Each month on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators -- here is this month's roundup!
The holidays may be over, but if you ever find yourself missing that cozy Christmas vibe, The Charm of Christmas Past will bring you there. Upon the 100th anniversary of Winifred Maud’s passing, her solicitors were instructed that one thousand households across the globe receive a bequest from her estate, which included all sorts of trinkets, letters, and documents relating to her family history and childhood memories. The game is divided into four chapters, each containing 2-4 puzzles. I admit that we often struggled to get to the answer because it seemed like there were often multiple ways to interpret information... but we did find ourselves to be impressed with the variety and creativity of the puzzles themselves.
Time: ~3 hours
Difficulty: 3/5
The Rottumereye Tragedy is a visual narrative mystery experience created by Dutch artist collective Knetterijs. It features the work of eight different illustrators, with great quality prints that made the materials a pleasure to handle and explore. Rather than individual puzzles to solve, players are provided with a variety of items that each allow you to deduce certain details of the story. Although it was not a particularly complex murder mystery, it had enough layers to make it satisfying to solve and managed to tell an original story with distinct characters even in such a short time frame. Unfortunately it seems like this mystery was a limited edition release, but hopefully the publishers will print another run.
Time: ~1hr
Difficulty: 1/5
Together at Heart was the third in Enchambered’s series of online games, following Alone Together and Together Apart. All of these games are designed to be played remotely with two people and each installment has been full of smooth and satisfying cooperative gameplay. We appreciated that the non-linear nature of the puzzles allowed us to work out multiple problems in an order that made sense to us. This also helped ensure that we didn’t get stuck, and indeed we only ended up needing a hint for one puzzle at the end. The first in the series is free to play and the latter two are pay-what-you-wish, a great deal for an hour of enjoyable remote puzzling with a friend, especially in these times.
Time: ~1hr
Difficulty: 2/5
Old Man’s Journey is a laid back point-and-click game with a visual narrative and beautiful artwork. You make your way through the world by manipulating the environment and using the landscapes to guide the man forward on his journey, encountering scenes from his life along the way. Although the puzzles are somewhat simple in this 2D adventure, the mechanic does feel unique, and the environmental elements and heartfelt story make for a enjoyable experience. This is by no means an action-filled game, but if you’re looking to take a bit of a break, the relaxing soundtrack and pretty illustrations make this a good option.
Time: ~1.5hr
Difficulty: 1/5
The Missed Flight is a bite-sized mystery in an envelope with entirely paper components. You learn immediately that the protagonist set out on a tour of Europe but after speaking some uncomfortable truths to a journalist, had to cut her trip short and go into hiding, leaving you with seven puzzles, hidden in items that she picked up along the way. The puzzles may come off as somewhat straightforward to more advanced players (our group breezed through it pretty quickly) but we appreciated how logically everything came together. This game could be a great choice for less experienced puzzlers or as a surprise in the mail for a friend (and at a very affordable price!)
Time: <1hr
Difficulty: 1/5
Photo via Puzzle Post UK
What are you playing this month?