Andy Hobbs and Luke Stephenson of LA Brands have expanded their investigation portfolio with the release of Cryptic Killers: Peaky Blinders.
This tabletop mystery game, set in the soot-stained streets of 1920s Birmingham, tasks players with clearing the name of the infamous Tommy Shelby following the suspicious death of jockey Clifford Brown.
The release, priced at £23.00, marks a high-difficulty entry for the Cryptic Killers series, boasting a four-out-of-five complexity rating. Players must navigate a narrative web involving 35 pieces of physical evidence, ranging from police reports and maps to interactive phone calls from members of the Shelby family, in an experience designed to last approximately three hours.
While the game is being marketed by the retailer Menkind as a “Highstreet Exclusive,” the label appears to be more of a marketing flourish than a literal restriction. The title is already available through Amazon, softly dismantling the “exclusive” illusion often employed to drive footfall in British retail. However, for those looking to support a specialised (if not strictly independent) gift retailer, the price remains consistent at £23.00 across both platforms.
The geographic roots of the project are firmly planted in the Home Counties. LA Brands, the firm behind the series, operates out of Wokingham, Berkshire – a town currently seeing a surge in tabletop interest. Meanwhile, their primary retail partner Menkind is headquartered in Dorking, Surrey, a town currently navigating its own logistical upheavals with the multi-million-pound refurbishment of the Dorking Halls.
Mechanically, the game leans heavily into the “cold case” tactile trend that has revitalised mystery roleplaying games in recent years. By removing the need for digital apps in favour of physical evidence, save for the optional interactive calls, the game seeks to provide a grounded, 1920s-appropriate atmosphere. Players must determine which of the provided documents are red herrings and which lead to the real killer of Clifford Brown, all while the Peaky Blinders are under intense pressure from rival gangs and local officials.
The box itself measures approximately 38.6cm by 27.5cm, housing the evidence dossiers required for a group mystery night. Despite the high-stakes theme, the lack of official Virtual Tabletop support suggests the developers are prioritising the “theatre of the mind” and physical presence over the digital-hybrid play styles that have become prevalent in post-lockdown gaming circles.
