#Deadbolt mystery society files series#

There are also classic crime game aspects of deduction and cross-referencing. I also love the setup for the first logic puzzle, which really helps you organize and visualize your answer.

I appreciate that, while there are a number of decryptions, they are never longer than a sentence so as not to become too tedious. The Inheritance contains quite a few decryption puzzles, along with others like visual searching and comparison, logic, and math puzzles. You also do a bit of deduction as you discover some other clues along the way! You must have a QR scanner and internet access to view the online components, which are essential to solving the game. Most of the flow is quite linear (guided by numbered puzzles in the puzzle booklets), but there are a few that can be solved at any time once you have the materials.

#Deadbolt mystery society files series#

You begin walking through a series of puzzles, which largely tell you specific suspects to eliminate or occasionally sites around the mansion to investigate. Now it’s time to start investigating! There are then a variety of items you have initial access to, as well as two sealed envelopes that you do not open until instructed. Next, there is a “Beginning Brief” that introduces you to the backstory, as well as some case notes on what you know so far. While there is nothing particularly surprising on here, I think it’s a really nice touch to establish expectations, whether for beginners or even enthusiasts, as some of these things can vary between companies.

The top of the box has a nice “Start Here” card that walks you through what to do (e.g., starting by double checking that you have everything on the online “Contents List”) and gives you a number of helpful hints. As Dave was out of town, I tackled The Inheritance solo, and it took me about 90 minutes.