The Gilded Carcanet (Escape Room Geeks) // Review

The Gilded Carcanet is a print-and-play puzzle adventure game from Escape Room Geeks. The game follows the adventures of Professor Bartholomew and his student Oscar as they embark on a dangerous adventure. They must travel the globe, solving puzzles that stand in their way, before an ancient treasure falls into the wrong hands. This review focuses on the first of three chapters which can be bought individually or in a trilogy bundle.

What you need: A pair of scissors, pencil and paper. Once you have downloaded and printed the game; no internet connection is required.

Players: 1-4 // Age: 16+ // Playtime: 1.5-2 hours // Difficulty: 4.5/5

First impressions

The artwork by Natasa Andonova is wonderful; as is the art style. Unfortunately, my current lack of a colour printer meant I had to print the game in black and white. I would have preferred to play it in colour for aesthetic reasons, however, it plays perfectly well in monochrome.

The game is easy to download and the instruction sheet gives you all the information you need to start the game. One great feature of print-and-play games is how easy they are to travel with. It is amazing how much gameplay can be packed into a pile of A4 sheets and it is perfect for a train journey, game night or to play by yourself in a cosy cafe.

Story

“An ancient treasure has been said to be buried on a small island outside the coast of Turkey. Little is known about it and its existence has been heavily debated in the archaeology community. Professor in archaeology, Bartholomew Wilson, has always dismissed the idea as a myth, until now.

Armed only with a mysterious letter and a cheap souvenir from his old friend Edward, Bartholomew and Oscar set out on an epic adventure. Even though they find a very helpful item along the way, adventuring is not easy and their path turns out to be full of challenges to overcome.” – Escape Room Geeks

Gameplay

Getting started

Once you have read the instructions it is time to start the game. The first thing you are instructed to do is flip over the remaining pages in the pile. You must then turn them one at a time until you reach a sheet with a task/question. The task must be completed before you can progress to the next page. Keep an eye on the top right-hand corner of the pages, as you will be told when you can discard certain pages along the way. This will help ensure you are only left with pages that may help you progress.

Puzzles

The selection of puzzles in this game varies in style and difficulty. Some require you to cut out and rearrange puzzle pieces, while others are logic-based or involve deciphering codes. There is something for everyone. The puzzles are perfectly interwoven with the game’s setting and are satisfying to complete. A particularly fun part of the game involves piecing together specific pages that gradually build into a journal. This journal contains cryptic clues to aid your puzzling solving and flicking through it made me feel more immersed in the experience.

Hints

The handy ‘Answer Checker’ sheet makes it easy to confirm whether or not you have the correct answer. This also means that once you have printed everything off, you don’t need to use the internet at all.

A ‘Hints and Walkthrough’ pdf is also included with the game. There are three levels of hints you can use, the first offers a light nudge in the right direction and the further levels give you additional information. If you cannot solve the puzzle you can use the walkthrough to see a step-by-step breakdown of how to get to the solution.

Difficulty

I found some of the puzzles more difficult than others but didn’t need to use the hints for this game. I would personally say the difficulty level sits more at a medium difficulty but this is based on my own experiences. Newcomers to puzzle solving may indeed find it more difficult.

Verdict

About Escape Room Geeks

Disclaimer: Escape Room Geeks kindly provided me with a review copy of this game in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences the content of my review.