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My name is Natalia and I started working on this idea after searching for a forensics whodunit game online and finding nothing like what I was hoping for. I wanted something similar to what a real life detectives' experience would be while trying to solve a case. However, after many attempts I came up empty. Oh, there are forensic games out there, but all the ones I found were very linear or they directed the player to the clues by highlighting them when you got close or moused over them. That's fine for some games, but I wanted something that was closer to how real detectives would solve crimes, like pouring over leads, witness statements, crime scene discoveries and more. I wanted to find something that let me piece together the clues by examining the evidence and other aspects of the case. So together with a programmer and help from some friends, with whom I shared my idea, we set out on trying to create a game that people like us would enjoy playing. We are a small group of just a few working on an idea we hope others will love to play. Our goal is to create an immersive, exciting experience in the unique and interesting ways that crimes are solved through actual reasearch and forensic clues. A place where players can test their knowledge of science, police procedures, skill of detective work and crime scene investigation. Who Dun It Box emerged out of our love for forensic science and the clever ways it is used to catch and prosecute criminals. Since February of 2017 we have been trying to work this up into a playable game. I can't, however, take credit for the name. One of our team members thought of it and well... Who Dun It Box was born! |
A Little About the Game Normally the way in which we enjoy a good mystery is through books, movies or even the occasional murder mystery dinners; but nothing gets you involved in cracking the case like 'Who Dun It Box'. Our games will be designed to be as close to the real thing as possible, immersing you right into the middle of the mystery itself AND its outcome... relies on you. You will be using similar or identical systems that current law enforcement uses to solve crimes. These includes many different types of databases like DNA, criminal records, DMV records or phone records. Plus you'll have access to police crime scene videos, business surveillance cameras, body cam footage, autopsy results and photos, audio associated with the crime including 911 calls or other evidence only available to law enforement. Due to time restraints of the whodunit mystery game, turnaround time for results such as DNA along with some other tests will be much faster than you would experience in real time. This is done strictly out of consideration for the games' playability. All other aspects are as close to actual results as possible. Please note that you will need an Internet connection to play. However, you don't need the latest and greatest computer to play. Almost any computer will do. It can be played on tablets and phones, although we don't recommend phones unless you have at least a 6 inch screen. We've tried to build the game as system friendly as possible. We do recommend Firefox as the game play browser though. Fundraising for the Game We will be trying to raise money to pay for licensing in several areas including, but not limited to: the fingerprint, shoe tread and tire tread databases. These are not cheap, but because we want to use as many real world items for evidence as possible, it is essential that we secure these and this is where donations to our crowd funding will really help. The more money we raise the more tools we can add for detectives to utilize. Our game will consist of many of the same elements as any real crime would as mentioned above including witness testimony and clues collected at the crime scene. Game Ratings Please note that due to the graphic nature of the game, we have created a rating system to help make the game suitable for younger players. In order to make the game playable for almost any age range, you can choose from the following game ratings: G (No blood, gore or depicted acts of violence) PG (Some blood, no gore, no acts of depicted violence) PG-13 (Some blood, light gore, light acts of depicted violence) R (For adult audiences with blood, gore, acts of depicted violence and partial nudity) NC-17 (For adult audiences only with blood, gore, acts of depicted violence, rape or sexual assault and nudity) For adult audiences we did not want to take away the realism by watering down some aspects of the case because unfortunately in real life crimes there are no watered down versions. However, not all games may need to be rated more than PG or PG-13 depending on the type of crime. If this is the case nothing above these levels will need to be offered for particular games. None of the people working on this game has been paid as we are working on this strictly in our spare time and out of our love for forensic science. At this point we have all put up our own money and/or talents in its creation. |
After signing up and paying for a game, you will receive information on the launch date for the next game. Currently due to the complexity of the games we are only creating 2 games a year. If the popularity demands more, we may go to 4 times a year. Depending on when you purchase a game, you may receive our last one or have to wait up to 6 months if you want to play the newest game. We try to send out the whodunit game boxes so that everyone playing the game receives it on the same day for the initial release of that particular edition. Once you receive your box you are ready to play. For those of you that would like to start immediately or are not within our mailing areas (outside the US and Canada), you may still play a digital version with items you can print out. This way we ensure that almost anyone anywhere can play. If you are outside the continental US, shipping will be more for such areas as Alaska and Hawaii. With box in hand you may begin by examining any clues that you can find in either there or the supplied digital data. There is no right or wrong way to approach the game. You can study and examine whatever you find and apply those ideas or evidence to the case. It's up to you to decide how you want to proceed and pursue the case. However, you will have limited resources (a budget), so it's important that you choose the right tests and procedures to spend on. If you run out of funds before solving the case you can request more, but this will reduce your score and likely keep you from ranking up. We will not be providing much instruction for the game as we do not want to taint your play. If you need information on how to proceed with a case, we suggest you research it online. The whole idea of this kind of game is for you to test your knowledge of forensics along with your problem solving skills you've obtained. We will tell you that every case is solvable, however making mistakes with key evidence could render your whodunit mystery game unsolvable. So you should take care in how you receive and process evidence, conduct your searches and investigate the crime scenes. Some games will be very difficult as in real life cases where there is only one good clue to solving the case. If you miss it, the case may go unsolved for you. If this happens you can request assistance. It will be offered in the form of hints, clues or more resources (money) if necessary. However, this will reduce your overall score for this particular game making it unlikely you will rank up, since solving the game using zero hints and as little resources as possible gets a player the highest score possible. As you solve games, you will be scored. Scores will get you ranked up from a deputy detective all the way to the rank of detective captain. This status won't come easy so when you talk to others who play the game and discuss your ranks, you'll know who's good at solving their cases. |
If you would like to receive news/updates about the game, please go here. There is no obligation to purchase. We will simply add your address to our mailing list and email you when there is news to report. You can expect to get news on the game's progress, what tools will be included, a launch date and what you should expect of the game. We will also email you about any new games as they come out. You can unsubscribe at any time and we won't contact you again. If you have any questions, comments or need assistance, please contact us . As mentioned above, game information and a release date will be announced as soon as we set a firm date. The only way to currently receive updated information is to sign up with us. As information is released we will share it with those who have signed up with us first. Some inside information about the game will only be released to those that have signed up. Our support contact form will be out soon, but you can register now. It is a verified system. So you'll need to get into the email account you signed up with and verify from there. Just follow the instructions. |