Murder Mystery Games to Solve at Home
Murder mystery games for game night: boxed cases and cold case files compared, how they work, how to choose a box and how to solve a case without spoilers.
A murder mystery game hands you an invented crime and asks you to solve it. You read witness statements, compare alibis, rebuild a timeline and decide who did it, how and why. No acting is needed: this topic is about the games you solve sitting at a table, alone, as a couple or with a few friends.
These games come in three main formats. Cold case files give you a box of documents about an unsolved case and a few questions to answer. Boxed mystery games add cards, maps or a board, and some are sold as episodes that continue a story. Murder mystery parties, where every guest plays a character, have their own topic: Host a Murder Mystery Party.
Start with how murder mystery games work if you have never played one. If you already know the format, our comparisons of murder mystery board games and cold case games rank the boxes worth your evening on player count, playing time and difficulty. Before buying, read how to choose a murder mystery box, and keep our method for solving a case at hand when you get stuck.
Play and solve better
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How to How to Solve a Murder Mystery Game Without Spoiling the EndingA step-by-step method to solve a murder mystery game: sort the evidence, build a timeline, test each suspect and use the publisher's hints without spoilers.
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Expert advice Murder Mystery Game vs Party: Which One Fits Your Night?A murder mystery game is a case you solve at the table; a murder mystery party is a hosted evening where every guest plays a suspect. Here is how to pick.
How these games work
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Guide How to Play a Murder Mystery Game: How Each Format WorksHow murder mystery games work at home: cold case files, boxed investigation games and party kits, what comes in the box, how long a game takes and how you check.
Games compared
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The Best Cold Case Games to Solve at HomeSix cold case games compared on players, playing time, documents and online answer checks, from Unsolved Case Files to Cryptic Killers and ThinkFun.
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The Best Murder Mystery Board Games for Game NightFive murder mystery board games for home, from a one-sitting Hunt A Killer case to cooperative Clue and Murdle, compared on players, time and difficulty.
Before you pick a box
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How to choose Murder Mystery Box: How to Choose the Right Case for Your TableHow to choose a murder mystery box: one-off case or subscription season, player count, playing time, difficulty, online steps, age rating and what is inside.
FAQ
What is a murder mystery game?
A game in which players examine clues such as witness statements, maps, letters and timelines to work out who committed an invented crime, how and why. Some are solved around a table from a box of documents; others are played as a party where each guest has a character.
How long does a murder mystery game take?
Most boxed cases take one to three hours. Quick-play cases can be solved in under an hour, while long cases and multi-episode stories run over several evenings.
Can you play a murder mystery game more than once?
Usually not. Once you know the solution, the case is spent. You can pass the box on to friends if you keep every document intact.