Case № HUMAN-01Valley of the Kings, Egypt, 1920s
The Curse of Humanrah
A cursed dig in the Valley of the Kings. One archaeologist dead, another vanished, and a funerary text nobody should have opened.
The case
The Curse of Humanrah
The Valley of the Kings, 1920s. A British-funded expedition has opened a tomb that wasn't supposed to be there, and the team is coming apart. The case file contains the dig diaries, the cipher fragments, the correspondence, and a funerary inscription that seems to be answering questions put to it. Step up in difficulty from An Inheritance of Murder — knock codes, Vigenère, occasional folding. Players work out who was "cursed" and who had rather more earthly motives.
Two archaeologists. One funder. A tomb nobody should have opened. The case file you receive is the expedition’s daily paperwork, pulled together after one of them died and another disappeared.
Work the ciphers. Read the telegrams. Decide who had access, who had motive, and whether the curse was really a curse.
Step up from Inheritance
Humanrah is the natural next step after An Inheritance of Murder. Knock codes, Vigenère, occasional folding — all techniques taught inside the box, none of which require any prior experience.
The envelope contents
What's in the box
We do our best to theme the contents to the story. This means the box will include interesting objects like hieroglyph plates, pressed flora and other memorabilia. Most of the narrative part of the story is contained in different paper documents which include expedition diaries, cipher fragments, telegrams and more.
- № 01
Expedition diary
Hand-written entries from two lead archaeologists across a single fateful season.
- № 02
Tomb rubbings and hieroglyph plates
Careful reproductions of wall inscriptions taken before the chamber was disturbed.
- № 03
Cipher fragments
Knock-code and Vigenère material the team used to keep notes private.
- № 04
Telegrams from London
Short cables between the British Museum, the dig site and a nervous funder.
- № 05
Personal effects
A photograph, a pressed flower, a broken amulet.
Audience & difficulty
Challenging but solveable.
1920s
A step up from An Inheritance of Murder. Set in the Valley of the Kings in the 1920s, this case introduces you to knock codes, a little Vigenère, and a touch of folding. All techniques are taught inside the box — no prior experience required, but a pencil and patience are rewarded.
Ciphers you'll meet
- Knock code
- Vigenère
- Letter substitution
- Folded-paper puzzles
From the case
A closer look
Letters of praise
What detectives are saying
“Atmosphere for days. The story pulls you in within the first two envelopes and the puzzles escalate beautifully. One of the best physical-game evenings we've had.”
“My group is used to escape rooms and this still surprised us. The physical props aren't just dressing — they carry real clues you have to handle.”
“Properly difficult without being unfair. Stepped away twice to let ideas settle, came back and both times there was a clue we'd walked past three times. Loved it.”
Ready?Case № HUMAN-01
Post me a killing.
Other cases
More on the shelf
Case № INHER-01Cosy
Yorkshire, October 1927
An Inheritance of Murder
British India, 1930s. A fishing-fleet romance, an inheritance that shouldn't exist, and a burnt journal rescued from the fire.
Case № MARL-01Devilish
Whitechapel, London, autumn 1888
Murder at Marlborough House
Victorian Whitechapel, 1888. Not the one you're thinking of — but the same streets, the same fog, the same kind of quiet cruelty.
Case № SITEQ-01Classic
Mexico, 1953 · reopened 1973
The Secret of Site Q
An archaeological expedition. A member missing. A black market awakening twenty years too late.
Before you buy
Common questions
I'm new to Cosykiller — where should I start?
Start with An Inheritance of Murder. It's our gentlest case, built for puzzle-minded beginners — Braille, letter-to-symbol substitutions and one-time cipher pads. The Curse of Humanrah is the next step up with knock codes, Vigenère and occasional folding. The Secret of Site Q sits in the middle — challenging but solvable. The Legend of Ching Shih and Murder at Marlborough House are our advanced cases — do them once you've worked one of the others.
How old do you need to be to play?
Cosykiller is written mainly for adults, but families can participate together. A note of caution: Murder at Marlborough House is set in 1888 Whitechapel and contains graphic descriptions and period drug references — 18+ for that one.
What's inside a Cosykiller box?
It varies by case, but every box contains a cover letter from Fairhall & Brett Inheritance Recovery — the fictional investigators who brief you on the case — followed by the documents, photographs, ciphers, maps and personal effects collected during the investigation. Some cases include dried botanicals, spices, telegrams, theatre programmes and small physical objects. Each case is a complete story in a single box, with the final solution sealed inside. Nothing to download or sign into.
How long does it take to solve a case?
Between six and eleven hours, depending on the case, the number of players, and how much you like to re-read. Most people spread a case over two or three evenings. You can pause whenever you like — put the lid back on, come back next weekend. Nothing expires.
Can I play solo, or do I need a group?
Both work well. Every case is designed to be solvable on your own — no mechanic depends on a second reader. That said, two to four players is where a case shines, because half the fun is arguing civilly about motive over a drink.
I'm stuck on a code — what do I do?
Each case comes with three sealed hint envelopes — open them in order when you get stuck. There's also an online community where other detectives swap ideas (link included with your order). If you'd rather not break a seal, email <a href="mailto:supersleuth@cosykiller.com">supersleuth@cosykiller.com</a> with your case number and the document you're stuck on and we'll help without spoiling.