The Not-Very-Easy Murder Mystery of Awkward Guests

Take a tiny step up in difficulty with this session of an Awkward Guests very easy case that was anything but simple.
My deductive skills are mediocre at the best of times and laughable in most instances. Still, I love a good murder mystery and wanted to return to Awkward Guests. After finally solving a beginner case, I moved up the difficulty scale… To the whopping “very easy” category. I was certain it was going to be a tricky sort of case. The game was afoot!
Game Overview
Game Name: Awkward Guests
Publication Year: 2016
Designer: Ron Gonzalo García
Artists: Samuel Gonzalo García and Laura Medina Solera
Solo Mode: Included with an App
The goal is to gather clues, piece together evidence, and figure out which of the guests committed the murder.
First Play
September 22, 2019
Complexity
2
Latest Play
October 29, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
8
Play Time
30 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
28" x 16"
Low Score
N/A
The Tricky Evidence
Oh dear, Mr. Walton! The case is always the same, though the variables change with every play. Someone is responsible for this crime. But who?
With about 240 clue cards, it might seem like everything will be seen early on. Yet every case features a unique set of these cards, and it’s the combination that matters.
I haven’t played enough to pay enough attention to how many clue cards are used, but I saw 32 unique cards today.
The best part is the tricky nature of finding information hidden between the cards. Definitely not an easy case!
Suspecting Everyone and Trusting No One
There is an accomplice mechanic that comes into play with some of the higher difficulty levels. In this instance, lies are thrown about and absolutely no one can be trusted. Even at the easier difficulty levels, nearly everyone is a suspect.
In particular, the murderer will lie about his or her whereabouts. The helpful staff usually breaks through this thin veneer, of course! At least the butler definitely didn’t do it this time. That’s a rarity in a murder mystery. Ha ha!
However, the clues aren’t all straightforward. Sometimes it comes down to taking the truthful information and making conclusions. If a suspect insists she was in a room that the staff labeled as empty, that lady seems mighty suspicious! The same goes for weapons and motives: Never does a clue card state something like, “It was the rope.”
Defeated by Bad Luck
I followed a few potential leads but knew who did it somewhat early on. What a liar! The trouble was that I had 2 potential weapons and couldn’t narrow it down.
All of the 60 points allocated to me were used up, and then it was time for a solution. One guess as to what transpired!
It was just the weapon I had off, and it was the other one. Such a close ending! My bad detective skills live on.
Session Overview
Play Number: 5
Solo Mode: Included with an App
Play Details: Very Easy Difficulty Level
Required Play Space: 26″ x 12″
Setup Time: 5 Minutes
Play Time: 25 Minutes
Outcome: Loss
Perhaps I would have fared better if I used my magnifying glass! It serves no gameplay purpose, but it’s pretty. Ha! So I shall just have to push forward and figure out a more efficient way to gather clues. I’ll get there… Maybe!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
4
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
2
Victory Conditions
Solve the Case
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game at the beginner difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the very easy difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
How are your deduction skills? What do you think of the Awkward Guests system? I always hesitate to play any solo games that are app-driven, yet this is still one of my rare exceptions. It doesn’t bring a lot of digital elements to the table, which cuts down on the distractions. Although who am I kidding? I’m just a horrendous detective. Ha ha!
You know who’d be good at remembering clues and not being noticed by the guests? A stealthy elephant…
The app thing is the main problem for me. I like the way this game works (I’ve played it multi-player on someone else’s copy), but I like to think of a boardgame as a thing that’ll still be playable out of the box in ten or twenty years’ time.
Oh, I do believe a Stealthy Elephant will be sneaking into this mansion at some point! I need all the help I can get. Ha!
I definitely see your perspective about the app. My guess is that I’ll kind of be finished with the content by the time there are any issues with the technology. Or, perhaps there will be an offline solo mode developed at some point… Though I doubt it. Still, this reason is why I typically steer clear of app-driven games.
Come to think of it, I think this is the only one in my collection… Not counting any of the optional apps that help track certain elements for other games, of course. But I see those as an alternative to manual tracking, which is still always possible.