Some games were never meant to end…
What happened to the girl who vanished in a blinding snowstorm over one hundred years ago? All that remained was a bloodstained red cape, left behind on the estate of one of America’s wealthiest families.
When Lillia Pameroy arrives at the Biltmore Estate with her Grandaunt Nora, the past is already beginning to stir. A long-forgotten disappearance has been reopened just as the estate prepares for its grand festival, drawing visitors from near and far. But it isn’t only the living who have returned.
Guided by her imagining abilities, Lillia begins to see glimpses of what once was… and what was never meant to be forgotten.
With the help of new friends Grace and Danny, she follows a trail of clues that winds through hidden histories, false identities, and a web of carefully concealed greed. But as the mystery deepens, it becomes clear that this is more than a story left behind in the past.
Someone is still playing the game.
And if Lillia isn’t careful, she may become part of it.
These photographs helped inspire the setting, history, and haunting atmosphere of Twisted Games where Lillia’s journey through Land Between the Lakes brings her face to face with both the beauty of the present and the mysteries of the past.
This historic photograph captures the breathtaking, castle-like beauty of the Biltmore mansion, built by George Vanderbilt at the turn of the century. Often called the “last American castle,” the home reflects the strong influence of the French chateaux Vanderbilt admired during his travels abroad. It is here, within these grand walls, that Lillia’s mystery begins… where history and imagination intertwine.
Standing in front of the magnificent Biltmore Estate, this moment marked the beginning of my research journey for Twisted Games. During my visit, I was fortunate to explore the mansion on several tours, including a special behind-the-scenes experience. Walking through these halls, it was easy to feel the quiet presence of the past… and to imagine the stories still waiting to be uncovered.
This historic photograph of young Cornelia Vanderbilt with the family dog, Cedric, a St. Bernard, offered a window into life at the estate long ago. As the only child of George and Edith Vanderbilt, Cornelia became an inspiration for the world Lillia begins to see through her imaginings.
Located near the Creamery in Antler Hill Village on the Biltmore Estate, this bronze statue of Cedric inspired an important moment in Twisted Games. It is here that Lillia first senses something stirring beneath the surface… a quiet hint that the past is not as distant as it seems.
The Creamery, located in Antler Hill Village on the Biltmore Estate grounds, was the perfect inspiration for Nora and Lillia’s first morning tradition. In Twisted Games, they begin their adventure here… because in their world, ice cream for breakfast is always the right choice.
This famous ice cream treat from the Creamery is based on a recipe from the original Biltmore Dairy. One look at it, and it’s easy to understand why Grandaunt Nora and Lillia chose it as their very first breakfast… a sweet start to a mystery that will soon turn far more complicated.
This old medicine show wagon helped inspire the traveling show and snake oil salesman woven into the mystery of Twisted Games. A wagon like this appears in the festival field… but it also plays a role in Lillia’s imaginings, guiding her toward the truth behind the girl in red.
This striking painting by Ignacio Zuloaga inspired one of the red clues in the Scarlet Scavenger Game. That clue leads Lillia, Danny, and Grace to George Vanderbilt’s library… and closer to uncovering a secret someone has worked very hard to keep hidden.
Napoleon Bonaparte makes an unexpected appearance in Twisted Games. His personal chess set, displayed in the Biltmore Library, inspired a special scene between Lillia and her grandfather… a quiet moment that reveals how the past can reach into the present in the most unexpected ways.
The Setting for Twisted Games…
Twisted Games is set at the Biltmore Estate, in North Carolina, with the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding it.
Lillia and her family explore the grand mansion, its long corridors, and the sprawling grounds that stretch into nearby forests and open fields. Once home to the Vanderbilt family, the estate is filled with carefully preserved rooms, shadowed corners, and quiet spaces where the past does not feel far away.
This setting, both elegant and unsettling, plays an important role in the mystery as Lillia follows clues through the estate and begins to realize that some secrets have been waiting a very long time to be found… and may not want to stay hidden any longer.