Editor’s note: Life has been a bit full-on recently, which is why there haven’t been as frequent updates as usual. I’m trying to rebalance a little for my own sanity, and will be back with more reviews as soon as I’m able. In the meantime, I post more regularly on Instagram – including some exciting giveaways – so it’s worth following me there for updates too.
For now, here is a quick round-up of puzzle and mystery Kickstarter projects that are currently live or launching soon:
LIVE NOW
Case File 01: Blackwater Shadows (A Devil of a Mystery)
Ends: Thu, September 24 2026 12:35 AM BST
A Devil of a Mystery is a new series of immersive detective experiences inspired by the landscapes, communities and mysteries of Tasmania. Each archive invites you to reopen a fictional homicide investigation using realistic evidence, multimedia interviews and professional investigative techniques. Rather than reading about detectives solving a crime, you become the detective. You decide which evidence matters. You determine who is telling the truth. You identify the contradictions. You test competing theories. And when the investigation is complete, you decide who should be charged.
[Some AI use – please see the disclaimer on Kickstarter for full details.]
Sjandiva Outdoors – Puzzles in the Peaks (Enigmailed)
Ends: Wed, September 30 2026 9:23 PM BST
It’s a puzzle book disguised as a travel guide. It’s also a travel guide packed with puzzles. Either way, you’ll never look at guidebooks quite the same way again, which is probably sensible. This unique satirical travel guide explores the mountains, forests, coastlines, villages and inexplicable attractions of the world’s most fictional Scandinavian country, with every chapter packed with strange discoveries, ridiculous local history and puzzles hiding in plain sight.
A Question of Dragons (Cosykiller)
Ends: Thu, October 8 2026 5:00 PM BST
At the turn of the first millennium, dragon sightings surged all across Europe. And, in much the same way UFO sightings are reviewed by investigators in the 21st Century, the church was quietly dispatching trained investigators to separate the fact from fiction. A dragon has been reported near the small hamlet of Ashmere. A monk, Brother Osric, has grown close to several of the residents, but when his home is consumed by fire, the locals are too frightened to approach. This leaves Prior Leofsige with the grim responsibility of investigating his death. You’ve been sent his notes. Review the evidence, decrypt the marginalia and decide what really happened to Brother Osric. Was he murdered, or the victim of the dragon?
The Basilica (Encrypted Pieces)
Ends: Fri, October 16 2026 2:00 AM BST
It starts like any jigsaw puzzle. You open the box, pour out the pieces, and begin. But this isn’t any puzzle. Somewhere in the image, a mystery is waiting for you. And when the last piece clicks into place, the real game begins. A 1,000-piece mystery jigsaw puzzle with hidden clues, a secret message, and a physical cipher lock only the sharpest eyes can open. Each game includes a fully resettable, high-quality metal cryptex.
The Basilica begins a story that will unfold across four chapters, each one deepening the same universe and mythology, brought to life by the same independent artist. When Series One is complete, a new series begins with a new artist, a new world, and a new set of relics to claim. The goal was never to make one great puzzle. It was to build something collectors return to, chapter by chapter, series by series, for as long as the mystery runs.
COMING SOON
Doomensions Returns (The Mysterious Package Company) – launches 22 Sept
From the world of Doomensions: Popup-up Mystery Manor, come not one, but two brand new pop-up mystery experiences: Cursed Tomb and Crimson Castle. Packed with a plethora of puzzling ephemera, devious puzzles, and intricately crafted 3D set pieces to explore. What horrors await you in the Egyptian tomb or the gothic castle? You’ll have to play to find out. Whether your vibe is more Indiana Jones or Van Helsing, there is a themed experience perfect for you! Although no one is stopping you from purchasing both…
The Witching Hour (PostCurious) – launches 29 Sept
For generations, dark secrets have haunted the isolated town of Old Miring. Dangerous witches lurk in the shadows, and twice a century, they summon a sinister maze in the dead of night to steal a child away forever. The threat of being taken by the maze has always tormented you, but on the eve of your sixteenth birthday, you’re forced to confront those fears and enter the maze—alone.
The Witching Hour is a narrative tabletop puzzle adventure that combines elements of board games, escape rooms, and interactive fiction. With every puzzle you solve, unlock a new piece of the story and dive deeper into the maze. Beautiful illustrations, tactile artifacts, and a poignant narrative make this puzzletale a one-of-a-kind experience. Can you untangle the mysteries of the past and change your fate before it’s too late?
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