Start with the case file
Open the game’s case file before downloading or printing. It is the place to check availability, difficulty, story background and preparation. A case marked In development is a preview; it does not mean that the game, its print files or a finished physical kit are available.
The free Apprentice’s Test is the exception: it is a browser introduction with nothing to print. It is a useful way to discover the reading, inspection and hint controls first.
Know which book does what
For a case that uses physical books, the Codex is the reusable companion containing shared cipher tools. The game book belongs to the particular mystery. They serve different purposes: owning the Codex alone does not supply every case’s book or required pieces.
The browser carries the story and guides the investigation. A solution booklet, where one is supplied, explains solutions; keep it aside until you want that help. Check the case’s exact requirements rather than assuming every mystery uses the same arrangement.
Prepare one current edition
Use Your Library to find released files and their guidance. Choose single-colour or multicolour where the edition offers both. Colour is optional for those choices; multicolour files require a suitable printer workflow.
Follow the case’s preparation list, beginning with the Codex where required, then its own game book. Game-specific inserts or components may be packaged with that book. Read the instructions before separating parts, and keep the files from the same edition together.
Give the mystery some room
Have a browser, an internet connection, paper for notes and a clear surface ready. A larger screen gives illustrations and the book more space, but the Apprentice can also be played on a phone. Read the game’s guidance for its own requirements.
If you are playing together, agree who will operate the browser and share what you notice. Avoid looking up puzzle answers in advance. Hints are there when an observation or approach needs a nudge.
Check before you begin
- You have selected the right case and edition.
- Every required printed piece is present and assembled as instructed.
- Parts fit and move as their guidance describes.
- You know where the hints and sound options are.
If a part is missing, a mechanism binds or an instruction is unclear, pause and ask for help. Preparation ticks are reminders; they are not proof that a prototype has been physically validated.
