Mysteries I Solved This Month

If you know me at all, you know that I love a good mystery! I also love cozy hobbies like game nights with friends. With the chilly weather this January, I am always looking for fun indoor activities, so we planned a few mystery game sessions. Here are all the mysteries I solved this month and a short review of each type:

Snowbound by The Deadbolt Mystery Society

Game Info: difficulty level 3/5, 2-3 hours, 1-6 players

Story synopsis: You play the role of Sheriff Ambrose King enjoying a stay at the Big Elk Lodge. During your stay, the weather takes a turn and heavy snowfall cuts off outside communication and makes the mountain roads too treacherous for driving in or out of the property. You and the other guests settle in to wait out the storm, but tragedy strikes when a guest is found murdered with a knife in their chest. As the guest’s stories begin to unravel, many are not who they seem to be and as the Sheriff, it is on your shoulders to decipher what exactly is going on at Big Elk Lodge and discover the killer.

Why I enjoyed it: The Deadbolt Mystery Society boxes have long been some of my favorites. They are well organized and some puzzles are sealed in envelopes that you can only open by solving a clue. I like this set up because it creates a clear progression through the story as you move along and gives you direction if you are not sure what to do next. I played this with a large group of eight other ladies and we made a whole night of it with theme cocktails and a potluck style dinner. Since we had a larger group, we were able to split up some of the puzzles among two smaller groups. There is a lot of reading with this type of box, so be prepared to read many documents, or have people ready and willing to read out loud to the group. Another aspect that I really liked was the use of QR codes throughout the game. When you have a solution to a puzzle, you scan the appropriate QR code and input your answer. If you are correct, it will give you the directions to the next part of the game or unlock more content on your phone that is part of the mystery. This box in particular took us a little longer since the story has many layers to it, so be ready to spend about 3 hours solving this case, even with a larger group.

Cryptid by Puzzling Pursuits

Game info: difficulty level 4/5, 2-4 hours, 1-6 players

Story synopsis: This story centers around Dr. Herbert Hughes, a once famous scientist and your dear uncle. Since not returning home from his latest expedition, Dr. Hughes is now a missing person, presumed dead. His once successful career was in shambles at the time of his disappearance. His work was once highly esteemed, but in recent years he was studying the more mystic subject of cryptids, such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster, leading to being shunned from the scientific community. Now, a young delivery boy is at your doorstep with a chest full of your uncle’s papers, books, and life’s work. Opening the chest, you discover a world of illusion, intrigue, and adventure. Work through the mystery to discover what has really happened to Dr. Hughes and why he set off on a solo expedition.

Why I enjoyed it: This box is essentially a two part mystery rolled into one storyline. There is a part one and part two separated into envelopes, so you can stop half way through if you want to work on it another day. I did this box on a day off with a close friend and since it was just the two of us, it took us almost all day! I think the play time is longer than stated on the website, so be ready for hours of puzzles, but we didn’t mind one bit since we were having so much fun! The story is very detailed and immersive with a large variety of puzzle types to solve along the way. This was my first box by Puzzling Pursuits and I will definitely be buying more from them because of the unique puzzles and codes, some of which I have never seen before. When you start the box, the directions refer you to a website from the company where you can get clues if needed and lots of other extra content such as a playlist, themed food and drink recipes and more. I will say the second envelope went up in difficulty compared to the first and we had to use several clues to get through it. This is a great company to buy from if you want to plan a whole themed night with a group.

Casefile: Temptation & Trickery by Goliath Games

Game info: difficulty level 2/5, 1 hour, 3-4 players

Story synopsis: Dr. Paulina Green, the renowned botanist, has recently been found dead in the Pine Barrens State Park. With her killer on the loose, you and the other players are detectives competing to see who can solve the case first. Using your evidence cards, mark down clues to figure out the suspect, weapon, motive and location of the crime. Be careful who you trust, since false evidence is floating around and you can’t believe everything your fellow detectives tell you!

Why I enjoyed it: This box is essentially a more complex version of the classic Clue board game and I loved it! It’s a much quicker play time compared to other mystery boxes, but it has the added bonus that it can be played over and over with a new mystery to solve each time. You definitely need 3-4 players or the clue sharing dynamic doesn’t work as well, we played with 3 and it was just right. You get to choose how collaborative or secretive you want to be during your turn which is a fun aspect. This is a great choice for anyone who enjoys true crime content and board games.