Hunt-a-killer: A critical spoiler-free review of 3 new small box games (4k)
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- čas přidán 17. 12. 2021
- The 3 games are:
Death at the Dive Bar: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3...
Murder at the Motel: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3...
Body on the Boardwalk: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3...
Other reviews:
• Hunt A Killer: Death a...
• Death at the Dive Bar ...
#HuntAKiller #DeathattheDiveBar #MurderattheMotel #BodyontheBoardwalk #MysterySuspect - Hry
I love your reviews! Thank you so much for the in-depth videos.
Thank you so much, Marc! -jesse
Thanks for your in-depth review! I recently played Death at the Divebar with some friends. It was our first mystery game, but we are Escape Room junkies. I did find it very easy. Immediately eliminated suspects and the cypher was infuriating. We wasted a ton of time getting that right for the clue to not be very helpful in my opinion. There were minimal “red herring” clues which was nice for beginners. But I agree we completed the game and were left wanting a little more. Ordered body on the boardwalk to play with family next weekend. Looking forward to it after your review! Also, I find your opinion of Murder at the motel interesting as the vast majority of reviews I read, said that was the worst one and there were several logic gaps and you had to make several leaps to get to the solution. So now I’m torn on trying it!
I'd love to hear what you think of the other games as you play them. I have some recommendations for more satisfying deluxe experiences in this genre: The Hidden Games series and the IdVenture series. You can get Death in Antarctica and Fire in Adlerstein for like $12 each now on amazon which is ridiculously cheap, and those are high quality games. -jesse
I must agree with tap dancing unicorn, I found the motel Final explanation to be illogical and unsatisfying
Thank you for this review!
Our family played Mystery At The Dive Bar before Christmas, we really enjoyed it. We divided the clues up and had one person take notes from what we learned. The busy work was fun to me.
That's great. I probably shouldn't have been so hard on it, but I think if you liked that one you'll like the others! -jesse
@@COOPFORTWO I appreciated your review, this was our first time playing a game like this. Being a newbie to these type of games I was looking for an honest opinion like yours. I will try many others.
Awesome that you’re from Champaign! I’m from normal Illinois. Cool to see some fellow central Illinois people on here. Great video!
Thank you, Daniel!
I got murder mystery for Christmas and opened it up too take a look. Can’t wait to try and solve it! Everything looks so realistic right down to the key card, SO COOL!! I am obsessed
The good news is that if you enjoy it, you have a whole new wonderful world of mysteries ahead of you. Get yourself some note cards or a notebook and take your job seriously. The more you put into this genre, the more you will get out of it. -jesse
Death at the Dive Bar was the first one of these sorts of games I've ever played and I really enjoyed it. I ordered the other two straight away when finishing. I think if your new to the genre it's a good case imo
If you enjoy it, it's a good game! Just don't limit yourself to only hunt-a-killer games.. There is a whole world of similar games in this genre. -jesse
I continue to find this a very difficult genre to review because of the need to avoid spoilers, but I'm trying to learn how to do a better job of it. Please met let know any suggestions you have about what kind of spoiler-free information I can provide or any other ideas you have about the best way to review these kinds of games. -jesse
Recommendations for other companies games to play that might be better or more engaging?
@@mclovinlife4018 If you're interested in this genre,
IdVenture: czcams.com/video/IwJPLNbFNo8/video.html
Hidden Games: czcams.com/video/runz1S1Er64/video.html
@@COOPFORTWO thanks so much! As an obsessively huge fan of true crime, I really want to get into these and I heard you mention the harmony Ashcroft game so I just ordered that 👍🏻 I’m excited to watch your life stream play through though.
@@mclovinlife4018 Great -- let me know how you like it. If you like true crime and feel like trying something completely different (mystery but not like these cold case document heavy games), I recently played through a free print+play long epic game called Razorhurst, based on a true crime in Australia in 1927: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/321229/razorhurst
i just wanna know if theyre a one shot games. like..if i play it once can the ending change? aka replay value
Oh man, I was totally going to sign up for these, but I don’t think I want to now. Hoping I can find some recommendations for better games like this that other companies make to play!
