When my husband and I take road trips together, we listen exclusively to true crime podcasts each trying to be the first to solve the case. Without exclusively binge watching , we were looking for a way to blend our love of board games and true crime. That’s when we discovered a fun way to engage our detective skills at home especially in the time of Coronavirus and quarantine. What could be more romantic than snuggling up to your loved one to solve a murder together? We have found that is the perfect at home date night for true crime lovers.
What is Hunt A Killer?
The name truly says it all. Hunt A Killer is an immersive monthly murder mystery subscription box where you are the detective in charge of your own investigation. Forget traveling to an escape room or dinner theater, Hunt A Killer brings the mystery straight to your door step.
Over the course of six boxes (each referred to as an episode), you dig through a series of clues you can use crack the case. Get ready to cozy up. This at home date night for true crime lovers can take up to 90 minutes to complete per box. Memberships start at $30 per month – cheaper than most date nights out for sure.
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What’s Included in a Hunt A Killer box?
Inside each Hunt A Killer box, you will find hand-crafted clues. Although each case is fictional and crafted by Hunt A Killer’s team of true-crime lovers, these authentic clues mirror what you would find in a real investigation.
You can expect to find:
- archival documents
- autopsy reports
- private correspondence from potential suspects
- crime scene report
- newspaper clippings
- personal belongings from the victim and potential suspects
How Does Hunt A Killer Work?
New members always start on the first episode of the current season. Past seasons are available for . Each episode contains an objective. For the first episode, Hunt A Killer gave us the task of identifying the murder weapon. For the second episode, we had to eliminate a suspect. The objective is made clear on a piece of paper included in each box.
As we combed through the evidence, I read letters out lead to my husband while he detailed the findings on the autopsy report. The letters are written in authentic script of the time period which was challenging to read. Hunt A Killer offers a typed-up transcript of all materials online. I really appreciated this tool for the game’s accessibility.
We created our own timeline of events based on evidence and wrote out a list of potential suspects. We didn’t get stuck but if we did, there was a QR code in our box that we could use to scan and find clues. There’s also spoiler-free online forums.
When you feel confident that you have solved the objective for each box, there’s instructions on how to complete the phase. For our first box, we had to send an email to our client.
Hoping for the best, we e-mailed our client with our suspected murder weapon written in the body of the email. We received a prompt email back telling us we were correct and providing additional insights.
I felt like an actual detective waiting to see if I had gotten the murder weapon right! When she replied, my husband and I were truly feeling like the crime-stopping duo of Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia. We couldn’t wait to get our next box!
What Makes Hunt A Killer Different?
The best part about Hunt A Killer is that it’s far more immersive than a traditional board game. There’s an ongoing narrative to the boxes and a clear thoughtfulness to the process. Each episode builds upon the previous one. As you play, you are right in the thick of an unfolding investigation. As you learn about the complicated relationships between the victim and potential suspect, it’s easy to get personally invested.
Hunt A Killer members join a community of 100,000 of passionate crime-fighting subscribers across the globe (Yes, Hunt A Killer ships internationally). And while the cases in Hunt A Killer are fictional, a portion of sales from each Hunt A Killer box is donated to the .
To solve this case, my husband and I both had to put our phones down and really dig into the clues. In our own way, this proved to be the kind of intimacy and closeness we needed. If you are not on the hunt for the perfect date night for true crime lovers, you can totally play alone or with a group of friends. Hunt A Killer suggests playing with no more than 6 people.
Are you ready to join the investigation? I am looking forward to having you join me on the case. Don’t forget to use code READYTOSTARE to get in on the fun! (Code requires you to enter your email to use).
*Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Hunt A Killer but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains some affiliate links and Iâll earn a small commission when you shop through them. This is one of the ways I continue to bring you great content!