RIDDLE ME THIS

For puzzle lovers across the country, the Curious Correspondence Club is mailing out small marvels

As adults, it became clear that our shared passion had the power to inspire joy in others.

DAVE STARR

When Dave Starr was a kid, his mom would set up an elaborate treasure hunt that he’d have to solve his way through to receive his birthday presents. Soon, he was plotting his own treasure hunts around the house. Likewise, Mike Smith spent his youth crafting treasure hunts at home, and both spent hours watching the “Indiana Jones” series and “The Goonies.” “I think the impulse to play games comes from an inherent sense of curiosity. However, having people around you to foster that intrigue definitely helps,” Starr says. “As adults, it became clear that our shared passion had the power to inspire joy in others.”

The pair got their start in professional puzzle-making at the Mysterious Package Company, the trailblazing subscription-mystery group where they met; Starr eventually became the creative director and Smith the lead designer. In 2019, they struck out on their own, collaborating with the Mysterious Package Company owner Jason Kapalka to create the mail-based subscription game service The Curious Correspondence Club.

What does it involve? “Imagine an escape-room experience that you can play at home without the need for digital devices,” Starr says. “Think somewhere between Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones, where each chapter is a self-contained adventure.”

That’s right: the entire shebang fits into a single envelope. The pair has a passion for paper and delight in the old school, and don’t want to lean on internet assistance or a box overstuffed with objects to impart thrills. “All our experiences will have players assembling 3D environments and constructing mechanical devices (out of paper), scouring physical maps, and using the paper material in surprising ways,” Starr explains. (To balance out all the paper being used, the club partners with Ecologi to offset their carbon footprint. “We also believe strongly in the tactility of the experience: we really push the idea that good things come in small packages,” he says. “Our products create a sprawling world in your home.” The club launched Season 1 in 2020, putting players to work aiding a secret organization tasked with protecting magical treasures descended from another world.

The Curious Correspondence Club is an episodic experience like a TV show, Starr says, allowing folks to dip into one-off chapters or do the full season; monthly subscriptions run $19.95 and yearly subscriptions are $179, with single chapters going for $21.95.

These play-at-home escape rooms exploded in popularity during the pandemic, but they’ve brought more than just entertainment to their fans, Starr says. “After a wild ride with 2020 and 2021, we have all needed a little escapism in our lives,” he says. “We also get a lot of kind messages from our players.” One subscriber, who has been struggling with depression over the course of the pandemic, told the club that its games have brought them a lot of comfort and clarity. “Of course, we realize that we just make games,” Starr says, “but having a brief impact on people’s happiness is hugely rewarding.” (The club even helped a player pop the question via a custom marriage proposal secreted in one of the Season 1 chapters.)

For now, the club is hard at work on getting Season 2 envelopes out over the course of the next year. So far, it’s delivered 40,000 chapters — and 40,000 little triumphs. “It’s the a-ha moments in puzzle games that bring people the most joy,” Starr says. “Working through a particularly tricky puzzle, then suddenly reaching the conclusion when everything clicks together, is a very satisfying experience. We have found that puzzle-solving is a great way to bring delight to people, and that’s what keeps us going.”