The reference box
What makes Hunt A Killer different
Hunt A Killer mails you a murder to solve at your own table. Each box holds one complete case of reports, letters, photos, and physical clues, and you sift the evidence until you can name the killer.
- Format
- One complete case per box: documents, photos, and a few physical clues, such as the locked sardine tin in Blood & Ink. Some cases add a website or online evidence.
- Players and time
- 1 to 6 players, ages 14 and up. Standard cases take about 90 minutes to two hours. Advanced Investigations like The Bugman run 4 to 6 hours.
- Price
- Most cases cost $29.99, and an Advanced Investigation costs $99.99. Free US shipping on orders over $59.
Compare the games
| Box | Best fit | Cost and commitment | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunt A Killer Reference box |
Standalone cases for 1 to 6 players, ages 14+ | Most cases $30, or $100 for a longer Advanced Investigation. | Ships within 2 business days. Free US shipping over $59. |
| Deadbolt Mystery Society | A new standalone case every month, up to 4 players, ages 13+ | $37.44 a month. | Monthly, in the first week of the month. Free US shipping. |
| A Killing Affair | One murder told over a five-episode season, ages 12+ | $29 a month. | One episode a month. The first ships within a day of ordering. |
| CosyKiller | One slow-burn case across 12 boxes, teens and up | $45 a month. | Monthly from the UK. Up to 21 working days to the US and Canada. |
| Finders Seekers Mysteries | Family-friendly puzzles set in a new city each month, ages 13+ | $31.78 a box on a 3-box plan, plus $6 US shipping. | Ships on the 23rd of each month. US and Canada. |
| Escape the Crate: Murders in the Speakeasy | A one-hour murder escape game for a single night | $40, one time. No subscription. | Ships within 2 to 4 days of ordering. |
| Unsolved Case Files | Cold-case evidence files, ages 14+ | $20 a month on a 6- or 12-month plan, shipping included. Its FAQ says you can cancel anytime. | Monthly. US only. |
Deadbolt, A Killing Affair, and CosyKiller bill month to month, and you can skip a month or cancel anytime. All three also sell 3-, 6-, and 12-month prepaid plans, most at a lower price per box.
The alternatives
A new case every month
Deadbolt Mystery Society vs Hunt A Killer
Best for: Hunt A Killer fans who want a new case in the mailbox every month.
Deadbolt Mystery Society sends a standalone investigation each month, with evidence to examine, suspects to question, and puzzles to solve before you close the case. There's no clock, so you can set a case down and come back to it later.
What feels familiar
A murder, a stack of evidence, and a killer to name. Like a Hunt A Killer case, each box holds one complete investigation.
What changes
Cases arrive on a monthly subscription instead of one purchase at a time. Deadbolt mixes escape-room puzzles into every investigation, its online parts need a phone or tablet with a QR reader, and it suggests up to four players.
One case, five episodes
A Killing Affair vs Hunt A Killer
Best for: Anyone who wants to follow one murder across a season of boxes.
A Killing Affair plays like a TV series. You start at Season 1, Episode 1, and each month's episode brings secret messages, hidden clues, and evidence that help you rule out suspects. By the last of five episodes, you have what you need to convict the killer.
What feels familiar
This is the closest match on Cratejoy to a Hunt A Killer six-episode season: one case told in installments, with the answer held back until the finale.
What changes
Seasons run five episodes instead of six, the game is rated for ages 12 and up, and its online parts need internet access. If a month between episodes feels too long, the same seller sells complete seasons in a single order.
A case that lasts a year
CosyKiller vs Hunt A Killer
Best for: Armchair sleuths who want one mystery to last a whole year.
CosyKiller, a UK seller, builds one murder mystery across 12 boxes of puzzles, ciphers, suspects, backstories, and a few false leads. Each box adds vintage memorabilia and replica items, and the letter inside is personalized to the subscriber.
What feels familiar
Like a Hunt A Killer season, you build a theory box by box, with objects to handle alongside the paperwork.
What changes
A case takes 12 boxes, twice as many as a Hunt A Killer season, and they arrive one a month. The mystery needs no internet, and hints live in a private Facebook group and on a website. Boxes ship from the UK, so allow up to 21 working days for delivery to the US or Canada.
