A cold case file game hands you a real-feeling stack of evidence and one job: work out what actually happened. No host, no acting, no scripts to read aloud — just a fictional unsolved crime, a dossier of documents, and your own deduction. You spread the case out across the kitchen table, follow the paper trail, cross-reference the suspects, and name your killer when the pieces finally click.
They're the quieter, slower-burning corner of the Masters of Mystery range — built for solo sleuths, couples on date night, and small groups who'd rather pore over evidence than perform a character. Open the file, pour a drink, and start reading between the lines.
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Your next investigation
Take the lead in a story-driven investigation built around documents, photographs and witness evidence. Work through the file in any order, connect the clues and decide which theory fits every fact.
Each product page shows the exact format, player guidance, estimated duration and content notes for that case, so you can choose the right investigation before you begin.
Format
Digital or boxed, as shown on each case
Detectives
Solo, couples or groups; check the case details
Case time
Usually 1–2 hours; varies by investigation
The product page confirms the available format. Digital games are available after purchase, while boxed editions are shipped only where that option is offered.
Digital cases can be played on a computer or tablet, and printing the documents is optional. Boxed editions include the physical case materials.
Many cases work well for a solo detective, a couple or a small group. Check the player guidance on the individual product page before buying.
Most investigations take around one to two hours, but the exact estimate varies by case and is shown on its product page. There is no need to rush.
Each case has one solution, so the mystery is strongest on a first play. If the materials remain unmarked, you can pass the case to another detective afterwards.
Suitability varies by story. The product page gives the recommended age and flags stronger or mature themes where relevant.
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An unsolved case files game is a self-contained detective experience. Instead of assigning characters and running a dinner party, you receive a case dossier — witness statements, police reports, letters, photographs, forensic notes and assorted evidence — for a crime that was never solved. Your task is to study it all, spot the contradictions, follow the threads, and reach a conclusion you can actually defend. When you're ready, you check your theory against the real solution.
There's no timer bearing down on you and no right way to work. Some solvers blitz a case in an evening; others leave it out for a week and keep circling back. It's investigation as a puzzle — closer to being the detective than playing a suspect.
Our host-your-own murder mystery dinner party games are social, performative and built for a room full of people playing roles over dinner. A cold case game is the opposite temperament:
If you love the crime but not the performing, this is your shelf.
Every case has its own flavour. Here's how the current titles line up so you can match one to the occasion:
Join Sherlock Holmes to reopen the most infamous unsolved case of all. Over 30 documents and letters plunge you into the fog of the Victorian era — the meatiest, most immersive investigation on the list, and a natural pick for a serious solver or a rainy weekend spent properly buried in a case.
A tech billionaire is dead. Sift through police reports, suspect files and personal letters to work out which of the suspects had the motive and the means. Contemporary, sharp and full of misdirection — a strong choice for date night or a small group who like their mysteries modern.
Father Christmas has vanished, and the JOLLY team need a fresh pair of eyes to find him. A warmer, more festive investigation that suits family game night and the run-up to Christmas — one for the Christmas mystery shelf.
A creepy castle, a cast of supernatural suspects, and a missing brain to track down. The spookiest file in the collection and an easy win for a Halloween evening in — playful enough for a group, eerie enough to enjoy solo with the lights low.
Reach for one if you want a night in that rewards attention rather than performance. They're made for date nights, quiet weekends, puzzle-lovers, true-crime fans, and anyone who'd rather investigate than improvise. They also make a thoughtful gift for the friend who's read every detective novel twice — and if you'd prefer something louder and more social, the wider Masters of Mystery range spans host-your-own dinner party games, self-guided Unsolved Trails and online escape rooms too.
It's a self-contained detective experience: you're given a dossier of documents and evidence — witness statements, reports, letters, photographs and clues — for a fictional unsolved crime, and you piece together what happened. There's no host and no acting. You investigate the case at your own pace and check your conclusion against the real solution when you're ready.
A murder mystery party is social and performative — everyone plays a character over dinner and follows a script. A cold case game is an investigation you examine rather than perform, built for one player, a couple, or a small group working the same file together. It's self-paced and analytical, so it suits people who love the crime but not the acting.
They shine solo and work beautifully for two, and a small group can happily gather round the same dossier. There's no minimum cast and no roles to fill, so you can play alone or share the deduction with a partner or a few friends.
For the deepest, most immersive investigation, choose The Jack the Ripper Files, with 30+ Victorian-era documents. For a modern mystery, The Murder of Edward Munst puts a tech billionaire's death in your hands. Want something seasonal? Santa's Disappearance suits family game night at Christmas, and Halloween Special: Find Frankenstein's Brain is made for a spooky evening in.
Yes — they're one of our favourite date-night picks. Two people, one case file, and an evening spent trading theories over the evidence makes for a genuinely absorbing night in. The Murder of Edward Munst is a great couple's case, though any of the titles works well for two.
No. Everything you need to solve the case is inside the file — the documents, the evidence and the clues. You just bring your attention (and perhaps a drink and a notepad). When you've reached your verdict, you compare it against the included solution.
Once you know the solution the mystery is solved, so the replay value comes from sharing it — hand a completed case to a friend or family member and let them take a run at it fresh. They make excellent gifts for detective-fiction and true-crime fans for exactly that reason.
Cold case file games are physical dossiers of documents and evidence to hold and examine. Physical game kits are dispatched locally for your market — the USA, the UK and beyond — so the case arrives ready to open. The broader Masters of Mystery range also includes instant-play games and online escape rooms if you're after something you can start straight away.
