Talking TablesMurder Mystery at the Botanic Gardens Game, Puzzles, Clues, Family Games Adults, Dinner Party, Brain Teaser Puzzles Secret Santa, Christmas Ages 16+, 5-13 PlayersThe Forest Stewardship Council

Move over Poirot, there's a new amateur detective in town, heheh! Or rather, detectives, plural, because this is the best kind of game - one where all the players co-operate, rather than compete against each other.And when I say, "all", I mean up to 13 people can play together. How cool is that?! It's perfect for a large family gathering at Christmas, for example.Like every other TT product I own, and have tried, this murder mystery game is top-notch. Not only is it a huge amount of fun to play (don't worry, this is a spoiler-free review!) but the production values and materials are exceptional. As with TT's Escape Room game, I found that it's easiest to designate a technically competent person to sort out the QR codes, or else a lot of time can be wasted on faffing around!By the way, as others have mentioned, if this is to be a dress-up game, then it's best to let everyone look at their character cards in advance of playing, so they can prepare.The more products I try from Talking Tables, the more I become a fan. I actually had no idea that the company has been around for a quarter of a century but now I am familiar with several of their products, I do make a point of looking out for them while out shopping.If you're looking for a fun way to spend a couple of hours, and engage your brain at the same time, then you could do a lot worse than to play Murder at the Botanic Gardens. Highly recommended!

The first impression is that this looks like a very good game to play with a group of friends and/or family, but the rules will take some learning as it’s not for primary school children. The variety and quality of the clues looks good, but I think we’ll try this with a takeaway meal first time so we can concentrate on the game and maybe not so much the food. This will be easier to clear up afterwards because after going over the rules again, I need the wine now. Maybe if you’ve played something like this before it might appear easier to organize.

This is a hard thing to review, short of running a game and taking photographs. But in preparation for a Christmas game, I opened this up.And goodness me, it's got everything you need. There are a lot of evidence documents (it's like a collective puzzle). There are character cards (give these out in advance so people can dress up), clue cards, mystery elements, etc. It's all there. There are even some rather nice videos that are accessed by QR code.What I particularly liked is that it's by a British company, so the setting is correctly detailed and the language is right. Nice. It's a bit annoying playing an American or translated game where Britain is treated like a theme park.The only slight downside is that this is very much a one-time-only game. You could play it again with different people, but it's not really for that. As a fun game for Christmas or another family/friends gathering, it's excellent. And a very good price too.

My friends and I had load of fun playing game.You need at least five players and it takes about 2-3 hours to complete. Its reads as a police files with all the clues you need to catch the killer. It comes with a range of props including name badges challenge cards and accusation cards.Within the pack you find three envelopes 1. set up (I would recommend taking some time with this especially if you're hosting) 2.Round 2 & 3 Clues and 3. the all important Murder reveal envelope.

As a package you might be a little underwhelmed by this game's appearance. However inside the small package you have all the necessary components for a murder mystery evening. You need a minimum of five players and in theory a maximum of thirteen. The larger the number of players, the better as some of the fun is the interactions between the players. Obviously it's a one time game unless you act as a host to a different group of players. You do need to allow a lot of time to complete the game. Alternatively you could serialise it over sessions.I hope you found this review useful.If you have a question, I always try to respond when Amazon forwards them to me

This style of game is getting increasingly popular right now, offering both intelligent gameplay, plus an excuse to dress up for the evening!The game appears like a case file - a slightly larger than A4 folder with all the "documents" inside.It's really a cooperative puzzle rather than a game - you go through the documents searching for clues.One thing we knew from another similar game is to give guests their character cards in advance, so they can dress up in accordance with their character.The game takes about 2-3h to complete. It's a lot of script reading, but good fun.It's pretty much a one-time only game. Some similar games offer multiple endings, but they cost more and to be honest, I'd prefer to play a completely different game, than the same one with a different ending anyway.Oh and this is created by a British company too, so the period setting and use of language is just perfect!Highly recommended.

The Talking Tables Murder Mystery at the Botanic Gardens Game is a fantastic addition to any gathering. The intriguing storyline, challenging puzzles, and clever clues make it perfect for family game nights or dinner parties. With a flexible player count (5-13) and a recommended age of 16+, it’s ideal for mixed groups. The game’s design encourages collaboration and critical thinking, keeping everyone engaged from start to finish. It also makes a thoughtful Secret Santa or Christmas gift. Highly recommended for those who love mystery and brain-teasing fun!

Nicely packaged murder mystery case. We had 6 people and it is basically like a police file that you have to solve the murder using all the information/documents provided. I wont give away the plot but it did take us a good few hours with all of us getting involved and was a fun evening to have with friends.