The Key: Murder at the Oakdale Club

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Official Rules

The official rules are available here.

Enhanced Rules

We also have some tips that can improve gameplay from the standard rules. Find these in our Tips section!

How many players?

• Playable with 1 to 4
• Best with 2 to 4

What ages can play?

• Playable for ages 9 to Adult
• Best for ages 10 to Adult

There are a few things that make it hard to include young kids in this game. First, it requires quite a bit of reading. Every clue will require reading either on the card or in the case file. Second, the logic and reasoning required to interpret the clues are not trivial. Many kids will be able to handle it by 8 or 9 years old, but younger kids will likely be confused with all the information. And third, this specific version of the Key contains some tricky math clues. The alibi clues in particular can sometimes be difficult for even adults. However, younger kids can be included by teaming up with an older kid or adult to help guide them through the game.

Can different skill levels or ages play together?

Yes and No. Adults will have an advantage over kids in applying the logic required to interpret the clue cards. However, this is somewhat offset by the fact that the first player to find the solution is not automatically the winner. The player that finds the correct solution and uses the least clue points wins the game. So even if a kid cannot process the clues as fast as an adult, they still have a chance at winning as long as they can get through them eventually. Also, there is some amount of luck in the clue cards you draw. Sometimes you will find multiple clues that reveal the exact same information. This can also help compensate for differences in skill level. In the end, it could be more difficult to mix skill levels in this version of The Key because of the advanced math clues. However, those make up a minority of the clues so players could avoid them when playing with only a small disadvantage.

How long does it take to play?

15 - 25 minutes, depending on how lucky players get in the clues they draw

Will we get bored after a few games or does it have good replayability?

This game can be very replayable, but with one caveat. Each game players will choose one of nine variants of the game to solve. These different variants are represented by the colored keys. Solving the case for each of the keys will be a fresh new game. However, the 4-digit code you solve for in the end will always be the same for a specific color of key. For example, the solution for the blue key is always the same 4-digit number. This is the potential downside to the game's replayability. But with 9 different keys, most people will not be able to remember the specific 4-digit number that applies to each key. So as long as players don't remember that number from previous games, the game will be very replayable. There are 190 clue cards to choose from, so even replaying a game with the same color of key will feel like a different game.

Setup/Cleanup

How much work is it?
Low.

Would kids be able to do it on their own?
Yes, any kids that can work through the logic required to play the game should have no problem with the game setup.

Will parents have fun too...

...when playing with the kids?
Yes, as long as the kids can work through the logic in the game.

...without the kids?
Yes, this is really meant to be a game for older kids and adults.

What skills will this game help develop?

Deductive Reasoning
This game contains many elements of classic logic puzzles packaged in a very fun format. Working through these clues is great deductive reasoning practice, especially because some cards will only be useful when combined with elements from other cards.

Observation
Some of the clue cards will contain evidence the players must carefully examine to find the helpful information.

But will my kids actually have fun playing it?

Yes, this game is a lot of fun for those old enough to play.

Tips for Using Clues

Sort Clue Cards
Some clue cards will give you information that can be used immediately, but others will only be useful once you have eliminated certain options. We find it helpful to sort the "used" clue cards from those that still need more information to be helpful. This could be as simple as keeping them in two piles in front you. However, as you will eventually end up with quite a few cards, we've found it easier to place "used" cards out of the way and only keep out the clues that haven't been used yet.

Take Notes
The part of the briefcase screen for marking off options you've eliminated is sorted by day. However, you will often get a clue that ties two elements together (suspect, tool, or location) without knowing which day they go with. If you're just using the normal part of the briefcase screen, you won't then have anything to mark off and can lose track of these important connections. You could keep these clues in the "unused" stack of clues, but we've found it better to just take notes when we have definite links like this. You can do this on the top part of the briefcase screen that shows the large pictures of the three suspects, though it might be simpler for kids on a separate piece of paper. Either way, when you finally connect the elements with the correct day, it is easy to transfer that information to the lower portion of the board without going back through the cards.

Do you have tips we haven't thought of? If you have found other ways to improve gameplay, please share them with us through our Contact page.

If you like this game, we suggest these others

• The Key - Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land
• The Key - Theft in Cliffrock Villa
• Telepathy
• The Initiative
• Brain Freeze

Or check out our full list of Reviews where you can sort by any of these categories

• Our Ratings
• Number of Players
• Playing Time
• Competitive vs Cooperative
• Educational Skills