Despite my distaste for JK Rowling’s personal beliefs, I have been a fan of the Harry Potter franchise since I was a kid. I also happen to be fond of puzzle games, including the Professor Layton franchise. What do these two things have in common you ask? Well, they’re the inspiration for The Academy: The First Riddle, a new puzzle adventure that you definitely should have on your radar.

The Academy puts you in the role of Sam, a new student at a prestigious school that values intelligence and knowledge above all else. On your first day, strange phenomena begin to happen, leading you to investigate while still trying to juggle your classes, meeting your classmates, and exploring your new school environment.

You quickly discover that not everything is as it seems. Across The Academy’s three chapters, you will slowly uncover the truth behind the mysterious and seemingly supernatural occurrences that plague the Academy. The game plays in a very interesting way. You have full control over your protagonist, exploring the school, solving puzzles, talking to students and faculty, and picking up collectibles.

Similarly to Professor Layton’s hint coins, you will find chocolate bars scattered throughout the school each day. The chocolate bars can be redeemed for hints, in a sort of “brain food” way. Additionally, in each in-game day, you’ll have side quests to complete, including a book from the Library that is hidden somewhere on campus.

Each day you have to follow whatever main-quest storyline objectives are given, including going to class. Classes are interesting because you are actually given an in-game “textbook” for each class, with each page consisting of a small “chapter” of information. When you go to class, you’ll usually be asked one or two timed “quiz” questions, and then you will be given a puzzle to solve.

There are multiple types of puzzles in The Academy, but most of them consist of a logic style question that wants you to either recognize a pattern or solve a problem. At certain points throughout the game, you will be required to assemble broken artifacts, which are a nice little 3D jigsaw style puzzle situation but are few and far between.

Each logic/pattern recognition puzzle has a bonus puzzle attached to it and the bonus puzzles are usually a harder challenge that asks you to look at the original puzzle in a new way. Some of the puzzles are very difficult, but if you’re paying attention and you think about it hard enough, you can figure it out. Some of the puzzles are multiple-choice too, which makes it easier since you can eliminate certain options altogether.

There are plenty of things to collect too throughout the game, from diary pages related to a figure in the game’s world to strange objects that are found throughout the school environment. This is where The Academy: The First Riddle sets itself apart from other puzzle games like this. The exploration and ability to collect things, do side quests/puzzles, and generally immerse yourself in the world is incredibly fun.

Granted, the game does hold your hand to some degree, keeping you focused on the day to day school-esque rhythm. However, that isn’t to the game’s detriment. You always have an idea of where to go and there are markers on the map (and in-game) that show you where points of interest and side quests might be.

There are two main issues with The Academy as far as I can tell, though I’ve only experienced one myself. The main issue I’ve experienced is with the translation. There are a variety of examples of poor grammar or perhaps mistranslations throughout the game. Granted, since the developers are Croatian, and this is their first game in this realm, it makes sense to some degree. The (at times) messy English doesn’t impact my enjoyment of the game, however, it is simply something to note.

The other issue is in regards to controller support. I have been playing The Academy with a keyboard and mouse and I haven’t had any issues. However, I did a bit of research while writing this review and I have seen multiple reports of poor controller support. There are a few reviews on Steam that cite this problem, as well as a few examples elsewhere, so be warned.

Beyond those two issues, I have to say that The Academy: The First Riddle, is exactly what I had hoped it would be. Granted, there are some ways that it could be improved but, overall, it is a lovely puzzle adventure that captures the same sense of awe and wonder as the franchises that inspired it.

It also helps that the devs are hard at work squashing bugs that are reported. There are over 200 puzzles to complete, a beautiful school environment to explore, and lots of unique characters. It isn’t the most flawless first attempt, but it has a lot of charm and will keep you puzzle-solving for quite a while. The Academy: The First Riddle is a must for any puzzle game lover out there.

A PC review copy of The Academy: The First Riddle was provided by Pine Studio for this review.

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The Academy: The First Riddle

$17.99 USD

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Lots of Things to Collect
• Over 200 Puzzles
• Fun Premise
• Charming Visuals

Cons

• Minor Bugs
• Translation/Grammar Errors