It’s the return of the escape room in an envelope! If you have an analytical mind that you’re dying to put to the test, and you’re looking to find big puzzles in a small package, then these puzzle postcards may be for you! Don’t worry, there aren’t any story/solution spoilers ahead, only a streamlined review to help you decide if this one should be on your shelf. Let’s check it out!

What Is It + Who Is It For?

Series 2 of The Enigma Emporium’s puzzle postcards. There are 4 enveloped sets contained in the series, each with 5 postcards and their own unique puzzles. I would recommend these to fans of escape rooms, but particularly those who are avid puzzle solvers since they can often be a bit tricky and require thinking outside the box. As for age range, I’d probably say adult (18+ or so) because I think the puzzles may be too tricky for younger audiences, so they wouldn’t be able to enjoy them.

PROS

  • Convenient box to store all the envelopes
  • Easily portable
  • A lot of puzzles in each, so plenty to do between a bunch of players
  • Everything on the cards is clear and crisp, easy to read
  • The cards are also quite aesthetically pleasing
  • Can use outside resources to help
  • Clues/solutions available on their site

CONS

  • Some puzzles seem like a leap in logic, and it can be frustrating because you sometimes don’t know where to start on something
  • Some envelopes include character emails, which you assume you need to contact. That takes me out of the world of the game, which I’m not a fan of
  • It varies, but they can take a good chunk of time, especially when decoding something
  • Sometimes you solve a puzzle and don’t really feel like you got any further because you aren’t sure what to do with the word/phrase/info you got

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, I think these are really neat takes on escape room type games in a box. They have a lot of unique story and puzzles which really put you deep into the game as you play. They’re a little too long and complex for my taste, at least to play all at once (I get tired after an hour or two), but I do find myself returning to them a little at a time to try and complete them. They’re an amazing value and a great choice if you’re someone heavily into puzzles and trying to “bust your brain.” Definitely check them out if that sounds like you!

My Final Ratings:
Overall Game – 6/10
Aesthetics – 8/10
Replayability – 5/10
Difficulty – 9/10
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