Hunt a Killer. Photo: Marielle Bokor
Are you a true crime buff? Do you think you have what it takes to solve a murder? If so, you’ve probably already heard of Hunt A Killer—the murder mystery in a box. If you haven’t, today’s your lucky day. No one does the murder mystery game like
Hunt A Killer.
I think I first heard of Hunt A Killer when I was shopping for a monthly loot crate. Hunt A Killer immediately stood out because it wasn’t offering just a bunch of plastic crap to clutter up my shelves, it was a game. And not just a game, but multiple experiences offered up as “seasons” with monthly episodic content.
I’ve always wanted to be given a paper dossier that had been put together, and that’s exactly what I got when I opened the first installment of Hunt A Killer’s latest episode
Curtain Call. I was delighted with the box we got—and the contents inside. The clues are gathered for you and sent monthly—you just have to make sense of them. You'll need to sift through each item for pertinent info, and catalogue the information you’re not immediately using because it could be useful in later episodes.
In each episode you’re trying to eliminate a suspect, but you’re also given a specific task. In the first episode, we were tasked with looking for the murder weapon. To do so, we were given a couple of introductory letters that set up the case, the sealed police report, and a few first-hand artifacts we could use to paint a picture of the circumstances surrounding the death. In this case, you have to solve the apparent murder of actress Viola Vane—a beautiful starlet who went missing, and turned up as a mummified corpse more than 80 years later. The case has gone very cold—but the theatre owner isn’t satisfied with the local police department’s work, and has hired you as a private investigator. After the setup, you’re set to immerse yourself in the role of killer hunter.
Hunt a Killer. Photo: Marielle Bokor
Getting immersed is easy with the amazing props you’re given. These aren’t just a series of printed pages, either—they’re set up like the real thing. The program feels real, and the typed letter has indentations like it was struck by an authentic typewriter—details that really make you feel like you’re handling authentic documents. They even got the grainy cheap feeling of mimeograph paper—or some other ancient copy method—for their police report. On top of the physical documents and props, you'll also find great online content. For our episode, this included an email account and sort of "portal" that had access to crime scene photos, transcripts of physical documents, and the theatre's website, fully fleshed out as if it was a real life entertainment venue. I was truly impressed with the visuals and props, so much so, I have the cufflink on my desk and stare at it from time to time, hoping to get a revelation I didn’t have before.
And that’s one of the best things of Hunt A Killer: it stays with you. Even when you have that episode’s clues figured out, you can’t help but go over all the details again so you can unravel the story. But it doesn’t stop at what’s in the packet. For
Curtain Call we were given a website with login info and even a contact we could e-mail to get our theory verified. But that’s just for the first episode.
Each “season” of Hunt A Killer consists of six monthly episodes. Each month you’ll be given more clues, and another objective.
If you don’t want to wait month-to-month there are
boxed sets you can buy, but those are hugely popular and seem like they sell out quickly.
For now, I’ll be thinking about the fate of Viola Vane, and the myriad of persons surrounding her untimely demise—and the motivations of each. See, as much as we think we eliminated the correct suspect, every single person has a motive that makes them potential murderers. But without more clues, we’re just guessing. We can’t wait to get our hands on the next episode.
Screenshot: Curtain Call, Hunt a Killer
You can start your journey with
the latest season of Hunt A Killer here, and check out
their merchandise store which includes things like official corkboards, apparel and premium experience sets while you're there.
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