The Fifth Column is an immersive puzzle game from US-based Puzzling Pursuits. Travel back to the end of World War II to assist with a critical mission to save many lives. Crack clues and decipher codes to uncover details of the secret plot before it is too late!
Players: 1-6 // Age: 14+ // Playtime: 2-4 hours
What you need: A pen/pencil and paper. An internet-connected device.
Story
June 1945, Manhattan—The city celebrates the recent surrender of Nazi Germany during WWII, but peril lurks in the shadows. A group of extreme Nazi loyalists has evaded Allied defenses and taken up residence in the heart of Manhattan, seeking revenge. With sinister plans brewing, the stakes could not be higher. Can you foil the plans of The Fifth Column?
First impressions
The Fifth Column is the first game I’ve played from Puzzling Pursuits and it definitely won’t be the last. The quality of the game box grabbed me as I unpacked it, with the front featuring a striking image of Manhattan and a mysterious silhouetted officer. The back includes a summary of the game, information about Puzzling Pursuits and a glimpse at some of the contents.
Inside, a welcome guide details what to expect, with instructions on how to play the game and an inventory to check that all items are present. It also includes a very helpful guide for players who are new to Puzzling Pursuits, or puzzle games in general. The guide outlines key things to look out for during gameplay and shares information on the types of puzzles that may crop up (e.g. ciphers, anagrams). Also in the box are two ‘briefcase’ folders, labelled Part 1 and Part 2, which house the components for each specific part of the game.
I won’t talk about everything in the box in too much detail, so as not to spoil the contents. I will say that the overall quality of the components is fantastic and the attention to detail is really impressive. In particular, I love the authentic-looking ID card that has been masterfully recreated and is indiscernible from a real-life document. Another small but beautiful detail is an embossed golden seal at the top of a letter from the Department of War. Documents are printed on a range of different paper stock which creates a rich, tactile quality. Some of these even include stains or water smudges which further add to their realism. I was pleased to find that, for documents where you may need to write on them in pencil, it was easy to use an eraser without pulling the ink off or damaging the print.
Gameplay
Getting Started
The box contains one complete story split across two distinct parts, each taking roughly 1-2 hours to complete. Part 1 ends with an obvious stopping point, making it easy to pause and continue with Part 2 at a later time. Part 2 contains a recap card for refreshing your memory if you don’t play both parts in one sitting. It also has a sheet with the answers from part 1, in case you don’t have them to hand or didn’t save them.
You’ll need to access the online Companion Guide to check your answers as you play. This is a simple-to-use website where you select options from a dropdown list, such as “Check Solutions” or “View Inventory List”. When you correctly enter a solution, it will unlock more of the story and guide you on what to do next.
Puzzles
The puzzles are really well constructed and themed perfectly within the context of the game’s setting. For instance, you will find yourself cracking codes, investigating posters for secret messages, taking stock of rations and reading telegrams. There is a great mix of riddles, ciphers, maths puzzles and more. I enjoyed the ‘ah-ha’ moments when a puzzle clicked together and found that there was good signposting throughout.
One part of the game that I adored involved a newspaper with multiple layers of puzzles. This was incredibly satisfying to solve. I also relished exploring the beautifully designed map of Midtown Manhattan, which holds numerous secrets of its own. As the game goes on, you will unlock more items to help discover new secrets among the components. Overall, there were some very clever puzzles in this game and I loved every single one of them!
Hints & Difficulty
The clue system lives within the online Companion Guide under “Get Extra Clues”. The hints are very clear and the fact that they are tiered means that you can control how much information you access. So if you just need a little nudge, the first hint should help. I found this game quite challenging in places, so did rely on the hint system a little. I played it solo and perhaps input from other team members would have made it a bit easier. Not to say that being challenged is a bad thing, after all, a good puzzle should be enjoyable and push your brain at the same time.
Bonus Content
As you play through the game, you may find yourself wondering how much of the story is real. Handily, the game creators at Puzzling Pursuits have put together a fantastic “fact or fiction” blog post that will answer these questions. It is well worth a read!
If you are looking to enhance your game night experience further, you’ll be delighted to know that a blog post on this topic is also available. It includes recommendations for cocktails and food items that fit within the world of the game, which could help make your night even more immersive and memorable.
Lastly, Puzzling Pursuits has put together a free puzzle archive that they will continually update with new content. This features a variety of puzzles with different difficulty levels and is a great way of getting a taste of their work.
Verdict
The Fifth Column
Summary
The Fifth Column is a superb puzzle adventure that transports players back in time through a gripping narrative, realistic and tactile components and clever puzzles. The game is well-researched, which shows through the attention to detail throughout, adding to the sense of immersion.
With 2-4 hours of gameplay, you can experience the game all at once, or split the two parts across multiple sittings. Either way, there is plenty of gameplay to keep you busy!
If you haven’t tried a Puzzling Pursuits game yet, I would highly recommend this as a great place to start, especially given it is a one-box self-contained story.
About Puzzling Pursuits
Puzzling Pursuits is a US-based game company from husband and wife Andy and Catherine. They create immersive play-at-home puzzle games spanning a variety of themes.
Eight games have been released so far, including the Blackbrim Trilogy, Famiglia Trilogy, The Fifth Column and a holiday-themed online game called Mission: Elfpossible.
A new game, Cryptid, is on target to launch later this year.
Disclaimer: Puzzling Pursuits kindly sent me a copy of this game in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences the content of my review.
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