Photo above is property of Puzzling Pursuits
Company: Puzzling Pursuits
Game: Origins & Ends
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Language: English
Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬
Genre: Detective
Date Played: October 1, 2022
Difficulty (based on 2 players): 8/10
Size of Team: Unlimited (Recommended 1-6 ppl)
Time: Unlimited (Approx 2-4 hrs)
Price: $34.95 (FREE Standard Shipping in the US)
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Two days has passed since your encounter with Reager. Though she escaped your grasps, you were able to save her brother, Alfred, who is now recovering in the hospital. In and out of consciousness, Alfred is able to recount the terrifying situation that he had to endure. One thing that sticks out is that he is sure Reager will return home to Cordelia St. Manor one last time to gather her belongings before relocating, possibly going into hiding forever. Making note of Alfred’s description of the secret underground section of the manor, you know you cannot let this opportunity slip away. Serving as the third and final installment of the Blackbrim series, you contact Commissioner Farodson and his officers and make your way to the mansion to confront Reager and hopefully end this once and for all.
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Opening the sturdy and authentic cardboard box, you find 2 dossiers labeled Part I and II. Inside each of them contains either envelopes that are clearly marked with what you need for the story or some loose papers and contents.
Photos above are property of Puzzling Pursuits
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Starting the game, the story that is laid out is short to read but engaging no doubt. Everything that we had to take out and use was high quality. We were pulled right into the urgency of what needed to be done and solved right away. The game was also easy to navigate as each envelope was well marked and had an engrossing narrative to it which allowed us to explore everything right away.
The game has an amazing online section. Going to the website, you can find hints, a recap of the previous stories if you have never played their previous games or need a quick refresher, an inventory list to ensure you have all the contents in each envelope and finally an “Enhance your Game Night” section. In there, you will find food, drinks, costumes and music you can play to spice up your experience. There is also a solution checker, which you will need to use. Not only will it confirm your solutions along the way, but it will also be what progresses the story and tells you what to open in certain parts of the story.
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
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Both parts of the game could be played non-linearly, with the answers to all the puzzles leading to a meta puzzle. This was nice as we could divide and conquer as well as work on bits and pieces at a time and try different ideas out as we checked them all out. One tip is to make sure to check both sides of the paper. At times, we were stuck on a puzzle but found out later that more information was needed on the back of the paper.
The puzzles were clearly marked with the order and everything you needed but this was a tough game with some tough puzzles. These puzzles did remind me of a puzzle-hunt type game that had some minimal cluing as well as some tough logic puzzles to solve. There was not a ton of material for each puzzle, but you needed to find out how to use it properly and how everything ties together. We really loved the theming of the puzzles though. There was a nice variety to them that fit and flowed with the game.
The hint system for this game was amazing and one of the best I have seen. There were many level of hints for each puzzle and each laid out a full explanation of what they wanted us to observe or do with some even providing an example of what their explanation meant.
Photos above are property of Puzzling Pursuits
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"Origins & Ends" was a gratifying conclusion to the full trilogy of Blackbrim games. The minimal but intense story draws you into the game quite quickly. The puzzles were on the tougher side which reinforces the idea that you should play the games in order and not be afraid to use the well thought out hint system. Not only will the story play out better if you play the boxes in order but the puzzles in each of the boxes ramp up nicely as you reach the finale and attempt to take down Reagar. With a mostly non-linear set up, we played with 2 experienced players but this game would also play well with up to 5 people as well. If you are fan of minimal reading but immersive games or more difficult puzzles this is a great game and series to enjoy with a group of friends.
(If you do decide to try this game, please remember to let them know that you heard it from"ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
Disclosure: We thank Puzzling Pursuits for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.