What is Murdle: Investigating the Popular (?) Mystery Puzzle Game

Updated Nov. 30, 2023

Okay, in all honesty, I don’t know how popular Murdle puzzles truly are. However, it’s one of those things I keep seeing, so I’m guessing it’s fairly popular. Since I love fun and games, FOMO finally got the best of me. I decided to check it out and see what all the fuss was about.

Contrary to my usual investigative MO, rather than starting with Google, I started with Amazon. I had seen a Murdel: Volume 1 book for sale elsewhere but couldn’t purchase it then. But I noted to look into it later when time permitted, which it recently did.

Here are the clues that led me to believe Murdle is pretty popular. But is it worth all the hype?

The Murdle Sensation

The cover declares: “Now in print the puzzle sensation from Murdle.com.”

“Sensation” is an interesting word. That implies a passionate following, which was the sense I had already gotten even before looking into the game. But another clue about its popularity awaited at Amazon, this time in the form of its ratings. The book was released on June 13, 2023. It already has 4.7 out of 5 stars from 647 ratings. Not too shabby.

As part of my Cyber Monday shopping, I broke down and ordered a copy. But then I discovered the free online version that the book mentioned, and part of me regretted making the impulse buy. Sort of. I’m curious to see if I do any better with the puzzles in the book.

Playing Murdle Online

If you haven’t already discovered Murdle yourself, the online game is very interactive. Sort of like Wordle, a new game is released every day. I liken it to a marriage between Clue and Solitaire because you play alone and use “suspects,” “weapons,” and “locations” clues to deduce whodunit with what where.

For visual folks like myself, there’s a handy grid to check the clues off so you can better figure out who did it with what in which location.

I’ve done similar puzzles before but with a little more information. There are hints for the Murdle games, but I haven’t found them very helpful. I’ve only gotten one puzzle right so far. (And even that was less from deduction and more from lucky guessing.)

But it’s a lot of (aggravating) fun so far. I find myself looking to solve the next puzzle each morning, so I can attest that Murdle truly is addictive.

Update

Well, ding dong me realized while playing Murdle this morning that clicking on each suspect, weapon, and location card reveals more details and clues. That made solving today’s mini-mystery a bit easier. I still didn’t deduce it correctly, but I got two out of three.

Mostly, I was just happy to realize there was more information to be had because how anyone could solve off the scant bit provided otherwise boggled my mind. Hope my mistake helps anyone else who may not have realized the cards yield more info too.

For More Info

To play Murdle, visit https://murdle.com.

Check-In

Are you good at deduction games like Clue? (And now Murdle.)

Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.

Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.