Locktale

Locktale is a story-driven puzzle game built around decoding hidden messages. Players work through more than 50 levels, each of which introduces a different encoding technique to understand and crack. The ciphers range from methods used in antiquity through to those found in modern cryptography, alongside some symbol-based systems and techniques created specifically for the game. The narrative is revealed gradually as messages are decoded, and the game is designed to be played without time pressure.

To keep the puzzles approachable for players unfamiliar with cryptography, every level offers three tiers of hints, from minimal to detailed, each providing different clues towards the solution. The developer states that all puzzles can be solved using only information found within the game, so no external references are needed. That information is not always straightforward to locate, however: some levels require revisiting earlier puzzles to find additional keys or data, some involve examining the hints or changing the game’s interface theme to uncover clues, and others combine previously learned methods into more complex ciphers.

Locktale has now been released on Steam. Following its launch, it has passed 10 user reviews and currently holds a Positive rating on the platform.