UNSOLVED CASE FILES | Banks, Julia - Cold Case Murder Mystery Game | Can You Solve The Crime?

I've done both of the available Unsolved Case Files, and these are the first ones I've tried of the dozens of different kinds out there. I picked the brand really because of the price and most of the reviews were very good. I ordered the Julia Banks one first, and spent a few days off and on working through it. I needed some hints, but I absolutely loved poring over the evidence in the file and figuring out one piece of the case after another. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered the Harmony Ashcroft one before I'd finished the first case. It only took me about 4 hours to finish it with no hints. It could have been because I'd done one already but I truly think it's the easier of the two. As for what you get and how it works... You get a case file filled with documents like witness statements, coroner's reports and evidence photos (nothing graphic at all), suspect reports, and newspaper articles. There's a card inside giving you the first objective, and 3 other sealed envelopes that are to be opened later as you solve each objective. The contents are very well done and are fun to go through. Every piece counts. Once you think you've met an objective you go to a specific URL address where you are asked some questions that you can only answer if you've truly figured out the right answer. You can easily go back and try again, or opt for a hint or two. It does a great job of not giving anything away, and the initial hint is subtle enough to point you in a general direction without ruining the rest of the game. Overall, a great entry level detective game for those of us who love crime shows! There's a third one that should be out soon and I'll definitely get it as well.

These cases are just as good as reading a novel or watching a crime show, harder to solve than a logic puzzle, and are above all just a fun experience to have with a friend or family. This is an immersive, challenging case that provides enough intrigue for a weekend of work. The story is exciting, but be patient! This case is more difficult than the other. Go over every piece of evidence with a fine tooth comb and don’t succumb to a hint! Can’t wait for the next case, keep up the AWESOME work y'all!

Something different to play with friends! It was really fun and also challenging. Challenging in the sense that we didn’t know when to open up the different clues and sometimes skipped ahead if the game stalled out. There is a technical component where you need to access a website to verify your answers to the mystery, which was neat. But the UI was clunky and not great from a mobile phone. The game itself was great, and I would recommend. The storyline is pretty easy to guess, but it does take you on some twists and turns. I’d suggest playing with max 4 people as this game can take a long time to complete!

Without giving spoilers I'll say that we have played both the Harmony Ashcroft case as well as this one. We played with four people and took about 4 hours. When my wife and I played the Ashcroft case we got through in about 3 hours without needing any clues. This evidence in this case did not seem to indicate facts that were as rock solid as the other case. The conclusions you were supposed to draw seemed to require some assumptions and we needed some clues which was a little frustrating. It certainly kept us immersed and it was fun and we will likely purchase the next case when it comes out. If you are considering getting only one, get the Ashcroft case it's a bit more polished.

Loved it! We’ve now played both the Harmony Ashcroft case and the Julia Banks case. The Banks case was definitely tougher, but that’s one of the things that made it so great—imagine how hard the real thing would be to solve? We had a blast being “super sleuths” with that one. The realistic way in which the cases are presented makes you feel like you’ve actually just been handed a real cold case file to solve. And the storylines really pull you in! I highly recommend both of them to anyone who loves a fun challenge. Can’t wait till they come out with more cases! So much fun to play detectives on family game night.

Overall this was a fun little mystery, a bit harder to figure out than the "harmony ashcroft" case, as some of the facts of the case aren't as solid, and require you to make a few assumptions. I would give it a 4 star review, but the package contained a duplicate "objective 2" card, which was a little confusing when we opened the third envelope, expecting a new objective, but found a card that had the same objectives we just completed. Luckily the URLs for each step are sequential in order (ex: -1, -2, -3) So we were able to figure out what the objective should have been. Overall, it made for a fun night.

We had a blast solving this. It took my boyfriend and I about 5 hours. We were pretty exhausted when we started so it probably actually takes less time than that. We have tried a few others from other companies and they were always so easy. This one kept us guessing but at the same time wasn’t extremely difficult. I have bought another one from this company and if it was as great as this one, I will buy any of these cold case files that they make. I am a fan!

I loved this! I always enjoy doing murder mysteries and this one definitely stumped my girlfriend and I for a bit but with the clues we eventually got it! Look forward to buying new ones when they are released. We have a tradition now that when we get one of the case files, we get taco bell and spend the rest of the night trying to solve it lol Definitely worth the money and seems family friendly.