Unsolved Case Files vs Hunt A Killer: which one to buy
Unsolved Case Files and Hunt A Killer both let you investigate a fictional crime at home. Unsolved Case Files is worth considering for a group that enjoys sorting through a case file. Hunt A Killer makes it easier to choose by difficulty because its case pages list a rating. Compare the specific cases below: playtime, player count and ordering options vary enough to affect the choice.
Puzzling Pursuits makes the at-home escape room games mentioned later in this guide. The comparison of Unsolved Case Files and Hunt A Killer uses their published product information and FAQs, linked below. It’s intended to help you choose a format and case, with current prices on the publishers’ own pages.
Does Hunt A Killer still do subscriptions?
You can buy individual Hunt A Killer cases without a subscription. The company also offers an optional membership for perks. Unsolved Case Files sells individual cases and a monthly case subscription, so check which purchase option you’re choosing.
Hunt A Killer joined Relatable in 2024. Its Evidence Locker membership renews annually and provides perks such as early access to new cases. The membership fee does not include the cases; you still buy those separately.
Unsolved Case Files offers a monthly case subscription with six- or twelve-month plans, paid upfront or monthly. The plans are available to US customers and include shipping.
You can buy a single case from either company without subscribing. Check that you’re selecting the individual case rather than a plan or membership.
How the two catalogs are built
The two stores organize their games differently. Start with the kind of case you want, then compare the details on its product page.
Hunt A Killer’s options include:
- A shorter case such as The Girl in the Well, which lists 60 to 90 minutes of play.
- Narrative cases such as Death at the Dive Bar, where you examine evidence to identify a killer.
- Premium cases such as Camp Calamity, which lists three to five hours and a difficulty of four out of five.
- Box sets for someone who wants a case that unfolds across several boxes.
Check availability before choosing an older title, particularly if you’re buying for a date or event.
Unsolved Case Files sells individual cases and multi-case bundles. A bundle is worth comparing if you expect to play several cases, but check that none is a game you already own.
Compare the final order total, including shipping, when deciding between individual cases and bundles.
How long the games take
Compare individual cases here. Hunt A Killer’s range includes short entry games and longer premium cases, with playtime and difficulty shown on the product pages.
- The Girl in the Well lists 60 to 90 minutes, a difficulty of one out of five, and ages 14+. Its player guidance is 1+, so solo play is supported.
- Death at the Dive Bar lists 45 to 60 minutes for 1 to 5 players, ages 14+.
- Camp Calamity lists three to five hours and a difficulty of four out of five. Check its current product details if age or group size will decide the purchase.
Unsolved Case Files doesn’t publish a comparable numerical difficulty scale. If you’re buying for someone else, that makes the playtime estimates and any available hints information useful to read.
The Unsolved Case Files FAQ says most groups of two or more finish in 2 to 6 hours. Its age recommendation is 14+, with content described as roughly PG-13.
For a longer evening, compare an Unsolved Case Files case with Hunt A Killer’s premium range. The shorter Hunt A Killer titles may fit better if you want to finish within an hour or so. Length is useful here because it tells you what time to set aside; it doesn’t tell you which story you’ll prefer.
How many people can play?
Hunt A Killer’s player guidance varies by case. Death at the Dive Bar lists 1 to 5 players; The Girl in the Well lists 1+. Check the title you’re buying instead of applying one count to the whole catalog.
Unsolved Case Files states no fixed player limit. Each case contains more than fifty documents, but a larger group still needs to share them. Above six to eight players, its FAQ suggests teams using separate copies of the same case.
For a larger gathering, also consider how easily people can share the documents. More copies may give everyone more to do than one crowded table.
What you are left holding afterwards
If you plan to give the game to someone else after playing, check the publisher’s reset or repacking instructions.
Unsolved Case Files says you may be able to pass a case on if you keep the materials in good condition and reassemble them. The puzzles will be familiar to anyone who already knows the solution.
For Hunt A Killer, follow any reset or repacking instructions included with the particular case. Keep track of every component if you hope to share it afterwards.
How the two differ on hints
Read the hint instructions before starting, so help is easy to find when you want it.
Unsolved Case Files offers three hints for each objective through its online answer key. The hint option appears after an incorrect answer, as explained in its how-to-play instructions.
Hunt A Killer’s Hints & Reveals guide asks you to select your case or episode and use the password on its inventory card. Its instructions distinguish hints for a particular item from reveals that explain the solution. Follow the resources listed for your case.
In our games, the online companion guide lets you open optional hints without first entering a wrong answer. You choose how much help to take, and there is no timer.
Which one to buy
Use these situations to narrow the choice, then read the details for the individual case.
More than five people at the table: Unsolved Case Files
Unsolved Case Files states no fixed player limit and includes more than fifty documents per case. For more than six to eight players, its FAQ suggests splitting into teams with separate copies.
Two of you, a longer case: Unsolved Case Files
Unsolved Case Files says most groups of two or more take 2 to 6 hours, with about 2 to 3 hours as a broad average. Allow enough time for your pair to work at its own pace. A shorter Hunt A Killer title may fit better when you have less time.
You want a written story with characters: Hunt A Killer
Hunt A Killer’s narrative cases are worth a look if you want to follow named characters through a story. Unsolved Case Files leans into the presentation of a cold-case file. Both use fictional crimes; choose the style of storytelling you’d enjoy reading.
