Young people play jubensha at the 20 Faces store in Xihu district, Hangzhou. [Photo/Hangzhou Daily]

In light of the growing popularity of jubensha, or Chinese murder mystery games, a group of doctoral candidates at Zhejiang University have decided to open their own jubensha business in Hangzhou.

Called 20 Faces, the store is located near the Huanglong Sports Center in Xihu district. According to the owners, business has been brisk since Hangzhou's Metro Line 3 opened two months ago.

Many of the customers are Zhejiang University students who were surprised to find that the staff, including the owners, dungeon masters, and receptionists, are all doctoral candidates at their university.

One of the store owners, Qing Pingyu, said that he and the other six partners pooled together about 400,000 yuan ($59,237) in July 2021 to open the store. They love the game and hope the store can inspire more jubensha lovers.

He said they treat the store like a research project and solve problems with group discussions. They also used their wits and resources to create or adapt jubensha plays.

The store was ranked the fifth most popular one in Xihu district by users of Dianping, a store-rating platform, by the end of 2021.

During Hangzhou's summer vacation, even parents who disapprove board games visited, hoping their children can intern here and learn.

"Our success has proved that we can not only do experiments but also run a business," said Qing.