Unsolved Case Files: the Best Who-Done-It Mystery Game - Family Game Shelf (2024)

The murder mystery game that lets you be a cold case detective ages 14 and up

If you’ve been around Family Game Shelf for anytime you know that we love murder mysteries so when I found a copy of Unsolved Case Files in good shape at the second hand store, I knew I had to get it. Luck was on my side as all the parts and papers were there and in really good shape.

But how would this mystery game compare to Clue (a family favorite starting with Clue Jr), Mafia Murder and the live action Murder on the Grill and Beyond the Grave? Or would it be more of a puzzle game like the Exit line? Keep reading and we’ll tell you.

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Unsolved Case Files Setup

To start, the object of the game is to solve the murder that has remained unsolved for a number of years. The case file that we worked on is the Harmony Ashcroft case. She was murdered the night before her wedding. The police arrested a local vagrant was charged and has been in jail for years. The first step to solving the murder is to prove that he is innocent.

The box is set up to look like a file folder of a cold case murder. Inside there are various police files including newspaper articles, evidence reports, corner’s report, witness statements and persons of interest pages. There is also a folder containing photos of the crime scene, the people involved and few other important photos. The game also includes three envelopes that you have finish certain tasks before you can open them.

Unsolved Case Files Objective One

In our case the first thing that we had to do was to comb through all of the papers to figure out how to prove that the man convicted was innocent. The first challenge was figuring out where to start. There are so many pieces of info and things to look at just familiarizing ourselves with the case took a bit of time.

We were however, able to figure out how to prove his innocence. Once we were sure we had it correct, we had to use their online answer key. This was an easy process and involved us telling specifically what proof we had. We were rewarded by being told that we had figured it out. And could open the first envelope.

Unsolved Case Files Objective Two

Inside the envelop there was additional information and a new objective. After all, we proved that the first guy was innocent but poor Harmony was still murdered. So we had a new piece of the puzzle to answer. (I won’t say what as I don’t want to spoil the fun.) The card with the new objective was very clear as to what we had to do and even gave us a hint as to exactly what we needed to find.

We went back to all the evidence and worked together, talking through different theories and snippets of info that we thought we important. When we thought we had the answer, we again went to the online answer key and filled in the answer and what we used to get that answer.

We were wrong.

How could that be? But we went back to the evidence and found a different answer. This time when we filled in the answers we were correct.

Unsolved Case Files Objective Three

Now we were able to open the next envelop that had even more evidence and a new objective. It was back to the evidence but now we were familiar with all of it and knew kind of what we were looking for and where to find it.

This time we were able to piece together an answer and go to the online tool. This time we felt sure that we had it all figured out. So when we went to the online tool and put in our answers…we cheered when we were told that we had indeed figured it out. We had figured out who killed Harmony.

But there was still a sealed envelope….

Unsolved Case Files Envelop Three

Should I keep it a surprise? If you want to be surprised then skip over this section. If you’re just too curious… Inside the envelop there was a nice round up of the murder—the how and the why. There was also a video to watch. Both were nice touches and a great way to finish off the case.

What We Liked

I have to say that this is our most favorite who-done-it style game. There was a lot of information but it was presented in a easy to digest manner. There was also something for everyone to look at and think through at the same time.

The fact that it looked like a real police case file (at least the ones we’ve seen on TV) made it feel real and added to the fun. Although we didn’t make a “murder board” like they do on the movies, we liked that we could have—we had all the pieces to do it. Also, the variety of evince was nice. There were lots of pictures—one for every person of interest and witness. There were other printed items too to make it better for the visual thinkers.

We liked that the mystery was solved in small objectives and that the online tool made it so that you had to put proof in instead of just guessing. The fact that we got one wrong was also something we liked—proving that it wasn’t too easy. We also liked that even after getting the one wrong; the clues were easy enough to say that if A wasn’t right then it must be B.

At first, I was a little unsure about the online side on the game. Would it be too techy? Would it cause us problems—connecting and other headaches. But I am happy to say that it was just the right amount. It was easy to navigate and easy enough to use. I think it really added to the experience.

Last of all, we really enjoyed that the mystery all together was challenging but not so hard that it left us feeling like we would never figure it out. We worked together and everyone was able to point out something important. And the most important, it felt great when we were fully onboard with our who-done-it answer and be correct!

What We Didn’t Like

There isn’t much that we didn’t like on this one. The only thing that had us pausing was the sheer amount of info in the case file. At first it was a little overwhelming to know where to start. Once we start, though, it was manageable.

The next thing is that it is a one-time play kind of game and we’ll now have to buy the next case and play again.

Is Unsolved Case Files Game Worth Adding to you Family Game Shelf?

Well, as I said, it is a one-time play game so you wouldn’t want to add it to your game shelf but we 100% recommend playing this game (and I’m sure that other cases).

The box is rated for 14 up and although I think younger kids could play, the age range is probably right. First, you are dealing with murder, not for everyone. Second the sheer amount of time and info to go through would be a lot for some younger kids. The game did take a chuck of time to play, roughly same as it would have taken to watch a murder mystery movie.

The overall experience was really worth it. In fact, this is the first game that we all have the same rating for. Everyone loved it and it was a great bonding time that left everyone feeling great.

If you love murder mysteries, definitely check out Unsolved Case Files.

You can shop for Unsolved Case Files here and Canadians can shop for them here. Be sure to check out our other reviews on murder games including Murder on the Grill, Beyond the Grave and Mafia Murder. For more fun, check out our games in the Family Game Shelf Shop.

Rating:

Joel:

Julia:

Carrie-Anne: