We are pleased to announce a new in-house production called The Voynich Puzzle , which will be released in 2025. We are especially excited about this title as it is our first big-box eurogame .
Designed by Dani Garcia (Barcelona, Arborea), with art by Jorge Tabanera (Gatotonto) and graphic design by Joao Duarte , The Voynich Puzzle is a game for 1 to 4 players where you will try to decipher the puzzle that represents the Voynich manuscript, each using your copy of the book as your main tool. As your overall understanding of the manuscript increases, you will be able to decipher the pages of your book, thus increasing your chances of decoding it. The player who has accumulated the most overall knowledge wins the game.
The Voynich manuscript, named after the bookseller who discovered it in 1912, is an enigma that has defied human curiosity for over 600 years. Is it an otherworldly botanical treatise? A secret alchemist's code? Or perhaps an elaborate hoax by some medieval genius?
Every theory falters before the abyss of the unknown author, the incomprehensible purpose, and the illegible language. But one thing is certain: whoever delves into its pages will never be able to see the world in the same way.
Now, the manuscript has fallen into your hands. Will you be able to decipher its secrets and fit together the pieces of 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 attempt to decipher the Voynich Manuscript, each using your own copy of the book as your primary tool. As your overall understanding of the manuscript increases, you will be able to decipher the pages of your book, thus improving your chances of decoding it. The winner is the player who, when the game ends, has accumulated the most overall knowledge.
On your turn, you open your book anywhere and select a page to perform the actions shown at the top of that page (card). Each page allows you to interact with one of the five main sections of the manuscript (botany, astrology, baths, writings, and recipes). When you gain enough knowledge of any type, you can share it by adding a piece to the manuscript puzzle. All participants will have access to this knowledge, which will help them decipher the manuscript. This is represented by turning and flipping the cards in your books. Deciphering the manuscript grants you access to enhanced actions and end-game scores.
The game ends when any general knowledge marker reaches the end-game icon in space number 52. The current round ends so that all participants have taken the same number of turns, and then each person takes one additional turn before proceeding to the end-game scoring.
The Voynich Puzzle will be seeking funding through Gamefound on July 3, 2025. You can follow the campaign at the following link: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/saltandpepper/the-voynich-puzzle
Can you help us spread the word? Go to BoardGameGeek and like the cover photo: https://boardgamegeek.com/image/1657689/boardgamegeek
