50 Clues: Dead or Alive (2021)

About this game

As a detective, you've tried to solve the deadly attack on your colleague and her son for the past four years. The main suspect, Maria, got away, but new information has finally emerged. The hunt for Maria can begin again. ”Dead or Alive” is the first part of the Hunt for Maria trilogy. 50 Clues® is an award-winning immersive puzzle game that offers the experience of an escape room, but in a format that can be played at home. You combine objects, solve puzzles and decipher codes to complete the story. A smartphone or tablet keeps track of the solutions and provides multistep hints if the need arises. —description from publisher

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 5. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 2.0/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 16 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.