Hunt A Killer & Morbid Podcast Unbox a New Era of True Crime Gaming

NEW YORK, NY – May 11, 2026 – Two powerhouses of the true crime world are joining forces to turn passive listeners into active detectives. Relatable’s award-winning immersive game brand, Hunt A Killer, has announced a collaboration with the chart-topping Morbid podcast to release Hunt A Killer x Morbid: The Salem Slicer, a new at-home investigative experience. The game, co-created with podcast hosts Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart, merges the tactile evidence Hunt A Killer is known for with the compelling narrative style that has earned Morbid a massive and loyal following.

This partnership represents a significant convergence in the entertainment landscape, blending the rapidly growing markets for both immersive gaming and true crime content. It invites Morbid’s dedicated fanbase, affectionately known as “weirdos,” to step beyond their earbuds and into a complex cold case, blurring the lines between storytelling and gameplay.

A New Breed of Immersive Entertainment

The narrative of The Salem Slicer plunges players into a decades-old mystery. The story begins when a young lawyer named Abigail uncovers a box of her late father’s belongings, revealing his secret connection to a string of grisly murders that terrorized Salem starting in 1985. The case of the “Salem Slicer” officially went cold in 1988 with the death of the primary suspect, Linus Kennedy. However, a newly discovered coded letter suggests the killer may not only be someone else but could still be active, compelling players to reopen the investigation.

To solve the mystery, players must sift through a box of physical and digital evidence, including a bloody scrunchie, a mysterious train passenger figurine, and a locked box that holds further secrets. The experience is enhanced by an exclusive mini-podcast episode from Morbid hosts Kelley and Urquhart, which provides narrative context and hidden clues throughout the game. This hybrid approach caters to a growing consumer preference for multi-format engagement, a key trend in the immersive mystery game market, which was valued at over $193 million in 2026 and is projected to more than double by 2035.

“Hunt A Killer and Morbid are a natural fit, both live in the true crime space and both have built some of the most passionate, loyal fanbases around,” said Colleen Dolan, VP of Brand Strategy & Communications at Relatable. “The Hunt A Killer team are fans of the podcast first, and that genuine love for what Alaina and Ash have built is what makes this feel so right.”

For the podcast hosts, the collaboration is a new way to connect with their audience. “Working with Hunt A Killer has been such a fun evolution for us,” said Kelley and Urquhart in a joint statement. “Our weirdos are the heart of everything we do, and getting to bring them into a case they can actually step inside and solve alongside us makes this collaboration even more exciting.”

Tapping into the True Crime Phenomenon

The strategic brilliance of this partnership lies in the immense and engaged audience it targets. True crime is no longer a niche genre; it’s a cultural juggernaut. Recent studies show that an estimated 230 million Americans—or 84% of the population over 13—consume true crime media. Within the booming podcast industry, it stands as the third most popular genre overall and the number one genre among female listeners.

Morbid is a titan within this space, consistently ranking as a Top 10 U.S. podcast with over 1.2 billion lifetime downloads. The show’s success is built not just on well-researched cases, but on the community fostered by its hosts. This collaboration directly taps into the core motivations of the true crime audience. Research indicates that 50% of listeners are drawn to the genre because they enjoy the intellectual challenge of solving a mystery, while nearly half are fascinated by the psychology and forensic science behind the cases. The Salem Slicer provides a direct outlet for these interests, transforming listeners from passive consumers into active participants.

This deep audience understanding is critical. The typical true crime podcast listener is highly engaged, educated, and receptive to brand-focused content. By embedding their narrative within a Hunt A Killer box, Kelley and Urquhart are offering their community an experience that aligns perfectly with the very reasons they tune in each week.

From Digital Audio to Tangible Clues

In an increasingly digital world, The Salem Slicer also represents a powerful counter-trend: the move toward tangible, hands-on entertainment. The global board game market, valued at over $14 billion in 2024, is surging as consumers, particularly the “kidult” demographic, seek out social and unplugged activities. This collaboration sits at the intersection of this trend and the digital content boom.

The appeal of sifting through physical documents, analyzing a bloody piece of evidence, or cracking the code on a real locked box provides a level of immersion that purely digital media cannot replicate. It transforms the abstract fascination with a cold case into a concrete, sensory experience. This move from audio to physical product is a natural brand extension for content creators who have built a strong identity and loyal following. The Morbid hosts have already proven this model with multiple New York Times bestselling novels, demonstrating their audience's appetite for their brand beyond the podcast format.

A Strategic Play for Market Dominance

For parent company Relatable, this launch is a calculated move in a broader strategy of diversification and market expansion. Having rebranded from the viral sensation What Do You Meme? in 2023, Relatable has been actively broadening its portfolio to include a universe of games, toys, and entertainment products. This collaboration leverages the established reputation of its Hunt A Killer brand while capitalizing on the immense intellectual property and built-in audience of Morbid.

The distribution strategy further underscores the company’s ambitions. Launching as a preorder exclusive on Walmart.com, followed by a wide retail rollout in June and July to major players like Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, positions The Salem Slicer for mass-market penetration. This multi-channel approach is crucial in a market where mass-market SKUs account for over 76% of board game sales. By securing shelf space in the nation's largest retailers, Relatable is ensuring the product reaches not only dedicated fans but also casual shoppers, dramatically expanding its potential customer base.

Ultimately, the partnership between Hunt A Killer and Morbid is more than just a new game. It is a model for the future of entertainment, where digital communities and tangible products converge to create deeply engaging, multi-platform experiences. This strategic alignment of digital fandom and interactive gameplay sets a new benchmark for cross-media entertainment, with the industry watching closely to see if solving the Salem Slicer case is just the beginning.