This week, we’ll take a look at the first big, and indeed pleasant game surprise of 2026.
The Shackleton Series: Interactive Puzzle Adventure arrived, and from the outset, it was a game where most at The Meeple Guild were unsure what to expect.
This is a puzzle game, a genre only one guilder had experience with. As with any new type of game, it wasn’t clear whether it would grab our attention and hold it.
The Shackleton Series adds a historical fiction element that many will relish, as the storyline follows the true account of how 28 men became trapped in Antarctica for two years.
As a player, you are transported to 1914, joining Ernest Shackleton’s historic crew. The voyage is often described as one of the greatest survival stories of all time.
Eric Reynolds, co-founder and lead game designer on the project, said the history was a key driver.
“In particular, we wanted to achieve immersion in an incredible true story,” he said via email. “We wanted players to feel as though they were reliving the greatest survival story of all time. We wanted players to be blown away by the historical authenticity of the game, as well as the remarkable feats that Shackleton’s crew endured.
We hope that players can expect everything listed above. The reviews coming in about this game are unanimously positive. We have been so pleased with the player response, and that is due in part to the extensive testing for the series, as well as the ongoing creative excellence we’ve continued to foster within our company.”
So we dived in, and the experience is great.
The genre is, by nature, an extension of cooperative games, which The Meeple Guild has long enjoyed since first playing Pandemic, released in 2008.
The difference here is that players in Shackleton work collectively to solve a handful of puzzles, typically six puzzles across six episodes. You can tackle them together, divide them up among players, or switch when someone gets stumped. However, the group prefers to approach it; collaboration is the key.
There’s no board here, just a collection of mysterious items and clues that must be solved to unravel the episode’s ultimate mystery.
In fact, most traditional “game rules” don’t really apply here, as Reynolds noted.
“Our game is unique in that it doesn’t have rules like a traditional strategy game or board game,” he explained. “There are parameters, and players learn early on that some of the content is superfluous and simply adds to the storytelling. They also learn that much of it is puzzle-laden and must be examined closely.
“They also discover that there are meta-puzzles with specific items needed to conclude. There’s also an entry field where players submit answers they’ve uncovered along the journey. Even those answer fields don’t always follow the same format, so players must stay curious and observant to succeed.
“The most unique mechanic in the game is perhaps the fact that every element of the game is unique.”
Episodes will typically chew through a couple of hours, although it never feels that long. The length feels just about perfect. It requires the right mindset and provides a solid mental workout, but never to the extreme.
“Players can expect several evenings of entertainment,” Reynolds said. “Each envelope is roughly one to two hours of playing time, plus a digital epilogue at the end of the series. Each episode includes several challenging puzzles, hints, and music within the accompanying web app, so there is plenty of support throughout the playtime.
“By the end of the series, players will undoubtedly ask themselves, ‘Is this really a true story?’ Because it is so hard to believe. One customer told us our game prompted them to do a deep dive into Shackleton’s expedition, and they were impressed with how accurate the game was to real history.”
Some players might want more difficult puzzles, but for The Meeple Guild, this one felt just right, to quote Goldilocks. We struggled at times,s but ultimately persevered, and that leaves a definite feeling of accomplishment at the end of a session.
The sense of success builds throughout the evening as the group solves each of the mini-puzzles, solutions that are ultimately needed to unlock the final puzzle that completes the episode.
“Within the world of escape games and puzzles, one of the most satisfying elements of The Shackleton Series is the prominence of the meta puzzle,” Reynolds said. “We listened to fans who raved about a previous game that featured a meta puzzle, so we implemented that structure throughout this entire series.
“This gives puzzle solvers a deep sense of satisfaction and amazement when the episode concludes with a puzzle that can only be solved once all the other puzzles are completed. Think of it like an escape room where you must unlock several boxes before you can unlock the final door.
“This is an extremely difficult task for puzzle designers, ensuring the ending cannot be cheated and that the lead-up puzzles cannot be bypassed, and we achieved it in every episode. We even did it again in the series finale, where there is a meta puzzle built from the solutions of all previous meta puzzles.
“That may sound a little nerdy, but if you enjoy solving puzzles, you understand how significant that is.”
Now, I wouldn’t suggest our group would want to devote six straight game sessions to Shackleton, even as good as it is. However, the game can sit tantalizingly near the game table and be picked up anytime we’re in the mood for a brain challenge.
If there is a downside, it’s that games like this are a one-and-done experience. If you keep the components pristine and use scratch paper, you can pass them along to another group. But you likely won’t replay it yourself; the puzzle solutions will stick in your memory no matter how long you wait.
That said, you’re looking at roughly 12 hours of gameplay (depending on your group). When you factor in the number of players, the entertainment cost per hour is actually quite low.
The Shackleton Series comes from Escape Mail, a Canadian publisher specializing in interactive puzzle games. Based in Calgary, Escape Mail creates immersive, story-driven experiences designed to challenge players with cleverly crafted puzzles and engaging narratives. Learn more at www.theescapemail.com.
