What an armchair detective game actually feels like
You open the case file, you start reading, and your next move is whatever the evidence suggests. If you miss something, you go back. If something doesn't fit yet, you set it aside for later. That's how investigations actually work, and it's how these games are built to be played.
The puzzles aren't sudokus dropped into a story. They're the ciphers the people in the case used to protect what they were sending, and the locks the case has put around the truth. Solving them is how you find out what happened.
The Trilogy
The Vandermist Dossier
Chapter one, set in a small Dutch town in 1979. An eighteen-year-old disappears, and the dossier she leaves behind tells a story nobody could put together at the time.
- 1 to 5 players
- €69.70
The Medusa Report
Chapter two, set in 1974. A classified file from a secret intelligence agency, recently declassified. A rescue mission into the USSR, a missing nuclear physicist, and a paper trail that doesn't match the official record.
- 1 to 5 players
- €69.70
The Ultimate Bundle
Both case files in one box. Five years apart, one Abigail Vandermist, and a few connections you'll only notice with both files in front of you.
- Vandermist + Medusa
- €125.46 (saves €13.94)
The third chapter in the series, The Nightingale Pact, is in development and will hit Kickstarter in 2026.
| Great for | Maybe save this for another time if |
|---|---|
| True crime podcast listeners | You want a clean win-or-lose game with rules |
| Cold case nonfiction readers | You're looking for a 30-minute filler |
| Escape room veterans who want more | You're playing with children under 14 |
| Anyone who pauses a documentary to look something up | You want the answers up front |
How they're made
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Built like real artifacts
Every prop in the box is sourced and aged to match its period. From the weight of Abigail’s letters to the binding of the Medusa files, each detail is designed to feel authentic and lived-in.
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Made in the Netherlands
We produce everything locally to keep complete control over the details. The paper, printing, finishes, and assembly all happen with care, so every box feels consistent from start to finish.
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Designed to stay off-screen
The entire experience lives in the box, not on your phone. If you get stuck, there’s an online hint page with progressive clues that guide you without spoiling the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to play Vandermist before Medusa?
You don't. Each case is a complete story on its own.
Vandermist is chapter one chronologically, which is why most people start there.
Medusa is the Cold War file from five years earlier, and it's a perfectly good first game if its story pulls you in more than the missing persons case does.
Can I play these solo?
Yes. A lot of our players do. The pacing changes (you'll usually take longer than a pair would, because you're doing all the reading yourself), but the games are designed to work for one to five players.
How long does a case take to solve?
Most players spend somewhere between 2 and 4 hours per case. Solo play tends to run longer. Couples often split a case across two evenings. There's no timer, so the pace is yours.
Are hints available if we get stuck?
Yes. There's a progressive hint page online for each case, designed to nudge without spoiling. You decide when to use it.
Are the games colorblind-friendly?
Mostly, yes. The Vandermist Dossier and the Dream Journal don't have any puzzles that depend on distinguishing colors.
The Medusa Report has one color-dependent puzzle. If you're colorblind and considering Medusa, get in touch before you order and we'll talk you through it so you can decide.
Are the cases based on real events?
The cases are fiction, but the world around them is researched closely. The 1970s detail (the paper, the bindings, the references, the cultural texture) is accurate to the period.
When is chapter three coming out?
We're working on it. Sign up for the newsletter and you'll hear before anyone else.
Do the games have any digital components?
Vandermist and Medusa are fully physical. The whole game lives in the box. The only digital element is the optional online hint page if you want it.