The Posie Ring & The Chapbook (Society of Curiosities) // Review

The Posie Ring & The Chapbook is the second part of an award-winning immersive mystery series from Society of Curiosities. Investigate a Victorian secret society as you attempt to uncover the location of an ancient alchemical manuscript. Search through finely crafted ephemera, including worn photographs, a locket and a constellation chart to discover their hidden secrets.

Players: 1-4 // Age: 14+ // Playtime: 2-3 hours

What you need: A pencil/pen and paper. An internet-connected device.

First impressions

Society of Curiosities has long been heralded as a stand-out purveyor of expertly crafted immersive mysteries. In February, I finally got to experience the first game in their four-part subscription series, Madok’s Lost Treasure. Verdict? I loved it! So much so that I signed up straight away for the complete series. If you don’t feel like taking the plunge for the whole subscription, the first game can be ordered by itself. Then, if you enjoy it, there is an option to upgrade and receive the remaining three games.

I would highly recommend playing Madok first, but it isn’t essential. For those that have, you’ll recognise familiar characters, but other than that, this new chapter functions as a standalone experience. This game is currently only available as part of a subscription and cannot be ordered individually at this time.

Presentation

The Posie Ring & The Chapbook is packaged in a white box with the Society’s insignia stamped on the front. Inside, a selection of ephemera is wrapped in tissue paper, keeping everything intact during the long journey from Hawaii. Physical items include a tiny brown package wrapped in string, a small chapbook, a photo, a constellation chart, a postcard and three envelopes with a ‘do not open’ sticker on.

One of my favourites is a beautiful and authentic-looking locket that plays a key role in one of the puzzles. I also love the little chapbook, which features some wonderful illustrations. The different textures and paper stocks offer a great tactile experience, with one non-paper-based item later on that tickles other senses. Some items are worn and aged, feeling as if they have been plucked right out of the past. Other more modern items are also convincing – in particular, a ‘Mys-tea-rious delights’ individually packaged teabag. It wasn’t something I hadn’t come across in one of these boxed games before, but it was a great addition.

In addition to the physical components, you’ll also use the internet for certain tasks. The websites featured in the game appear realistic and include some cool interactions. The boundaries between reality and fiction blur in a very satisfying way, as you take centre stage in this mission. A shadowy organisation shrouded in secrecy is always a great hook, and I had a lot of fun slowly peeling back the layers of the mystery.

Michelle and Yacine’s attention to detail always blows me away; this game is no exception. It is a huge part of why, years after their initial release, their games still stand out as some of the best in the space. The quality is exceptional and has me excited for future boxes.

Gameplay

Getting started

Aldora Penniwig, Grandmaster of the Society of Curiosities, has written a letter to you outlining your new mission. The first thing you’ll need to do is read this; it sets the scene and provides a checklist of items you should have received. If anything is missing, you can request a replacement; however, everything was present in my box. Once you are confident that all items are included, you can proceed by following the link to the online messaging system.

Throughout the mission, you’ll be conversing with characters via the online messaging system. This will be very familiar if you’ve played Madok’s Lost Treasure, but if you haven’t, it is very easy to use. Once you’ve input the codeword from the mission letter, you’ll receive a message from Pippa O’Shanter (Pip). From this point on, Pip will ask you a question that you’ll need to solve a puzzle to answer. As the game progresses, you’ll unlock envelopes with new items and interact with other characters. One of these you’ll even receive video messages from!

During the mission, you’ll be sent documents to assist you in your investigation. Helpfully, each new document is added to a single page that houses them all. This makes it very easy to quickly view previous documents at any given time, without having to open multiple windows.

Puzzles

Thankfully, the praise doesn’t stop at the presentation. The puzzles in this game were a real treat, employing some creative techniques to hide information. The mark of a great game is also the presence of clear signposting that guides you towards a solution. This might be with subtle visual cues indicating which items should be used together, or keywords hidden in the text. The Posie Ring & The Chapbook had helpful signposting that wasn’t too obvious, but often led to an ah-ha moment after a little thought.

A magical puzzle involving a tea bag was so satisfying. I also loved a puzzle towards the end that involved a lot of 1s and 0s – it had a great ‘ah-ha’ moment. One puzzle I struggled with involved a set of coffee shop loyalty cards. In hindsight, I was a victim of my overthinking, as it turned out to be a lot simpler than I thought. I find it fascinating how one person can find a puzzle super easy, whilst another might stare at the same problem for hours and not find a solution.

Society of Curiosities does a stellar job of taking players through each step of the story with their final recap. This includes a breakdown of each puzzle and its solution, which is particularly helpful if you were unsure how you’d reached a correct answer. Or sometimes a player manages to solve a puzzle in a way that the designer hadn’t intended. End-of-game recaps are a fantastic way to ensure that your players know exactly how they reached the end, without leaving them confused.

Hints & Difficulty

For beginners, this game will offer some challenge, but nothing insurmountable with the addition of hints. Seasoned puzzlers will likely find it to be an easy-medium difficulty. I was a little concerned at the start that the game would be too easy, as I sailed through the first few puzzles. I found that the difficulty did ramp up as I progressed, which led to more rewarding payoffs.

A tiered hint system is available, allowing you to control how much help you get. I didn’t need to use many hints, but those I did were very helpful.

Upon completion, you will get a ‘mission score’ which is based on hints used or incorrect answers. This can be used to rank yourself against other players. How much attention you pay to it is entirely up to you!

Bonus content

If you are intrigued by this game but want to dip your toe in first, I’d recommend trying out Mysterious Map Heist. This is an entirely web-based game that can be played straight after purchase. It lasts 45-90 minutes, depending on your experience level and is currently $12 (around £10). Society of Curiosities also offers this $12 back as credit towards their subscription, should you wish to continue playing the series.

Verdict

About Society of Curiosities