In the end, we liked Shackleton as a game experience a lot, so much so that it’s likely to be remembered at year’s end as a top-five game of the year. It’s well worth seeking out.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
COLLECTIVELY WORKING TO SOLVE MYSTERY IS A GAMING JOY
The Shackleton Series: Interactive Puzzle Adventure arrived, and from the outset, it was a game where most at The Meeple Guild were unsure what to expect.
This is a puzzle game, a genre only one guilder had experience with. As with any new type of game, it wasn’t clear whether it would grab our attention and hold it.
The Shackleton Series adds a historical fiction element that many will relish, as the storyline follows the true account of how 28 men became trapped in Antarctica for two years.
As a player, you are transported to 1914, joining Ernest Shackleton’s historic crew. The voyage is often described as one of the greatest survival stories of all time.
Eric Reynolds, co-founder and lead game designer on the project, said the history was a key driver.
“In particular, we wanted to achieve immersion in an incredible true story,” he said via email. “We wanted players to feel as though they were reliving the greatest survival story of all time. We wanted players to be blown away by the historical authenticity of the game, as well as the remarkable feats that Shackleton’s crew endured.
We hope that players can expect everything listed above. The reviews coming in about this game are unanimously positive. We have been so pleased with the player response, and that is due in part to the extensive testing for the series, as well as the ongoing creative excellence we’ve continued to foster within our company.”
So we dived in, and the experience is great.
The genre is, by nature, an extension of cooperative games, which The Meeple Guild has long enjoyed since first playing Pandemic, released in 2008.
The difference here is that players in Shackleton work collectively to solve a handful of puzzles, typically six puzzles across six episodes. You can tackle them together, divide them up among players, or switch when someone gets stumped. However, the group prefers to approach it; collaboration is the key.
There’s no board here, just a collection of mysterious items and clues that must be solved to unravel the episode’s ultimate mystery.
In fact, most traditional “game rules” don’t really apply here, as Reynolds noted.
“Our game is unique in that it doesn’t have rules like a traditional strategy game or board game,” he explained. “There are parameters, and players learn early on that some of the content is superfluous and simply adds to the storytelling. They also learn that much of it is puzzle-laden and must be examined closely.
“They also discover that there are meta-puzzles with specific items needed to conclude. There’s also an entry field where players submit answers they’ve uncovered along the journey. Even those answer fields don’t always follow the same format, so players must stay curious and observant to succeed.
“The most unique mechanic in the game is perhaps the fact that every element of the game is unique.”
Episodes will typically chew through a couple of hours, although it never feels that long. The length feels just about perfect. It requires the right mindset and provides a solid mental workout, but never to the extreme.
“Players can expect several evenings of entertainment,” Reynolds said. “Each envelope is roughly one to two hours of playing time, plus a digital epilogue at the end of the series. Each episode includes several challenging puzzles, hints, and music within the accompanying web app, so there is plenty of support throughout the playtime.
“By the end of the series, players will undoubtedly ask themselves, ‘Is this really a true story?’ Because it is so hard to believe. One customer told us our game prompted them to do a deep dive into Shackleton’s expedition, and they were impressed with how accurate the game was to real history.”
Some players might want more difficult puzzles, but for The Meeple Guild, this one felt just right, to quote Goldilocks. We struggled at times,s but ultimately persevered, and that leaves a definite feeling of accomplishment at the end of a session.
The sense of success builds throughout the evening as the group solves each of the mini-puzzles, solutions that are ultimately needed to unlock the final puzzle that completes the episode.
“Within the world of escape games and puzzles, one of the most satisfying elements of The Shackleton Series is the prominence of the meta puzzle,” Reynolds said. “We listened to fans who raved about a previous game that featured a meta puzzle, so we implemented that structure throughout this entire series.
“This gives puzzle solvers a deep sense of satisfaction and amazement when the episode concludes with a puzzle that can only be solved once all the other puzzles are completed. Think of it like an escape room where you must unlock several boxes before you can unlock the final door.
“This is an extremely difficult task for puzzle designers, ensuring the ending cannot be cheated and that the lead-up puzzles cannot be bypassed, and we achieved it in every episode. We even did it again in the series finale, where there is a meta puzzle built from the solutions of all previous meta puzzles.
“That may sound a little nerdy, but if you enjoy solving puzzles, you understand how significant that is.”
Now, I wouldn’t suggest our group would want to devote six straight game sessions to Shackleton, even as good as it is. However, the game can sit tantalizingly near the game table and be picked up anytime we’re in the mood for a brain challenge.
If there is a downside, it’s that games like this are a one-and-done experience. If you keep the components pristine and use scratch paper, you can pass them along to another group. But you likely won’t replay it yourself; the puzzle solutions will stick in your memory no matter how long you wait.
That said, you’re looking at roughly 12 hours of gameplay (depending on your group). When you factor in the number of players, the entertainment cost per hour is actually quite low.
The Shackleton Series comes from Escape Mail, a Canadian publisher specializing in interactive puzzle games. Based in Calgary, Escape Mail creates immersive, story-driven experiences designed to challenge players with cleverly crafted puzzles and engaging narratives. Learn more at www.theescapemail.com.
In the end, we liked Shackleton as a game experience a lot, so much so that it’s likely to be remembered at year’s end as a top-five game of the year. It’s well worth seeking out.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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