While looking for fun, socially-distanced things to do over my spring break, my mother got an email that the CluedUpp Ripper Event was coming to Akron. The Akron Ripper is a murder-mystery type search, where participants download an app that directs them all over the city to solve riddles, interrogate witnesses, suspects, and nonsuspects about fake murders that are taking place, and solve the case of the unidentified killer.. Since the pandemic is still going on, this was a socially-distanced version of the event; all groups were told to wear masks and maintain six feet from other groups at the designated locations. So my mother, my sister, my grandmother and I all signed up and created our group.
Before the event started on April 10th, the app instructed each group to create a name for themselves, and my group had a really good time coming up with one. We finally decided on the Silent Gen X Zillennials, since my grandmother is part of the Silent Generation, my mother is a Gen X, and my sister and I are smack in the middle of millennials and Gen Z, so we combined that to make zillenial. When we started the event, we took a group selfie. On top of the murder mystery, there were also awards being handed out for best costume, the fastest done, best furry friend, best group name, and many more.
So, after the selfie, we started on the first suspect, which was located at Cascade Plaza in Downtown Akron. The app led us through the virtual suspect’s explanation and interrogation, then we moved on to the next suspect. The search led us around Downtown Akron, to places such as Zion Lutheran Church and even past Akron Civic Theater. When we reached a location that contained a suspect, nonsuspect, or a witness, the app would unlock that person’s summary of why they did not commit the crime, who they think did commit the crime, or their witness testimony. With each person that we found, there was a riddle to solve before you unlock their explanation. It was great fun trying to figure out the riddles, and my Grandmother came through at Zion Lutheran Church when none of us had a clue!
The whole event took us about two hours, and at the end, we had to rate who we thought was innocent and guilty, then submit our murderer. Against all the odds, my group picked the right person! When we left at around 11:30, we were ranked in third place, but since the event started at 9:00 and did not end until 5:00, we finished in eleventh place. Still, it was a really fun way to get out of the house and participate in something that was safe yet exciting!
If you would like to participate in the next CluedUp event, check their website here. THe next few events are going to be in Toledo on May 8, Youngstown on May 15, Pittsburgh on May 22, and Columbus on May 29, among many others to follow throughout the summer. So, if you would like to get out of the house and solve a muder mystery, go get CluedUp!