The Emerald Flame
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Someone reads aloud. Someone else turns the map upside down. An hour later, you're still staring at that alchemical symbol, and no one wants to go to sleep before figuring it out.
WHAT IT IS
An alchemical investigation in three acts, blending history and pure puzzles
The Emerald Flame is a narrative puzzle experience designed by Rita Orlov, creator of the acclaimed The Tale of Ord. Published by PostCurious and illustrated by Liiga Klavina along with Orlov herself, the game presents itself as a historical investigation commissioned by a mysterious organization: your task is to reconstruct the recipe of a legendary elixir. Three independent chapters, each with its own hand-drawn maps, alchemical diagrams, and physical artifacts to examine.
At the table, you collaborate to decipher puzzles intertwined with the narrative: there are no dice, no turns. Just you, the documents in front of you, and a series of puzzles that require logic, attention to detail, and the ability to connect scattered information. Each chapter lasts between 1.5 and 3 hours, and together they form a complete adventure that will take you through Prague and its alchemical secrets.
What they say abroad
"Not just a game but an experience."
Not just a game, but an experience.
— The Dice Tower
A journey that leaves its mark. You don't solve puzzles: you reconstruct a story piece by piece, and when you understand the final picture, everything changes.
— FroGames
The Emerald Flame
The Emerald Flame is designed to also work solo: the puzzles do not require role division, and some people even find that playing alone allows for total concentration on details. The social component of the group is missing, but the investigative experience remains intact and complete.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsWhat you'll find in the box
Artifacts, maps, and documents: everything you need to investigate
Hand-drawn maps
Each chapter includes detailed maps of real and imaginary places, with hidden details that become crucial clues. They are not decorations: they are puzzles in themselves.
Alchemical diagrams
Schematics, formulas, and symbols to decipher. Some require pure logic, others historical knowledge that the game itself provides along the way.
Historical documents
Letters, notes, excerpts from ancient books. Each document contains scattered information: it's up to you to figure out what's relevant and how it connects.
Mysterious artifacts
Physical objects to manipulate, examine, overlap. Some chapters include three-dimensional elements that transform puzzles into something tangible.
In a few hours, you'll have a theory. In a few chapters, you'll have the answer. And in the end, you'll have a story that no one else has experienced in the same way.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
A five-part investigation
What happens at the table during a chapter
Not the rules. The experience.
Opening the envelope
Open the box, take out the materials for the first chapter. Maps, letters, diagrams: everything seems connected, but you don't yet understand how. Someone starts reading aloud, someone else examines the drawings. The table fills with paper.
The first connections
You start to notice patterns: a recurring symbol, a date appearing in two different documents. Someone says "look here" and points to a detail. The first hypothesis takes shape, even if still fragmentary.
The block
There's a puzzle that doesn't fit. You've tried three different approaches, none work. Someone suggests taking a break, someone else insists: "this must be the key." The table slows down, but no one gives up.
The enlightenment
Someone turns a map upside down. Or overlays two sheets. Or rereads a sentence you had skipped. And suddenly everything clicks into place: "Wait, if this means that, then..." The table explodes in a flurry of connections.
The final revelation
Having solved the last enigma, you read the conclusion of the chapter. The story unfolds, some details that seemed random reveal their meaning. And you're already thinking about the next chapter, because you want to know how it ends.
How to play
No turns: just you and the puzzles
The Emerald Flame does not have a traditional round flow. It's a free experience: open the materials, examine, discuss, solve.
Open the chapter envelope and distribute maps, documents, artifacts. There is no mandatory order: everyone takes something and starts examining it.
Read letters, study maps, analyze diagrams. Look for patterns, recurring symbols, dates, names. Everything can be a clue, but not everything is.
Share your discoveries. Someone notices a detail you missed. Someone else connects two pieces of information that seemed unrelated. Puzzles are solved together.
