Shoestring}}'' episode "Mocking Bird," a mugger calls Radio West after each attack to leave taunting messages about Eddie's inability to catch him.
* In the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Bloodbath", Starsky is snatched by a cult whose psychotic leader is in prison; he gives Hutch just enough cryptic clues to track Starsky down in the nick of time.
* Parodied on ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' with the "Identity Killer", a serial killer whose MO is to leave multiple forms of identification at the scene of each crime. Including two separate utility bills, and a T-shirt being worn by the victim with his photo on it and the text "I WAS KILLED BY (photo)". [[PoliceAreUseless The police still can't catch him.]]
* ''Series/TheXFiles'':
** Fox Mulder tends to get into these with reasonably human [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]], such as John Irvin Barnett from "[[Recap/TheXFilesS01E16YoungAtHeart Young at Heart]]", [[spoiler:Mulder's ex-mentor]] from "[[Recap/TheXFilesS03E14Grotesque Grotesque]]", Robert Modell a.k.a. "[[Recap/TheXFilesS03E17Pusher Pusher]]", and [[spoiler:Modell's even eviler twin]] from "[[Recap/TheXFilesS05E08Kitsunegari Kitsunegari]]".
** Prior to his assignment to the X-Files, Mulder was a criminal profile and wrote the profile that got one man convicted to a death sentence. When the man claims he's psychic and can help the police find the kidnapped victims of the week, Mulder decidedly does not believe his claim, pointing out that this is the kind of game the convict would try and pull. Conversely, Scully starts believing the guy.
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* In ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'' a human heart is left on Hanson's desk in "The Frustrating Thing About Psychopaths" and the killer leaves a clue as to his next crime at each crime scene (A black dahlia is left at his Jack the Ripper homage, and a piece of stocking left at the Black Dahlia scene hints he's going for a Boston Strangler next.)

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* In all incarnations of ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', this is ComicBook/TheRiddler's modus operandi; other Batman villains, like ComicBook/TheJoker, have also done it.
** Lampshaded during the VillainTeamUp in ''Film/BatmanTheMovie'', where the Riddler's colleagues eventually grow tired of him compromising their plans by leaving clues that they know Bats will inevitably solve. They try to stop him from doing so, but he fervently declares that he just can't resist and proceeds to leave more clues that eventually lead to their defeat.
*** Ironically, he's also the only one in that film who comes close to successfully killing Batman -- not once but twice!
** Interestingly, an early Batman story showed that the Riddler's insanity is such that he is physically incapable of committing a crime unless he leaves a clue. (His father used to beat him when he lied ... so once dear old Dad was out of the way and only the consequential neuroses were left, he learned to tell the truth in extremely sneaky ways to get around them.)
** One ''ComicBook/BatmanAdventures'' comic set in the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse had Batman ''fail'' to decipher the Riddler's clues; he stumbled upon the crime because he was following three other crooks who had the same target. When the Riddler realizes this, he doesn't care that he's going to jail because as far as he's concerned, he ''won''.

to:

* In all incarnations of ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'', this is ComicBook/TheRiddler's the Riddler's modus operandi; other Batman villains, like ComicBook/TheJoker, the Joker, have also done it.
** Lampshaded during the VillainTeamUp in ''Film/BatmanTheMovie'', where as the Riddler's colleagues eventually grow tired of him compromising their plans by leaving clues that they know Bats will inevitably solve. They try to stop him from doing so, but he fervently declares that he just can't resist and proceeds to leave more clues that eventually lead to their defeat.
***
defeat. Ironically, he's also the only one in that the film who comes close to successfully killing Batman -- not once but twice!
** Interestingly, an early Batman ''Batman'' story showed shows that the Riddler's insanity is such that he is physically incapable of committing a crime unless he leaves a clue. (His father used to beat him when he lied ...lied... so once dear old Dad was out of the way and only the consequential neuroses were left, he learned to tell the truth in extremely sneaky ways to get around them.)
** One ''ComicBook/BatmanAdventures'' ''ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures'' comic set in the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse had has Batman ''fail'' to decipher the Riddler's clues; he stumbled stumbles upon the crime because he was he's following three other crooks who had the same target. When the Riddler realizes this, he doesn't care that he's going to jail because as far as he's concerned, he ''won''.



*** The Cluemaster was caught thanks to his own clues and went to prison, an experience which cured him - of leaving clues. Once free, he resumed his criminal activities without bothering to leave clues any more. As ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}} says, "[[NiceJobBreakingItHero Gee, thanks Arkham!]]"

to:

*** The Cluemaster was caught thanks to his own clues and went to prison, an experience which cured him - -- of leaving clues. Once free, he resumed his criminal activities without bothering to leave clues any more. As ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}} says, "[[NiceJobBreakingItHero Gee, thanks Arkham!]]"
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Updating Link


*** The Cluemaster was caught thanks to his own clues and went to prison, an experience which cured him - of leaving clues. Once free, he resumed his criminal activities without bothering to leave clues any more. As [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]] says, "[[NiceJobBreakingItHero Gee, thanks Arkham!]]"

to:

