How it works
From the first box to case closed
A Classified Cases mystery mixes things you can hold with a case portal built for that story. Here's how one unfolds.
A case, week by week
- Day 1
Order
Choose a case for your detective, or send it as a gift. Box 1 is packed and shipped.
- Box 1
Open the case file
Inside: a credential card with a badge number and access code, a letter from the boss, and the first sealed evidence. Your detective signs in, picks a codename, and logs every item by the code on its label.
- Each week
Investigate and report
One clear question per week. They study the evidence, search the portal's records, and file a short report. The portal checks it on the spot and says what to look at again if it isn't quite right.
- Along the way
New deliveries
Accepted reports unlock new records and trigger the next box or envelope. Some weeks are paper-heavy, some are screen-heavy, and some need a tool from the box.
- The finale
Name who did it
With the evidence lined up, your detective makes the final call. Get it right and the case closes, and a reward box ships.
Self-paced, by design
Nothing runs on a timer. A case takes roughly eight to ten weeks at a relaxed pace of a couple of short sessions a week, but your detective can sprint through a weekend or take a month off for a holiday. The next delivery waits for them.
What you'll need
- A computer, tablet or phone with a web browser and internet
- A pencil and something to write on (detectives take notes)
- A shelf or box to keep the evidence together
- For some cases, a grown-up for one or two hands-on steps
The portal, explained
Each case has its own portal at its own web address, printed on the credential card. It works in any modern browser on a computer, tablet or phone; there's nothing to install.
- Sign in with the badge number and access code from the card
- Log evidence by the code on each label to unlock it on screen
- Search records, read interviews, request lab tests and warrants
- File the weekly report and get an instant answer
Where parents fit in
Sign in to your own account to see the parent view for your detective's case: the current week, gentle hints, the full solution, and where each box is. We email you when a box ships and if your detective seems stuck.
Ready to open a case?
Pick the mystery that fits your detective.