Each solved enigma unlocks a piece of the narrative. Read the new developments, gather information, and move on to the next mystery. Until the conclusion of the chapter.
Why it's different from others
Six elements that make a difference
Self-contained episodic structure
Three separate chapters, each with a complete story and its own puzzles. You can play them days or weeks apart, without losing the thread. Each chapter lasts 1.5-3 hours, and together they form an epic adventure.
Hand-drawn illustrations
Every map, every diagram, every document is hand-illustrated by Liiga Klavina and Rita Orlov. They are not just beautiful to look at: visual details are an integral part of the puzzles, and every stroke has a meaning.
Puzzles intertwined with the narrative
You don't solve puzzles unrelated to the story. Every puzzle you complete reveals a piece of the plot, and vice versa: the narrative gives you the tools to solve. Story and mechanics are indivisible.
Real historical setting
Renaissance alchemical Prague is not just a backdrop: places, characters, and historical references are accurate. The game takes you to a real era, and part of the charm is discovering how much of the story is true.
Accessible yet deep puzzles
No prior knowledge of enigmas or advanced mathematics is needed. The puzzles require observation, logic, and creativity, but the game itself provides all the tools. Accessible to everyone, but never trivial.
Memorable characters
Throughout the investigation, you meet alchemists, merchants, spies, and nobles. Each has their own voice, complex motivations, and no one is what they seem. Characters are not just text: they are part of the mystery.
How it ends
How the investigation is solved
There are no traditional win or lose conditions. You either solve the puzzles and complete the story, or you get stuck.
Completion
- Solve all puzzles in a chapter and unlock the narrative conclusion
- Reconstruct the elixir recipe by connecting clues scattered throughout the three episodes
- Discover the truth about the mysterious organization that commissioned your investigation
Stuck (and hints)
- You get stuck on a puzzle and can't proceed (the game includes a system of gradual online hints)
- Give up on a chapter before completing it (no penalty, you can resume it whenever you want)
- Skip important narrative details and miss key connections (but you can always re-examine the documents)
The Emerald Flame is not a classic board game: it is an experience to be savored only once, carefully, taking your time. If you are looking for something unique, this is the moment.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about The Emerald Flame
Do the three chapters have to be played in a mandatory order?
Yes, the chapters follow a narrative progression and some puzzles in subsequent chapters refer to previous discoveries. Playing them out of order ruins the experience and makes some enigmas unsolvable. Follow the 1-2-3 sequence.
What happens if we get stuck on a puzzle?
The Emerald Flame includes a system of gradual hints accessible online via codes present in the game. The first hints are vague, the last almost explicit. You can use them without compromising the experience, but many prefer to take a break and return to the puzzle with fresh eyes.
Is it better to play in a group or alone?
It depends on your preferences. In a group (2-4 people), discussion and brainstorming enrich the experience, and everyone notices different details. Playing solo gives you total concentration and no distractions, which can be an advantage for complex puzzles. Both modes work very well.
Is it replayable once completed?
No. Once the puzzles are solved and the story discovered, the magic of the unknown fades. It's an experience meant to be lived once, like a good book or a movie. You can pass it on to friends who haven't played it, but for you, the journey is over.
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English. The texts are an integral part of the puzzles (letters, historical documents, diagrams), so a good understanding of written English is necessary. The required level is medium-high: there are historical and alchemical terms, but the context helps.
The Emerald Flame is a cooperative narrative puzzle experience for 1-4 players, designed by Rita Orlov and published by PostCurious. Structured into three self-contained chapters of 1.5-3 hours each (4.5-9 hours total), the game combines deduction puzzles, hand-drawn illustrations, and a plot set in alchemical Prague of the Renaissance. Suitable for players aged 14 and up, it requires logic, attention to detail, and collaboration. There are no dice, cards, or turns: just documents to examine, maps to decipher, and a story to reconstruct piece by piece. Available on FroGames.it.
The Emerald Flame
Frequently Asked Questions
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