Psych-Os are passionate and determined, but are they smart enough to catch a killer? They are about to be put to the test.
Beginning Friday, USA Network is launching a new online murder mystery game titled TheS#cialSector, written by the Psych writers, directed by co-star Kirsten Nelson and starring James Roday and Dulé Hill.
"I just felt very honored that the executive producers felt that this was the challenge that they wanted me to tackle," Nelson tells TVGuide.com of the project, which marks her first time directing for Psych following her 2011 short film, 8 Minutes. "There were so many different angles with this one."
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A sequel of sorts to last year's HashTag Killer, TheS#cialSector will run eight weeks on TheSocialSector.com, and allow fans to help investigate a murder by playing games, sending real-time messages to Shawn and Gus and also sending video of their whodunit theories.
Each week, one theory from the Fan Theory Board will be selected to be featured in the next installment of the game. "That theory can drive another game forward," Nelson says. "Last year, they could talk to us but not necessarily be a part of the game, but this year they're going to be a part of the game from week to week."
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As fans begin to gather clues and post their own theories about what happened, one contestant will be eliminated from the competition each week. "The fans will get to vote on who is actually committing the murder after they get their clues every week," Nelson says. "It's kind of like a reality TV home, and if you don't vote for somebody — like on The Biggest Loser or American Idol — they get voted off and then they die."
Through the board, as well as games and other activities, fans will be able to earn new pieces of evidence which will be used to complete a puzzle in the final week to find out who the killer is. Throughout the game, fans will also earn points on Club Psych to receive signed prizes and other show-related rewards. "I think everyone was very pleased with how smoothly it went," Nelson says. So does that mean she will soon be stepping behind the camera for an episode of the long-running series? "I would love to direct a full episode in the future. We'll see what the future brings," she says.
Watch this special sneak preview of TheS#cialSector: