The Charm of Christmas Past is a festive play-at-home puzzle experience that mixes beautifully crafted physical components, tactile gameplay and a heartwarming narrative. UK-based escape room company The Escapement have assembled the perfect game to get you into the festive mood!
Players: 1-6 // Age: 12+ // Playtime: 2-3 hours
What you need: A pen/pencil and notepad. A pair of scissors. An internet-connected device.
Story
“Herbert & Whites solicitors have contacted you regarding the estate of a one Winifred Maud Brisley. Who, upon the 100th anniversary of her passing, instructed that one thousand households across the globe receive a bequest from her estate.
You have been identified as one of the benefactors and as such, you are invited to collect your mysterious inheritance.”
First impressions
As we move into December everything has gotten decidedly more Christmassy. I’ve had my first mince pie and glass of mulled wine, and the decorations are up! What better way to compliment this than by playing a Christmas puzzle game? I ordered The Charm of Christmas Past a little while back after originally intending to buy The Escapement’s other play-at-home offering, The Network. Given the proximity to Christmas I figured it made more sense to purchase this game first and, if I enjoyed it, grab a copy of The Network at a later date.
The game arrives in a large cardboard box that contains a drawstring sack. On top sits a letter from Herbert and Whites Solicitors, which reads ‘Open First’. The letter informs you that you’ve been left the contents of the sack by the late Lady Winifred Brisley. Her last will instructed that 1000 of these sacks be delivered to random households across the globe on the 100th anniversary of her passing. Mysterious…
Gameplay
Getting started
The reverse of the solicitor’s letter includes gameplay instructions and indicates that you should go online to begin. The website is fairly basic but functions well. Each page consists of an audio clip from Lady Brisley and a password box to enter the puzzle solution. The audio clips are a nice idea to add a new dimension to gameplay. I do, however, think that the voice acting could have been more convincing. It isn’t terrible, but it feels too much like someone is reading from a script rather than feeling natural. There are a couple of hints on each web page, along with the solution; these are audio only. I would have preferred a few more subtle clues ideally, as sometimes I felt like a little nudge would have been enough but I was being given too much.
The Sack
Upon opening the drawstring sack you will find four A4 envelopes labelled Chapter 1-4, a Christmas cracker covered and a beautiful hardback book with an embossed gold title: The Charm of Christmas Past. In Lady Brisley’s first audio message, she informs you that the book contains many puzzles for you to solve. You’ll work through each chapter looking for answers that will unlock more messages, ultimately leading to the final reveal. As you progress through the book, Lady Brisley will let you know when to open each of the brown envelopes that accompany it. These contain items you’ll need to solve the puzzles in the book.
The quality of the physical components is great. A wooden Christmas tree that you assemble as part of the first puzzle would make a perfect Christmas decoration, along with some of the other items you create and encounter along the way. I love the tactile nature of the game. Having physical objects to interact with that aren’t just paper-based, especially when they can live on outside of the context of the game, is a big plus for me.
Puzzles
Flicking through the book you will find a whole range of Christmas-themed puzzles and illustrations. Each of the book’s chapters forms a new puzzle based on a different aspect of Christmas. I’ve already mentioned the Christmas tree, which you’ll need to decorate. There are also puzzles based around gifting, dress codes, ice skating, entertainment and more.
The puzzles consist of a mix of deduction, maths, logic, and pattern recognition with crafts thrown into the mix. Some are more challenging than others, but broadly there is a good selection of puzzle types and range of difficulty. The puzzles aren’t all perfect. I encountered some issues with having multiple potential answers or ways of approaching a task. This led to some confusion but didn’t ruin the game; just wore off a little of its polish. I was excited to find that one puzzle involved doing some crafts, which isn’t something I’ve encountered all too often in games. Decorating the tree was a clever on-theme puzzle mechanism and I particularly loved the meta puzzle at the end. You may notice hints of it laid down throughout the game.
The whole experience culminates in a heartwarming message that hits home the spirit of Christmas. It also allows for some nice options for customising the game and gifting it to someone you care about. This game would be great played with a group of friends or family, but can also be played solo. The perfect Christmas gift for that puzzle lover in your life, or let’s be honest – yourself…
Verdict
The Charm of Christmas Past
Summary
The Charm of Christmas Past is a heartwarming narrative puzzle experience that exudes festive spirit. The beautifully handcrafted components make gameplay more tactile and are worthy of displaying in your home once gameplay is over.
There is a wonderful mix of puzzles themed around Christmas festivities that will inject some fun into your holiday celebrations. Despite a few kinks along the way that could easily be improved, this game is a joy.
If you want to give someone the literal gift of Christmas this festive season, you can’t go wrong with The Charm of Christmas Past!
About The Escapement
The Escapement is a UK-based escape room company operating in Kent.
They currently offer two play-at-home experiences: The Charm of Christmas Past and The Network.
Disclaimer: This game was purchased with my own money. As always, my thoughts are my own.
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