Murder on the Moon (The Detective Society) // Review

Murder on the Moon is an escape game adventure from The Detective Society. Tasked with investigating a murder that has taken place on a moon base, you must solve puzzles, piece together evidence and unmask a killer. Be sure not to delay as the consequences could be catastrophic!

Players: 1-4 // Age: 12+ // Playtime: 3-5 hours

What you need: A pencil and paper. An internet-connected device.

First impressions

Please Note: Before I get into my thoughts on Murder on the Moon, I wanted to mention its prequel game. While Countdown to Chaos can be enjoyed as a standalone experience, I recommend playing it before Murder on the Moon for the optimum experience.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Murder on the Moon since it was first announced in 2023. I’m a huge fan of The Detective Society and have made no secret that The Disappearance of Claire Makova was my first real introduction to the tabletop escape game space. I was excited to get the opportunity to support the production of this game as part of a Kickstarter campaign in 2023, which raised over £50,000 (five times its target). The finished product shipped to backers at the end of last year and I’ve finally managed to play it.

This time, the team has opted for a more streamlined version of the long-form cases they are known for. While their six-episode games are superbly crafted narrative mysteries, the premium price point makes them a bit of a gamble for some first-time players. Murder on the Moon is still a premium product, but it is about half the price of the six-episode games. It therefore acts as a more affordable gateway into the Detective Society universe. They’ve promised that although there are fewer episodes, players will still get a rich experience that is no less ambitious. Time to find out if they’ve delivered…

Story

“While establishing humankind’s first permanent moon base, an astronaut is murdered. One of their fellow crew-members MUST be the killer, but it’s up to you to uncover who is responsible for committing the Murder On The Moon.”

Presentation

The box for Murder on the Moon is beautifully designed, suitably mysterious and would definitely hold its own in the game section of any store. It manages to convey the space theme and a sense of foreboding while giving away absolutely nothing about the plot. It also feels like the most polished and retail-friendly of the Detective Society releases. I’m hoping this means it will make its way into some physical stores.

In the box

You’ll start the game with a ‘Lunovos Schools Activity Pack’ that features a booklet introducing the crew and presenting some relevant facts about life in space. Some of the physical components feel a bit more ‘board gamey’ than those included in previous Detective Society outings. A card game board folds out into a detailed map of the Moon’s surface. This is cleverly used as a basis for constructing a replica of the Moon Base that can be used in your investigation. Pop-out pieces slot together to form 3D domes that fit into the board and there are crew ‘tokens’ to help keep track of their movements. These were all well-made, sturdy and themed perfectly around the ‘activity pack’ idea with a cartoony style. Piecing together the Moon Base is a really fun mechanic and the board is used to great effect in multiple puzzles.

Other components in the box are predominantly paper-based, including booklets, documents and schematics. Bear in mind that once you’ve opened an envelope, its contents may be used at any point in the game. So remember not to pack them all away and forget about them once you are done with a case.

Online content

There is plenty of online content, so I would recommend using a laptop or tablet, if possible. You can use your phone for solo play, but it isn’t as easy for everyone to see if you are playing as a group. Throughout the game, you will visit various websites which are designed to look ‘real’ and increase the level of immersion. You’ll also use a web-based chat application to communicate with one of the main characters; more on that later.

Each case begins with an online mission briefing. I would personally have preferred that these included videos of the actors instead of just audio. Seeing facial expressions would have made these sections more engaging and allowed for a more impactful connection with the characters. That being said, the audio quality in general was good. I particularly enjoyed the voice acting from ‘Johan Wolfe’ but found Commander Rosalie’s tone too light and mildly patronising. The YouTube-hosted content was also a tad jarring, as the briefings should be ‘secure’ in the context of the game. These are generally niggly observations that don’t ruin the overall enjoyment but could maybe be refined in future.

Gameplay

Getting started

The game comprises three cases. These are contained within separate envelopes for you to work through in numerical order. Each contains a letter that sets the scene and outlines your objectives for that case. There is also a link to an online mission briefing that provides further context. Splitting the game into different distinct parts makes it really easy to break up gameplay across multiple gaming sessions. I completed each case on a separate evening, although they can be played in one longer sitting.

It is worth highlighting that this game has no rules to learn or complicated instructions. To get started, you just open the ‘Case 1’ envelope and dive right in. It’s always clear what your current objective is, thanks to helpful guidance from Commander Rosalie Hardy. You’ll communicate with her via an online chat application and it’s her job to assist you and guide you through the investigation. If you need help at any point, you simply need to ask in the chat and she will give you a hint.

Throughout the three episodes, you’ll find yourself engaged in a whole range of varied tasks. You’ll assemble a Moon base, scour through evidence and ultimately race against the clock as the game reaches its dramatic climax. You can certainly expect some twists and turns along the way!

Puzzles

In your hunt for the ‘Murderer on the Moon’, you’ll have to solve puzzles to eliminate crew members from the suspect list. These include utilising your detective skills through DNA analysis, suspect interrogation and code name deciphering. The puzzles are woven through the story cleverly, rarely breaking the illusion of ‘reality’ within the game and offering a variety of unique challenges.

Aside from those requiring the physical components in the box, there are some great online puzzles. The company is well-known for its innovative bespoke-coded terminals and control panels, which form a significant part of some of the puzzles. These are fun and interactive, with one in particular being rather stress-inducing. I will say that although we enjoyed the online puzzles, some did feel rather familiar (having played previous Detective Society games).

The physical Moon map serves as a base for several puzzles in the game, the first involving having to correctly orient the domes based on snippets of information. Helpfully, if you decide to pack the game away after you’ve completed the first episode you’ll gain access to a diagram that shows you how to correctly reassemble it. It is a small touch, but shows that the player experience has really been considered.

While we loved a lot of the puzzles, we were completely perplexed by one in particular. It required a piece of rather esoteric knowledge to solve it that neither of us had. I feel that it would have been hard to work this out even with extensive Google use. It was more frustrating because we had to use hints to get the answer and were left thinking, “How on earth would we have known that?”. Luckily, this was the only puzzle we came across with this issue.

Hints & Difficulty

Overall I’d say the difficulty level was fairly standard, with some slightly more challenging puzzles in places. I found that the difficulty increased as I progressed through the envelopes. As mentioned above, one puzzle completely stumped us so don’t be alarmed if you find one of them particularly hard.

Help is available if needed. To access hints, simply type ‘help’ into your chat with Commander Rosalie Hardy and she will write back with some helpful information.

Verdict

About The Detective Society