Dead Therapist: how does it work and who is it for?

Dead Therapist is an investigation game from Exploding Kittens and The Oatmeal. The premise is immediate: your new therapist has been murdered, and you have to work out who is responsible. This is not a game about speed or luck. The experience is built around reading the materials, connecting clues, and forming a coherent explanation of the crime.

How you play

You open the case, read the initial information, and begin examining the documents. Each element can add a detail to the story: a statement, a report, a message, or a contradiction. You can take notes, arrange the events, and compare your theories with the other players.

The solution does not come from following one fixed path as you would in an escape room. The pleasure comes from deciding which information really matters and seeing how the pieces fit. Sometimes a small detail changes the meaning of everything you read before it.

How many players do you need?

Dead Therapist can work solo or with a group. On your own, you control the pace and can stop to reread every document. With other people, the case becomes an ongoing discussion: one person spots an inconsistency, another reconstructs the timeline, and a third tests the strongest theory.

Is it difficult?

The difficulty depends less on memory than on attention. You do not need to solve mathematical puzzles or have experience with mystery games. What matters is separating facts from assumptions, checking dates, and not ignoring odd details. In a group, thinking aloud helps keep a good idea from staying inside just one person’s head.

How long it takes and what it feels like

It is the kind of game you can make the centre of an evening, perhaps with a simple dinner before or after. Costumes are not required, and you do not have to perform a character. The atmosphere comes from the materials and the tone of the story, while the table gradually becomes a small crime scene.

Who we recommend it to

• People who enjoy mysteries with a story to reconstruct.
• People who prefer reading clues and discussing them rather than acting.
• People looking for something more immersive than a standard card game.
• People who are comfortable with a narrative case being mainly a one-time experience.

After Dead Therapist: what to look for next

If you liked the ironic tone and physical materials, you can stay with boxed narratives or move to PDFs with a different voice, perhaps historical or more restrained. If you mainly liked the reasoning, a collaborative dossier gives the same logical satisfaction with fewer components to open. Do not hunt for a perfect clone-hunt for the same kind of evening-table, discussion, shared solution-with the time and players you actually have.

Building a timeline on the table

Before you accuse anyone, order what you know for certain: times, places, who was present, and when a document was written. Use a blank sheet with columns for confirmed facts and theories still to test. On a mystery night the temptation is to jump to the answer when one strong clue appears; a timeline slows you down and forces you to explain how two events can coexist. Mark contradictions with a circle rather than erasing them-they are often the key to the case. As a couple, one reads while the other writes; in a group, assign someone to update the sheet every ten minutes so nobody loses the thread.

Separating facts, interpretations, and guesses

During discussion it is easy to mix what a statement literally says with what probably happened. Set a simple rule: every claim must point to a document or be labelled as a theory. That habit makes the evening fairer, because quieter players can ask where an idea comes from. In printable mysteries and collaborative dossiers, quality of reasoning matters more than speed. If someone pushes a theory without evidence, ask gently which clue supports it; often the talk opens on a detail everyone read but nobody connected.

Keeping pace without a host

When nobody runs the game, the group should agree on small rules at the start: reading order, break length, and when to open hints. Read the brief together and decide whether to tackle the case in phases or skim all documents before debating. Both methods work; what ruins the night is switching approach halfway without telling anyone. If one voice dominates, rotate who summarises theories every fifteen minutes. If the group stalls, use an official hint instead of searching online-the dossier is designed to unblock you without spoiling everything.

Handling clashes between theories

It is normal for two people to name different suspects at once. Treat theories as drafts to test, not personal identities. When a new document appears, ask whether it confirms, weakens, or leaves each hypothesis unchanged. In collaborative formats there are no secret teams-the goal is a shared explanation. If talk gets heated, take a five-minute break and return to the timeline sheet. Often the dispute is not who is right but one time interpreted two ways.

Common mistakes to avoid

The first mistake is naming the culprit before you have read every material available in that phase. The second is writing on the first printed page and making the dossier hard to pass on. The third is using your phone to check something when the game asks you not to spoil yourself online. The fourth is turning the evening into an individual competition-in collaborative cases the group explanation wins. Finally, do not underestimate fatigue: after ninety minutes reading drops; a break and water beat forcing the answer.

