Before Deductive Logico became a prolific detective, he was a student. In the latest installment of the best-selling mystery logic puzzle series, Murdle, fans follow the beloved character to Deduction College—where University of Arkansas students might recognize some familiar locations.

“The campus — Old Main in particular — has a mythology in my mind that still lives on,” said Greg Karber, an honors alum from Fort Smith, Bodenhamer Fellow and author of Murdle. “I wanted to celebrate that.”

Karber, who graduated summa cum laude in 2009 and writes under the name G.T. Karber, will follow in the footsteps of his iconic character and return to campus for an Honors College Mic lecture that will be open to the public and include an interactive game of Murdle for students during Honors Recess.

The lecture will take place at 5:15 p.m.  Thursday, Feb. 27 in the Honors Student Lounge. Students can meet with Karber personally and attend a Murdle-inspired Recess that same day at 3 p.m.

Karber first sketched the idea for Murdle on a napkin for a friend, and he later adapted the game for online play, eventually attracting millions of plays per month. The daily puzzle has expanded into a three-volume book series, collegiate spin-off, junior version, board game, future television series and undoubtedly more. Karber even won “Book of the Year” at the 2024 British Book Awards.

Majoring in Puzzles

“I never wanted to major in puzzles,” Karber laughed, humorously referencing crossword luminary Will Shortz, who famously majored in enigmatology. Karber smiled as he made the fitting remark, considering he unintentionally chose fields that aligned perfectly with puzzle design. He double-majored in English and mathematics with a minor in psychology, before earning an M.F.A. in screenwriting from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

“Everyone views math as analytical and writing as creative, but I would sit in geometry and see students present brilliantly crafted proofs,” Karber said, referencing how his combination of majors fueled his passion for writing brain teasers. “Conversely, I’d sit in creative writing courses and watch people pull these disparate threads together in a meticulous way. In real life, you combine skills.”

His journey to puzzles wasn’t straightforward, but the clues were there all along. He chose the University of Arkansas because, among all the schools he applied to, “the U of A really wanted me.” Earning the prestigious Bodenhamer Fellowship solidified his decision, knowing it would give him the opportunity for international education. 

“My study abroad experiences hugely affected the development of Murdle,” Karber said, referencing his three study abroad trips to the United Kingdom, covering creative writing, theater and film. “I soaked up the cultural milieu that is the setting for mysteries.” 

His creative writing course provided a level of immersion in his craft he had never experienced before. For a month, he lived with other writers, focusing solely on the creative process.

“All that thinking and talking about writing changed the way I wrote forever,” Karber recalled.

While studying theater in London, he attended nearly 30 performances —more than many people see in a lifetime. Among them were two productions of Macbeth — one he loved and one he despised.

“That’s an experience almost no one gets,” he explained. “When you go on vacation, you don’t book two of the same show. We were able to compare and contrast the versions, and those experiences — while studying abroad — reshape the way you think.”

Studying Mysteries

Despite its murderous framework, Murdle is surprisingly wholesome and a favorite among the Brits, topping the bestseller lists.

“Even though they are murders, they are sweet Agatha-Christie-style, bloodless murders,” Karber noted. The puzzles often feature unconventional weapons like heavy tomes, garden gnomes or even “the sharpest tool in the shed.” During the pandemic, Karber immersed himself in Agatha Christie's works, reading “tons” of her novels.

“They were soothing, and I came out of that year with them baked into me,” he said. “I got to the point when I could tell the [exact] paragraph where the killer would be introduced.”

Writing about mysteries was a natural fit for Karber. With a judge for a mother, a civil rights attorney for a father, and an FBI agent as a grandfather, his fascination with crime and mystery seemed almost inevitable. For his honors thesis, Karber wove that passion into a quirky, Scooby-Doo-inspired sci-fi novella. The story unfolds around the U of A’s historic 2008 Tobacco-Free Policy, which made the institution one of the first major universities to prohibit all tobacco products on campus.

“I spent probably a year and a half writing it,” Karber said. “And then I spent the next year revising it before going to grad school. Two years later, I did another six-month revision. It was okay — not great — but it captured everything I was thinking about at the time. My thoughts and worldviews were shaped by that writing process. No one will ever read that book, but it’s a very important part of my life.”

Coding community

Although Murdle is infused with humor and whodunit nostalgia, the writing is only part of what makes it a cult favorite. Since the age of 13, Karber has dabbled in designing “little computer games” for the internet. By his count, he’s created more than 30, including a text-based version of Pong and a “zen love story” about tortoises, which uses the mechanics of a knight’s tour sequence in chess. Sharing Murdle with the digital masses felt like a natural next step.

“I loved making these online gizmos,” he said. “Something the audience could explore and interact with was so rewarding to me.” 

Above all, Karber believes Murdle is a genuine reflection of himself. Over the years, he’s explored creative outlets like performing stand-up comedy, directing dinner theater, attempting novel-length projects and writing film scripts. Yet, Murdle came about organically. It wasn’t conceived with monetization in mind or designed to become an internet phenomenon. He created it for a friend. The friend liked it — and soon, so did many others.

“I do feel authentic when I tell people about it,” Karber said, noting that his 13-year-old self would be proud of what he’s done. “I didn’t want to create something that kept people up all night playing. The narrative disrupts that cycle and introduces a bit of friction. I love it when people tell me that Murdle helps them unplug or becomes something they play with their whole family.”

---

About the Honors College: The University of Arkansas Honors College was established in 2002 and brings together high-achieving undergraduate students and the university’s top professors to share transformative learning experiences. Each year the Honors College awards up to 90 freshman fellowships that provide $80,000 over four years, and more than $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. The Honors College is nationally recognized for the high caliber of students it admits and graduates. Honors students enjoy small, in-depth classes, and programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students’ academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. All Honors College graduates have engaged in mentored research.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.