Death by Chef’s Knife is a classic “whodunnit” style mystery wrapped up in a neat little package from University Games. One of the newest mysteries composed by Nina Moog as part of the Murder Mystery Party Case Files series, this particular story is set in a popular New York City eatery: Enzo’s. Lorenzo Ritelli, renowned chef and owner of Enzo’s, has been found dead inside his restaurant’s walk-in! Was it a disgruntled employee? Or perhaps a competitor? What about the food critic or ambitious business partner? With Detective Adrian Diaz out of the office, it is up to the rookies on the force (a.k.a. the players) to sift through all of the evidence and solve the murder.

Everything needed for the game is contained in a well-thought-out case file mimicking those found in actual police investigations. Within the grey folder, players will find 50 pieces of evidence ranging from interviews, newspaper clippings, photographs, various restaurant paraphernalia, and more. These items have been carefully cultivated to set the scene and help keep the story unfolding as players progress through them. It is up to the players to work their way through said items and discern who the killer is. To make this easier, a Suspect Evaluation Form is included to help keep everything organized while combing the evidence for clues. This sheet allows players to name the suspects and keep track of each one’s motive, means, and opportunity. Should players get stuck and need direction, University Games provides “misplaced files” on their website to assist them with hints. Players will check their solutions on the website as well.

While not our first foray into the whodunnit genre of mystery games, Death By Chef’s Knife is our first Murder Mystery Party Case File. With our background in the food industry, we felt this would be a great setting to start with. We were not wrong! In fact, we were impressed by how ironically accurate some of the characters and situations are portrayed. We can absolutely imagine these characters as people we would meet while working in this environment. That being said, there are a few stereotypes and tropes included in the story that do not quite match up with real-world encounters. Though this does not diminish the experience, we feel some of it is a little too cliche for our tastes. After over an hour of play, which included a lot of reading and use of logic, the mystery was solved and we found ourselves ready to try another one; perhaps the Underwood Cellars. These games can be played solo or as a group and are enjoyable regardless of player count. They’re also readily available at big-name retailers as well as local shops. For better or for worse, however, we often see these titles on sale and feel they are a good value if you can find them during those times. Otherwise, we find ourselves gravitating more towards cheaper alternatives in the genre such as the Decktective or 50 Clues series.

All photos for this review were taken and edited by Krista.