So you’ve purchased one of our boxes, you’ve opened it, and you’re thinking to yourself “Now what?”

Here are some helpful tips on how to solve a Deadbolt Mystery Society case: 

1. Compare everything in your box to the contents list for the box you are working (seen below).  If you think you are missing something, contact us at deadboltmysterysociety@gmail.com and we will get it to you asap.  
2. Read everything.  Our boxes are equal parts storytelling, puzzle solving, and good ol’ fashioned detective work.  You never know when a detail, no matter how small, might be important. 
3. Look for things in the box that could feasibly connect to each other.  See a strange symbol on more than one document in your box?  Maybe they are used to suggest that those items fit together in some way.  Our puzzles and the crucial pieces of information needed to solve them often fall into this category.  We try to leave hints about how to solve each puzzle somewhere in the box.  So keep an eye peeled!     
4. Solve all the puzzles!  This may seem like an obvious tip, but far too often we see that players try to finish our boxes without completing all of the puzzles.  The puzzles give crucial information needed to solve the case.  In almost every instance, you will need the information that the solution reveals.  
5. Don’t be afraid to use the hint files.  That’s why we make them.  If you’re stumped on a particular puzzle, take a peek to get pointed in the right direction.   
6. Utilize other members of The Society.  We maintain a hint group on Facebook where others working on the same case as you can help each other and share theories about how to solve the most difficult parts of our boxes.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  
7. Still can’t figure out what to do?  Email us at deadboltmysterysociety@gmail.com.  We’re always happy to help.  
8. Many of our boxes employ the use of QR codes.  The easiest way to read one of these is with a mobile phone.  Some of the latest models of smartphone like iPhones simply require you to open your camera application and point at the code.  If your phone doesn't support this feature, free QR code readers are easily obtained through Google Play Store or through the App Store.   
9. What are the passwords to the locked files?  In many cases the answers to various puzzles within the box will give you the passwords to certain locked files.  Solve the puzzle and then unlock the file.  In other cases, a specific question is asked below the QR code.  The answer will be found through thorough exploration of all the box contents and all the places you are led during your investigation.
10. Can't get the file open for some reason?  Try a different device or close out the app you are using and try again.  We routinely check our files on iOS and Android devices.