Dead Man's Hand
A compact murder mystery done right
I have been working my way through the Professor Puzzle “mini” box series. I started with Escape from the Museum and recently enjoyed Escape from the Movie Studio. When I picked up Dead Man’s Hand, I expected another standard escape room experience.
Quick Stats
Game: Dead Man’s Hand
Type: Murder Mystery / Deduction
Players: 1-2 (Best count)
Time: 45 to 60 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
I was surprised to find this is the strongest title in the series so far. It moves away from the pure escape room format and delivers a satisfying deduction experience.
The game takes place on a Mississippi riverboat where a high-stakes poker game has ended in murder. The box is packed with thematic components including witness statements, a safe dial and vintage-style banknotes. It also includes a set of realistic playing cards representing the specific hands held by the suspects.
The production quality matches the other titles in this line. The visual design sells the atmosphere well. The game asks you to solve a murder using a variety of evidence. You read witness statements and documents to piece together the timeline. You also solve a few standard escape room style puzzles to unlock new information. The centerpiece of the experience involves using the provided playing cards to work out the final poker hands of the suspects. It is a simple mechanic that works perfectly with the theme.
I particularly appreciated that the game includes a special printed grid to help you match your evidence with the suspects. In many mystery games, you have to draw your own matrix to keep track of the clues. Here, the game gives you the tools you need to organize your thoughts.
Dead Man’s Hand is a reasonably creative package that is best played with one or two people. The puzzles are not very difficult and we used no hints, but the process remained fun throughout. It is a very enjoyable mystery and currently the best Professor Puzzle game I have played.