Hey, internet — Corey from Mashable here. Recently, I was looking for some good analog fun to pass the time, and I discovered Hunt a Killer, a murder mystery game. Right up my alley! But then I discovered that they were releasing something new: They’ve teamed up with Lionsgate and made a horror game that takes place in the Blair Witch world. As a major fan of that movie, I was thrilled. About three days ago I ordered my first box, and here’s my account of what happened next:
3PM: Here we go. The first episode of Hunt A Killer: Horror — Blair Witch has arrived at my doorstep. Finally, a chance to test my ongoing theory that I’d be a very good detective. How do I know, you ask? I’ve watched many episodes of old British mystery shows, and by the time the killer or con-artist is revealed at the end, I almost always say, “Oh, I could’ve guessed it was him!” Plus, I can arch my eyebrow in a perfect expression of Hmm, this is intriguing when I find a clue. What else could an aspiring sleuth need? Let’s open the box and see.
The box…has been opened!
Image: MASHABLE
3:05PM: In the box: a dossier! Any detective worth their salt can tell you that procuring a dossier is the first step in solving a mystery. In fact, dossiers seem to end up exclusively in the hands of sleuths and spies. Have you ever heard of anyone else having a dossier? No time to ponder that now—I’ve opened up the envelope.
First up, I see a letter announcing the mystery I’m to solve. Liam Kent, a fifteen year-old resident of Burkittsville, Maryland, has disappeared—and his mother has asked me to find him. One thing of particular note: in the 18th century, Burkittsville was called the town of Blair, and Mrs. Kent points out that many of the town’s residents blame an old superstition about the town for Liam’s disappearance. I’m familiar with Blair from one of my favorite horror movies of all time, The Blair Witch Project, so this is an exciting development (professionally speaking, of course) for me.
She’s included a variety of materials and clues to help me, many taken from her son’s desk the day he vanished. I won’t ruin the surprise for you — after all, you might want to try your luck at finding Liam Kent — but suffice to say, each clue is fascinating.
Hunting for clues.
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Some are official documents, including witness interviews and a map; some are personal, like a journal and a piece of jewelry; some stump me right away. Let me take some time to go through these materials with a fine-toothed comb to see what I can discover.
4:00PM: I’ve read over all of my materials, and I am thoroughly hooked now. I’m not always one for games, but this feels completely immersive—I didn’t notice that almost an hour had gone by as I was reading and re-reading my clues. What I really like:
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The writing is impressive. The clues are each written in different voices, from interviews with multiple characters (all of whom have distinct ways of speaking and become vivid in even a few sentences) to the map with tourist-y blurbs about the town’s local sights. Not only does this help in communicating information and clues, it adds a deeper sense of fun and drama to the experience. Each sentence feels like a potential clue, and reading some clues brings you back to others. The mystery starts right away!
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The clues are also highly visual. The map anchors you in Burkittsvile, and combined with the various written clues, makes the town come alive. It’s also important in solving the mystery to track Liam’s movement through the town, which puts you in his shoes. Other clues are designed to resemble, for example, a brochure, and they look like the real thing, from the texture down to the graphic layout. Again, this helps the experience feel truly immersive.
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I’m actually a little spooked! I’m a sucker for The Blair Witch Project’s story, but you don’t need to know anything about the movie to enjoy the game—it creates an unsettling atmosphere through rich storytelling, and I can see how playing it at night by yourself or with friends in a dark room (let alone the woods, yikes) would give you that tingling sensation that someone is watching over your shoulder.
Sharing Liam’s journal.
Image: MASHABLE
4:35PM: I’ve gone through my clues again, and I’m taking notes. I think I’ve solved part of the mystery: tracing Liam’s movements through the town on the day he disappeared. I feel accomplished! It’s a gratifying moment when everything seems to click into place. But I’ve got more work to do. I’m already looking forward to the next episode, and I think I can solve this episode’s riddles before that one comes. If not, I know there are extra tips and advice online—but I’m going to try not to use them. I’m ready to keep my sleuth hat on and dig further into this game. Liam, I’m coming for you!
Check out Hunt A Killer: Horror – Blair Witch for yourself and see if you can survive the cursed woods…