When to use hints

Hints are not failure-they are part of the design. Use them when you have been stuck on the same question for at least ten minutes, not at the first doubt. Read one hint at a time and return to the documents before opening another. In well-written dossiers each hint shifts attention to a detail already there, without naming the culprit. As a couple, avoid buying too many hints out of pride-a smooth evening beats an imaginary score.

Frequently asked questions

• Do you need experience? No, but careful reading and notes help.
• Can you play solo? Many dossiers yes, but discussion enriches the case.
• How long is setup? Usually ten to fifteen minutes to print and sort.
• Dinner or not? Better before or on a break, not while reading statements.
• What if we are wrong? Read the solution and trace the path-that is part of the game.

Dinner and investigation: how to combine them

If you want dinner and play on the same night, separate the two moments clearly. An elaborate meal during document reading ends with sauce on statements and broken conversation. Choose a simple menu served before the brief, or a halfway break with dishes already plated. Full glasses next to prints are a hazard-move drinks and candles away from the paper zone. Atmosphere can stay warm without making every course a theatre scene, unless you deliberately chose a role-based party kit.

Printing, order, and storage

Print in black and white if colour is not essential; use duplex only if readability stays high. Sort by phase or document type and keep the solution in a separate drawer until the end. If you may replay with other friends, do not write on original sheets-use sticky notes or a notebook. Check the PDF is set to A4 if you print in Europe; tight margins can crop crucial dates and names. A local print shop costs little and saves time with larger groups.

Rereading with a method

A second read of a statement costs minutes and often changes everything. When you feel stuck, return to the document that seemed clear and hunt adjectives, numbers, and proper names you skimmed. In well-written cases useful details are not hidden in fine print-they sit in the sentence you read too fast. Mark pages to revisit with a star instead of scattering them. In a group, ask each person which line convinced them of a suspect-comparing reasons reveals different biases.

Closing the evening after the solution

When you open the solution, read it fully before debating who was almost right. Many groups jump to the last page and miss the logical thread. Review which clues were decisive and which were noise-that is the best way to judge whether the case was fair. If you will replay with other friends, set sheets aside without folding maps or tables. A short thank-you to first-time guests helps you plan the next night with less stress.

Keeping pace without a host

When nobody runs the game, the group should agree on small rules at the start: reading order, break length, and when to open hints. Read the brief together and decide whether to tackle the case in phases or skim all documents before debating. Both methods work; what ruins the night is switching approach halfway without telling anyone. If one voice dominates, rotate who summarises theories every fifteen minutes. If the group stalls, use an official hint instead of searching online-the dossier is designed to unblock you without spoiling everything.

Handling clashes between theories

It is normal for two people to name different suspects at once. Treat theories as drafts to test, not personal identities. When a new document appears, ask whether it confirms, weakens, or leaves each hypothesis unchanged. In collaborative formats there are no secret teams-the goal is a shared explanation. If talk gets heated, take a five-minute break and return to the timeline sheet. Often the dispute is not who is right but one time interpreted two ways.

Rereading with a method

A second read of a statement costs minutes and often changes everything. When you feel stuck, return to the document that seemed clear and hunt adjectives, numbers, and proper names you skimmed. In well-written cases useful details are not hidden in fine print-they sit in the sentence you read too fast. Mark pages to revisit with a star instead of scattering them. In a group, ask each person which line convinced them of a suspect-comparing reasons reveals different biases.

Closing the evening after the solution

When you open the solution, read it fully before debating who was almost right. Many groups jump to the last page and miss the logical thread. Review which clues were decisive and which were noise-that is the best way to judge whether the case was fair. If you will replay with other friends, set sheets aside without folding maps or tables. A short thank-you to first-time guests helps you plan the next night with less stress.

If you want to try a printable case

If you like the idea but want to start without waiting for a box, Theft at Venier Palace offers the same pleasure of connecting documents and clues in a PDF format. The case is set in Venice in 1774, takes about 90-120 minutes, and works solo, as a couple, or with up to six players. The complete PDF arrives by email right away.