Aw man. I am currently taking a break from Death at the Dive Bar and watched this review to find out it isn’t recommended.
I am having to take the lead with this kind of game and my wife doesn’t seem too interested (which is ironic since she is the true crime watcher in the household). She hates the code breaking in this game. We have combed over almost every piece of paper and then realized we still need to open the bank bag. Lol. We do feel pretty confident that we have figured it out already though. I guess time will tell.
I’m not sure if I will be able to enjoy more games like this seeing as she was disappointed she has to “do homework.” I picked on her as she is the one who fantasizes about being a forensic scientist and solving crimes but she doesn’t get that the homework is probably 95% of the job. Lol. Oh well. Thank you for the video!
I can definitely see how the busy-work of code breaking in that game could be tiring and unsatisfying for your wife -- maybe try a game that does not have this element?
Can I maybe recommend trying "Unsolved Cases Who Murdered Harmony Ashcroft" which you can get on Amazon?
@@COOPFORTWO You absolutely can, and thank you for the recommendation! We will have to give that one a try.
Unfortunately we cannot get into anything that is too demanding of our time due to the fact that we have a wonderful 6 year old little man that unfortunately has autism. It has really taken a hit on my game nights (both tabletop and video) but, priorities.
Thank you for the recommendation once again!
Oh no!!!! I lost my post
I'm on that game of Hunt a Killer called Dead Below Deck. Without giving details, I do like the game within game puzzles like hard to explain.
I also still have their Motel, Magnolia and a very long series Outbreak.
I must have still about twenty more games lined up and almost all are just papers vs. Props included.
In general I also like games similar with deeper storylines. I'm a visual learner so there's that and so deeper storylines work best for me.
I think my favorite has been the series Unsolved Case Files. I've completed all of the ones they have available. So I'm just waiting afor the newer case that is next of the Unsolved series. 😊
There are some I have I was surprised I found a bunch on Etsy. The positive was it was pdf format so I didn't have to wait for the mail and just printed them which was great. Other one's I really like are on Amazon by Cryptic Killers which are really great in my opinion. (I don't work for any of those companies and just my two cents.)
I'll see if you played Dead Below Deck to the point I am at.
Ps the Harmony Ashcroft case was the first game I did from that Unsolved series, and I have liked all of the games in the whole line.
Thanks for posting about this!
I liked death at rhe dive bar. I found murder at the motel not to be clear. I will be playing Body at the Boardwalk on Christmas
Hi 31tm. Let me know how you like Body on the Boardwalk! -jesse
I have a date night, I watched a few of your videos and ended up going with death in Antarctica. Im new to this (physical game) genre but not to mystery games as a whole. What other games would you recommend?
I think Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective series would make a great date night activity because you can work together to make the decisions of where to go next to read the next paragraph, and take turns reading from the clue book, plus you don't have to be sitting down at the table, you can pace around, etc. Since that game is almost all about just reading and listening to paragraphs, you won't be both off in your own world studying different documents. So for me, sherlock holmes consulting detective is the best date night game in this larger genre.
I am also a huge fan of Chronicles of Crime series -- this is a game that will have both players always working together making decisions and paying attention and you won't have one person off studying some document alone.
That's the only potential problem with these Mystery Suspect Cold Case games like Hunt-a-killer and Death in Antarctica, that there can be periods where you really need to study a document or decipher something and it may be just one person working on it without much interaction or help from the other. Can still be a great experience to work together on a hard case, but the potential of one person feeling left out during some parts is more present with these than with Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective or Chronicles of Crime.
-jesse
@@COOPFORTWO appreciate the response and will check out your content on those videos. Hadn't anticipated that aspect!
