“An envelope lands on the doorstep. Inside is a letter from someone you know, but it is signed ‘Anonymous’. There’s a message for you, but for it to be revealed you must solve the puzzles within. You must solve… The Enigmagram!”
There is nothing more satisfying than a mysterious unexpected envelope appearing through your letterbox (especially when it isn’t a credit card bill)! Say hello to The Enigmagram – the thrilling alternative to a boring greetings card or wedding invitation that you didn’t know you needed.
The premise is simple: a secret message is locked away for you on a password-protected website. This message could be a note, a picture, a video or all three. To gain access, you must solve a series of puzzles that will give you the correct passcode.
When The Enigmagram: Original Edition arrived I couldn’t wait to get stuck in, so I opened it the second I finished work…
First Impressions
The first thing that grabbed me as I opened the distinctive brown and yellow envelope was the personalised letter signed by Anonymous. This personalisation, while small, really adds to that special feeling of receiving something that is meant for you. I also loved that there was a selection of different stamps used on the letter, along with the fancy seal on the back. The puzzles were contained within a string and washer envelope; these are always so satisfying to open.
Inside were eleven puzzles, these included a word search with a special twist, a rolled-up piece of paper with a coded message, a postcard and a polaroid. The quality of these components was great, using a variety of paper stocks and styles, giving them a premium feel. The contents of the envelope are also recyclable, which is a plus.
Gameplay
The Enigmagram: Original Edition is deemed to be the easiest of the physical games released so far (except the Junior Edition). It has a 3/5 difficult rating and took me about 30-45 minutes to complete. It is the perfect option for someone new to the world of puzzles, but I would still recommend it for more advanced puzzlers as it is well put together. The difficulty levels for all of their games are listed on their website, so more challenging options are available.
There was a nice selection of puzzles, including some that require thinking outside of the box and others that are more familiar, such as the word search. To my amusement, a variation of one of the puzzles I had to solve had been featured on an episode of The Mole that I’d watched the evening prior to playing the game. Ironically, this caused me to input an incorrect answer the first time around, as I hadn’t realised that the minor visual differences changed the answer. Serves me right for not doing the work!
When you have finally answered all of the questions it is time to input the passcode into the website and see if you have been successful in getting them all right. It turns out I got one digit wrong, which was clearly indicated, therefore I could go back to the specific puzzle and try again.
I found the hint system to be very well put together. You can get a couple of tiered hints before opting for the solution. All of these worked well, with clear explanations and were found on one page with dropdown boxes, so you don’t need to go back and forth between different pages.
Being a personalised experience with a specific personal message locked away, it doesn’t lend itself to regifting. It is a great one-time experience for someone special however and well worth the money. One thing worth pointing out is that if you are buying this for someone else, you can choose to tick a box during the order that adds a note instructing the recipient to not open the envelope until a certain date. This means you don’t have to worry about ordering last minute and trying to time the delivery for a specific date. It really feels like every detail has been thought of.
One final thing I loved was that once you have completed the game and accessed your message, you are encouraged to give feedback via a special form. This isn’t standard practice for a lot of games, but I think it is essential for companies that wish to improve their offering.
Note: The internet is not required to solve the puzzles, but is needed to enter your passcode and retrieve the secret message.
Verdict
Original Edition (The Enigmagram)
Summary
The Enigmagram: Original Edition is the first of the series that I have played and it will not be the last. Beautifully presented, lovingly crafted and with the best payoff you can get – a message tailored just for you. This game is perfect for puzzle lovers, but also very accessible for those who have yet to dabble in this area.
Why not give someone the gift of mystery for their next birthday or anniversary and send them a copy? The game is just £14.99 with free delivery in the UK and can be purchased from The Enigmagram’s online shop. If the recipient is a more seasoned puzzler perhaps consider sending them the 4th Edition which has a 4/5 difficult rating and is the latest game to be released.
Alternatively, you can pass this review on to a friend with a few winks and nudges and who knows what might land on your doormat before the week is out…
About The Enigmagram
The Enigmagram is a UK-based company founded by Tom and Louise. So far they have released five Enigmagram games, including a Junior edition aimed at ages 8-12 and an Arcade Edition which is digital-only.
Their most recent release is the 4th Edition.
Disclaimer: This game was kindly provided by The Enigmagram as a review copy in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences the content of my reviews.
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