Crack-A-Nut Mysteries – S.O.U.P. (Review)

August 19, 2020August 27, 2020 ~ EscapeAdventurer ~ Leave a comment

Location: Your Home!

Players: We recommend 1-2

Price: $87

Everyone loves SOUP!

Theme:

From the S.O.U.P. Facebook page:

Is your mundane life bringing you down? Are you in a rut and looking for a way to break the monotony? Do the weird, unexplained, less than normal and downright bizarre interest you? If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, WE WANT YOU!

WELCOME TO THE SOCIETY FOR THE OBSERVATION OF UNKNOWN PHENOMENA!

We travel the world over ferreting out ideal candidates to join the ranks of the most esteemed society the world has ever known (. . . well, the world would know if it wasn’t such a well-kept secret!) Aside from a dandy acronym, S.O.U.P. offers intrigue, extensive travel to exotic places, the opportunity to research lost legends, investigate the unknown, and the promise of advancement. And in addition to all that, there is something sinister afoot behind the closed doors at S.O.U.P. headquarters, and you have been nominated to unravel the mystery and bring the culprit to justice.

First Impressions:

After the more narrative based, horror filled experience that was Root of All Evil, I was interested to see how Crack-A-Nut Mysteries would approach a more puzzle focused adventure. With S.O.U.P. having just released, I would soon find out!

High Points:

S.O.U.P.’s game play is divided up into several different assignments, all of which relate to a different supernatural hot spot, and present wildly varying puzzles, all of which are creatively designed and well thought out. All tie into an overall theme, and I really enjoyed how the ending was multi-pronged, allowing for not only induction into the Society itself, but the solving of a great crime against S.O.U.P.! All the assignments were an enjoyable romp, but the first assignment really started things off with a bang! I loved the props that were included within this one, and we really liked how there were many paths you could take with this multi-layered, choose your own adventure style puzzle. The writing was humorous, and really set the stage for the rest of the experience well. The difficulty curve was smooth, and ramped up excellently, leading to some really devious conundrums near the end which took a lot of pondering and connection making, but never strayed into the realm of logical leaps or obtuse challenges. Every assignment was self contained, and it was easy to ensure we knew what items went with what solutions, but the game certainly didn’t hold our hand.

A couple of nice keepsake items, one of which is personalized, are a fantastic addition, and really got my wife excited to try out the game, especially since I had recently asked her to take a photo and wouldn’t tell her what it was for. Other props that were integrated into the puzzling were excellent, with a few that had been aged beautifully in order to capture the look and feel of an ancient artifact. S.O.U.P.’s website is well designed to provide instant feedback on whether your answers for each assignment are correct, and the set up for one of the final meta puzzles is really awesome. Overall, the experience we had with S.O.U.P. was immensely enjoyable, and the run of creative, multi-layered puzzles made for an excellent few hours of solving.

Low Points:

One particular assignment took us a very long time to get. Unfortunately, it ended up being a particular task that you’ll either get, or you won’t, and there isn’t a whole lot you can do to ensure you see what you need to see. It doesn’t help that the answer does not follow some of the previous conventions, so we were trying to find the wrong thing. Luckily, since the alternative was to stare at what we’d gathered until the answer revealed itself, we were able to look up the solution on the hint site. Definitely not as satisfying, but it did save us a lot of time, and allowed us to move on. At first, we did not realize the website was required for verification of answers and to finish up the story, as we thought it was only for hints, per our intro letter. However, as we did need to look up a few hints about halfway through, we realized the site was multi-functional. One of the finale metas was somewhat anticlimactic, resulting in doing some simple math, but luckily the other meta was much more satisfying.

Verdict:

S.O.U.P. was an awesome time, and we really loved the intuitive puzzling, humorous writing, and fantastic ending to the story. The assignments are well thought out, and are intuitive, yet challenging, ensuring that puzzle enthusiasts and new players alike will find a lot to love inside. Crack-A-Nut Mysteries continues to provide premium props and a story that is joy to interact with, and I definitely recommend giving this game a shot! Join the Society for the Observation of Unknown Phenomena here!

8/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Crack-A-Nut Mysteries provided a complementary copy.

Blue Fish Games – The Hincks Gazette (Review)

August 6, 2020August 6, 2020 ~ EscapeAdventurer ~ 1 Comment

Location: Your Home!

Players: We recommend 1-2

Price: $22 for 3 months, $36 for 6 months

Talking Plants, Messenger Quails, and Robot Servants, oh my!

