Warning: This may contain spoilers about playing the game so read at your discretion. I won’t give out the answer, but the review might contain hints that you might enjoy figuring out yourself.
Anyway, for the record, I am not someone who likes playing games. Board games or video games–it has never piqued my interest for a long period of time. However, when I say that I spent three hours with a group of people–some of whom I never met until recently–to play a game that should only last an hour and a half, I am not kidding. I was invested as much as the people around me.
The game we played is part of an immersive murder mystery game series called Hunt A Killer. My friend picked up the game from Target, and to be honest, I was not fully sure I would be invested. However, there is something so realistic about the playing experience. These games come in a series because of the different levels of difficulty. The one we played is actually the easiest one.
Hunt A Killer: Death At The Dive Bar involves us solving the mysterious, fictional death of Nick Webster, the owner of a bar in the town. His death was ruled an accident, but a bartender who worked with him knew something else was happening. We become the detectives who are in charge of this investigation. It is thrilling and every second gets my heart racing. There is something special about this game. We have the pieces of evidence in the box. The materials are realistic down to even the folds on the piece of paper.
There is no time limit that I know of, and if there is, it becomes your choice if you want to follow that. It feels like we are in a rush to get it done. The more we learn, the more we realize how much was at stake. We hold the evidence that Webster collected right before his death.
The characters feel real in a sense. We get pictures of what they would supposedly look like. And this next sentence is a spoiler: if you dial a number at one point, you might hear a certain someone’s voice. It makes the game much creepier and more exciting. Therefore, I would recommend playing background music during the game just for setting the tone.
There are also codes to crack, which I found to be the most difficult part of the game. We were very close to finishing the game, but the code kept us from doing it. However, you will eventually figure it out. It is not a guessing game. It was already partially figured out for you by Webster. You just have to know where the clue is within his evidence.
Therefore, if you are looking for a fun game to try out with your friends, this might be a great game. Throughout the time, I was working with people I just met the night of. We all have a similar goal, and we learn how to work together. It is not a competition. It is a group effort. However, you learn how to help each other rather than go your separate ways as you find connections with each piece of evidence.