Newspapers, Menus, and More: Finding Clues in La Famiglia
Solve various puzzles to piece together the clues to an important mystery in Chicago from the 1920s with La Famiglia.
Mystery games definitely find their way into my collection pretty regularly, but the rate at which I actually move through them is a mystery itself. Ha ha! La Famiglia has been on my shelf for quite some time. At last, it felt like the right moment to bring it to my solo table to crack codes, puzzle through puzzles, and showcase my sleuthing skills!
Game Overview
Game Name: La Famiglia
Publication Year: 2020
Designer: Uncredited
Artist: Uncredited
Publisher: Puzzling Pursuits
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Over the course of this dual-part mystery, puzzles must be solved to discover clues. An online portion helps check answers and provide hints to avoid getting stuck, as the solutions can be tricky to deduce. Gameplay takes several hours and offers an interesting story to work through!
First Play
July 9, 2023
Complexity
1
Latest Play
July 10, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
2
Play Time
1 Hour & 30 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
28" x 22"
Low Score
N/A
An Intriguing Letter
It all begins with a large envelope that contains all the documents for the first part. Of course, a letter provides the context and introduction to what’s going on here.
Not surprisingly, this centers around Al Capone in the 1920s. It includes references to real events, too.
At first glance, this seemed like a far cry from the another game from the publisher, Blackbrim: 1876. That mystery features more components and very different puzzles.
However, I wasn’t about to be thwarted… Maybe I could actually solve some of these without any hints!
Extraordinary Work
Now, for my part, I usually need a lot of hints and clues to even figure out what I’m supposed to do with lots of puzzles. That’s never a problem, but I still try my best!
After sitting there with each puzzle, I actually solved or came extremely close to solving everything in the first part! It’s not an over-exaggeration to say I was thrilled.
I even announced to family who came to visit that I was working on a seating chart… I must finish this. Ha ha!
This was a really neat part of the experience for me personally. I only needed a couple of small hints. Yeah!
Moving Into Part II
The main formula here is to have the first part reveal an overarching solution from all of the initial puzzles. Then, the second part opens up to resolve the end of the mystery.
I was excited to dig into these puzzles. Not that I expected to solve anything… It was probably going to turn back into my usual performance with about half a solution. Ha!
It was interesting to see how this felt a little simpler and straightforward than my visit to Blackbrim last year.
Part of me wished for a little more, yet I think this might be a better starting point for these puzzle series.
Hitting the Wall
There was no doubt that the first part offered me plenty of ways to solve puzzles so I felt like I knew what I was doing. It was an awesome experience to begin with!
Unfortunately, the second set of puzzles was not at all to my liking. I enjoyed parts of a few, and then got lost.
A good deal of math was needed, but math with specific instructions that didn’t click with me right away.
I ran into an instance where the rules for a puzzle didn’t make any sense… And then a clue required knowing it was written in 1920s slang, and meant something different.
The Challenge of Designing Fun Puzzles for All
With a lot of these mystery or puzzle games, pieces will often appeal to different players. A certain type of word puzzle might turn out to be my favorite, while it’s the most frustrating element for someone else. That’s why it can be tricky to really understand what’s offered in this sort of experience, as it will often differ from player to player.
The first part was almost perfect for me. I almost felt like I was on the same train of thought as the designer, which was really neat! Even struggling through a few puzzles eventually led me to think in some different ways, thereby getting me to the solutions. As I fought to find the enjoyment in the second part, though, it felt like another game entirely.
It’s far from easy to please everyone, though, so I’m not upset that I really only had a good time with about half of the full mystery. That was a really fun opening as I challenged myself to not look at any hints until I had to… And then I actually solved a lot of puzzles on my own. Very neat! I can appreciate the decisions that had to go into this design.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 and 2
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Part I and Part II
Outcome: Complete
Despite the ups and downs with the different parts, I still enjoyed my time! It wasn’t a major struggle with the puzzles I couldn’t solve, thanks to the online hints that are designed to help out in just this sort of instance. At least I had a glimmer of hope that I can solve some puzzles on my own by going through a very random process! It was a nice experience to finish this one up at long last.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
4
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
6
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
2
+ Pros (Positives)
- Following the clues and finding solutions is very fun and satisfying, particularly during the first part of the story.
- Online hints provide snippets of information to help without immediately giving away any answers.
- The initial process of trying to figure out how to discover a clue is very fun, especially when that time pays off.
- It’s very easy to pause at any point to continue later on, especially when the goal is to try not to use any hints.
- There are a lot of individual puzzles, yet these don’t necessarily need to be spread out, leading to a small area.
- For those who like to pass along single-use mysteries, making copies of a few pages means nothing is used up.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Some of the puzzle instructions are confusing, and at least one clue is written in 1920s slang with no indication.
- Most puzzles involve words or numbers rather than interesting components, which reduces the perceived variety.
- Compared to the other puzzle series from the publisher, this feels a little less interesting and more simplified.
- Although everything is well-crafted, there doesn’t feel like there are a lot of components offered for the price.
Victory Conditions
Solve All of the Puzzles
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Solve every Part I puzzle.
Solve every Part II puzzle.
Continue the Conversation
Have you played La Famiglia? Are there any puzzles you enjoyed the most? I’m slowly transitioning into actually finishing up my mystery games… No telling what kind of sleuth I’ll turn out to be. Sources say it will probably be terrible, but that’s fine. Ha ha! I enjoyed solving some of these puzzles on my own and cracking codes (not my head)!
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