In Dossier, you get one accusation per case and only 5 free messages per suspect — so every question has to count. These 5 tips draw from real detective techniques and will help you catch suspects in lies, identify the killer, and protect your streak without wasting messages.
Whether you're stuck on Rookie tier or pushing into Cold Case difficulty, these interrogation principles work on every daily case — especially when message economy matters.
The 5-Message Rule: Why Every Question Matters🔗
Before the tips, remember this: you only get 5 free messages per suspect. That means every question must do one of three things:
-
Establish a fact (where were you, who with, doing what)
-
Test a contradiction (confront them with another suspect's statement)
-
Surface a motive (relationship, conflict, secret)
Wasted messages = wasted case. The tips below are designed around this constraint.
Tip #1: Establish the Timeline First, Then Break It🔗
Before asking anything else, build the timeline. The autopsy gives you time of death. The crime scene gives you location. Every suspect's alibi is a claim about where they were during that window.
Your first question to every suspect should be the same:
"Where were you between [time] and [time]?"
Once you've heard everyone's story, look for:
-
Two suspects claiming to be in the same place (one is lying)
-
An alibi that can't be verified (ask "who can confirm that?")
-
Vague time markers ("I was home all evening" — all evening is suspicious specific)
Real detectives say the first lie is usually in the timeline. Force suspects to commit to specifics, then poke holes.
Message budget: Spend 1 of your 5 messages on the timeline question. Save the other 4 for follow-ups on the suspect who looks weakest.
Tip #2: Ask Open-Ended Questions, Not Yes/No🔗
Closed questions get closed answers. "Did you kill the victim?" gets "No." That's useless.
Open questions get information. Use these formats:
- "Tell me about your relationship with the victim."
-
"Walk me through what you did that night."
-
"What was on your mind the last time you saw them?"
The more a suspect talks, the more opportunities they create to contradict themselves. Real detectives call this "giving them enough rope."
Bonus: With only 5 messages, never ask two questions that could be combined into one. Instead of splitting "Where were you?" and "Who were you with?" across two messages, ask "Walk me through where you were and who you were with." One message, two answers.
Tip #3: Cross-Reference Every Claim🔗
Dossier saves all suspect statements in the Evidence tab. Use it.
After talking to every suspect, look for claims that contradict each other:
| Suspect A says | Suspect B says | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| "I was with B at the bar" | "I was home alone" | One of them is lying |
| "I last saw the victim Tuesday" | "I saw A and the victim arguing Wednesday" | A's timeline is wrong |
| "I didn't know about the affair" | "I told everyone about the affair" | A is hiding something |
Pro move: Return to the suspect whose story doesn't match and confront them with the contradiction. Their reaction tells you everything.
Tip #4: Find the Motive Before You Accuse🔗
Every murder in Dossier has a motive. The victim profile tells you who benefits, who was wronged, and who had reason to want them dead.
Motives usually fall into five categories:
-
Money — inheritance, debts, business rivalry
-
Love — jealousy, affairs, breakups
-
Revenge — old grudges, betrayals, humiliation
-
Fear — the victim knew something dangerous
-
Cover-up — killing to hide a different crime
Ask yourself: Who had the strongest motive? Then cross-check: did they also have means and opportunity?
A suspect with motive + means + opportunity = your killer. Two out of three is not enough.
Tip #5: Trust Inconsistencies Over Gut Feelings🔗
The biggest mistake Dossier players make is accusing the "obvious" suspect — the jealous spouse, the angry business partner, the person who found the body.
Dossier's AI writes cases that subvert expectations. The obvious suspect is often a red herring.
Instead of trusting your gut, trust inconsistencies:
- A suspect who over-explains their alibi
-
A suspect whose story changed between questions
-
A suspect who knew a detail they shouldn't have known
-
A suspect whose emotional response doesn't match the situation
Real detective saying: "Suspects who did it tell you a story. Suspects who didn't do it tell you what happened."
The killer constructs a narrative. The innocent just answer your questions.
Bonus: The 3-Pass Interrogation Method🔗
For Cold Case tier (6 suspects, 10 clues, 35 minutes), use this structured approach:
With only 5 messages per suspect, budget them like this across 3 passes:
Pass 1 — Timeline Pass (1 message per suspect) Ask every suspect the same combined timeline + alibi question. Build the master timeline using one message each.
Pass 2 — Contradiction Pass (2 messages to key suspects) Return to the 1-2 suspects whose timelines look weakest and confront them with what another suspect said.
Pass 3 — Motive Pass (2 messages to prime suspect) Use your final messages on the suspect you believe is the killer. Probe motive and means directly.
This method respects the 5-message limit while maximizing information per suspect.
Common Interrogation Mistakes to Avoid🔗
- Burning all 5 messages on one suspect early — you'll run out before you find the real killer
-
Accepting alibis without verification — bundle verification into your first question ("who can confirm that?")
-
Asking vague questions — with a 5-message cap, every question must be specific
-
Ignoring the victim's circle — close relationships = highest motive
-
Trusting body language cues you invented — Dossier's AI doesn't fake stress tells
-
Accusing mid-interrogation — finish talking to everyone first, within your message budget
Why These Tips Work🔗
Dossier's AI is trained to simulate realistic suspect behavior — lies include hesitation patterns, inconsistent details, and defensive over-explanation, just like real interrogations. The techniques above work because they exploit the same psychological patterns real detectives use.
Master them on Rookie tier, and you'll breeze through Detective and Inspector cases.
Frequently Asked Questions🔗
Can suspects in Dossier lie to me?🔗
Yes. Suspects lie strategically — the killer lies to hide guilt, and other suspects sometimes lie to hide unrelated secrets. Catching lies is part of the gameplay.
Is there a limit to how many questions I can ask?🔗
Yes. You get 5 free messages per suspect per case. Extra messages may be available through credit packs, but the core gameplay challenge is making your 5 messages count.
What if I can't tell who's lying?🔗
Focus on contradictions between suspects rather than reading individual tells. Two suspects can't both be telling the truth if their stories conflict.
Does asking the right question matter, or is Dossier random?🔗
The right questions absolutely matter. Dossier's AI responds to question content — asking specific, probing questions gets specific, revealing answers.
How long should I spend on a Rookie case?🔗
Budget 5 minutes. Longer than that usually means you're overthinking. Rookie cases have fewer suspects and simpler motives.
Put these tips to work: Download Dossier free on iOS and Android, then crack today's case.
For true crime creators: Use TrendlyAI to spot emerging true crime and detective content trends across 42 languages before your competitors.