Theme:

From the Blue Fish Games website:

Hello, Puzzler. I’m Mr. Hincks. Are you up for a challenge? Excellent. Subscribe and I’ll send my Mysterious Puzzle Newspaper to your door each month. Grab a pen and maybe a friend, and spend an hour or two puzzling out its secrets. You may just add your name to the Hincks Hall of Fame! Until then! Stephen P. Hincks

First Impressions:

It is no secret I really love Team Blue Fish’s fantastic puzzling products. I’ve heartily recommended The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks here and in any Facebook puzzle group that’ll have me. Honestly, it’s an addiction with no cure. Luckily, I can get my monthly fix through The Hincks Gazette!

High Points:

Each issue of the Hincks Gazette is a puzzle hunt style run of several multi-layered puzzles, hidden within the pages of Mr. Hincks’s Hincksville Newspaper. The paper itself is a humorous read, and the personality of Hincks and his quirky town are fabulously exemplified in all of the stories and blurbs. Puzzle games and Escape Rooms struggle sometimes to perfect comedic themes, but Team Blue Fish’s games have made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions. (A favorite joke of mine appeared in June’s issue, and is a blurb about the weather report. The fact that a side comment about the weather can be so funny is impressive.) The puzzles are phenomenal, some of the best I’ve tackled during the pandemic this year, and flow excellently from one to the next. In many cases, they interact with the puzzle that comes next intuitively, ensuring that the game is well directed without holding the player’s hand. These games are a master class in signposting and cluing, and at no point did I feel like the flow of the game stalled or became obtuse in any way. The difficulty curve of the puzzles was smooth across the board, beginning with identifying the starting point, and weaving through the subtle clues and satisfying solutions until the final password has been solved. Some of the late came conundrums and metas were insanely clever, requiring some truly out of the box thinking, and solving these is always enormously satisfying.

Each Hincks Gazette mostly uses wordplay and code breaking to challenge puzzlers, but each level of the game is incredibly creative, mixing things up to ensure that every interaction remains fresh. I am frequently impressed by new and interesting ways the designers have hidden the codes and messages within the Gazette, and have discovered a puzzle I’ve never seen before three months running. Each issue is a challenging new diversion, and is easily my most satisfying hour, puzzle-wise, every month. When the final password is entered and I put my name on the leaderboard, (which is a great touch, set up like a guestbook,) I am left wanting more in the best possible way! Overall, The Hincks Gazette is a funny, clever, intricate run of satisfying puzzles and silly news. I love it, and cannot wait for more.

Low Points:

In a couple of instances, there are a few times we needed to complete an anagram, but the words are complex or use strange enough combinations of letters that though I knew what to do, I needed a little outside help to determine what the answer was. Not a big deal, there’s a reason we have those tools at our disposal, but just a heads up for folks who really want to solve things themselves.

Also, it only arrives monthly, and the anticipation for next month’s issue is palpable.

Verdict:

So far, I have adored the Hinck’s Gazette. The puzzles are beautifully thought out, multi-layered masterpieces, and provide a brilliant challenge every month! The samples Team Blue Fish sent along were so fantastic, that the day after completing them, I immediately signed up for a six month subscription! Each month’s issue has been even better than the last, and that’s saying something. The puzzles are challenging for enthusiasts, but new puzzlers will still find them approachable, and I wholeheartedly recommend subscribing, especially if you enjoyed The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks. Subscribe to Mr. Hinck’s fun and informative newspaper here!

10/10 (Phenomenal)

Full Disclosure: Blue Fish Games provided complementary copies of May and June’s Gazette.

Blue Fish Games – The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks (Review)

July 15, 2020July 15, 2020 ~ EscapeAdventurer ~ 2 Comments

Location: Your Home!

Players: We recommend 1-4

Price: $35 per box

I say!

Theme:

From the Blue Fish Games website:

Inventor Stephen P. Hincks has been tirelessly developing a set of confounding puzzles and he is now ready to present them to you.

Solve his enigmas by pairing mysterious physical materials contained in this cryptic parcel with clues from the online elevator. Use the browser-based elevator to verify solutions and navigate through the floors.

Are you ready to outsmart Mr. Hincks and add your name to the Hincks Hall of Fame?

First Impressions:

When The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks hit my doorstep, I was already excited to take a peek inside, as I was interested to see what sort of puzzling props and confounding curios were included to help us ascend the titular elevator. I was pleased to see a colorful and varied assortment of interesting pieces, and couldn’t wait to see how they all fit together during out journey on Mr. Hicks’s Curious Elevator! (And fit together they did, as this is one of those rare boxes where literally everything was important!)