*** The Cluemaster was caught thanks to his own clues and went to prison, an experience which cured him - of leaving clues. Once free, he resumed his criminal activities without bothering to leave clues any more. As [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]] ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}} says, "[[NiceJobBreakingItHero Gee, thanks Arkham!]]"
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* Others who sent letters (some of them more coherent than others) include Son of Sam, BTK, and the Axeman of New Orleans. Usually, the capture had little to do with the any attempted mind games: Son of Sam was captured when a witness saw him loitering suspiciously near his illegally parked car around the time of the shootings then confessed quickly. BTK was caught after a floppy disk he sent was traced to a computer registered by a local church (after being assured by investigators in a previous communication that oh yeah, they totally wouldn't be able to trace a floppy disk in any way).

to:

* Others %%Others who sent letters (some of them more coherent than others) include Son of Sam, BTK, and the Axeman of New Orleans. Usually, the capture had little to do with the any attempted mind games: Son of Sam was captured when a witness saw him loitering suspiciously near his illegally parked car around the time of the shootings then confessed quickly. BTK was caught after a floppy disk he sent was traced to a computer registered by a local church (after being assured by investigators in a previous communication that oh yeah, they totally wouldn't be able to trace a floppy disk in any way).
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These people often enjoy wordplay. Anagrams abound, as well as sentences with a carefully designed second meaning, and proper nouns which are [[WhosOnFirst conveniently also real words]]. ("Wait a minute, does he mean ''Jim'' Trashcompacter?")

See also LinkedListClueMethodology for a number of non-(or at least ''less'') criminal scavenger hunts. Compare TheWalrusWasPaul. Also compare WritingAboutYourCrime.

to:

These people often enjoy wordplay. Anagrams abound, as well as sentences with a carefully designed second meaning, and proper nouns which are [[WhosOnFirst conveniently also real words]]. ("Wait a minute, does he mean ''Jim'' Trashcompacter?")

Trashcompacter?") Because they’re supposed to be intellectual tests, villains in [[EdutainmentShow Edutainment Series]] tend to be fond of using these, AlphabetSoupCans style.

See also LinkedListClueMethodology for a number of non-(or at least ''less'') criminal scavenger hunts. Compare TheWalrusWasPaul. Also compare WritingAboutYourCrime.
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** Dexter himself does this to mislead the agents investigating his own murders. In a twist, his attempt to mislead actually helps the FBI agent to narrow down the investigation to somebody within the police department. This is because Dexter sends them a 'manifesto' for his crimes that's all over the map, from which Agent Lundy deduces that the perpetrator is personally familiar with police profiling and was hoping to send them on a wild goose chase.

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** Dexter himself does this to mislead the agents investigating his own murders. In a twist, his attempt to mislead actually helps the FBI agent to narrow down the investigation to somebody within the police department. This is because Dexter sends them a 'manifesto' for his crimes that's all over the map, from which mixing literary references with social commentary, religious diatribes, and crediting both Julius Caesar and ''Gandhi'' as inspirations. It's so scattershot that Agent Lundy deduces that the perpetrator is has to be personally familiar with police profiling and was hoping to send them on a wild goose chase.
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** Dexter himself does this to mislead the agents investigating his own murders. In a twist, his attempt to mislead actually helps the FBI agent to narrow down the investigation to somebody within the police department. This is because Dexter sends them a 'manifesto' of his crimes that's all over the map, causing Agent Lundy to deduce that the perpetrator is personally familiar with police profiling and was hoping to send them on a wild goose chase.

to:

** Dexter himself does this to mislead the agents investigating his own murders. In a twist, his attempt to mislead actually helps the FBI agent to narrow down the investigation to somebody within the police department. This is because Dexter sends them a 'manifesto' of for his crimes that's all over the map, causing from which Agent Lundy to deduce deduces that the perpetrator is personally familiar with police profiling and was hoping to send them on a wild goose chase.
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* ''LightNovel/AnotherNote'': The entire book is about trying to solve a very, very, difficult one of these. The killer, [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Beyond Birthday]], left several clues leading from one murder to the next. None of the investigating officers could even start to decipher B's clues. Only Naomi Misora -- under L's guidance -- and an "unprivate" detective named Ryuzaki could help. The clues lead Naomi Misora ''in person'' to find each and every one of these clues to make sure the effort didn't go to waste. [[spoiler: Ryuzaki ends up doing most of the work. He turns out to be the killer who placed the clues there in the first place.]]

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* ''LightNovel/AnotherNote'': ''Literature/AnotherNote'': The entire book is about trying to solve a very, very, difficult one of these. The killer, [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Beyond Birthday]], left several clues leading from one murder to the next. None of the investigating officers could even start to decipher B's clues. Only Naomi Misora -- under L's guidance -- and an "unprivate" detective named Ryuzaki could help. The clues lead Naomi Misora ''in person'' to find each and every one of these clues to make sure the effort didn't go to waste. [[spoiler: Ryuzaki ends up doing most of the work. He turns out to be the killer who placed the clues there in the first place.]]
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* Played with in ''Series/{{Bones}}''. Serial killer Howard Epps is already in prison when he first appears, but he enjoys finding ways to toy with the FBI anyway. In his second episode, he works with an accomplice on the outside to commit copycat crimes, for the sole purpose of making the FBI (and Dr Brennan in particular) [[ConsultingAConvictedKiller consult him on the case]]. He very purposefully leaves a trail of clues for the FBI to follow, most of which can’t be understood without talking to him and listening to the hints he drops into conversation.

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