Hello new sub here!! Which mystery games would you recommend? Or do you have a video you can recommend I can watch for one? My adult daughter visited us this past Thanksgiving and we played a similar type game. I am interested in this genre and would appreciate any help! Also do any have video clues?? Thank you & Happy Holidays
What game did you play that you liked?
You could check out this video for a roundup of some other games in this genre and some recommendations:
czcams.com/video/KLQtmf-vPlY/video.html
I think I recommend my choice for best first game to try in that video, and I think it's the Unsolved Case Files Harmony Ashcroft case: www.amazon.com/UNSOLVED-CASE-FILES-Murdered-Ashcroft/dp/B07MPCMXGR
The Hunt-a-killer Murder at the Motel game mentioned in this video would also be a reasonable candidate.
And if you are looking for more boardgamey mystery suggestions (as opposed to the Mystery Suspects type of games that this is) you could try this video: czcams.com/video/KLQtmf-vPlY/video.html
-jesse
Thank you for your open review. I enjoyed it enough to sub to your channel. While I agree with most of your analysis and enjoy your presentation, I just have one small disagreement in reference to Death at the Dive Bar. While everything you say is true, I recently obtained this in a bundle sale, so I would like to offer my input.
IMHO, you are absolutely correct in everything you say that is lacking in Death at the Dive Bar; however, what I feel is useful is that if a person has never been exposed to any game in this genre, then the simplicity and lack of depth in this game may be of benefit. I understand that sounds a bit contradictory, so, what I mean is that a person can obtain a game with a very low price point, and be exposed to the basic techniques that you find in these games while avoiding a very tedious challenge. So, true, this is not a game for someone familiar with the genre; however, I feel it can be a decent entry point for some people who may be on the fence.
I took about two hours to run through the entire game, (yeah, I figured out the answer pretty early on), yet in those two hours, I can say I had an enjoyable evening. Also, at the price, I get a pretty sturdy bottle opener. :)
Thank you for your great in-depth reviews. Also, off-topic, I’ve contacted IDventure and have been told I may purchase all four of their titles directly from them. So, on that topic, thank you for exposing me to those titles. I’m looking forward to their arrival.
At any rate, great presentation. I’ll be watching for more, and thank you again.
Hi DC!
I actually am similar to you in that if someone gives me a game like this at a bargain, I feel it can be worth it. In general I try not to think less of a mystery game if it's on the easy side, because as you say, different groups will want different levels of difficulty. And my memory is that the case itself wasn't terrible. My memory is that there were two real things that gave me a negative feeling about it -- the first was just that relatively speaking I felt the other games were much stronger. But the second was that the code/cipher was extremely tedious. That's just coming from memory though. But it was this last part which made me most feel like I couldn't recommend it in good conscience, as I felt newcomers would be frustrated by it. But I could be wrong there -- no one should take the word of one reviewer, just use it as one person's opinion. -jesse
Would love to hear what you think of the IdVenture games after you give them a try!
-jesse
@@COOPFORTWO As soon as I play through them, I’ll post on your review. It was because of your review that I contacted them, and they were quite helpful in response. IMHO, that’s always a good sign when dealing with a creative content company. They even provided direct E-mail links to purchase the boxes, so I know I’ll have the correct versions.
Thanks again for your enjoyable reviews. I really enjoy this genre. I used to play D&D in the 70s and 80s; however, in current times I can never find people to play along with. I’m glad I learned of this genre, as I can play solo. So far, I’ve had fun with the titles I’ve played.
