Deadbolt Mystery Society is a monthly subscription box for lovers of mystery and suspense.
Each box is a standalone mystery with puzzles written and designed by escape room creators with immersive scenarios, intriguing characters and original, compelling stories. Imagine yourself as a detective consulting on specific cases.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Deadbolt Mystery Society
The Subscription Box: Deadbolt Mystery Society
The Cost: $24.99 + shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 20% off your first box!
CODE: MSA20
The Products: Clues and puzzles to help solve a murder mystery
Ships to: the US for $4.99, Canada for $16.99, and Worldwide (excluding the UK) for $24.99
Deadbolt Mystery Society “Sanitarium” Review
The first item in my box was an introduction page that gave a general explanation of the contents in the box. It starts off with a link to a checklist to ensure we have everything in the box to solve the mystery, instructs us to read everything, look for things that connect to each other and complete all the puzzles in order to solve the mystery. It also has a link to the hint files (which is very resourceful). It also explains that there are QR codes in most of the boxes, so I made sure to download a QR scanner on my phone before starting the mystery. Lastly, it tells you what any good detective tells you: follow your instincts. Let’s dive into the mystery!
My box also came with this collector’s card of Warael, a fictional fantasy world in a game that is mentioned in this box. This card goes on to explain a little about Warael which could be resourceful to the game.
Will Street Detective Agency Memo
I have learned that these memo pages from Benjamin really give insight into the case I will be working on. To sum up: an old friend who just got hired at Saturn Hills Asylum reaches out to Benjamin and tells him he’s the only one she trusts. Then, just a few hours later, her body is found. She had been stabbed to death. Benjamin takes on the case to help capture the killer in the familiar halls of Saturn Hills Asylum. To quote Benjamin, “It’s our job to find out who did this and why.” Let’s get to it.
Clues:
Valley Falls Lawn Care
ID Badge
Vehicle Lock Combination
Backwards Statement
Eye Chart
The King in Yellow Cover Art
Secret Message
Picture of Whiteboard with 6 Names
Map for the Wastelands of Warrael
Purple Latex Balloon
Case Brief Pages
This page here contained some vital information but when you initially glance at it, we see Benjamin’s old friend, deceased. There is also a picture with magnets – the kind you put on your kitchen refrigerator.
Interview Pages
I was delighted to see these very informative witness interviews. We have two: Richard Queensacre and The Countess. They had a lot to say so I had to read their statements twice to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Suspects Pages
I also received pages that had paragraphs about the prime suspects in the case; a total of 6, naturally all patients at Saturn Hills Asylum.
Dr. Blackthorn Notes
Helpful to the case were these notes that came directly from the desk of Dr. Norman Blackthorn, a doctor at Saturn Hills Asylum. He has more information about the suspects I read about above. There is really interesting information here so I put this aside to reach for at a later time.
Solve the Box Card
This is the last card I will be scanning. Once I think I know who the killer is, I will scan this QR code and put the last name of the killer and the name of his game character. If it unlocks, I am correct. The document unlocked is the conclusion to the mystery: who the killer is and his motive.
Wastelands of Warael War Card Game
This was pretty cool – it’s a game within a game! The interview notes mentioned something about how some of the patients (and even some guards!) participate in this game and that learning which character each patient relates to could be to the key to cracking the case right open. This sheet here is the rules and objective of the game. Right on top it does indicate that playing the game is not a part of solving the case. It's just a bonus to the game which is pretty cool.
They also sent the cards for the game. We haven’t had a chance to play yet but I want to give it a go eventually.
Verdict: I really like the Deadbolt Mystery Society boxes I get every month. While this one was only my second one, it was a little harder than the first box I did. I started out trying to work on the case with my husband and son but all the reading quickly lost them. This one did appear to have more reading than the first one but it was necessary to solve the case. I ended up working this one alone and solved it within a couple of hours. It was fun and I look forward to the next case! This box costs $24.99 plus $4.99 shipping and brought another exciting mystery for me to work on. I definitely feel like the value is in this box. The details of the box really pulls me into the mystery and gets my mind working in ways it doesn’t work in day to day. Think you know who killed Nurse Edgarton? Let me know in the comments!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the August box. From Deadbolt Mystery Society:
We take subscriptions through the month. The cutoff is the last day of the month. We then mail out all boxes by the 4th of the following month.
Deadbolt Mystery Society also has their past boxes for sale.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 20% off your first box!
CODE: MSA20
Check out our other Deadbolt Mystery Society review, along with the best horror subscription boxes of 2019!
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