If you’re a fan of mystery boxes or escape rooms but the cost is an issue, you needn’t break the bank to feed your love of cryptography or investigating clues. A brand new Kickstarter is launching today from The Enigma Emporium. They have a new narrative puzzle-based mystery game called “Wish You Were Here” that will keep you and your friends or family busy for hours of investigative fun.
Sign up, and they’ll mail you a set of five two-sided postcards, dense with puzzles to solve, each one more intricate than the last. You’ll need your wits about you as you comb through the clues, using knowledge from across the educational spectrum, working to make the clues make sense and find out how they are all connected. Where will they lead? Who wishes you were there? Why are the clues on postcards?
For those who need a hint here or there, there is a secret page on their website with clues and hints. Some clues give you a lot of information, while others only point you in generally the right direction. But be sure to take a good stab at the clues yourself, first! This is a mystery to be savored, discussed, debated, and investigated thoroughly. Don’t give up too easily.
I had a very good time with this puzzle, and enjoyed all the different ways The Enigma Emporium devised to present clues and require their solving. Some of the puzzles were easier than others, but how quickly you can solve the mystery will really depend on your puzzle-solving experience and your general cultural knowledge. When you get your envelope, you’ll want to gather plenty of scratch paper and writing implements before sitting down to get started. You’ll also want internet access. Another item or two might be helpful as well, depending on your methods. But that’s all I’ll say.
The Enigma Emporium’s puzzle mystery “Wish You Were Here” is now up on Kickstarter! They have a modest goal of $2000 and you can back the project for as little as $12. Not bad, considering these puzzles will provide hours of fun. There is also an option for businesses to work “Wish You Were Here” into their business model! I highly recommend this mystery puzzle as an alternative to some of the more pricey mystery options (or to tide you over between experiences). It’s great fun and quite exciting to see the story unfold as you solve each of the puzzles inside.
Note: I received a mystery for the purposes of this review, and one of the folks at The Enigma Emporium, Logan Giannini, writes for GeekDad.