@@dcgoth520 Awesome. Really for me one of the most enjoyable aspects of these games -- which are the only kinds of games I enjoy playing solo -- is talking with others about our thoughts on the games afterwards. So I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts. IdVenture remains the high bar, but lately we've been finding some other game series that are nipping at their heels :)
@@COOPFORTWO Hi, we’ll said, and as I mentioned, you were quite accurate in your review. I think that someone who has played a number of these games, or is looking for a challenge, could find it disappointing. What I did like is that it introduces elements of their harder titles, along with dropping a few leads that don’t go anywhere, we’ll help prepare a new player to the genre by introducing their methods. If someone, or a small group, are not fond of the code breaking, they’ve only spent around $20 or so. (I believe my cost was actually less, as I added it to a 40% off bundle. I needed one more title to push me into the extra discount.) I also agree that the other ones are much stronger. IMHO, I think they’ve been able to get better at what they do as they produce more titles. Also, one of the things I enjoyed was that the items were all, to some degree, integral in finding a clue. In some of their other titles, the goodies, while fun, really don’t offer any clues.
As I mentioned in my other reply, I’m really looking forward to the four IDVenture titles. I also thank you for that review. I never would’ve found them otherwise. Once I play through then, I’ll let you know how I did.
I’m also really wanting to play the two Blair Witch titles. I’m not sure how they’ll turn out; however, I was born in that area, went to the college mentioned r in the film, and frequented a number of establishments where parts of the film were shot. So, it’s a bit of a shallow reason; however, I’ve always loved how the initial film spawned a new offshoot in the horror genre. (I also found it humorous that people were selling stick figures from woods that were a fifteen minute drive for me. :) )
Hi, Thank you again for your review, since then I was able to get 'Body on the Boardwalk' and 'Murder at the Motel'. I was able to complete 'Body on the Boardwalk' but in so doing, I realised that I was lacking in depth investigative skills and perhaps I was not exactly sure how to approach or lay out my findings such as time lines, deciphered codes, evidence, suspects etc. in a proper manner to be able to properly ascertain the means, motive etc. , even though as I read each document I was able to confirm alibis for suspects right away. I would like to however properly immerse myself in any investigation, in future investigations. Can you assist me in how to take proper notes or layout my notes for any case so that I can meet each objective, with fully comprehensive answers and close the case? Much appreciated.
You could check out my video here: czcams.com/video/vqffpu1JlmA/video.html
But even that may be a bit of an overload.
Perhaps a more useful thing would be play along with one of our livestreams and see exactly how we talk out our thinking, for example: czcams.com/video/a9A2927s7AM/video.html
And then if you like you could join one of our livestreams.
But the main advice is to just slow down and not rush.. you'll get better over time and develop your own methods for taking notes and thinking systematically.
@@COOPFORTWO Thank you so much again, I certainly will have to slow down. I am definitely looking forward to joining a live stream one day. I have viewed some of your other live streams, but some I stopped along the way in case I wanted to try the case myself. :) ...'Body on The Boardwalk 'was a bit on the easier side.
Thank you for your review ! I'd love to know if I can play this game with persons virtually?
all of the games in this genre are extremely well suited to playing virtually, as long as everyone has their own copy of the game.
@@COOPFORTWO thank you!
I really wish they just printed out the hints instead of making you go online. Suppose you're out of range or there's a power outage?
It's very standard to have the hints be online for all of these kinds of games, and I think that's ok. If you can't access the hints then you are playing these games like they've always been played -- without access to hints -- if it takes you longer to solve it all the better!
First game I played is Murder at the Motel! Loved it but a lot of things were left unexplained..
One of the ways that these kinds of games differ from one company to the next is how much effort they spend at the end to explain everything that happened.
I agree; we played it, we got to the conclusion only to find out that the person that did it, had reasons/motives that weren't explained anywhere else in the game. We went back & checked if/where we missed stuff (knowing even what to look for) & it wasn't there. Their month-to-month subscription games are better.
@@jseski9209totally agree. How does the final solution make more sense than the "red herrings"?!
How does Mystery at Magnolia Gardens stack up to the rest of the games in the series?
That's a very good question. I haven't played it but it's rated at 2 out of 5 difficulty. If you play it let us know how it is.
Which mystery game would you recommend for small party of 4?
