Sixteen Drawers

The whole game is a single antique writing desk with sixteen locked drawers. Each drawer holds a clue for another: a key, a cipher wheel, a tide table, a pressed flower whose petals count out a combination. You turn the desk in your hands, peer at it under a loupe and slowly work out what the inventor was hiding.

It is beautifully modeled in walnut and brass, with satisfying clicks and creaks for every mechanism. It takes about 3 hours, which makes it perfect for one long evening, ideally with someone looking over your shoulder. Fans of puzzle boxes and escape rooms will love it. The caveat: it is short for the price, and there is little reason to replay once solved.