Light in the Mist is a puzzle tarot card experience created by Postcurious (creator of “The Emerald Flame” and “Tale of Ord”) and Jack Fallows (creator of Cryptogram Puzzle Post). I’m not usually one to dive into card puzzle experiences but the Kickstarter campaign hooked me in and my previous experiences with the creators have been excellent. I opted to back for the collector’s edition which contains two additional puzzles and a beautiful wooden box. The regular edition will be available for purchase.
Story
The premise of the game follows the disappearance of your friend, Sam. You know she’s been withdrawing and hanging around the forest that is allegedly haunted. As you check the woods, you come across her backpack and a tarot card deck; now, armed with these, you head to the wooden house that guards the forest to speak with the owner, a supposed witch, who may be able to help you find your way through the forest and find your friend.
I found the story within Light in the Mist to have such beauty that unfolded in unexpected ways. It's a coming of age story that you piece together over the course of your journey. I especially appreciated the non-linear fashion in this story as you become more engaged in building the story. You also have the choice to dig deeper into the story with some puzzles containing multiple answers - you better believe I solved them all! Now, this game does require a lot of reading as the cards themselves don’t contain stories but these moments of reading provide excellent points to break up the puzzling so you can complete the story in one sitting or over the course of a few nights.
Puzzles:
The puzzles with Light in the Mist are a light and smooth experience. The introduction puzzle card provides you with gentle guidance and you collect the cards you need to help the journey either by looking for the matching symbols corresponding to the cards or checking the back of the book guide. The puzzles use observation, logic, perspective, and more to force you to look at each card in a unique way. If you have played any other puzzles by these creators it will feel familiar and it helped me find my way. Each puzzle made a different use of the tarot cards and the variety of challenges to them felt appropriate for each of the puzzles. The theming of the puzzles was well chosen and shows a true attention to detail. In addition, the illustrations are a stunning compliment that encourage you to take the time to enjoy the puzzles.This is a game you are meant to savour so don’t rush yourself. It makes the ending all the more enjoyable and I loved the layered effect of the final puzzle (The World) that felt like a puzzle truly appropriate for summiting the journey.
Overall I was left feeling really good about these puzzles as a whole. My favourites were The Tower, The Magician, The Hierophant, and the High Priestess!
Customer Service:
Over the course of the kickstarter, the creators were timely with updates and they delivered on time. The game arrived safely packaged. If you have any questions about the game, the creators are prompt with providing assistance. There is a hint section available online to guide your along with additional visuals for puzzles that require spatial orientation and a place to check your answers online. Once you have an answer you can type it in and it will provide you with a vision number to examine in the booklet. I especially liked this because while there is a page you can examine in the booklet to check your words, I liked not being able to see the other solution words. That said, you could easily play this game without the internet if you avoid hints. Based on my experiences with their customer service I would recommend them a trustworthy company that truly wants you have an enjoyable experience with your game.
Conclusion:
Light in the Mist is a beautiful puzzle journey through friendship, family, and finding yourself. The balance of beautiful visuals, satisfying puzzles, and a smooth set up creates a perfect mixture that players can dive into at their own pace to explore. My play-through took about five hours to complete with two people playing but the game can easily be broken across evenings or even a card a day. I highly recommend this game for those who love mystical journeys and smooth puzzling that both new and experiences puzzlers can dive into. After finishing, I am left feeling content and looking forward to the next adventure!