This game was played July 2020.
Inspectors' Review:
The paper is so SOFT
4/4 paws for lying on said paper
Boss will not allow us to eat paper
We are here to find some booty...of treats!
Treasure hunting is hard so we took cat naps....on the map XD
Boss' Review:
Legend: A Game of Maps is a multi-part puzzle series that revolves around you assisting the Kattering Institute in investigating what they believe may be the location(s) of missing treasures. At first the adventures seems separate and distinct but there is one curious thing tying them together…and the game develops from there. Your primary task is to locate these treasures to be found and researched by Kattering but you learn much more along the way…
Now, Part One is an introduction to the series. A way to test the waters. The puzzles within it are straightforward by design but the use of narrative helps keep the player engaged with the puzzles. The artifacts are exquisite and display worthy in any curio cabinet. Once you make your discovery and contact the Institute with your findings, a conclusion email helps provide closure and a narrative to show you what happens when you locate the treasure.
Part Two throws you off the deep end, but you’ve had a little practice now. They provide a couple upfront clues and you are meant to tease them apart to unwind the locations of various treasures. The narrative breaks the puzzles up into two different locations. Each puzzle was unique and challenging. The satisfaction of completing them was the ultimate high and working with another person helped keep pace even while I struggled to move past riddles, letter reading, and map studying. In a similar format, you submit your answers at the end and are able to see the fruits of your labour in a letter from the Kattering after they look into your discovery.
The puzzles I thought were extremely well done. They were layered, unique, and used all aspects of the documents and artifacts. The puzzles kept you focused and didn’t drag on but when you become stuck, it can be frustrating (note - there was not hint system when I played but there is one now). I found working with another person greatly improved morale during these times. The puzzles blend seamlessly in the story and as you move from puzzle to puzzle you begin to notice things you had not before on the papers – a word here, a cipher there…all of it laid before you initially but, through the well executed domino effect of puzzles, you begin to get those “ahhh” moments that I enjoy so much in games. The puzzles range from ciphers, code breaking, riddles, and more but they are used in a way that they feel new and improved.
This game does not have a hint system when I played. For Part One, that was fine, but for Part Two this made it quite trying when I hit a brick wall. I was able to find likeminded people also playing the game and thus was able to make headway. I also was able to reach out to creator for clues and he was very helpful. After my play-through he created a hint site so I will say this game is solvable without using hints but it is tricky! From my perusal of the hint site, it looks to be well structured and will help you out during those head scratching moments.
Customer service with the creator was excellent. Ron, the creator, is quite a nice person to talk to and I could very easily see his passion and enjoyment of sharing his puzzle. He answered all my questions and gave me a nudge when I got stuck. I will add response time to emails is around 24 hours so if you are asking for hints please keep in mind you will need to wait.
I also want to note how beautiful the game is. The maps, letters, cards, manuscripts look exquisitely painted and stamped. The colours are vibrant and I want to frame the documents. The way some of the puzzles are built seamlessly into these art pieces shows the talent of Ron. Especially with the layered puzzles, the amount of time I think it took to get that right boggles my mind. If you plan on playing the whole seven part series as it comes, I recommended keeping them as it looks like puzzles carry into the next parts of the series. I don’t think this is hardship, as I want to display them, but keep in mind if you thought you’d resell once you finish that you will need pieces of previous games.
Overall, I loved the experience of Legend: A Game of Maps. I enjoyed the challenge this game provided and working with other puzzlers also stuck was a blast. This game is beautiful, well structures, and has an intriguing narrative that encourages me to keep playing. The story grows with each part and Ron does a superb job and creating a believable and realistic narrative that aids the puzzles. It makes sense what you are reading in the realm of these puzzles. I look forward to what Part Three has in store and highly recommend giving this game a try! Try out Part One and you’ll likely want to jump into the next one soon after!
Check out Ron's website here!
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