The following is an interview with writer, actor, and mystery aficionado G. T. Karber who created the murder-mystery puzzle game that’s become a genuine international sensation: Murdle. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Karber about his experience in seeing the meteoric success of the game, the new board games and puzzle books available for purchase this holiday season, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the incredible success of Murdle this past year! What can you share with us about your experience in seeing it transition across a variety of mediums for fans of all ages to enjoy?
G. T. Karber: It’s been wild to go from making a puzzle on a napkin for a friend of mine to pitching a television show in less than two years. I have just tried to always stay focused on giving people the joy of solving a mystery – I think that helps to transcend any individual medium!
BD: Last month, Murdle expanded into board games and new puzzle books. What are you most excited for readers and gaming fans to experience with these new releases?
GTK: Goliath/Pressman (the makers of the board game) wanted to make something that appealed to a broad audience, rather than just board game obsessives, and that’s the story behind The Case of the Cover-Up. We want families to be able to play this together and not have to spend your entire night explaining the rules.
Murdle: The School of Mystery is sort of a luxury experience. The exhibits are more interactive, the puzzles are more interconnected, and the story is more at the forefront. Truly, this is the book for the Murdle fans, and I hope that everybody who likes Murdle picks it up.
Murdle Jr: Curious Crimes for Curious Minds is for the junior detectives, who love Murdle, but maybe aren’t ready for the hardest puzzles in the adult books yet. It’s a little wilder, a little weirder, and a little bit more exciting than the books for adults.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Murdle’s mysteries connect with readers and players?
GTK: Murdle teaches people that they have what it takes to be a great detective. It gives them some sense that the world – confusing and chaotic as it is – can have an order behind it. I’m also deeply grateful to people who have expressed their appreciation about featuring non-binary characters (and of course the relationship that develops at the core of the book, but it would be a spoiler to tell you any more of that).
BD: Given your previous experience in staging murder mysteries for theatergoing audiences, how would you define the staying power of the collective experience of unraveling a thrilling mystery?
GTK: A lot of times, when you’re doing theater, the hardest part is to get the audience to stop thinking, “Is this good? Do I like this?” and a great way to do that is to give them a mystery to solve. That analytical part of your brain that wants to evaluate and judge can be occupied by the puzzle of a mystery, which lets people really get swept away!
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
GTK: I am very excited to be making the Marot – the Murdle Tarot – which is really more of an oracle deck. But probably the best thing to share is that I’ve made a new puzzle book called Bordergrams with several of my friends, and it’ll be out in the middle of next year.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Murdle Board Game, Murdle Jr., and Murdle: The School of Mystery, and your other work?
GTK: Just visit Murdle.com, where you can solve a new murder-mystery logic puzzle every day!
