Family Sleuths Unite for Investigative Fun!
There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of solving a tricky puzzle and when you add files, lab reports, and witness statements, it gets even better! As they say, the family that investigates together, stays together. Well, they don’t actually say that but playing our bestselling The Key Series Mystery Games will certainly turn family game night into a real thriller!
As your family embraces their inner sleuths to become master investigators, they will use their powers of deduction and critical thinking skills to solve the crime. With four installments in The Key Series, you can choose from a myriad of investigations with each one offering something a bit different. In fact, the whole series is a little different from other mystery games. Here are the top 10 things you might not know that make The Key Series extra cool and mysterious!
10 Facts About The Key Mystery Game Series
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No Rush, No Turns, No Waiting
One of the things that people love most about The Key games is the simultaneous nature of the gameplay and how everyone can play at their own speed. This means you’re not waiting for someone to take their turn or feeling rushed as everyone watches you take yours. You’re free to take your time and thoughtfully consider each clue for however long you’d like. Simply said, there are no turns! When the game starts, all players simply choose a card from the table, evaluate it, and compare the information on the card to what you’ve previously uncovered.
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Play it Again and Again
Another great thing about The Key Series is that there are 9 different cases within each game allowing for ultimate replayability. And even after you have solved all 9 cases, you can continue playing again since no parts are changed or destroyed. Unless you are a gamer with a photographic memory, remembering the solutions to all the different cases would be a real challenge!
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Speed is not the Answer
So much of life is determined by speed but not with The Key games. Being thoughtful, curious, connecting the dots, paying attention, and using critical thinking skills- these are the skills that are valued with these strategy games and are the tools that will help close the case. Ultimately, the winner is the most efficient detective, not the fastest.
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Investigators Need Official Briefcases
Another very cool feature of the game is that you get a “briefcase screen” to organize your findings which also serves as a screen to protect your progress from the prying eyes of your competitors. On this briefcase screen, you have the full list of things you must track: the time/day of each crime, suspects, and then additional information based on the details of that particular game. After carefully tracking and making notes with the included dry erase marker, this briefcase also has all the codes to help you arrive at the correct combination for unlocking the case.
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Only One Player? No Problem
If you can’t wait until the next family game night or you want to get your kids away from the screen for a bit, The Key has a solo variant that is played exactly the same as the group gameplay. The solo variant also allows you to get to know the game and become familiar with the components and the investigative techniques needed to become a super sleuth. And naturally, there is no time pressure to solve the case!
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Deduction, Family-Style
Not only is this game a great way to spend quality family time together, but it actually helps to develop new pathways in the brain. Deductive reasoning and critical thinking skills are some of the most important skills that we can help encourage in our children to promote success as they go through school and beyond. And what better way to help develop these vital life skills than through play and family connection time!
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Not Just for Kids
Attention grown ups: this game is not just for kids! The Key is fun for adults too. So when your kids go out for a sleepover, have your own playdate and mystery party and pretend you are the star of your very own crime scene show. Adults need playtime too!
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The Key Is also a Key
HABA is known for using beautiful high-end wooden game components and this series is no exception. Unlocking the mystery is the key to these games and to do it you use an actual wooden key. In the beginning of the game, players choose a wooden colored key and this color guides the story. The first player to solve the crime takes the wooden key and places it on the solution board to determine if they have guessed the correct solution. Most importantly, these 9 wooden, colored keys are what make each game fully replayable 9 times. Maybe that’s truly the key!
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The Old Criminals Make a Comeback
Surprise! The newest in The Key Series has characters from earlier games. So just when you thought you put those villains behind bars, they’ve come back for more mayhem and crime. Recognizing these familiar characters creates a cool twist and expands on the fictional world that is being established through the storytelling within each game. This reemergence of characters also develops lore for The Key Series as a whole and makes us anticipate the next installments!
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Created by a World Record Holder
When you open one of The Key game, you will find information about the game’s creator, Thomas Sing. This brilliant game developer is also an economist, mathematician, and detective novel aficionado. But before he became all of these things, when Thomas Sing was just a boy, he was a master at the game of Parcheesi. In fact, he got so skilled at the game that he even made his way into the Guinness World Records Book!
So we hope those 10 cool facts about The Key Series will make you want to turn your family game night into a true crime scene! Just kidding... sort of. Have fun sleuthing and unlocking the mystery of The Key Series!
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