Murder Mystery Party Case Files: Underwood Cellars

My family got to play this game tonight, and we had fun reviewing all of the contents and piecing together the mystery. The box says for 14+, but my kids (10 and 12) had no problem helping to figure out the solution without using any hints. The 10yo did admit the theming was a little scary; so the age recommendation is probably good for that reason.
I liked the detail of the box and the string closure for the old-school file look (and, it actually works).
My only real complaint (and reason for four stars) is that this is a one-time use game/activity. Once you play the game, you can’t very well play it again; you already know the answer. I do appreciate that (unlike some escape games), nothing in this box gets destroyed so you can’t very well regift it rather than let it become extra waste. I imagine this isn’t great from a marketing perspective because it means we can just keep sharing a single game with friends and family.

I enjoy watching the murder mystery shows so it was fun to solve a murder. We played as a team so it was more fun. Get ready for a lot of reading. Unfortunate part is that you can only play once. If you enjoy mysteries, this would be for you.

Overall we had a great time. The atmosphere of the game is rich and immersive, as we kept unpacking more information.

That said, the game felt a little too overwhelming at times. We were presented with a lot of information all at once. It was hard to decipher what information really mattered or not.

It was still a fun and enjoyable challenge and would be interested in doing a similar game in the future.

It was a lot of fun to pour over this with my wife and daughter and see if we could figure out who the real killer was. I thought I knew it but I was surprised when I made my accusation and checked! It was really good for bonding inside on a cold Friday night! Love the artwork and graphics of the entire game and the realism of the newspaper clippings and everything. Really well done game for the whole home to enjoy!