If you’ve touched the Hunt A Killer brand in any way, you’ve probably met Jo, even if you didn’t know it! She keeps our community Facebook group of over 120,000 members informed, helps with Customer Service, and is an expert at guiding Members through those tough ciphers without giving anything away.
Jo has been with Hunt A Killer since the beginning, so we thought it would be fun to do a Q+A with her where we ask all the hard-hitting questions!
Tell us about your accent! Where are you from?
“I always forget I have an accent until people mention it. I was born and raised in a seaside town on the south coast of England until I emigrated in my late 20s. Wow! That was 21 years ago. I think most people associate a British accent with the North (like Liverpool) so I get asked if I am Australian or South African often.”
What are some things you like to do outside of work?
“I am either roaming a thrift store or a vintage market, have my nose in a cipher or puzzle book, or researching lost relatives on Ancestry. I am a self confessed cipher junkie and love escape rooms and geocaching. Victorian social history is my absolute favourite thing to read, and as a certified genealogist, research gets me excited, I am currently researching my daughter’s heritage on her father’s side (she is half Norwegian) .”
How big is your collection of games? When did you start loving ciphers?
“Ohh, it is big. I have three Ikea shelves full and that doesn’t include the cipher books. It’s a problem. But I keep telling myself it is necessity—a fun aspect of my job at Hunt A Killer is market research. It is good to know what is going on in the immersive world so we can always be ahead of the curve.
“I think I have always loved puzzles and scavenger hunts which slowly turned into ciphers. I think my passion started with genealogy—there is nothing better than a “brick wall” to navigate around, climb over, or bust through in order to find that next generation or elusive family member. About 10 years ago I really got into letterboxing which lead to geocaching and it has just grown from there. Hunt A Killer combines my love of research, puzzles and problem solving into one amazing experience.”
What's the most difficult cipher or code you've cracked and has the government ever called upon you for your amazing code-cracking skills?
“The Alice and Bob cipher in Class of ‘98 episode four was a doozy. It took me about three hours the first time I saw it.
I also cracked a WWII transposition cipher while on a flight from Vancouver to Montreal last year.
The government has never called me, I don’t know why! Although I have been working on the British Government Communications Headquarters (CGHQ) puzzle book. It is intense.”
Can you recommend a cipher game or book for beginners?
“I would suggest How to Stop a Murder: Complete Cases by J. A. Konrath.
You are tasked with decoding puzzles from a nefarious killer who is plotting to commit an unspeakable crime. It contains sixty emails, texts, and letters, sent to J.A. Konrath, by a serial killer. This psychopath is leaving detailed, cryptic hints about who will be murdered, why, when, where, and how.”
How would you describe your job and what's your favorite thing about the Hunt A Killer Community?
“In a nutshell, my job is to make sure our community is happy. I am one part customer service, one part gameplay guru, a sprinkle of customer experience and a whole lot of Member engagement.
One of the fun aspects of my job is to gameplay all of our boxes in advance, always taking into consideration the Member’s perspective. Our writers do an exceptional job but experiencing the product from a Member’s perspective helps us incorporate small changes that make the experience special.
Hmm, my favourite thing about the Hunt A Killer Community? That is easy, I love the people! I love how inquisitive our members are, their passion, how they unite over a common purpose, their willingness to help other Members, and their excitement when they crack the case and bring the murderer to justice! I spend my day with thousands of people I have never met but they feel like my family! Who couldn’t love my job?”
What's your favorite Hunt A Killer game? Why?
“That’s hard! As I have played every experience we have released.I love them all! I tend to get so invested in the current experiences, and then we release something new and I fall in love all over again! It is not that I am fickle, I just see how much we have grown and adapted (and continue to grow and adapt) to our audience with every new product.”
What's your life's motto or your favorite saying?
“My motto is actually a Bon Jovi song: ‘Living On a Prayer,’ it kinda sums up my life.”
Which do you prefer, the beach, lake or the mountains?
“Hmm, I grew up on a beach, so I would choose beach for sure! Great question! “
Tell us a fun fact about you!
“Oh wow, although everyone labels me as the cipher queen I actually really suck at cryptic crosswords. Give me boundaries and I just can’t cope, lol.”