Sleuth Kings – Case 015: Fashionably Late (Review)

Location: Your Home!

Players:  We recommend 1-4

Price: $29.95 per box

It’s called fashion, honey. Look it up.

Theme:

The great fashion designer Stella Stone was working feverishly on her masterpiece, a dress design that was sure to stun the world with it’s elegance! Unfortunately, she passed away tragically young, but not before she could secret the design away from her most bitter rival. Fast forward almost one hundred years later, where Sullivan King has been hired to find the design by a descendant of Stella’s, Poppy Farthing. The more things change, the more they stay the same, however, as Poppy has a rival searching for the designs as well, and the race is on between Sleuth Kings and Hard Boiled Investigations! Luckily, Sullivan has an ace up his sleeve to help with this case… you!

First Impressions:

As much as I love taking down serial killers and mad kidnappers during Sleuth Kings cases, the lighter cases always have an irresistible charm about them. This almost one hundred year old mystery dating back to the roaring twenties was definitely something new and exciting, and knowing Sleuth Kings, it would be a highly immersive case!

High Points:

Sleuth Kings cases are always very carefully layered, with puzzles that build upon each other almost as elegantly as Stella Stone’s designs, and this case is no exception. In fact, Case 015 felt like one of the most challenging, yet satisfyingly complex cases to date. The interconnectedness of this case delivered some highly original puzzling, and made sure that every bit of the game felt important and well clued. Props included within are even more well done than usual, with excellent hand-crafted aging and twenties inspired designs that stay true to the mystery’s theme. I especially loved the buttons included with this case, as they gave me something to fiddle with while we solved, and were absolutely something we expected to find in a dressmaker’s shop! Honestly, Sleuth Kings’ world building skills are second to none, and it’s a joy to have a glimpse into their version of the prohibition era.

The game flow is silky smooth, and the puzzles lead into one another perfectly, yet still maintain a level of challenge that veteran sleuths will adore. The game remains accessible, however, and never reaches the point of being obtuse. Sleuth Kings has perfected the art of putting together a case worthy of Sherlock by including hints within clever details, and encouraging detectives to pay close attention to all the clues. This case really shows off how satisfying it is to notice the little things and strikes a perfect balance of hidden clues, fiendishly cunning puzzling, and a well told story.

Case 015 has it all! Puzzles, mystery, and buttons!

Low Points:

There were several points within one puzzle where additional information was included that seemed to serve no real purpose. It was a small red herring, (unless of course, it was a side puzzle we never figured out,) but led us down a side trail that we were fortunately able to quickly rule out. Other than that, we loved this one!

Verdict:

Case 015 continues Sleuth King’s run of brilliance, and delivers an enticing mystery filled with original puzzles wrapped within an unexpected, but wholly immersive, theme. This one is truly a favorite, and it is always a thrill to see how this subscription continues to evolve! Even though this is probably one of the more complex cases on offer, I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable mystery to solve at home! This case can be purchased from the Sleuth King’s archives here, and if you’d like to subscribe to upcoming adventures, you can use the promo code ESCAPEADVENTURE to get $5 off your subscription here! You can also read the rest of our Sleuth Kings reviews here!

9.5/10 (Excellent)

Full Disclosure: Sleuth Kings provided a complementary box.