On 24 July 2015, the life of a Mysterious figure – The British criminal John Palmer, also known as Goldfinger (Goldfinger in Spanish), came to an end. He had resided in Tenerife for many years. Initially, it was presumed he died of natural causes following complications from a heart surgery; however, gunshot wounds discovered on his body contradicted this assumption.
His most notorious heist was the armed robbery of over €7,000 worth of gold bullion at Heathrow Airport (London) in 1983. Ten years after his passing, his legacy will be revived in a role-playing game entitled John Palmer’s Case and the Curse of Stolen Gold, as announced on Tuesday, 25 March, during the opening day of Santa Cruz Technology.
The role-playing game, designed for participants to embody different roles in an imaginary context, was revealed at the video game event Technoir at the Tenerife Space of Arts (TEA), as part of one of the technology segments. Joan Pons, lecturer at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, introduced it during his presentation titled Noir and Neo Noir in Video Games: Mechanical and Narrative Evolution. Tenerife Noir is a festival centred around a cinematic storytelling style characterised by mystery and crime.
“The concept originated in October 2024, but given the lengthy process, I wasn’t able to have it ready by March,” explained Joan Pons at the conclusion of his presentation Noir and Neo Noir in Video Games: Mechanical and Narrative Evolution. The official unveiling of the game is scheduled for 2026.
The Technoir programme inaugurated Technological 2025, one of the Major gatherings on technology and innovation during which TORCH takes place. The events will continue through to Sunday, 30 March, featuring Tecnofight, Tecnohack, Tecnoplay, and Talks and Workshops. In addition to the TEA, activities will be held at the Museum of Nature and Archaeology (MUNA).
Joan Pons during his presentation on Noir and Neo Noir in Video Games: Mechanical and Narrative Evolution / Andrés Gutiérrez
First Book
The role-playing game comprises two books. The first contains the General Regulations. Pons emphasises the significance of “There are neither good nor bad characters”. Given that this game involves mafias and their settings, participants will begin by assuming the role of a criminal group in one scenario and a Police Investigation Unit in another. “As the game progresses, you will witness shifts between sides and how characters evolve,” he adds.
In order to develop the regulations, they undertook extensive research into how to design scenarios for this type of game, along with crafting clues. The designer mentions that they drew inspiration from “a system called Gumshoe.” This system is beneficial for understanding how investigative games function, as “many times players can become stuck, making the game excessively prolonged.”
Second Book
The second book outlines the four scenarios that will be presented in the role-playing game. They spent six months researching John Palmer to authentically capture his story in the second book. The first scenario details how players may simulate a theft in order to engage in gameplay. The second stage addresses events following the theft. The third focuses on the sale of timeshare properties. “Over four thousand individuals were defrauded by Palmer in the southern island.” The fourth and final scenario reveals the connections the thief had with prominent figures from the Tenerife Church.
