The Paper Labyrinth: A Book-wide Puzzle Solving Adventure

by Charlie Wheeler

To solve The Paper Labyrinth, you will need to flick from page to page solving a maze of interconnected riddles and puzzles. Each puzzle will either send you to another page, or give you a component for a puzzle that you are already solving. The Paper Labyrinth is suitable for all ages - adults and kids alike, but recommended for ages 11+. The puzzles and riddles within are of a range of difficulties to hopefully cater for most audiences. If you ever get stuck on a puzzle, there are hints and solutions pages within the book. Behind the Pages The author was inspired by ‘Choose your own path’ style novels and created a puzzle book which contains over 60 interconnected puzzles and challenges that are all entirely self contained within the book. You do not need to use the internet, so the book is perfect for travelling, or just relaxing away from screens! The book tells you where to begin and through puzzle solving, you will end your journey with a 5-digit code. This should become useful when the elusive sequel is released! Charlie Wheeler is a freelance game and puzzle designer who has worked on various well known attractions within the UK and overseas, from indoor game attractions to theme parks. He published his first puzzle book in 2019, after failing to find something interesting enough to captivate him on a long train journey - spending the entire journey instead planning out his own book. While they remain a passion project for him, he strives to create the most captivating puzzle books possible and created Ultimate Quest as a home for all of his puzzle books and other activities.

Genres: Puzzles

171 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2019

Reviews

[Kat]

Puzzles were quite repetitive and got a bit tedious in some cases. Definitely not as clever as Journal 29. Also I can't work out how to check if my final answer is right. But I don't really care if it is or not!

[Sophia F]

This is the first puzzle book that I have encountered like this. I find it fascinating that the whole book works in tandem and tells you which page has the next riddle. I also appreciated that there is a “Hints” section AND a “Solutions” section so I could get a little bit of help without ruining the puzzle for myself. Then again, the hints didn’t always provide the best direction—sometimes I literally needed to be told to go to the Appendix, but the hints never specify something like that.
There were only a few puzzles that even after looking at the answers, I still was genuinely confused about the answer. Otherwise, the puzzles were creative and combined math, visual elements, general knowledge, and observational skills to solve. Although it’s not that long of a book, I was able to spend quite a long period of time on it. Absolutely perfect for someone who loves puzzles that wants a challenge!

[Ryan]

Wow, I'm really the first? I love these types of books. I also love how varied the puzzles are and there are definitely some unique takes (in book form) of puzzles already done elsewhere. To be sure, some of it is a little obscure.

Compared to other books similar to this the thing I find to be best is it isn't dependent on a website to generate solution keys. I hate that in these books as it is problematic for archival if I want to share this with people in the future.

[Cynthia S Cakebread]

Really enjoyable, some challenging puzzles - some not. Frustrated at end, sends you to a website to check an answer, but nothing there to enter?

[Molly Barron]

Layout of the book is very clever, and many good puzzles, and twists and turns

[Emma Jackson]

Overall a very enjoyable puzzle book. My husband and I got quite frustrated with a few of the puzzles but with Hints and Solutions available you can get help when needed to keep it fun.

[Dominique]

Really interesting, quite hard in places but the hints help

[John]

Its not a story book, but it takes your brain on a fun journey. It has a few chapters, and every page in the chapter has a puzzle on it. The solution of each puzzle populates a page at the end of the chapter, spelling out a sentence on how to start the next chapter. I approached the chapters and the book in different ways, depending on my mood. You can just flick through and complete puzzles on any of the pages that take your fancy, you sadist!