Family-friendly, no murders
Finders Seekers Mysteries vs Hunt A Killer
Best for: Puzzle nights with teens, or anyone who wants a mystery without a murder.
Each month, Finders Seekers sends an escape-room-style adventure set in a different city, with codes and puzzles drawn from the place and its culture. The seller calls it family-friendly but challenging for adults, with no murders or violence, and recommends it for ages 13 and up.
What feels familiar
A mailed story to solve at the table, where every code and clue moves you closer to the answer.
What changes
There's no killer to name, and a travel theme replaces the true-crime mood. Plans come in 3, 6, or 12 boxes rather than open-ended month to month, and shipping to Canada costs $7.95 a box.
One box, no subscription
Escape the Crate: Murders in the Speakeasy vs Hunt A Killer
Best for: A single night of play, bought one case at a time.
Escape the Crate makes standalone tabletop escape rooms with a one-hour clock. In Murders in the Speakeasy, you sneak into the Blind Hog, interview suspects, and work two linked murder cases: find a mobster's killer, then clear your own name.
What feels familiar
One box, one payment, and a murder to solve, the same way you buy a Hunt A Killer case.
What changes
The timer makes it faster and more puzzle-driven than a Hunt A Killer case, which you can leave on the table for days. Escape the Crate sells other single games on Cratejoy too, including Escape: Whodunit?, set at an English estate.
Evidence files by mail
Unsolved Case Files vs Hunt A Killer
Best for: Fans of Hunt A Killer's paperwork who want a case in the mail each month.
Unsolved Case Files sends a cold case: more than 50 documents, photos, and newspaper clippings about a crime from decades ago. You work through three objectives, check each answer on the brand's website, and open a bonus envelope of new evidence after each one.
What feels familiar
The work is reading and cross-checking: statements, reports, and timelines that point to one suspect. It's rated for ages 14 and up, the same as Hunt A Killer, and plays solo or in a group of any size.
What changes
Paying upfront for the subscription costs $99 for six months or $199 for twelve. Cases come from the existing lineup and skip any you've played, and once you've solved them all, the plan pauses until a new case comes out.
The honest part
When to stick with Hunt A Killer
Stick with Hunt A Killer if you'd rather buy cases one at a time, with no renewal to manage, or if you want an Advanced Investigation that runs 4 to 6 hours in one box. It also lets up to six people work one case, two more than Deadbolt suggests. And for a whole story arc in one order, look at its six-episode season box sets.
How we chose these games
We went through the murder mystery and escape room boxes on Cratejoy, kept those open to new buyers, and matched each to a reason people pick Hunt A Killer: a new case every month, a season-long story, a slower pace, family play, or one box at a time. Unsolved Case Files comes from outside Cratejoy because its evidence files are the closest match to Hunt A Killer's paperwork. For more game-night options, see our guide to the best escape room and mystery boxes. The photo at the top is Hunt A Killer's own product photo of its Game Night Gone Wrong case.
Questions before switching
Which game is closest to Hunt A Killer?
For a new case every month, Deadbolt Mystery Society. For one story told across monthly episodes, A Killing Affair, whose seasons run five episodes.
Which of these work for teens?
A Killing Affair is rated 12 and up, the youngest age here. Deadbolt and Finders Seekers Mysteries suggest 13 and up, and Finders Seekers has no murders or violence. CosyKiller is for teens and up, and Unsolved Case Files and Hunt A Killer are made for 14 and up.
Can I play these alone?
Yes. Hunt A Killer, Unsolved Case Files, and CosyKiller all say one player can solve a case, and Deadbolt's mysteries work alone or with up to four people.
Do I need the internet to play?
It depends on the game. Deadbolt and A Killing Affair both have online parts, so you'll need a phone, tablet, or laptop with internet access. Unsolved Case Files checks your answers on its website, and some Hunt A Killer cases include a website. CosyKiller's case needs no internet.
Which make good gifts?
Each Cratejoy pick here has a Give as a Gift option. Escape the Crate's single game is the simplest one-time gift, and the Cratejoy subscriptions sell prepaid 3-, 6-, and 12-month plans.
