We’ve only really played one of these subscription-type boxes (the first several of Dispatch’s On The Run) so we were a little skeptical about how it would work remotely, but we’re always up for a challenge.

After months of self-isolation and a lot of work going on with my professional lives (I say “lives” because I have my day job, the ERG, and am a professor teaching for this semester), I was WELL due for a break and to play a game.

That said, the game is relatively straightforward. Once you unpack everything (and again, not posting any pictures or SPOILERS like I’ve seen in some other reviews of this game; I hate that) and lay it out, follow the instructions from the “notary” (preferably in order but not necessarily required), and solve the puzzles on your way to the end game of finding the buried treasure.

I can easily say my favorite puzzle was the travel agency map; least favorite was the physical manipulation (I just did not put 2 and 2 together to solve that one; had Mike been present in person, hands on with the materials, he certainly would have figured it out). I should note that, as we only had 1 copy of the game, I sent him pictures of all the paperwork before we started and kept the very minimal amount of physical items myself.

The puzzles were clever and different from the home games we’ve already played. The web interface is a little plain but works. If you’re using a laptop or mobile phone, make sure you scroll all the way down on the pages as you may miss some data (though nothing that I recall being particularly relevant/necessary to the game or story).

I wouldn’t say the game is particularly difficult; most of our time was spent trying to figure out how to manipulate things. But that’s not to say it isn’t clever. There was a time where I was expecting to have to unscramble a jumble. I was wrong. Just left it as is.

As for getting help, there are multiple clues per puzzle, all getting progressively more blatant. The first one is a subtle clue; the last one is basically how to solve the puzzle. Which is fine; this is an at home game after all.

I wouldn’t say there’s much point it playing it again, but seeing as you don’t have to (partially) destroy anything, this is certainly a game you can lend to a friend or split a copy and hand it over when you’re done.

We had some logistical issues to deal with (different locations and time zones), so that presented some initial problems, but we figured them out for the most part (it was just difficult not being able to touch and examine the physical pieces… instead, we had to rely on the photos Jason took of the items and sent us). Overall, though, we were able to get a good semblance of how the game is played.

I think that we’ll see more and more games like this being played in split locations (due to social distancing), so game designers might want to keep this in mind (is the game playable from two locations?). It’s not my preferred method of playing, and I’m not saying NOT to try and play with others over video chat, but it will alter your playing experience a bit. And I’m ABSOLUTELY not holding the logistical issues we encountered against Argyx (this game would work really well for a family or a household to play). I’m glad that I got to check it out, and had fun for the most part.

I will say that I started off trying to play this on a tablet while running the video conference on my laptop. That didn’t last very long, so I suggest that you use your laptop to run the game. If you are going to play with others on a video chat, run the video conference from a tablet or second laptop.

I did like the blend of technology and physical puzzles. The design of the physical pieces was well done (and Jason and Steph said that the production value of the physical pieces were pretty good too). I wondered briefly after playing that if Argyx would turn this more into an app to help with the game play. After considering how the game was played, I immediately decided that it’s not necessary for this iteration since you feel like you’re actually doing some research to find the pieces of the mystery.

The hints device was well done. The website gives you the hints in stages, which is a nice way to get you moving if you’re completely stuck. I also liked the links to some helpful reference sites. So, while you needed “some” outside knowledge, Argyx gives you the resources to solve it on your own.

The one puzzle I really liked was fun because it wasn’t as easy as it seemed when you first start working on it. There were some more obscure things to look for that I think wouldn’t have been as frustrating if we had the entire package in front of us.

Overall, it was a great way to spend an hour on the weekend with friends. In hind sight: I think I would have tried to communicate more with Jason and Steph (who had the physical pieces) so that Heather and I could figure out what they were working on because – at points – it seemed like we were competing vs. collaborating.

Rating: 👊

Rating:

FacePalms – 3/5