Madmen & Heroes is a subscription box for those who crave incredible mysteries. Each month you will receive a box with a complex mystery that you must solve. It is presented with a story that sets the who, what, when and where and is filled with clues to get you to the end.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Mad Men and Heroes
The Subscription Box: Madmen & Heroes
The Cost: $30.00 + $5.00 Shipping
The Products: A story presenting a mystery and clues to help you solve it
Ships to: the US and Canada
Our Review
Now, this is my first month subscription and while I look forward to future mysteries, I am not sure what is “normal” for a box. This month I received The Resystance Mystery. My box included a card that had an itemization of all my clues in order.
The back revealed links to clues and community links to connect with others trying to figure out the clues to solve the mystery. Keep this card handy! These puzzles are not easy and the clues are so helpful. The link also reveals the solution to all the clues.
To set the mystery up, we are presented with the story. The mission is set in the year 1797 and we must determine how many troops we send to overcome the Qing commanders using guerilla tactics.
Our first clue is on this card. We are provided with 4 hints that ultimately let us know that there is a code hidden within a language. This is definitely tough!
The next clue came on the reverse side of this card.
I really thought I had this one! Upon not getting very far, I had to get into the clues. Ultimately it came down to the message being hidden within a maze in the clue. Again, very difficult! Obviously once I read the solution, I got it.
My, oh my. This does not look like an easy clue! There are lines and they are all different directions…I know I cannot do this alone, so I call upon my husband, who is the best puzzle solver I know!
The reverse side is of a picture. We figured it would be best to start there.
We solved the picture within a half hour, no clues or hints needed! I immediately thought that just flipping them in order would resolve the back side with all the lines, but I was wrong.
It took my husband an hour before he finally broke and referred to the clues and solution on this one. I didn’t want to post the solutions to these puzzles, but this one was the exception because it is so intricate and I wanted to share how truly hard it is! Solving the puzzle isn’t the answer though, you still must work to get the hidden message within.
The next clue was just so puzzling and unsolvable, with what I now believe to be my not so smartness. I immediately referred to the clues to learn that the birds are communicating through semaphore flag code. There is just so much history in these clues! Needless to say, I could not decipher the code alone and once again referred to the solution.
I don’t think this particular inclusion was a clue, but was another part to the story.
So this clue goes with the next clue.
A very intricate puzzle that you have to cut it and solve. There are TWO solutions that you must resolve. The numbers deciphered with allow you to unlock the clues on the previous card.
The final card in the box, I think, is another part of the story since all of the clues should have been solved.
The box also came with a couple of keepsakes. We got these 3 coins with neat designs on each side.
We also got 3 teeny-tiny little Buddha’s. I’m just going to be honest: these Buddhas were my favorite thing in the box!
Verdict: This Madmen & Heroes mystery box is hard for me. Just hard. No matter how much time I put into it, I just could not figure it out. No matter how many times I read the clues and the story, it was difficult to understand what I needed to do to decipher it. I have determined I am a straight-minded person: I follow directions very well if they are written out clearly, like put the puzzle piece with the house next to the piece with the sun. I also appreciate pictures. I have determined this box is simply not for me, and that’s okay! I also think that my ability to fully understand it may have affected my review and I hope that does not stop anyone from trying it out because it is genuinely cool just really challenging.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you subscribe today? I think so since it isn’t a specific month but is a mystery.
Value Breakdown: The cost of the box is $30.00. Since this is a mystery box, each item doesn’t have a value. The mystery itself though was challenging and not solve-able in an hour, so I definitely feel the value is there!
Check out more mystery puzzle subscription boxes in the Geeky Subscription Box List!
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What do you think of Madmen & Heroes?
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