Reviews of Ruff Bluff

I came into this not 100% sure what the gameplay would be like, but it became clear very quickly that it was exactly my kind of game. Puzzles. Mystery. Dogs. Puns. That’s, like, the perfect experience. It starts at that great level of intimidating – there’s a lot of information at your disposal, a lot of places to start, but the clues are all close enough at hand that you can find your footing quickly instead of getting overwhelmed. You do a lot of learning in Part 1, getting a feel for the game and puzzles and how things interconnect, and the lessons you learn carry through Parts 2-4 in a way that makes you develop strong trust with the designers. Having seen some of Trapped’s other work, we already knew we could expect high quality, but obviously you can’t rely on all players already knowing who you are. Ruff Bluff starts with its best foot forward, giving you such good stuff early on that players can just tell they’re only going to get happier the longer they play.

(I hope he’s okay with me calling him out like this, but midway through Part 2, Bill actually said, “This is so good. Who was it who made this again?” And when I told him, he then said, “Of course. That explains it.” Excuse his late-night mental blank!)

So, you start out with introductory puzzles and mystery-solving in Part 1. Note that ‘introductory’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘easy’; at no point does it condescend to puzzle-solvers or make experienced players want to skip past. Then, once you’re comfortable and feel like you understand exactly how this game works, you’re thrown headfirst into Part 2. I freaking loved Part 2. The basic procedure is something everybody, young and old, green or expert, understands. But the longer you dig in, the more you see the amazing detail, the sneaky little clues, all the things that make you shake your head and wonder, how did they think of that? You feel smart for spotting things, then you realise how smart the designers are for including them in the first place.

Then, once you’ve proven yourself on Part 2, you get Part 3. And boy, does Part 3 feel frightening. It’s only got one piece to it, one game prop, but it is a terrifying one. You aren’t sure where to start… until you realise the game leads you to exactly where you should start. And even if you don’t spot that, there are several openings so you can start making headway even if you’re feeling a little uncertain. There were definitely moments where I wasn’t sure where I’d end up next, but at no point did I feel stuck with nowhere to go. And somehow the game managed that without letting me feel hand-held; all my progress felt like it was totally my idea and I was a goddamn genius for making it.

Even Part 4, the smallest part, has just as much thought and care put into it as any of the others. Even though by now you’ve done most of the massive puzzles and you’re now down to just solving the mystery. The fact that the game offers you not only the chance to deduce the culprit, but also to exonerate the innocent, feels wonderful. And in doing it all, you get to appreciate the fact that every facet of this enormous game – every tiny detail, everything that seems like it was just a touch of theming – is 100% relevant. Nothing was included by accident. Again, it just sends waves of impressed-ness at the designers rolling through you. This game is smart and it’s fun and it’s clearly made with so much passion, it just oozes off every part of it. It’s really the highest praise I have: you can tell this was made with a lot of love.

Is the game hard? Yes, in the right way. I think it has the awesome ability to make you feel rewarded for your cleverness at any experience level, which is no mean feat. I’m confident someone who’s comfortable playing games solo could do so with Ruff Bluff… but I do recommend having at least one other person around, because you’ll want someone to whom you can yell, “This is so good!” every so often.

I will be eagerly awaiting the cat-themed sequel, even though I am a dog person and don’t understand cats at all.



Ruff Bluff is paws-itively packed with polished puzzles, plotting pups, premium pieces, and a plethora of puns.

Dozens of puzzles, spread over 4 acts, consistently have layered, satisfying, narrative-driven solves. Ruff Bluff would be equally enjoyable by novices and puzzle hunt veterans alike, with an approachable difficulty progression and not a single boring or underclued puzzle in the mix. Ruff Bluff also shows an impressive step up in production value for Trapped’s tabletop offerings, offering substantial value — both in terms of high-quality components and overall play time — for the price point.

Above all else, Ruff Bluff is thoroughly humorous, leading to a nonstop stream of laughs and ahas from start to finish.