Photos above are property of Hunt A Killer
Company: Hunt A Killer
Game: Murder at the Motel
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Language: English
Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬
Genre: Detective
Date Played: September 16, 2021
Difficulty (based on 1 players): 3/10
Size of Team: 1-5 Players (Ages 14+)
Time: 45-60 Mins.
Price: $29.99
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The Sunset Motel has a lot more going on then it seems. This remote desert motel is
now under the scrutiny of the police after the contractor for the hotel was found
mysterious dead by the housekeeper. The police currently have their sights on a
runaway suspect but, as an investigator, you know it’s important to leave no stone
unturned and these motel guests might have the answers you need to identify who the killer truly is.
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One thing I have found Hunt A Killer does well each time I play is their attention to detail in their components. Every hotel log, receipt, and letter looks official and put together so that you could really imagine yourself to be involved in a murder investigation. Inside the box you will find, a letter from the investigator, note from the housekeeper, a receipt, a photo, a police report, a journal, a locked box, a curious little pouch, and more that will aid in your investigation to solve the murder.
Photos above are property of Hunt A Killer
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In order to cater to more of a boardgame market, Murder at the Motel comes with a
guidebook to get you started. The game is more explorative, but you are nudged by the guidebook and a letter from the police to complete two goals before you can identify who the killer is – build a timeline and open the locked box. In a traditional murder mystery fashion, you have a series of suspects (hotel guests and employees) who you need to cross-examine with the evidence. I recommend starting with focusing on who could have been around during the time of murder.
There is a lot of evidence that to pour over that isn’t necessarily related to the puzzles but, rather, helps build the story to understand motive. I recommend taking the time to read through and examine all the documents before jumping into the puzzling aspect. In these kinds of games, the story is just as important as the puzzles. The ultimately goal of this game is to deduce the killer and, as such, the puzzles are only a piece of this deduction. They will provide key information but without knowing the story you may identify the wrong killer.
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
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The main focus of this game is deduction but there is a locked box. The lock has a four-digit code. I found for the theme of the game, the focus of deduction was well situated and, as a Target exclusive game, I think the puzzle element is intentionally light. This is a beginner game to Hunt a Killer’s large game collection. With examining the evidence, you will have to identify all the suspects, the rooms they reside in, and create a timeline of where they were over the course of the day. There are some red herrings so be advised. These are easy to catch and see they are dead ends if you are taking care to examine all evidence before you start building profiles and timelines. I do wish there was a bit more puzzling to this game, but I found the deduction really satisfying and unlocking that box really helped cement my suspect. This game is more about the solving the mystery than puzzles per se.
If you feel like you need a little nudge, there are hints available on their website (link is included in the guidebook). There is also a bonus epilogue on this site you can read after completing the game. There is a solution envelope for the end, but you can check your answers on the website before opening it.
Photos above are property of Hunt A Killer
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"Murder at the Motel" is an excellent experience for beginners looking to dip their toes into a murder mystery. It is a shorter game (takes about an hour) which works for many people who don’t have a lot of time but still packs a punch with lots of content and a well-formed mystery. As I unpacked this mystery, I was able to really put together an interesting story woven into what comes across as an unsuspecting motel. The twist was good, and the deduction was quite smooth for such a short experience. For someone looking for more puzzles I recommend turning to their monthly subscriptions but if you’re looking to put on your detective’s hat for an hour and immerse yourself in a mini murder mystery than Murder at the Motel is the perfect option!
Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game:
(If you do decide to try this game, please remember to let them know that you heard it from"ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
#JillianRaymond #AtHomeGames #PuzzlesByMail #OneOffs #Detective #MurderMystery #HuntAKiller #USA #Detective
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