“Encrypted Pieces” on Kickstarter: Ricardo sends Puzzle Fans on a Treasure Hunt

Kickstarter has helped bring plenty of fantastic new games to life. Now, a campaign is launching for “Encrypted Pieces”, a new mystery jigsaw puzzle designed to appeal to fans of 1,000-piece puzzles as well as puzzle and adventure junkies. To mark the launch, creator Ricardo (27) explains how he came up with the idea and what players can expect from the first instalment, “The Basilica”. [ARTIKEL AUF DEUTSCH LESEN]

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I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found jigsaws incredibly boring—even when combined with escape room-style puzzles. If the number of pieces is manageable, as it is in games like “The Dark Castle” (read my review in German) from Kosmos’s EXIT series, I’m in. But Ravensburger’s EXIT puzzles, where you put together an image made up of more than 700 pieces and then solve a few mini-puzzles, have never felt particularly satisfying to me. They’re cool when I’m in the mood to do a jigsaw. But as a fan of escape room style puzzles, I’ve mostly found them disappointing.

For some time now, however, there has been an exciting development in this genre in the English-speaking world. I keep coming across jigsaw puzzles that try to offer a real reward after the lengthy process of putting them together. With puzzles from “Theory11”, “OddPieces” and “Magic Puzzle Company”, completing the image is meant to be only the beginning—the real adventure comes afterwards. So while other puzzles are already being taken apart and put back in the box, these are where the real fun is just getting started.

Mystery Jigsaw “Encrypted Pieces” launches with “The Basilica”

There could soon be a new star in the adventure-puzzle sky, as a new campaign has just launched on Kickstarter. “Encrypted Pieces” is the name of the new series, which is set to begin with “The Basilica”. It’s a 1,000-piece jigsaw that is bound to make puzzle fans curious, if only because the box contains more than just countless little pieces of cardboard: it also includes a cryptex, like the one many people will recognise from the film “The Da Vinci Code”. Here, putting the small pieces together is only meant to be the first step. So what comes after that? I asked creator Ricardo Leidenz to explain.

Ricardo is 27 years old and originally from Venezuela, but currently lives in Austin, Texas. He works as a pharmacy technician in his day job, but riddles and jigsaw puzzles have always been his passion. As he puts it: “I have always loved puzzles, ever since I was a little kid.” Today, he actively collects them, mainly looking for jigsaws with an interesting twist, a unique concept or simply particularly beautiful artwork. But that search was often frustrating, too: Ricardo kept looking for puzzles that felt like a treasure hunt or an escape room—“something that actually rewarded you for completing it.”

There are already several puzzles with surprises on the market. Ricardo has tried many of them, including jigsaw puzzles from “OddPieces” and the escape room puzzles in the “Escape Room The Game Puzzle Adventures” series. Each one was unique. But the 27-year-old says: “None of them fully gave me what I was looking for.” He adds: “After completing some, the twist felt interesting but not truly rewarding. That gap is exactly what I set out to fill.”

How the Mystery Jigsaw Puzzles from “Encrypted Pieces” work

Each “Encrypted Pieces” game will be divided into three acts, the creator explains. First, the players read a short comic that introduces the story. Then they assemble the 1,000-piece jigsaw. Ricardo describes what happens next: “In Act Two, once the puzzle is complete, the player follows a set of mysterious instructions that help reveal the cipher hidden within the illustration.” In the third act, they crack the cipher lock—and as a reward, the player receives the lost relic at the heart of the story. Another comic then brings the story to a close. The first game, “The Basilica”, will be only the beginning.

The Story of “Encrypted Pieces” revolves around an Archaeologist

That’s because the story of “Encrypted Pieces” is set to unfold across several puzzles. It revolves around Meredith Beaufort, an ancient history professor with a doctorate in archaeology. “One day, while getting ready for class, a mysterious letter appears”, Ricardo says. He continues: “When she reads it, she discovers that it points toward the location of an ancient lost relic, and so she sets out to find it hidden within The Basilica.”

Ricardo reveals: “What Meredith finds there points her toward a new location and another lost relic, and so the adventure continues, until she finally uncovers what the mysterious letter was leading her toward all along.” A look at the creator’s website reveals that “The Basilica” will be followed by “The Dungeon”, “The Pyramid” and “The Ending”. The creator explains his ambition: “My goal is to create a full adventure that draws players in and leaves them genuinely wanting to know what comes next.”

Every Mystery Jigsaw Puzzle takes a lot of work

But what is meant to look so simple on the table is the result of months of work. At first, progress was fast, Ricardo says: “I designed the ciphers, structured the illustration, hired an artist, mapped out how all the puzzles would connect, and even designed the template that would be used to cut the puzzle.” After all, it had been clear from the beginning that “Encrypted Pieces” would include specially shaped pieces. In particular, getting the illustration, hidden cipher and cutting template to work together proved challenging. With a puzzle like this, everything ultimately has to fit together perfectly for it to work.

Anyone who enjoys jigsaw puzzles can therefore look forward to discovering the secrets hidden within “Encrypted Pieces”. The Kickstarter campaign to fund the first instalment, “The Basilica”, has just launched. It marks a step towards Ricardo’s big wish: making his own games available to other puzzle fans. As he says: “With Encrypted Pieces, I hope I can set the foundation for a company that turns that dream into a reality.” There should certainly be an audience for it—because while some people find putting all those little pieces together incredibly boring, others simply can’t get enough of it.

The best Recommendations from Puzzle Fan Ricardo

Ricardo himself finds puzzles deeply relaxing. “There is something special about disconnecting from screens and focusing on a hands-on activity.” He often listens to audiobooks while puzzling and can lose himself completely in the experience. “I think that combination of focus, calm and tangible progress is what keeps people coming back.”

And for anyone looking for other puzzles to try while waiting for “Encrypted Pieces” to be completed, collector Ricardo has a couple of hot tips: his favourites include puzzles from “Magic Puzzle Company” and “Pandora’s Legacy”, the latter of which was created by PostCurious, the company that also gave us games such as “The Emerald Flame” (read my review in German). The jigsaws were a huge inspiration to the 27-year-old. “And they played a big role in helping me discover something I genuinely want to dedicate myself to: creating experiences that people love as much as I love those two.”