Advert: This game was gifted for the purposes of review. All opinions are ours.

The Mystery Agency is back with another unsolved case! Let’s dig into the latest mystery: The Robber’s Grave

The Mystery Agency is a UK-based company that makes high quality, ‘escape room’ mystery boxes to play at home, designed by Henry Lewis (a co-creator of the hilarious The Play That Goes Wrong).

Note: This is a spoiler-light review. We discuss the story set-up, some gameplay aspects, and share photos of the components, but we don’t reveal any specific puzzles or solutions.

Key stats

1 to 6 players | 90 minutes | 14+ years

Publisher: The Mystery Agency
Designer: Henry Lewis
Graphic Design: Rebecca Pitt

Theme/category: Mystery, Escape-room, Puzzles
Key mechanics: Deduction

Story and gameplay overview

Many years ago, a Victorian thief stole a ton of gold from the Bank of England’s vaults. Caught and sentenced to death, she collaborated with her jailor to aid her escape in exchange for a share of the gold, which was buried in a cemetery plot within Highgrove Cemetery. Unfortunately, the plan went awry: the thief was killed and the conspiring jailor captured before they could grab the gold and run.

Is the gold real or myth? Is it still buried somewhere in the cemetery over a hundred years later? It’s your job to uncover the truth behind this century-old mystery.

When you open the game box you’re presented with a newspaper clipping, an old death certificate, a cemetery map, a ghost hunting leaflet, morbid business cards, mysterious keys and 2 photos of the deceased criminals. There’s also instructions to access The Mystery Agency website with a code, taking you to your detective desk – it’s here that you’ll find your first clue (a letter from the Mystery Agency, which is also handily printed on the back of the physical instructions) and a folder full of hints.

Without spoiling too much, there are some online elements and you need to enter the final solution on the Mystery Agency website, so you’ll need internet access to play. Solve the mystery, and you’ll be presented with a certificate as a job well done.

Tip: Play spooky cemetery ambience while you play to perfect the vibes! (There’s lots of options on YouTube!)

Our thoughts

What a brilliant evening well spent! Matt and I had a lot of fun solving this mystery, which we completed in around 68 minutes, using 1 hint. This is a bit shorter than the suggested time on the box, but we are seasoned at-home ‘mystery game’ players (and used that hint!) so I think up to 90 minutes is pretty accurate.

In previous games we’ve played from the Mystery Agency, we were presented with a news article and something locked – like an evidence packet or leather folder – that you need to crack first to get the rest of the physical components. For The Robber’s Grave, you are given all the physical components as soon as you open the box, but it still follows that familiar pattern with the newspaper as the starting point.

And from there is a wonderfully constructed, logical mystery, with mini-puzzles for you to solve through piecing together and deducing information in such a satisfying way. Whilst there is that initial steer at the start, we would describe it as non-linear because you’re given a lot of the information at once. And you aren’t spoonfed how to solve the puzzles either (i.e. which components you need to use and how to use them); some methods are more obvious, some are more sneaky. And if you ever need a helping hand the hints are there for you.

This is the first ‘affordable’ game in the Mystery Agency range. As affordability is subjective, what I mean is that previous Mystery Agency games RRP at £45-50, whereas The Robber’s Grave RRPs at £19.99, aligning it more with the at-home escape games like the EXIT series. While this inevitably means that The Robber’s Grave does not include as many ‘premium’ components as the previous games (see our Vanishing Gambler review if you want examples), it still retains the excellent game design and production that we’ve come to expect from Henry Lewis and his team. The components still feel and look well made and draw you into the story.

It is also resettable, meaning you can pass it on for someone else to enjoy. Just make sure you don’t mark anything – the game doesn’t actually tell you to, but there were a couple of instances where people might choose to for convenience.

We genuinely can’t think of anything negative about our experience with The Robber’s Grave. The only considerations to flag are ones that generally apply to the mystery game genre. Firstly, you need internet access to play which I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (doesn’t bother us). Secondly, it’s really a 1-2 player game regardless of what the box says – perfect for a solo or date night in.

What we like

• It’s a well constructed mystery with a great story and logical flow.

• The puzzles are fun and require you to piece info together yourself – and it’s super satisfying when you do.

• Beautifully designed components and digital elements, the quality feels excellent for the price point.

• It’s less expensive than other games in the series without losing the heart, so it’s an excellent one to start with to see if you vibe with these games.

• Re-settable.

Considerations

• We know some people prefer their games without digital/app involvement, so it’s something to note.

• As with every escape-at-home/mystery game we’ve ever played, the ideal player count is 1 to 2 players.

Verdict

We enjoyed every minute of The Robber’s Grave and cannot recommend it enough! The game is true to Henry Lewis’ signature style: quality design with a strong narrative focus and puzzles that tie-in nicely to the mystery at hand. If you haven’t experienced a Mystery Agency box before, this is a more affordable entry point to the series that doesn’t sacrifice the fun. It’s a great jumping off point to see if you like them (and we know you will!).