By Sherwin Clary – Founder of Print Mysteries, with many years of designing and selling investigative mystery case files

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What Is a Murder Mystery Case File?

A Murder Mystery Case File is a self-contained investigation game built around looking through evidence – investigative reports, suspect files, crime scene photographs, handwritten letters, ticket stubs, etc. Your goal is to use the evidence to solve the mystery. The majority of these types of games contain a murder that needs to be solved, but there are options where you’ll need to solve a missing persons case or prove someone innocent.

There are also many different variations of these case files. You can get both physical and printable versions. Some are focused solely on using documents to solve the mystery, while others have puzzles or secret codes that need to be deciphered. Puzzles and secret codes are a staple of escape room games, but have been added to a lot of modern mystery case files.

These games are suited for 4 people or fewer. As you’re required to look at evidence or read through information, having a large group would make it incredibly difficult and slow down the pace for everyone to check the information themselves. When in larger groups, I recommend that my customers print out multiple copies of a case file and split the larger group into smaller groups of 3-4 people. These smaller groups can then compete to see who can solve the case first.

Alternatively, players could host a dinner party and use a murder mystery dinner party game. These are for larger groups, require players to dress up and take on roles of specific characters. Evidence is provided both on paper, and through conversation with other players. These conversations can be scripted or improv-style, where each player has talking points that they should try to add into their conversations.

Case Files vs. Dinner Party Games vs Escape Rooms

This is the question we get most often from first-time buyers, as it does confuse a lot of people. We’ll break it down below to give you a clear idea of what each one involves.

Feature	Board Games (Cluedo-style)	Murder Mystery Dinner Party Games	Escape Room in a Box	Murder Mystery Case Files
Structure	Turn-based, linear	Scripted or improv, social	Sequential	Sequential
Logic Type	Process of elimination	Social and evidence-based deduction	Puzzle-solving	Evidence-based deduction
Group Size	3–6	6–20+	1-4	1-4
Playtime	45–90 mins	2–3 hrs	1–2 hrs	2–5 hrs
Replayability	High	Medium	Low/Medium	Low (single solve)
Solo-Friendly	Rarely	No	Sometimes	Yes
Immersion Style	Abstract	Theatrical	Puzzle	Forensic

The key takeaway:

Escape rooms are for small groups that love puzzles and don’t care about story. You’ll have one puzzle after another.
Case files are for small groups that want to relax with both logic puzzles and a good story. If you want to feel like a detective, this is for you.
Dinner games are for large groups looking to dress up and act out a murder investigation.
Board games are for small groups that want a short, fun experience that’s not too involved.

The Anatomy of a Well-Designed Case File

After years of both creating and selling these products, there’s a clear path to how these cases are designed (regardless of the variations):

Part 1 – Foundational Documents

These establish the non-negotiable facts of each case:

• Autopsy reports – time of death, cause of death, forensic anomalies
• First-responder police reports – the scene as it was first discovered, suspects
• Victim profile – relationships, finances, recent behaviour

This type of information is required immediately in order to start building your case. The cause of death in a strong mystery almost always contains a detail that only becomes significant after you’ve discovered additional evidence.

Part 2 – Corroborative Evidence

This is where alibis are either confirmed or destroyed. This is in the form of:

• Digital evidence – email logs, phone records, photos, social media timestamps
• Physical placement evidence – receipts, transport tickets, witness statements
• Financial records – payments, withdrawals, or transfers that suggest motive

Tier 2 evidence usually feels unimportant at first, until later evidence comes to light and shows that an alibi couldn’t possibly be true.

Part 3 – Solving the Case

This is evidence that locks everything together. In our experience, the best smoking guns share three traits:

1. They were visible from the beginning
2. They only make sense after you understand the full picture
3. They eliminate the last remaining alternative suspect conclusively

Many older case files would give you all the evidence from the start of the game, and depending on what you looked at first, you might solve the case very quickly. Modern games are split into multiple objectives that require you to complete each one to proceed. As you complete an objective, you unlock additional evidence. This structure prevents you from accidentally seeing information that might end the game too early or break the story.

Red Herrings (From a Designer’s Perspective)

Red herrings in case files are there to make you look at the wrong suspect for genuine reasons. A red herring must be a logical distraction, not an unfair one. Every false lead in a quality case file has a resolution – a second piece of evidence that definitely proves that that person is not the killer. If a game’s solution ever requires information the player was never given, that’s poor design, not a hard puzzle.

