Games like Hunt A Killer: choose your next adventure
If you enjoyed Hunt A Killer and want another box to open, start with what you liked about the case. Blackbrim: 1876 has a detective and a table full of clues. La Famiglia takes you into the coded dealings of a Chicago crime gang. Synapse moves the puzzles into a science-fiction story. Each is a complete game for 1 to 6 players, ages 14+, with 2 to 4+ hours of play across two parts.
All three are Puzzling Pursuits games. You buy each box once, with no subscription or later episode to order.
How our games differ from a Hunt A Killer case file
Our games put more of the work into decoding the clues. A letter might contain a cipher, or a detail on a map might help you read another document. Solving those puzzles moves the story forward, so expect to spend time working out how the evidence fits together.
Blackbrim is a manhunt: you know who you're chasing from the beginning. If you enjoy that moment when an odd detail suddenly makes sense, there's plenty of it here. If you mainly want to choose a killer from a list of suspects, this is a different kind of game.
Each of these boxes contains two parts that complete one story. You can play them together or save part two for another evening.
The online Companion Guide lets you check answers and reveal hints when you want them. There's no time limit, so you can keep working on a clue or take a break.
Which one should you pick?
Pick the setting you'd most like to spend an evening in.
| What you liked | What to open |
|---|---|
| A detective, a criminal, a table full of evidence | Blackbrim: 1876 |
| A crime story set in the past | La Famiglia |
| Puzzles in a science-fiction setting | Synapse |
| A whole weekend instead of an evening | The Blackbrim Trilogy |
Orders generally ship the next business day. Check the delivery guidance and the estimate at checkout if you're planning for a particular date. New, unplayed games can be returned within 90 days for a full refund; see our return policy for details.
The closest thing to a case file: Blackbrim
In Blackbrim, you work as a private detective in Victorian England. A criminal named Reager Skinner has taken the town's police force hostage, and the clues he left are your way to find them.
The table fills up the way a case file does: a map of the town, handwritten letters, newspaper pages, photographs and two wooden cipher discs. What changes is what you have to do with them.
Blackbrim takes 2 to 4+ hours across two parts and is recommended for 1 to 6 players, ages 14+. It holds 4.8 stars from 524 reviews.
A gang investigation: La Famiglia
La Famiglia puts you on the FBI side of 1929 Chicago. Al Capone has just been arrested, and the Bureau asks for your help investigating a gang called La Famiglia, who may turn out to be more dangerous than Capone's Outfit ever was. The material you work through is their own communication, and breaking the codes is the whole game.
Choose La Famiglia if you like the Prohibition-era setting and the idea of uncovering a gang's plans through its own messages.
La Famiglia takes 2 to 4+ hours across two parts and is recommended for 1 to 6 players, ages 14+. It holds 4.8 stars from 99 reviews.
I ordered this game for our family (ages16-55) to play over the holiday weekend. It kept us all engaged, working together and having fun.
Erin S., verified review
A science-fiction story: Synapse
Choose Synapse if you want the puzzles in a science-fiction setting. You're trying to get inside The Game, a secretive event run by an artificial-intelligence company, and discover what it has planned.
Synapse takes 2 to 4+ hours across two parts and is recommended for 1 to 6 players, ages 14+. It holds 4.9 stars from 20 reviews.
Just a wonderful experience for my wife and I. We played it over 2 nights and each night was great. If you enjoy good puzzles this one is for you!! We have played many escape type room games and this one has been our favorite BY FAR!
Colin D., verified review
What comes in all three
Whichever you pick, the shape of the evening is the same.
- Two sealed parts that resolve one story. You open the second only once the first is finished, and slower groups run well past four hours.
- No puzzle asks you to cut or write on anything, so a finished box goes to a friend intact and gets played again by somebody else.
- Hints live in an online companion guide. You can open it whenever you like, at whatever depth you want, and nothing is timed.
- The companion guide stays available when you return to the game, so you can pick up the case after a break.
If one evening was never going to be enough
The Blackbrim Trilogy carries the manhunt across three games and six parts.
The trilogy contains three connected games with 10+ hours of play across six parts. It is recommended for 1 to 6 players, ages 14+, and holds 4.9 stars from 533 reviews.
Questions from people looking for Hunt A Killer alternatives
Here are the practical differences to check before you choose.
Which of your games is closest to Hunt A Killer?
Blackbrim: 1876. You play a private detective, the story is a crime, and the box is full of the same kind of physical evidence. The difference is that it is a manhunt with puzzles in it instead of a suspect list to narrow down.
Are your games murder mysteries?
These three games ask you to work through puzzles to move the story forward. In Blackbrim you pursue a known criminal; La Famiglia involves a gang investigation; Synapse is science fiction. None asks you to name a murderer from a suspect list.
How long do they take?
Allow 2 to 4+ hours for each game, across two parts. You can play both in one sitting or save the second part for later.
How many people can play?
One to six. Everyone works the same materials at the same time, so nobody is handed a character to perform and nobody is put on the spot.
Can I play one twice, or pass it on?
The surprise is in solving it for the first time. You can pass a finished game to someone else if you keep the materials in good condition, because our puzzles don't require you to destroy them.
What is the best Hunt A Killer alternative if you want harder puzzles?
Blackbrim: 1876 is a good option if you want to spend more time on ciphers and hidden patterns within a crime story. Synapse offers that kind of solving in a science-fiction setting. Both include optional hints, so you can choose how much help to use.
See the clues and materials in Blackbrim: 1876 if the Victorian case appeals to you.
You can also try a free archive puzzle before choosing a box. Each has optional hints and an answer checker. For a different setting, browse the rest of our games, including a lost expedition and a trip through Wonderland.
