Hunt A Killer games ranked: choose your next case
Start with Death at the Dive Bar for a short first case. Choose Camp Calamity if you want a more demanding investigation, or The Moon Summit Mystery for a story that runs across several evenings. The ranking below compares ten Hunt A Killer games by their premises, published difficulty and play time, so you can choose the one that fits your plans.
We make Puzzling Pursuits, another range of at-home escape room games. This guide focuses on choosing within Hunt A Killer's catalog. For a comparison with our games, see our guide to games like Hunt A Killer.
How we ranked these
The order favors approachable cases at the top, then longer or more specialized choices. It is based on the publisher's descriptions and specifications. Use the stated difficulty to compare games within the range, then choose a setting you want to investigate.
Hunt A Killer sells standard narrative cases, longer premium cases and full-season box sets. A Cold Case file is another shorter option. Check the age recommendation and contents of the specific title before buying it as a gift.
Prices and stock can change. Each linked product page gives the current details.
| Rank | Game | Format | Their difficulty | Quoted time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death at the Dive Bar | Narrative case | 1 of 5* | 45 to 60 min |
| 2 | Dead Below Deck | Narrative case | 2 of 5 | 45 to 90 min |
| 3 | Camp Calamity | Premium case | 4 of 5 | 3 to 5 hrs |
| 4 | Dead on the Vine | Premium case | 3 of 5 | 4 to 6 hrs |
| 5 | A Wealth of Murder | Narrative case | Expert | 90 to 120 min |
| 6 | The Moon Summit Mystery Box Set | Season box set | 3 of 5 | 10 to 15 hrs |
| 7 | Murder at the Motel | Narrative case | 3 of 5 | 45 to 60 min |
| 8 | Cold Case: The Girl in the Well | Cold Case file | 1 of 5 | 60 to 90 min |
| 9 | Body on the Boardwalk | Narrative case | 2 of 5 | 45 to 60 min |
| 10 | Game Night Gone Wrong | Narrative case | 3 of 5 | 90 to 120 min |
*Their listing shows one diamond while the copy further down the same page puts it at two out of five on their own scale. Either way it is the bottom of that scale.
Ten Hunt A Killer games to compare
Play time is a useful place to start: pick a shorter case for a spare evening, or a longer one when you can leave the evidence out and return to it.
1. Death at the Dive Bar
In Death at the Dive Bar, a bar owner dies after a fall and an employee doubts the official explanation. The publisher lists 45 to 60 minutes for 1 to 5 players aged 14+. Its easier rating and short advertised play time make it our first pick for someone new to case-file games. It also appears in our murder mystery gift guide.
2. Dead Below Deck
Dead Below Deck puts you aboard a yacht after a stewardess is found dead. Its evidence includes recorded witness statements and an online drive alongside the physical clues. The publisher lists 45 to 90 minutes for 1 to 5 players aged 14+, with a difficulty rating of 2 out of 5. Choose it if you like the idea of an investigation that moves between paper and a screen.
3. Camp Calamity
Camp Calamity is rated 4 out of 5 and listed at 3 to 5 hours. The publisher describes a self-guided investigation with challenging ciphers, making it a candidate for someone who wants more to work through. Check its page for group guidance before buying it for a party.
The story opens on a counselor's charred body in the embers of a bonfire the night before camp starts, and turns on a set of clues the police never saw. The camp setting and darker premise are worth checking before giving it as a gift.
4. Dead on the Vine
The Llewyn family gathers at its vineyard for a birthday, then the matriarch is found dead. Dead on the Vine is listed at 4 to 6 hours for 1 to 5 players, with a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5. Choose it when you have time for a long session or can return to the case another evening.
5. A Wealth of Murder
In A Wealth of Murder, an assistant is killed during a wellness retreat for wealthy employers. The current product page labels it Expert and lists 90 to 120 minutes for 1 to 6 players aged 14+. It is worth comparing with Camp Calamity if you want a more demanding case. For another kind of puzzle adventure, see the longer games below.
6. The Moon Summit Mystery Box Set
The Moon Summit Mystery collects a full season in one box, with a quoted 10 to 15 hours of play and a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5. It reopens a death in an Alaskan park after a friend questions the official explanation. Choose it if you want one investigation to return to over several evenings. Check the current box-set range for availability.