High Points:

As a little background, I have a love/hate relationship with puzzle hunts. DASH and Puzzled Pint are generally some good ones that I’ve enjoyed, but far too often puzzle hunts are wildly obtuse, poorly designed games that require players to read the minds of the designers. Luckily though, while The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks is definitely a puzzle hunt style game, we absolutely loved it! It takes the best elements of puzzle hunts while leaving out the frustrating bits, which results in an experience that is an absolute joy to work through! The game contains a moderate to high level of difficulty, but at no point did we feel the need to make herculean logical leaps, as the game flow is beautifully implemented, leading players through the linear path using subtle hints and encouraging out of the box thinking. There is a dense amount of puzzles to work through, and they are all incredibly varied, ensuring that each level of the game remains fresh and exciting. For a team of my wife and myself, there was always plenty to do and though the game is fairly linear, most puzzles have enough layers to work through that no one is going to feel left out during the solving. Due to how creative the game is on the whole, it is difficult to select a favorite puzzle, they’re all that well designed!

I love the theme of an eccentric puzzling dandy creating a town of his own that’s absolutely devoted to puzzles, and I may want to be Mr. Hincks when I grow up. While the theme isn’t strictly important to the puzzling if that’s all you’re looking for, it certainly brings a lot of personality to the proceedings, and instills a light hearted, humorous aura. Almost every single puzzle had multiple layers to puzzle through, and there were mountains of ah ha moments around every turn. To say that this game was a satisfying solve is an understatement. Add to that a couple of surprises that we definitely did not see coming, and I can say that Mr. Hincks’s elevator is easily one of our favorite games of the year. I’m very excited to see what comes next, I’m hoping Mr. Hincks has a few more banal methods of transportation to spice up! Perhaps The Peculiar People Mover of Mr. Hincks? I’d play it.

Low Points:

Though the run up to the Meta Puzzle was an exciting ride, the climax of the game fell a little flat for us, due to the somewhat simpler nature of the puzzle itself as well as the requirement of popping back and forth between several screens of the interface itself. Though the website is a nice complement to the experience, it sometimes feels as though it gets in its own way, as there doesn’t seem to be a clear way to close out of some windows, and sometimes, especially at the beginning, it can feel somewhat unintuitive as to what bits of the screen are active. We used a smartphone during the game for easy access, so this may have affected our experience, admittedly.

Verdict:

The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks is an absolute blast! I had an amazing time working through the many conundrums left behind by the eccentric Mr. Hincks, and couldn’t wait for more, leading me to inquire about The Hincks Gazette, the monthly spin off run of puzzles. A review about that one will be forthcoming, but for now, know that I recommend getting your hands on a copy of the 2nd run of The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks as soon as you can! The wonderfully well designed puzzles, great props, and engaging theme make this game a perfect puzzle for players of any experience level. Take a ride on the Curious Elevator here!

9/10 (Excellent)

Full Disclosure: Blue Fish Games provided a complementary box.

Finders Seekers – London (March Review)

March 28, 2018July 10, 2018 ~ EscapeAdventurer ~ 2 Comments

Location: Your Home!

Players: We recommend 1-4

Price: $30 per box

Puzzle Hunting at Home!

Theme:

Each month, Finders Seekers invites you to accept a mysterious mission from the head seer. These “finds” are located in exotic cities and involve high stakes, cryptic puzzling, and shadowy societies! You’ll need a clever mind and some google-fu in order to piece together the puzzles and complete the find! And when you do, you might even receive a reward!

First Impressions:

Another snazzy box gave me an idea of what enigmas might lie inside, while still giving off an air of mystique! Finders Seekers was one of the more mysterious boxes I’d received, as each month’s location and conundrum is veiled, ensuring that what you receive in each box is a surprise in itself!

High Points:

Finders Seekers is, at it’s core, a citywide puzzle hunt playable from the comfort of your own home! As someone who enjoys puzzle hunts, this was a great way to get that experience without having to travel or wait for one of the few great hunts to roll around. This is also one of those puzzle hunts that doesn’t just present obtuse, inaccessible riddles for the puzzling elite either. It presents a well crafted challenge, but provides just enough direction to get you started, ensuring a fun experience for all skill levels. Puzzle types also run the gamut from perception based, to logical, to word games, allowing different players to have their moment to shine! Several puzzles are presented all at once, and it’s up to you to determine which props sent to you belongs with each. These high quality items are fun to interact with, and figuring out which goes with which is sometimes an exciting puzzle in itself! This month’s find was located in London, England, and it was not only an enjoyable investigation into the Queen’s missing jewels, but an educational one as facts about the locations you explore are peppered within the clues themselves. Finally, once you complete the month’s find, you can enter yourself to win a mysterious prize! I’m not sure what prize is entailed, but I do hope I can win one for myself!