A gift for someone whose puzzle tolerance you cannot guess: Hunt A Killer
Hunt A Killer’s numerical difficulty ratings help narrow the choice. For example, The Girl in the Well is rated one out of five, while Camp Calamity is four out of five. Read the description too: a familiar setting or appealing story can matter as much as the challenge.
Ordering from outside the US: check delivery first
For an international order, confirm that the case can ship to the recipient’s address and compare the full checkout total. Hunt A Killer’s shipping terms exclude international orders from its free-shipping offer.
Unsolved Case Files lists international ordering information in its FAQ and offers several languages on its language page. Check the destination, edition and delivery estimate before buying; don’t assume a US store listing includes international shipping.
You want a longer case or a codebreaking story
Look at the longer cases and the published difficulty ratings. An Unsolved Case Files case may already fill the evening; Hunt A Killer’s premium range is another option.
Hunt A Killer’s Camp Calamity lists three to five hours and a difficulty of four out of five. That makes it a useful comparison point if you want a longer or more demanding case.
If you’d like codebreaking within a story, consider Blackbrim: 1876. It plays with 1 to 6 people, is rated 14+, and takes 2 to 4+ hours across two parts. The box has 4.8 stars from 524 reviews. You’re following a known criminal’s trail rather than choosing a murderer from a suspect list.
The Fifth Column is another option for codebreaking. You’re in Manhattan in June 1945, working to stop a Nazi plot after Germany’s surrender. It plays with 1 to 6 people, is rated 14+, and takes 2 to 4+ hours across two parts, with 4.9 stars from 152 reviews.
| Your situation | What to buy |
|---|---|
| Six or more people playing | Unsolved Case Files |
| Two people, a longer case | Unsolved Case Files, or one of their three-case bundles |
| You want a story with characters | Hunt A Killer, a narrative case |
| A gift, difficulty unknown | Hunt A Killer, pick by its 1 to 5 rating |
| Ordering from outside the US | Confirm delivery and total cost with the seller |
| You want codebreaking within a story | Compare the specific puzzles and theme; our The Fifth Column and Blackbrim: 1876 use codes and printed clues |
| You want to pass the box on afterwards | Check the selected case’s reset instructions. Unsolved Case Files explains how to reassemble its materials; our boxes require no cutting or writing on theirs. |
Where our games fit, and where they do not
We make boxed at-home escape room games. The thing standing between you and the ending is usually a cipher, a hidden pattern or a piece of lateral thinking, not the question of which suspect lied about an alibi. That is a difference in kind.
If identifying the murderer is the main appeal, stay with Unsolved Case Files or Hunt A Killer. Our Blackbrim series gives you detective work of a different kind: the criminal is known, and the puzzles help you follow his trail.
Most of our boxed games tell one story across two parts and take 2 to 4+ hours. Nothing requires cutting or writing on the materials, so you can keep them intact and return the pieces to their sections for another person to play.
For a group that includes twelve- or thirteen-year-olds, Down the Rabbit Hole is our gentler option. It plays with 1 to 6 people, is rated 12+, and takes 1.5 to 3+ hours in one part. It has 4.9 stars from 82 reviews.
Choose the format and length that suit your evening. A short Hunt A Killer case is useful when you want to finish quickly; Blackbrim is a longer commitment with more emphasis on codes and patterns.
For a longer codebreaking adventure, see what comes in Blackbrim: 1876. It has 4.8 stars from 524 reviews.
Some of the puzzles, especially in part 2, were a little more challenging than other mystery games that we've played. There was just less hand-holding and explicit direction for how the puzzles work, so we really had to think creatively to make our way through the game.
Christopher K., verified review
Blackbrim is rated 14+. If you finish it and want to continue the story, the next games are Reager’s Return and Origins & Ends, which also appear in the Blackbrim Trilogy. You can compare other settings in our at-home escape room games.
If you want to know which of ours a Hunt A Killer player should open, our guide to games like Hunt A Killer narrows it to three.
Common questions
These details are useful when comparing cases.
How do the two ranges compare?
Hunt A Killer offers individual narrative and premium cases as well as box sets. Its product pages list playtime and difficulty guidance. Unsolved Case Files sells individual cases and multi-case bundles; compare a specific case or bundle with the amount of time you want to spend playing.
Which one lasts longer?
Unsolved Case Files says most groups of two or more finish in 2 to 6 hours, with roughly 2 to 3 hours as an average. Hunt A Killer’s Death at the Dive Bar lists 45 to 60 minutes, while premium cases such as Camp Calamity list 3 to 5 hours. Compare the specific title rather than the brand alone.
How many people can play each one?
Unsolved Case Files states no fixed player limit and suggests teams with separate copies above six to eight players. Hunt A Killer’s guidance varies by case: Death at the Dive Bar lists 1 to 5 players, while The Girl in the Well lists 1+. Check the title you choose.
Can you play either one twice, or pass it on?
Knowing the solution changes a second play. Unsolved Case Files says you may be able to pass a file on if you keep the materials in good condition and reassemble them. Our boxed puzzles require no cutting or writing, so they can also be repacked for a new player.
Does either one still run a subscription?
Unsolved Case Files offers monthly case deliveries through six- or twelve-month plans for US customers. Hunt A Killer’s optional Evidence Locker membership renews annually and provides perks; cases are purchased separately. You can buy individual cases from either company without joining a plan.
Are the Unsolved Case Files cases real cold cases?
No. Their FAQ answers the question directly: "No. We make them up." The presentation is built to feel like a real file, but the crimes are written, the same as Hunt A Killer's.
Use the linked product pages and FAQs to check the details of the case you choose, including its delivery estimate.
