Murder at Merivale Manor

Our family with grown kids and significant others did this cold case after Christmas this year. We are a diverse group with very different interests and participation levels. In a nutshell, this was a blast. Everyone participated reading through the materials provided and summarizing info to get the important facts. There were photos - very period appropriate taped on the walls and all the materials spread all over the table. The quality was exceptional. Newspaper articles looked authentic. Witness statements, etal were very realistic. It is necessary to logon to get “updated” evidence to be able to solve the mystery. We were able to solve it but it took a full 3 hours and was a fun challenge. The kids asked when we could do another one - always the sign it was good. I would highly recommend to anyone who would find this activity fun. Well worth it.

Got this as valantine's day activity for hubby and I. (with two little kids, home activities are the best) We are both good with puzzles, so i was a bit scared that it could be too easy for us. It was just the right complexity. I should admit we couldn't finish it in one night and that night al i dreamed about was the mystery. If you like to guess who is the killer when watching detective shows/movies, this is for you.

This was a very fun and interesting mystery. While we did find the murderer, we weren't sure of the motive exactly, and should have probably used the hints link to be sure. Very cool for this couple and probably for a good weekend family game. It is time consuming so be ready. Took a good 6-8 hours total. Some of that was a learning curve, the other is we really tried to get it right. We thought on it/slept on it and while we had two different suspects, the next day we both came to the same conclusion. Very excited to try the next one!

This is the third game I have played. But this time I only played with one other person. This game was rated a 4 out of 5. I think that's the right level of difficulty for people who have these games before. We solved it in about 8 hrs. In my opinion, it was just the right amount of time to process the evidence and yet still be a challenge. We missed some key points and pointed the finger at the wrong suspect until we read the online emails, etc. Next time, we will use all the available resources. Overall, it was great fun. Can't wait to do a 5 out 5!

Purchased this as a Date night idea. My husband and I had a lot of fun. It was very engaging and hands on. Would definitely recommend.

Excellent! I have done a couple of murder mystery games with my family, but it’s so hard to get everyone together at the same time when everyone is in the mood- it can be a struggle. I decided to try one by myself. I looked at a few different brands, and this particular story stuck out. I loved it being a cold case from the 1920’s, and I couldn’t wait to get started. It says the estimated playing time is about three hours, but as I was playing by myself (while taking a ridiculous amount of notes) during my lunch break at work, in the short amount of time after work and dinner and family time- but before bed, and that short span in the mornings on weekends before everyone else wakes up- I stretched it out over 4 days. This story is so in depth- you really need to familiarize yourself with all the evidence and pay attention! The price for entertainment I received was beyond worth it. If the idea of spending money on a game you only play once bothers anyone, or you feel reluctant, I can honestly say (for me) that I was captivated by the story. When I wasn’t working on it, I was thinking about it- constantly turning clues over in my mind and asking questions. It is SO detailed, you learn so much about every character! Even the size of the game is perfect. It comes in a folder inside a clear evidence bag that fit right into my backpack so I could take it with me to work. There is some online content that is crucial to the story- which I loved, and I absolutely did not expect it to be as in depth as it was. It was very cool with the different mediums that were involved. And solving the murder… You always hear about the rush detectives get when they finally have that, “AH HA!” moment and solve the case, I can truly say that that high is real. When I figured it out, I got stuck for a minute thinking, “no way… omg that’s it!” Once you figure it out they lay out every clue and every alibi so you can see if you missed anything. The difficulty is rated 4/5, and with the amount of information you go through, can confirm. Murder at Merivale Manor was SO FUN, and I can’t wait to try another one by Cryptic Killers, I might get another one right now. 10/10 would recommend.

So much fun! We will be for sure buying more mysteries from this company!

It was so good! It took us hours (2 days) and really got our brains thinking. It felt real like the characters were real and that we were solving real crime, definitely worth getting and enjoying!