How to Solve a Case File: A Practical Guide

Case files have evolved a lot in the last few years. Every game will have clear instructions on how you’re supposed to tackle it. With so many variations, there’s no one guide that fits all, but for complete beginners who need a general idea of how these games work, this is for you:

Step 1 – Instructions and Objective 1

Physical Games – If you’re using a physical game, your game instructions will be the first thing you see when you open your envelope/package. Read through this first before you pick up anything else from your game. This will clearly state the rules that will work for this particular game. You’ll notice multiple smaller envelopes in your package. These will be all the objectives that you need to solve, as well as separate ones for each of those objectives. You’ll only want to open these when the case asks you to, and ALWAYS open them in the correct order.

Printable Games – When you print out a PDF case at home, the instructions will be right on top. As with physical games, you’ll want to read through all of the information before doing anything else. Immediately after the instructions, you’ll find the first objective and all the evidence related to that objective. You will need to scroll through the pages until you see Objective 2 written on a sheet. Take that sheet and everything after it, and put it aside. This evidence is not to be looked at or used in your investigation right now. Only after you’ve solved the first objective, should you read the second objective and add that evidence to your other files. You would then separate Objective 3 and put it aside until you’ve completed Objective 2.

When it comes to hints and solutions for each objective, these are usually provided through a QR code or website link on the pages. Simply scan the code or type in the website and you’ll find hints for when you’re stuck, or you can confirm if you got the answer correct for the objective you’re tackling. This is the equivalent of a sealed envelope that prevents you from accidentally seeing answers before having time to solve it yourself.

Step 2 – Witness Statements / Interrogation Reports

Most cases will have suspects providing information about how they know the victim. These are either in the form of witness statements from people who aren’t suspects yet, or interrogation reports from people who are most definitely suspects. The information given in these statements is either going to fit the evidence perfectly, or will be proven false.

A good way to tackle these statements is with a highlighter. Mark off any information that would be important to a detective – dates, times, locations, etc. When you start looking through evidence later, you’ll be able to quickly cross-reference information to see how truthful each suspect has been.

Step 3 – Evidence

When you’re looking through tons of evidence, you’re searching for information that can disprove information given to you by suspects, as well as any additional information that could point to a motive to the murder. If evidence points to a character being out of the country at the time of the murder, then they are most likely not involved. And if they are caught in a lie, then they may either be involved or have another secret that you’ll need to investigate further.

What to Look for When Buying a Case File

There are tons of options available online, so here’s what you should be looking for when buying a case file:

✓ Realistic Design – Regardless of if your case if digital or physical, you want the evidence to look realistic. Games without this most basic element, kill the immersion factor immediately.

✓ Logical Ending – Games should give players a satisfactory resolution. If the final solution doesn’t make sense or takes huge logical leaps, you’re less likely to enjoy the game.

✓ Appropriate difficulty – Most publishers rate their cases. A first-time player or group should start on a medium case (rating 2/5 or 3/5 difficulty). Jumping straight to the hardest case in a catalogue often leads to frustration instead of fun.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a case file be played solo? Yes – and many players specifically prefer solo play. I certainly do. Everyone in a group reads at different speeds and approach puzzles differently. For impatient people like myself, case files are more fun when attempted alone.

How many people are ideal? One to four players is the sweet spot. With five or more, evidence-sharing becomes difficult. With small groups, there’s discussion without too many voices drowning out each other.

How long does a case take? Most case files are designed to be completed in two hours. Complex cases with digital components can run to five or six hours. If a group gets stuck, most publishers have clues available to help you out.

Are they one-time use? Yes. Once you know the solution, you can’t replay it until years down the line when you’ve forgotten everything. But remember, these games are used a replacement for a night out. A group of four people out for dinner usually costs significantly more than one of these case files, and can last much longer.

What age is appropriate? Most case files are designed for ages 16 and up due to themes of violence, theft and other crimes. Some publishers produce family-oriented versions rated for a younger audience. Always check the content advisory before purchasing.

What’s the difference between a case file and an escape-room-in-a-box? Escape rooms are about completing puzzle after puzzle – finding a combination, opening a lock, and advancing to the next puzzle. Case files have a deep story and require investigating a crime from beginning to end, and they may (or may not) include some puzzles in them.