/pic8739904.jpg)
The Voynich manuscript, named after the bookseller who discovered it in 1912, is an enigma that has resisted human curiosity for over 600 years. Is it an otherworldly botanical treatise? A secret code of alchemists? Or perhaps an elaborate hoax by some medieval genius Every theory falters before the abyss of its unknown author, its incomprehensible purpose, and its unreadable language. But one thing is certain: whoever delves into its pages will never see the world the same way again. Now, the manuscript has fallen into your hands. Will you be able to decipher its secrets and piece together this mysterious puzzle? The ink is dry, but the story lives on... and you are about to write its next chapter.
In The Voynich Puzzle, you will collectively try to decipher the Voynich manuscript, using your copy of the book as the main tool to do it. As the collective understanding of the manuscript grows, you will be able to gradually decipher pages on your book, improving your chances to decode it. The player with the most overall knowledge at the end of the game, will be the winner.
On your turn, you will select a double page on your book, and perform the actions on the top side of those pages(cards). Each pair of pages will allow you to interact with one of the 5 main sections of the manuscript (botany, astrology, baths, writing and recipes). Once you gain enough knowledge on an area, you will share that knowledge, adding a piece of the puzzle that the manuscript represents. All players will have access to that knowledge, helping them decipher the manuscript, which is represented by the turning and flipping of the cards in your book. Deciphering the manuscript gives you access to better actions and endgame scorings, so it should be your main focus of the game.
The game ends when the marker of any player reaches the endgame icon on the 52nd space. End the round so all players have played the same number of turns, and then all players play one more turn, before performing endgame scoring.
—description from the publisher
- Unique puzzle-driven experience; world reacting to actions
- UI/component fiddliness; reported issues base on prior expectations
- puzzle/logic with tension and strategy
- puzzle-solving in a mysterious setting
- enigmatic puzzle experience
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- puzzle solving with difficulty spikes — players solve visual/logic challenges; world reacts with icons
- two-board interaction with components — the game uses a map board and a puzzle element with sticky fiddly components
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm getting a little bit jaded, tired, fed up with recipe games.
- The card play mechanism was the USP for this game, and it's a really interesting one.
- Speak Easy might become my number one favorite Lasserta game.
- The campaign itself is really, really good.
- If you like Lost Ruins of Arnak, you must play the campaign.
References (from this video)
- one of the most unique games imaginable
- highly interdependent systems that reward long-term planning
- steep learning curve
- can be lengthy to play and digest
- puzzle-solving, research, and manuscript exploration
- a book-centered tableau with four actions that vary per game
- interwoven action tracks where progress in one area affects others
- Windmill Valley
- Formage
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action drafting — on each turn you flip to a new page and take a distinct action
- intertwined scoring tracks — advancing in one track influences and multiplies scoring in another
- page-action drafting — on each turn you flip to a new page and take a distinct action
- puzzle-piece placement — center puzzle pieces are placed to unlock upgrades and progress
- Resource management — resources are used to upgrade cards and advance tracks
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- One of the most unique games I've played in a while
- crunchy sort of puzzy style
- If you liked Revive... you like that weight of game