The Vandermist Dossier (2022)

About this game

In this box are the remains of a cold case from 1979: all clues collected by teenage amateur sleuth Abigail Vandermist, before she disappeared herself. Solve puzzles to unwind the story and uncover the truth. The player or players can investigate any document in the game at any moment, until they find something that looks like a puzzle. When they solve it, they'll find a clue for how to approach the next one. The players have a clear end goal: find out what happened to Abigail Vandermist in August 1979. When they find the answer, they'll enter it into the website and get an online epilogue. This is a one-off game, but regiftable after play.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 5. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 2.2/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 14 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.