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Company: Professor Puzzle
Game: Curse of the Dark
Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Language: English
Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬
Genre: Monster, Cursed Village
Date Played: August 7, 2022
Difficulty (based on 2 players): 7/10
Size of Team: 1-6 Players (Ages 14+)
Time: 2.5-4 Hrs.
Price: $28.99 USD
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You are a well-known investigator who receives a mysterious note, begging for your assistance! Villagers are reporting that their mountain village of Mordengraf has been besieged by a monster that lives in the local castle and has been preying on townsfolk. You are intrigued by the bizarre accusations and head there to see if you can uncover the truth behind these rumors. Will you be able to find the “monster,” save the villagers, and escape yourself? Or will you be the next to fall prey to this mysterious creature…?
While this game is heavier on the puzzling than the narrative, there is a cohesive story that develops over the course of the experience. It does feel a bit jumpy or incomplete at times, but overall it does a nice job of leading you through the castle and your discoveries. At the end, you will have a choice to make, one aspect of which could irk some players. However, this will lead you to reflect on the story, what you've learned, and how you personally want to handle the situation you've uncovered. It gave us a few extra moments to appreciate the game and take one last pass through the well thought-out materials.
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"Curse of the Dark" looks fantastic on the table, particularly by the end of the game! Inside the box you'll find the rule book, a journal, a deck of small cards, tile pieces, a decoder wheel, and a variety of other items that you discover along the way. Both the tiles and many of the cards have highly detailed and appropriately ominous artwork…just what you might expect to see next time you break into a strangely dark and apparently deserted castle! The color palette is varied while remaining on theme - it's not one of those 'every castle room is dark and foggy' types of experiences. It's worth taking some time to examine the tiles and cards both to appreciate the artwork, as well as to find key details that you might otherwise overlook. And while you largely build out as you play, there are also some striking three-dimensional components that build up, enhancing the scene. You will need a decently sized table to accommodate everything. They say you need an 85cm x 85cm play area (~33 x 33in); that is just for the castle tiles themselves. It’s nice to be able to spread out and have room for all the extras!
Most of the components are very high-quality, particularly given the price point. The tiles are very thick and sturdy, just like you would hope a castle would be! The cards, decoder wheel, booklets, and some of the other items also seem very well-produced. Unfortunately, there were a few items that felt a bit flimsier, either just being hard to keep in shape or actually tearing. One was just a minor annoyance, but another led to some inconsistency or imprecision in one of the puzzles. This was pretty much our only criticism of the game as a whole; though, for the cost, you might actually expect more cheap components and fewer of the really high-quality ones that make up the majority in the box.
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Throughout "Curse of the Dark", you are venturing into and exploring Castle Mordengraf. There are 22 puzzles to solve along the way! Each time you solve a puzzle, you will be told to draw tiles and/or cards. Each tile represents a part of the landscape, which will be added to the table in front of you. Some cards are also part of the village or castle, while others contain story text, puzzles, pictures, or other information. At some points, you may also be directed to grab some of the other items from the box. Read everything carefully! What appears to be exposition may also contain instructions and clues. Cards and tiles themselves may also direct you to take additional cards or tiles, so be sure to examine them thoroughly. A flashlight is also needed at times. The answer to each puzzle is a symbol, which you will look up in the rule book. You will then scratch off the area under the symbol that you have selected to see if you are correct, and which cards/tiles to access if you are.
The game is divided into two sections of ~90 minutes each; we played the first half in 1:42 and the second in 1:36 (plus ~5 minutes for setup each time). It is intended to be a one-time experience, with a number of components that need to be altered. You'll want your elementary school skill set for more than one puzzle!! We know many folks enjoy these aspects, and there is something to be said for experiencing the game precisely as the designers intended. While it is possible to avoid making any permanent changes in order to pass the box on, doing so does feel a bit more cumbersome at times than for many other games.
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We generally found the puzzles in this game to be satisfying, logical, and often creative! As mentioned above, there is one puzzle that relied on manipulating some thin cardboard pieces in their stands. The looseness in the stands and the flimsiness of the cardboard made this one a bit more imprecise than it could have been, though we were able to work things out in the end without any hints. There was one other puzzle where one aspect seemed slightly unclear, but the ambiguity didn't impact our ability to solve it. Overall we felt it was a strong game from a puzzling perspective, with no leaps of logic or major guesswork required! With 22 puzzles included, there is plenty of variety, including some nice physical manipulation aspects. We also appreciated that there is a smoothly graduated hint and solution system in the rulebook. It starts by just telling you which components you need to use for the puzzle, which was sufficient for us in the two cases we used hints. (Silly errors on our part both times!) There is one online component requiring a QR code scanner; while musicians will gravitate to it, non-musicians will find it clearly explained, and all will appreciate the option to incorporate your device into a thematic component of the game itself for a more immersive experience.
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🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂
"Curse of the Dark" was a lot of fun and definitely a game that we recommend. While we tend to enjoy most games with 2 people, and 6 players could be a bit much, the large play area and many items involved in gameplay does make this one more appropriate for larger groups than many tabletop games - possibly a costume or Halloween party! While it is recommended for 14+, there is nothing content-wise that really would preclude younger players in the 10+ range, other than a mildly creepy theme. While the puzzles vary in difficulty and could be challenging, the comprehensive hint and solution system does make it more accessible to less experienced players. Overall, for those like us who particularly value puzzles over extensive narrative, who appreciate the creation of an entire 3D scene on your table, and/or who just want to explore a creepy castle together (and try to save the village!), this one might be right up your alley! It would also make a great gift for someone who likes spooky puzzles and adventures.
HINT: Don’t assume things are only used once…We also recommend playing the game in a cooler environment (not in the middle of a heat wave)!
Check out our interview with the creator to understand more on the development side of this game:
Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
Disclosure: We thank Professor Puzzle 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.
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