That's really tough for me personally to answer, since I have a hard time playing cooperative games with more than 2 players.. But I do think you could try almost any of these document dump or cold case games and see how well your group likes playing them together, and if all 4 people have a good time, or if anyone feels left out, etc. If you enjoy it as a group, then you have a good group that will enjoy most of these kinds of games. Another game to possibly try with a group of 4 is Chronicles of Crime, because I think it might be easier for 4 people to follow everything that is going on and be able to visualize the options available more easily. -jesse
I would love if you could do a review of the Hunt A Killer big box season releases once you have done a few. Or a review of the various Hunt A killer products. I know that you have done Blair Witch season 1, and watched your review at the end of the stream, but the theme didn't really appeal to me. Thanks.
Im definitely open to playing and reviewing more big sets from hunt a killer, but since I buy all the games i play, the expense of their games makes them less attractive to me than other games, especially given that i put a relatively low importance on the expensive props that hunt-a-killer favors. -jesse
@@COOPFORTWO Makes sense. And you do get through a lot of them! I am a sucker for the props and shiny things. I want stuff!!
What is your recommendation for the best game like this for a couple that wants to play something like this?
Two players is optimal for this kind of game -- you won't be surprised to hear me say.
Check out thise videos where I talk about the genre and compare some of the different sets:
* czcams.com/video/KLQtmf-vPlY/video.html
But really the best thing to do is just pick one of these and jump right in and try it and let me know what you liked and didn't and I'll try to give some more specific advice.
-jesse
The other thing to say is that I have my personal thoughts on what the best games are in this genre -- but part of what makes them "best" for me is that they are longer and more difficult. So that's not necessarily the best place for someone else to start. Lately I've been recommending the Unsolved Case Files case of Harmony Ashcroft, for reasons I discuss in the video I linked to in my previous comment (czcams.com/video/KLQtmf-vPlY/video.html). -jesse
@@COOPFORTWO Wow, that was a super fast response!!! Thanks!! I was actually about 1/3 of the way through that video when I saw I had a reply from you on this one!! So still watching it and that video does help.
@@COOPFORTWO Brilliant... I'll keep watching the video, but that was my concern with the Adlerstein and Antarctica ones. This is something for my wife and I to "cut our teeth on" during a stay in a log cabin next month. I don't want something too long or that requires too much time reading for our first one. So I'll keep this comment in mind. Thank you again! I'm subbing now for sure!
@@COOPFORTWO One last thing. I know it won't get you much, but I AM going to be buying one of these, and since your reviews and information are helping me make a decision if you want to sign up for the affiliate program on Amazon, I'd be more than happy to make my purchase through that link! I probably won't make the purchase for a week. So if you do sign up. Please let us know and I'll use it.
Also, I am looking for some extremely challenging cold case murder mystery games, can you suggest some please? Thank you again.
Yes, I can suggest a couple of tricky ones.. The IdVenture series is some of the best and can be quite challenging. I'll have to give some further thought about what the "hardest" cases are.. If you haven't tried Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective yet, it's different from a cold case document dump game, but can be more challenging.
@@COOPFORTWO Thank you very much, I do know about the Idventure series, and I hopefully will be able to try them one day. I am not familiar with the Sherlock Holmes cases, but certainly, will check them out. I live outside of the US which limits what I can purchase unfortunately. Thank you so much.
@@isaraalibaksh3260 There are a lot of free downloadable pdf fan cases for Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective and it has been translated into many languages, so if you can get your hands on the base game, you can play free fan cases for many years.
Great review, I shall avoid this game at all cost
Don’t waste your money. This company is incapable of supporting their games and they’ll send you incomplete games with zero help and refuse to refund you. So unless you love spending money on trash, you’re SOL.
its called the “murder mystery” genre not “mystery suspect” genre. Cmon guy!!
Well, there is no official name for it.. Murder Mystery Dinner is a genre, and a different one. And these also aren't always about Murder, so that's a miss for me, regardless of what hunt-a-killer calls them.
I have started to call these "document dump" games, which is probably a better description of the genre; some people call them Cold Case games sometimes, but that's not always the setting.