Note: This preview uses pre-release components and rules. What you see here may be different from the final, published game.
Your child finds a dusty envelope hidden among their books. Inside is a secret message to be encoded. Once they’ve solved the puzzle and contacted the League of Treasure Hunters, your family is off on an adventure to find the treasure of Flintlock Flynn!
The Lost Treasure of Flintlock Flynn is a multi-stage puzzle game intended for families. Player count is 2+ and age range starts around seven.
Gameplay Overview:
The Lost Treasure of Flintlock Flynn introduces kids to the puzzle game genre with a fun quest that will lead them through treasure maps, old journals, spy gear, and basic ciphers that spells out a tale of adventure and betrayal.
The story starts by ‘seeding’ the secret note where your kid might find it. Deciphering the code will lead them to an email address, and the introduction to the notorious Flintlock Flynn and his booty. The box will come with several ‘mailings’. A new mailing arrives (you can seed it among their things again or have them pull it from the mailbox) with a few puzzles to solve to progress the story.
Each new packet might include items, newspaper clippings, music, or items to be poked, prodded, decoded, and worked out to advance the story. Working through each packet should take about thirty minutes to an hour and there are six packets in total. At the end of the journey you’ll receive your very own chest filled with gems and gold as proof of your deductive prowess!
Game Impressions:
The story of Flintlock Flynn Enemy includes spies, mysterious leagues, pirates, and X marks the spot. All this will captivate and entertain your child. And in addition to a fun adventure, the puzzles will have them breaking codes, looking up websites, exploring language, and using lateral thinking and deduction in order to help the League reach the lost treasure.
The items included in the game will excite youngsters as well – a golden compass, aged notes, and a wooden chest filled with treasure are just a few of the things that will enhance the sense of adventure, add something tangible to the story, and as well as aid in solving the puzzles.
A couple clever youngsters will likely get through this on their own with a little guidance, younger kids may need some heavier pointers. Since the game itself is set up as part puzzle game and part storytelling, making small adjustments to enhance it for your sleuths should be easy. The Journal of Flintlock Flynn definitely shines as a family game focused on kids (adults will make short work of the puzzles on their own.)
The interactive website adds another level of mystery, and the entire game as a whole is a fantastic tool for teaching problem solving skills and lateral thinking. As there are multiple pieces to each mailing, we found that the kids could work on it together without our help. Additionally, we found with a little clever use of the scanner we were able to work through the puzzle without damaging any pieces and can pass it along to another family.
Final Thoughts:
The Journal of Flintlock Flynn is a clever interactive story and puzzle game for gamers hoping to introduce their tots to the genre. Players of all ages will become immersed in the adventure story, and parents will appreciate a game that teaches problem solving and detection. And there’s booty awaiting where X marks the spot!
The Journal of Flintlock Flynn launches today on Kickstarter, so head over to their campaign page to become a backer or find out more information.
As always, we don’t post ratings for preview copies as the components and rules may change from the final game. Check back with us after the game is produced for a full review.
