The Deadbolt Mystery Society – The Collector (Review)

Location: Your Home!

Players:  We recommend 1-4

Price: $24.99 per box, plus $4.99 shipping

Hello detective. I want to play a game.

Theme:

From The Deadbolt Mystery Society website:

When someone doesn’t pay their mini storage bill, the unit is eventually auctioned off to the highest bidder. Retired detective Arthur Dukes just purchased one of these mini storage units in hopes of reselling the contents for a profit. Art was hoping for a big score, but was disappointed to find that he’d won a virtually empty storage unit aside from a single box. However, after opening the box and seeing some of the contents his heart began to race and his palms became sweaty. Instantly, memories from his career with the Valley Falls Police Department flashed before his eyes and he was taken back to the times of tracking down some of the city’s most notorious serial killers. It now appears that a new evil has awoken in Valley Falls.

First Impressions:

After the announcement of The Collector as November’s Deadbolt Mystery Society box on their facebook page, I was filled with anticipation for this particular mystery! Though I’m personally a bigger fan of the supernatural enigmas Deadbolt has produced, this particular serial killer seemed to be a cut above the others that we’ve chased down. This one was actively taunting whoever found their secret hideaway, and the almost Holmes vs. Moriarty set up was super intriguing. When this box arrived, we couldn’t wait to begin hunting down this deranged killer!

High Points:

The search for The Collector’s latest victims starts off with a bang, and the adrenaline of solving is maintained throughout the adventure. I really love the set up, the desperate chase, and the astounding climax, which really does deliver some great story points and implications for further confrontations with the seedy underworld of Valley Falls. Each solved puzzle presents marked progress, and allows for more story to be uncovered, ensuring the mystery remains satisfying from start to finish. The Collector themselves is a tricky adversary, and their machinations and taunting reminds me of the great Holmesian villain Moriarty in more ways than one. As their motives and methods are further expounded on, the entire ordeal becomes ever more sinister, lending an impetus to work quickly, before they can strike again. The Collector definitely presents it’s enigmas as a clash of minds, and is all the more immersive for it!

Beyond the fantastically enjoyable story and devious villain, the puzzles included with the box are gloriously dense, layered, and clever. We really loved working through this one, and as we moved from point to point, the connections, while subtle, fell into place intuitively. Once we had put together the pieces of The Collector’s clues and plans, the game flow rolled along at a smooth pace. Per usual, the set up is very non-linear, allowing for players to approach the investigation in whatever way they see fit, and when one puzzle becomes too confounding, there’s always something else to work on until the light bulb goes off. And when it does, it is always enormously satisfying. The clues and props are presented wonderfully, and everything fits within the theme. While there are many QR codes to work through, none feel extraneous, and those that require passwords and those that do not are well presented in a superbly natural way. One of my favorite things about this box is it’s ability to present players with clues that are hidden right out in the open, waiting for detectives to finally make the connection and receive their reward for solving!

The search for The Collector is on! And it begins… with a cute cat wearing sunglasses!

Low Points:

While not necessarily a hard and fast low point, it should be noted that some of the clues here even more subtle than usual, which could trip up folks less well versed in picking up said clues. We tended not to have this problem, save for one particular clue that completely flew over our heads (combined with a solve that we didn’t use for a good while, totally our fault for being so shamelessly disorganized,) so those who are easily frustrated might want to try a different box before tackling this one, which can be somewhat more challenging due to this particular facet of the investigation. One small bit of advice for potential detectives, don’t overthink, a lot of issues can easily be solved that way.

Verdict:

The Collector is another astoundingly good mystery from The Deadbolt Mystery Society! The implications of the story and the possibility for further exploration into the underworld that is presented by this box have me absolutely ready for the next stage of this investigation! I absolutely recommend checking this one out, especially to those who enjoy true crime and all the mad thrills that come with such a who done it! Join the Deadbolt Mystery Society here! Right now, you can get 30% off your first box with the Promo Code ESCAPE30! You can also see the rest of our Deadbolt Mystery Society reviews here!

9.5/10 (Excellent)

Full Disclosure: The Deadbolt Mystery Society provided a complementary box.