how to play

Our mystery boxes are focused on storytelling, deduction, collaboration, and atmosphere. Intrigued?

Listen to the play

The heart of our mystery box is a sonically-rich radio play featuring oneof literature's most cunning detectives.

Examine the clues

Open the evidence envelopes to examine intricate and detailed clues at the same time as the detective in the story.

Solve the mystery

Can you and your team sift through the clues and crack the case before the most ingenious detectives in literature?

Take your place in every story

Unlike escape-the-room style games, we are a story-based experience. You don’t have to solve a series of small puzzles in order to move on to the next level. Instead, the whole story is one big puzzle! Much like a mystery novel, the story and mystery will unfold around you.

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LET US TAKE YOU ON A LITERARY ADVENTURE

Our boxes are filled with immersive elements to help you set the scene and step into the story. From the atmospheric sound design, to the scented candle, and the signature tea blend: we're engaging all your senses. Whether you consider yourself an armchair detective or are just in it for the vibes, we've got you covered.

Immerse yourself in mystery

Professional audio recording

Produced in the style of a radio play, we work with professional actors from NYC, DC, and Chicago and experienced sound designers to create a sonically-rich story.

Detailed physical clues

Based on actual historical documents, hand-designed and printed in house. From Telegrams, love letters, and government documents to blood stains.

Custom-scented candles

Designed by Fernweh Editions and customized for each detective. The included scent story takes you inside the creative process.

Victorian Newspaper

Written and designed by our team and chock full of actual news from the year of the story, cheeky advertisements, oh—and clues of course.

Signature tea blend

Enjoy a cuppa on us. Whether it's the spicy 221 Baker St blend or the floral and aromatic Lunch Court Blend, our looseleaf tea pairs perfectly with deduction.

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Victorian Mystery Dinner Party Guide

HOT TIP:

To host a spectacular themed party, check out our Victorian Mystery Dinner Party guide. From authentic Victorian recipes to manners, from parlour games to printable place settings: we've got you covered. And the best part? It's a direct download. No additional shipping costs necessary. It's time to get planning.

Victorian Mystery Dinner Party Guide

$15.00

Frequently asked questions

A lie to the audio play is included in your welcome letter, and sent in an accompanying email. It will lead you to a story website with an audio player. You can stream the audio or download it to listen offline and as often as you like! There is also a link to a downloadable ebook script if you prefer reading to listening.

Our experiences are designed for 1-6 users. If you are planning for a larger party, you might consider choosing “extra tea”.

8-80! Our mysteries are designed to be multi-generational; there is something to appeal to any age group. We’ve set out to create an activity the whole family can come together to enjoy.

While the experiences aren’t written specifically for kids, because of the interactive nature, younger players can have a blast looking for clues. We’ve known families with children as young as four who have played the games together (we can’t promise that the 4-year-old did much mystery-solving!) Are you asking yourself if your child has the attention span for this mystery? Here’s some information that might help you decide:

The audio play is about an hour in length, but it is broken up into approximately 10-15min segments that are punctuated by opening an evidence envelope and examining the clues.
The casebook has pages to take notes and draw pictures of suspects, which is a great way to keep a child engaged while listening.
The newspaper is not just a world-building element, it’s also full of humorous stories, ads, and (spoiler!) even clues. Searching its contents can keep a person entertained for hours.
Our episode-specific webpage gives you access to the audio play, drink recipes (including mocktail variations) and some additional resources to help keep people of all ages engaged and solving the mystery.

Adults, lest you think this is TOO child-friendly, we can promise that the content and difficulty level of the mystery are written to an adult level. The mystery should be interesting and challenging enough to engage you. And if you’re still dubious, may we again suggest our curated cocktail recipes? They should do the trick.

Sure! To simply replay the audio, you can download the audio play and listen to it as often as you’d like, with or without the clues.

To regift or replay with the clues:

Put the evidence back in the envelopes and reseal the stickers (or, tape the envelopes shut and write the evidence letter on it). Do the same for the “The End” envelope. Return them to the box.
Refold the welcome letter and newspaper and put them back into the box with the clues.
Regular notepaper can be used if you are out of blank pages in the casebook.
If you drank all the tea, more is available on our website, and also at Adagio. Find our teas there by searching the name of the blend.

For regifting, it’s up to you whether you want to pass on the souvenirs and world-building elements!

We offer a companion downloadable ebook for our featured stories and our mini mystery The Mystery of the Secret Formula, which we eagerly provide at no extra charge so that deaf and hard-of-hearing detectives can fully participate in the adventure. These e-books are located on the webpage that you will be provided with after purchasing your selected story.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions!