Room Escape Artist

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha

Location:  At home

Date Played: November 2024

Team size: We recommend 2-3

Duration: Countdown to Chaos (Prequel): ~60 minutes; Murder on the Moon: ~45 minutes per chapter (3 chapters)

Price:  Countdown to Chaos (Prequel): $15; Murder on the Moon: About $90 (plus $12 shipping);

REA Reaction

Murder on the Moon and its prequel game, Countdown to Chaos (sold separately), were the latest offerings from The Detective Society. Countdown to Chaos was a single-chapter prequel experience where we prevented a rogue agent from sabotaging a Lunovos rocket launch. Murder on the Moon was divided into three chapters surrounding the murder investigation of Samuel Douglas, one of the crew members of the Lunovos moon base.

The Detective Society characteristically produced tabletop games with interesting alternate reality game content (i.e., websites, social media profiles, email/ text conversations), but with generally lighter puzzles focused primarily on deduction. Both Countdown to Chaos and Murder on the Moon impressed us with the level of detail (and humor) included in the online content. We enjoyed exploring every nook and cranny of the websites and stumbling upon information to combine with materials in our confidential case information. Countdown to Chaos and Murder on the Moon also excited us by incorporating a wider variety of puzzles throughout the chapters than some previous offerings. In each chapter, we solved a smattering of visual and logic puzzles amidst the deductive puzzles. However, we were frustrated with two puzzles in Murder on the Moon, one of which seemed to have multiple possible answers and another which required unreasonably specific outside knowledge.

In general, we preferred Countdown to Chaos over Murder on the Moon. The prequel had a longer play time than any one chapter of Murder on the Moon, used more alternate reality elements, and incorporated stronger deduction puzzles with fewer logic leaps. Nevertheless, the table presence of Murder on the Moon was impressive with a 3D map setup used throughout the three chapters. Our latest 8 week old foster kittens (Kovu and Kion) are provided for scale. Note that, to avoid spoilers, the setup of the moon base in the photo below was not the actual puzzle solution.

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Couch detectives
• Fans of ARGs
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Enjoyed previous The Detective Society games
• Multitude of deductive puzzles
• Approachable foray into alternate reality games

Story

In Countdown to Chaos, Mike Martinez contacted us about a corporate spy in the Lunovos offices. We were asked to determine which of three rival organizations the spy was affiliated with and how the rocket was sabotaged so that it could be fixed before the launch.

In Murder on the Moon, Rosalie Hardy, the commander of the Lunovos moon base mission, contacted us at the Detective Society to investigate the death of one of the crew members, Samuel Douglas. She was certain Samuel had been murdered and wanted us to determine who- or what- killed him.

Setup

Countdown to Chaos was a single envelope containing all the contents for the game.

Murder on the Moon arrived in a game box containing three envelopes (one for each Chapter). The continuous storyline in Murder on the Moon required that the chapters be played sequentially, but provided clear stopping points to pause the game between play sessions. Although some contents were needed in multiple chapters, setup instructions were provided to bypass re-solving puzzles.

Each envelope contained an introductory letter that gave the premise of the chapter and a weblink with additional briefing details to start the mission. Internet access was required throughout the game to access websites, send emails, and otherwise interact with the alternate reality game content. Pen and paper were necessary to take notes on the vast amount of pertinent information. Countdown to Chaos also required scissors.

Gameplay

The Detective Society’s Countdown to Chaos and Murder on the Moon were play-at-home mystery games with a moderate level of difficulty.

Both Countdown to Chaos and Murder on the Moon primarily focused on deduction puzzles. Typically, we were presented with data that we had to analyze to make conclusions about the events in the story. However, there were also some visual and logic puzzles included in each chapter. We were provided with prompts for each question in the case through text or email chats and responded to those message chains to progress the story. We could also send messages to receive help prompts with progressive specificity.

Analysis

➕ Countdown to Chaos provided a large amount of content and long play time in a small package. We enjoyed working our way through the multitude of online content referenced in the story and found the gameplay to be logical with a satisfying conclusion. We thought this game could easily stand alone as its own experience.

➖ We found it very difficult to discern a color difference for one puzzle in Countdown to Chaos. This puzzle would be nearly impossible for color blind individuals.

➕/➖ Murder on the Moon had a very cool table presence including a large board with 3D elements which we were instructed to assemble as the first puzzle of the game. We also appreciated that this centerpiece was used in each chapter of the game. However, the slots in the cardboard were cut a bit narrow making some of the structures difficult to assemble.

➖ We were frustrated by two specific puzzles in Murder on the Moon. One puzzle seemed to have multiple correct interpretations/ answers. The second puzzle required such niche outside knowledge that it was challenging to understand where to even start searching on the internet. The flaws in puzzle design were surprising since we have found other The Detective Society offerings, including Countdown to Chaos, to be extremely logical.

➕Just like their previous offerings, The Detective Society did an excellent job creating a compelling mystery story in Murder on the Moon. We loved that each chapter ended with both a feeling of accomplishment and a cliffhanger spurring us on to the next discovery in our mission.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: Dining room table (seating at least 4) to fit a large game board, various papers, and a laptop/ tablet
• Required Gear: Internet-connected device, pen and paper, scissors for Countdown to Chaos

Buy your copy of The Detective Society’s Countdown to Chaos and/ or Murder on the Moon, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Detective Society provided a complimentary game.