Dead Therapist: how does it work and who is it for?
A case to reconstruct, documents to read, and a therapist to avenge. Here is what to expect before you begin.
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.
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 60–90 minutes, and works solo, as a couple, or with up to six players. You can try the first pages for free before deciding.