7. Murder at the Motel
Murder at the Motel is a short case with a higher listed difficulty than Dive Bar. Their details row prints Medium (level 3), 45 to 60 minutes, 1 to 5 players. The setup: a motel housekeeper finds a guest dead, and the police fixate on her ex-fiancé, an escaped convict she believes is innocent. Choose it if you want a more demanding case within a short advertised play time.
8. Cold Case: The Girl in the Well
A young woman dies after leaving a house party, and the detective who first investigated wants to reopen the case. Cold Case: The Girl in the Well is listed at 60 to 90 minutes with a one-diamond difficulty rating. It is another option for a first case, especially if the cold-case premise appeals to the recipient.
9. Body on the Boardwalk
Body on the Boardwalk begins when a corpse turns up inside a seaside amusement park ride, and the police have already decided the boyfriend did it. It shows two diamonds and 45 to 60 minutes. Choose it over Dive Bar if the amusement-park setting appeals more.
10. Game Night Gone Wrong
In Game Night Gone Wrong, a murder mystery birthday party ends with a real death. It is listed at 90 to 120 minutes with a three-diamond difficulty rating. The party-within-a-party premise makes it a useful choice for a group that already enjoys hosting mystery nights.
Other Hunt A Killer themes to consider
If none of those settings appeals, browse the narrative case collection. It includes crime stories with different settings, plus The Haunting at Wicker Ridge for someone who prefers a paranormal investigation. Pick a premise you want to spend time with and check that the play time fits.
For a longer story, compare the season box sets, including Starstruck, Class of '98 and Blair Witch Season 1. These ask for more time than a standard case. Read the theme and content notes before choosing, particularly for a horror fan or a younger recipient.
Buying a game mentioned in an older review
A retired title may still appear in search results long after it sells out. Confirm stock on Hunt A Killer's store before planning a gift around a specific game. If you want to compare its case files with another publisher, our Unsolved Case Files vs Hunt A Killer comparison explains the formats.
If you want a longer codebreaking adventure
A case-file game may leave you wanting more ciphers to solve. Our games focus on those puzzles within a continuing story, with most boxes split into two parts.
Blackbrim: 1876 puts you to work as a private detective in Victorian England, following Reager Skinner's trail. You know who you are chasing; the puzzles help you catch him. It plays with 1 to 6 people aged 14+ and takes 2 to 4+ hours across two parts.
For a longer connected story, The Blackbrim Trilogy follows the same manhunt across three boxes and six parts. It offers 10+ hours of play for 1 to 6 people aged 14+, with 4.9 stars from 533 reviews.
If you prefer a wartime thriller, The Fifth Column takes you to Manhattan in June 1945 to stop a Nazi plot after Germany's surrender. It plays with 1 to 6 people aged 14+ and takes 2 to 4+ hours across two parts, with 4.9 stars from 152 reviews.
You do not need to cut or write on the materials in our games, so you can pass the finished box to another player. See how Blackbrim: 1876 works. It holds 4.8 stars from 524 reviews.
Questions about choosing a Hunt A Killer game
Is Hunt A Killer still a subscription?
Individual Hunt A Killer games can be purchased without subscribing. The optional Evidence Locker membership renews annually and offers perks; it does not include case purchases.
Which Hunt A Killer game is easiest?
Their own ratings put Cold Case: The Girl in the Well and The Haunting at Wicker Ridge at one diamond out of five, and Death at the Dive Bar at the bottom of the scale as well. Among the box sets, Starstruck carries one diamond.
Which Hunt A Killer games offer a harder challenge?
Camp Calamity is rated 4 out of 5 and listed at 3 to 5 hours. A Wealth of Murder is labeled Expert on its current product page. Compare the specific game pages, since the publisher's difficulty labels vary between titles.
Can a big group play Hunt A Killer?
Check the specific case. Death at the Dive Bar and Dead Below Deck recommend 1 to 5 players, while A Wealth of Murder currently lists 1 to 6. Larger groups may want separate games so everyone can see and handle the evidence.
Can you play Hunt A Killer more than once?
Knowing the answer changes the experience on a second play. To pass a case to someone else, check the publisher's reset instructions and whether any components are used up. Our games require no cutting or writing on the materials, so they can be passed on.
Are the sold-out seasons coming back?
Check the publisher's current store or contact its support team about the title you want. A sold-out page alone does not confirm whether or when a game will return.
