档案·玻璃屋

As this is a commercial game, many Chinese reviews exist; you might want to check them out too.

Played at: AK推理社
7 players (3 female, 4 male)

The first of a trilogy, this 2020 case is widely seen as better than its successors《集会·魔女屋》and《漫游·白兔屋》– and just an overall classic. I think it deserves that reputation; even today, it should still satisfy experienced players.

Above all,《档案·玻璃屋》felt well-rounded for a hardcore case. It has a good mix of case-solving and story reconstruction, and spends some (but not too much) time on character depth and thematic concerns. Its twists are surprising without being too ridiculous.

The one area where it lacks balance is in the individual characters; some are clearly more central to the narrative, so players of other characters might feel sidelined.

Still, the case manages to have a good mix of content while remaining cohesive and compact, with a playtime of about 5 hours. I also really enjoyed the endgame. A solid choice for any case-focused group.

Try if you like: Case-solving in general; a mix of murder-solving and story-reconstruction; twists.

Not recommended for: A full group of complete beginners.