This review is from August 2020.
Inspectors' Review:
Good papers
Excellent napping material
This map is strange - boss fix it!
4 paws up!
Should we dress up for this gala???
Boss' Review:
I purchased the full experience of Scarlet Envelope as part of the Kickstarter so this review will include information on game 0 and game 1. Overall, I found Scarlet Envelope’s games to be engaging and intriguing. While there were a few puzzles I felt could have used additional signposting, the hint system did an excellent job in keeping me on track.
The premise of the series is a mysterious game master has chosen you to be initiated into his society. Game 0 acts as a little mini game (which in reality is not so mini) to introduce this game master while Game 1 focuses on the game master testing you and your skills. There was no overarching narrative as they explained in the kickstarter - it is an introduction to the various ways they will test you in the upcoming games.
The puzzles were wide in variety, which I greatly enjoyed. The game is paper based but they did an excellent job of making the puzzles each different from ciphers to folding to looking at the puzzle in a different light. Game 0 relies heavily on online social media (Facebook and Instagram) on top of the online hint system so be aware if you don't have social media - you will need access. Game 1 does not require social media but there is an additional website plus the hint system. In my play-through, there were two specific moments that really made me enjoy these games; one in each game, where one teased me from trying the easy route while the other really had me looking at the puzzle from a different angle. These games conclude when you find the final website and input the password.
The theme wasn’t overtly strong in these puzzles as they are introduction based. Games 2 onwards each have a theme to the games, which I look forward to. While I usually prefer having a stronger theme in my games, I still enjoyed my time playing as the creators did a good job tying all the quite random objects together. It is not simply, “here, solve this paper map puzzle,” but rather “you are being tested and BLANK will help you understand why this map puzzle is important.” I like this method and it kept me playing.
Customer service from the company has been great. They kept me updated on information and if I had any questions they were quick to respond. They also left a nice note in my game about my mystery package inspectors. This care for their players I think will go a long way to help with any hiccups that go along the way since it shows how they take an interest in their customers. They also are super open for feedback and want to keep improving which is exactly the kind of company I want to watch grow.
The hint system is well executed overall but I wish there was a little bit more help for one of the game zero puzzles – the last one in particular. I spoke with Anna and she admits game 0 is much harder than the other games so be aware of this – just because it’s a bonus games does not make it easy. I also noted a puzzle mistake but it in no way affects solving the puzzle and I spoke with the creators who will fix the mistake in coming batches of the game.
To sum up this experience, it is a fun envelope of different puzzles tied with a bow by a mysterious game master. I enjoyed the different types on puzzles and appreciated the hint system and use of websites to break of the paper only method of the game. For the first game(s) in this series I can say I look forward to the next 12! If you enjoy paper puzzle subscription that focuses on mystery and the puzzling experience than Scarlet Envelope is a great place to start. Their price is extremely affordable and you get about 3 hours of game time with game 0 and 1.
I backed this myself on Kickstarter for the full season.
Check out Scarlet Envelope here on their website.