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00:00:00 – 00:21:49
The video offers a comprehensive, spoiler-free review of three standalone small box mystery suspect games released by Hunt A Killer, a company known for its subscription-based mystery games launched in 2016. These games, designed as cold case files, require players to identify the real culprit among various suspects without any time limits. The reviewed games are "Death at the Dive Bar," "Body on the Boardwalk," and "Murder at the Motel," each varying in difficulty. The speaker details the immersive components like documents, props, and combination-locked containers, particularly emphasizing the physical props over paper items.
While "Death at the Dive Bar" is criticized for its lack of depth, unengaging characters, tedious puzzles, and ineffective answer-checking system, "Body on the Boardwalk" receives mixed reviews for its straightforward mystery and redeemable props despite uninteresting characters. In contrast, "Murder at the Motel" is praised for better writing, humor, detailed documents, and challenging elements that enhance the experience, making it a recommended starting point for families. The video also hints at an upcoming review of the more challenging and sophisticated "Adventure Series of Mystery Suspects." The overall conclusion highlights the varying quality and engaging potential of these tabletop mystery games.
00:00:00
In this segment, the video provides a spoiler-free review of three new small box mystery suspect games from Hunt A Killer. It discusses Hunt A Killer’s background, highlighting that the company started around 2016, offering subscription boxes containing a continuing mystery to solve over several months. The video focuses on Hunt A Killer’s new venture into standalone small box games, which are presented as cold case files containing various documents, interviews, and props. The objective of these games is to identify the real culprit from a set of suspects, each with their own motives and alibis. The video mentions that there’s no time limit or turns, and players must piece together the clues to solve the mystery.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the speaker introduces and discusses the Hunter Killer genre of tabletop games, highlighting their non-random and non-destructive nature, which allows them to be passed on to others. The games aren’t replayable due to their story-driven nature. The video reviews three games: “Death at the Dive Bar” (easy), “Body on the Boardwalk” (medium), and “Murder at the Motel” (medium-hard). The speaker opens “Death at the Dive Bar” to examine the components, which include realistic documents like coasters, menus, letters, photographs, a solution envelope, suspect profiles, FBI-style records, and various props. The segment emphasizes the immersive experience these components provide.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker details the contents and structure of the Hunter Killer games’ boxes. Each box includes various items such as security camera photos, introductory letters, instruction booklets, and matchbox props. A distinctive feature is the inclusion of containers (like bags or metal tins) locked with combination codes that players need to solve to progress in the game. The speaker emphasizes that these games are beginner-friendly and often include gimmicky props, such as a heavy bottle opener. The discussion highlights the emphasis on physical props over paper documents, which the speaker personally prefers. The segment gives a comprehensive overview of what players can expect inside these game boxes.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the shortcomings of certain mystery games, particularly focusing on “Death at the Dive Bar” from the Hunter Killer series. They criticize the game’s shallow content, boring characters, and lack of motivational elements, deeming it not worth recommending to any audience. The game is noted for its unsatisfying and tedious cipher puzzles and gimmicky props. Furthermore, the speaker highlights the inefficacy of the answer-checking system on the Hunter Killer website, describing it as one of the worst among the many mystery games they have played.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the mechanics and limitations of a mystery game. Unlike other games that require internet access for answers, this one provides an answer directly from an envelope, regardless of correctness. However, the website prompts users for an email address to access hints and solutions, which are incremental and somewhat satisfactory, though not exceptional. It also features a sparse solution explanation and an epilogue letter, accessible only via email sign-up, linking players to promotional content. The video suggests using the website for hints before opening the envelope to ensure a correct solution.
00:15:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker reviews various mystery games, contrasting their effectiveness and design. They criticize one game for having a poor implementation of the final solution compared to others that use websites for a more interactive resolution. The speaker appreciates games that stagger information, making them more engaging. Specifically, “Death at the Dive Bar” is labeled as one to avoid, while “Body on the Boardwalk” is deemed mediocre with uninteresting characters and a straightforward mystery, though it has some redeeming props and manageable cipher tasks. Lastly, they mention “Murder at the Motel” as the next game to discuss.
00:18:00
In this part of the video, the speaker reviews their experience with the mystery game “Murder at the Motel.” Although initially skeptical, they found it to have much better writing and subtlety compared to other games. The game features good pacing, humor, detailed documents, and challenging elements that reward players for understanding the clues. It provides twists and “aha” moments, similar to a good movie. The speaker recommends “Murder at the Motel” as a solid starting point for families new to this genre, while noting another game, “Harmony Ashcroft,” as possibly an even better starting option.
00:21:00
In this part of the video, the presenter mentions an upcoming video that will explore the four games in the “Adventure Series of Mystery Suspects.” These games are described as being more challenging, longer, and more sophisticated compared to other games in the same genre. The presenter also encourages viewers to stay tuned and says goodbye.