The Man from Sector Six is the 4th clue-solving escape-room-style mystery from The Mystery Agency – and it is fantastic! One might assume that the Mystery Agency is simply a games company like any other -selling products for entertainment. However, the Agency themselves would have you believe that they are actually a real-life outfit of investigators dedicated to solving some of the world’s most inexplicable mysteries: you, as a recent recruit armed only with your Agent internet log-in, have been tasked with revealing the truth behind a locked dossier left by the eponymous Man from Sector Six…
The dossier itself is a beautiful blue, faux-leather folder of significant size, weight and texture that feels exactly like something you might genuinely expect to find on the desk of a spy-boss. Cracking the code on the padlocked zip opens up a folder of high-quality items and papers which form a series of logical and lateral challenges to keep agents busy for a good while.
The fantastic quality of this mystery cannot be overstated. It is a stunning and immersive benchmark for this genre of game, including brass code-breaking dials, real working ballpoint pens, security IDs and the aforementioned dossier, all backed up by online support. Additionally, this is a genuinely good mystery: early information foreshadows future conclusions and the exploratory journey through the puzzles has a strong directional sense. Each clue naturally hints at or leads to the next, such that one never has to step back to question anything other than the presented problem.
It is worth noting that, like the others in the series, this mystery requires you to have an internet enabled device - ideally a tablet or laptop for clear more legible reading - but this latest iteration of the software has resolved some previous niggles around password formatting and is a lot more user-friendly.
The Mystery Agency initially launched with three high-quality brain-stretching adventures - The Ghost in the Attic, The Vanishing Gambler and The Balthazar Stone - all of which were held in high regard by the Board's Eye View team. With The Man from Sector Six, the Mystery Agency continue to raise the bar with a strong and satisfying product that fills me with confidence and optimism about the future of this company and this whole genre of game! If you have difficulty finding The Man from Sector Six at your local game store, click here to order direct from The Mystery Agency.
(Review by Michael Harrowing)