Inspectors' Review:
Ohhh wooden coasters! excellent for nibb--what do you mean they aren't for eating?!?!
I can see by beautiful reflection in them!
Is that the word DOG?!?! Sacrilege!
These are too pretty for your ridiculous pop addition, mom.
So...trip to England coming up, right?
If only I had opposable thumbs - I would be able to solve this in a heartbeat!
Alas I must rely on my slow human ser--I mean the mother I love so much!
Boss' Review:
Pouroboros is the latest Kickstarter of the puzzle company Enigmailed, run by Stephen Lockyer. His previous experiences include Ashwell, Full Deck (Stay tuned for my review of this coming in the future!), and a wonderful series of chocolate bars covered with puzzles to enjoy with your treat. I was lucky enough to get in contact with Step through the famous Puzzle People Facebook Group (I highly recommend joining if you enjoy tabletop puzzle games) and he sent me the puzzle teasers for this new experience and I am so excited to talk about them!
Pouroboros is wholly a puzzle experience that seeks to have you travel (virtually or in person) across London on a tour that conveniently takes you nearby some well-known drinking establishments. The puzzles are revealed through a series nine drink coasters that, when solved, provide three words to put into the fascinating website what3words to reveal the locations. In the case of my experience, I received three coasters that were created as sample teasers for the Kickstarter. Each of my coaster revealed a historical landmark in England once solved. During the campaign, these coasters were shared digitally but, in my case, I received them as the “deluxe” coaster that are available on the Kickstarter.
Puzzles:
In terms of puzzling, I found these puzzles to be quite clever. They all rely on various logic puzzle structures, but they add something to them that makes them enjoyable to do with friends. The puzzles ranged from observation, pattern identification, and spatial orientation. My favourite puzzles were the ones where you had to make connection between words to draw out the solution as I found I got the most satisfactory “aha” moments. There were a few times where I couldn’t for the life of me identify the word needed but I was able to successfully solve all other elements of the puzzle and thus could move forward. I would say if you enjoy word logic puzzles these are an excellent selection but they are tricky! That said, I played this with no hint system, but I was informed by Step that there will be a hint system provided on an app for help you when you get stuck. I appreciate the focus on trying to make the puzzle solving to be as mobile friendly as possible, given that part of the experience from some can include actually travelling.
Customer Service:
In terms of customer service, Enigmailed were prompt in contacting me and reaching out. If I had any questions, their responses were in a timely manner even with the time zone difference. The effort that went into creating their puzzles is evident and they look beautiful. The deluxe coasters are sturdy with a corkboard material and a shiny easy to wipe surface. I enjoy the design of the puzzles to look not only functionally as puzzles and coaster but also to have an elegance to their design that makes them something I want to leave on my coffee table. If you opt for the standard version you will receive them as traditional hotel coaster on a thicker cardstock.
Overall, Pouroboros takes a perfectly mundane set of objects and infuses engagement and fun through a series of mind-boggling logic puzzles. All you need is a brain, a device connected to the internet, and a good beverage to rest on your new fancy coasters! The puzzles are challenging and push you to think outside the box so be prepared if you are enjoying a pint with this. The puzzles generally rely on logic-based word problems which create a perfect “aha” moment once it clicks what they are. I recommend anyone looking for a good set of puzzles that provide a rewarding solution at the end to take a look! The Kickstarter ends November 25th, but the games will be available on Enigmailed’s website further down the line after the Kickstarter concludes.
Check out the Kickstarter here!
Interested to look up more about Enigmailed, see their website here.
Note: Thank you Enigmailed for providing us with a sample of your game to try out.