Your tools for the hunt!

Low Points:

The story itself felt secondary to the puzzles, which isn’t a big deal, but we very much enjoy boxes that strike more of a balance between puzzles and story. Too much story, and there isn’t enough interaction to make the game worthwhile, but too little story tends to feel less immersive overall. We definitely prefer more puzzles to the alternative, but a little more narrative bread crumbs along the way couldn’t hurt the experience. One puzzle was slightly too obtuse, and while we had figured out the initial parts, getting to the solution from there wasn’t intuitive, but the hint system was very helpful in getting us back on track.

Verdict:

Finders Seekers is a great way to get your puzzle hunting fix if you’re into that style of adventure! I’m definitely intrigued by what new finds will come in the future, and look forward to virtually visiting new cities each new month! If you like an abundance of original puzzles and don’t mind story taking more of a backseat during your investigation, you’ll love these boxes! Embark on your city hopping adventure here! If you sign up using our link, we’ll receive credit towards earning a free box, and will be able to bring you more content!

7.5/10 (Good)

Full Disclosure: Finders Seekers provided a complementary box.

The Deadbolt Mystery Society – Murder in 3B (Review)

March 21, 2018February 14, 2019 ~ EscapeAdventurer ~ 9 Comments

Location: Your Home!

Players: We recommend 1-4

Price: $24.99 per box, plus $4.99 shipping

Sherlock’s got nothing on us!

Theme:

In the Deadbolt Mystery Society’s first box, you’ll become a consulting detective for the Valley Falls Police Department in order to investigate a murder at the shady Hideaway Motel. Megan Thompson, a young woman who was staying in 3B, was brutally murdered and there’s very little evidence to go on. The mayor wants this case closed as soon as possible, and you can only hold the suspects, last night’s guests and employees, for so long, so you’d better get to investigating!

First Impressions:

As you can see from the featured photo, the presentation of this box is top notch! I really liked the excellent themeing and snazzy production value on the outside, getting me excited to see what was inside, which definitely didn’t disappoint as there was quite a bit to go through!

There’s a lot to explore with this mystery!

High Points:

I appreciated the inclusion of glossy photos of each of the suspects, which gave us a tangible and immersive way to keep tabs on and eliminate suspects as we went through the mystery. There were a couple of nice props included from the motel itself, and the evidence included was a lot of fun to pore over. The writing feels true to each character and is realistically presented through letters, case notes, and emails. Side stories and Easter eggs provided were great, and deepened the story through convincing world-building. For fans of Deadbolt’s Escape Rooms, there are even some surprises that tie in from those experiences as well, though no prior knowledge is required. The puzzle threads and investigatory logic all intertwines well together and provides an enjoyable game flow for an experience that lasts around 2 hours. The self-contained nature of the mystery was a breath of fresh air when compared to many other mystery boxes that just plod forward aimlessly from month to month! There is an online component that provides specific feedback during the mystery and provides certainty that you have succeeded in your investigation when you have solved the murder.

Low Points:

We only had a couple of points for feedback with this box, first being that while the investigation reports were thorough, we would have liked to see more props and items tied into the story. The ones that were sent with this box were excellent, but were pertinent only for a short time. One of the best things about these boxes are the surprises they contain, so we’d love to see some interesting evidence in future deliveries. Also, we did not use the hint system, as everything was intuitive and solvable, but the files you unlock while progressing through the story are mixed in with the hint files. Luckily, all files require a password to unlock, but it’d be nice to have hints and solutions separated from evidence to keep up the immersion.

Verdict:

I’m very excited about the Deadbolt Mystery Society! Even though Murder in 3B is only their first box, this subscription mystery service is easily my favorite of the ones I’ve tried so far. The story, immersion, and overall experience was a lot of fun from start to finish, and I’m already looking forward to their next mystery, Asylum! This first box was a great introduction to their world, and I’ve been told that Asylum will include even more content and immersive fun! Join the Deadbolt Mystery Society here! Right now, you can get 30% off your first box with the Promo Code ESCAPE30! You can also see the rest of our Deadbolt Mystery Society reviews here!

9/10 (Excellent)

Full Disclosure: The Deadbolt Mystery Society provided a complementary box.