Dark Cases: Feuerfest

Dark Cases: Feuerfest is a cooperative mystery deduction game for 1 to 6 players set in the fictional German town of Hagenkirchen. The narrative begins with a town in crisis: the mayor has been missing for 48 hours, a forest barn has burned to the ground, and an unidentified body with severe burns has been discovered among the ruins. Amidst the town's annual Midsummer bonfire celebrations, players take on the role of an expert investigative team called in to assist the local police in solving these interconnected mysteries. The primary goal of the game is to solve the crime by correctly identifying the perpetrator and reconstructing the events leading to the fire and disappearance. To achieve this, players must answer four specific final questions through a digital evaluation system, which then provides a concluding audio summary of the findings. Gameplay is immersive and non-linear, utilizing a hybrid of physical and digital components. Players examine roughly 15 to 20 realistic "analog" documents, including autopsy reports, crime scene photos, witness statements, newspaper clippings, and local maps. These clues are supplemented by digital research, requiring players to use an internet-enabled device to access emails, social media articles, and audio files. Unlike many escape-room-style games, Feuerfest focuses on deduction and combining information rather than linear logic puzzles, and no materials are destroyed during play, making the game fully reusable.

Players: 1–6 best 6
Playing time: 90–150 min
Age: 14+