Tabletop Game Review: Son of Doctor Esker’s Notebook

Son of Doctor Esker’s Notebook

Plankton Games

2-3 Hours

1+ Players

Earlier this year we had the pleasure of reviewing Doctor Esker’s Notebook. The enjoyable but short puzzle game stumped our group multiple times as we worked through the various puzzles. Son of Dr. Esker is the sequel, and fans of the original will find plenty to love as we are treated to more of the same.

If you have played the original entry, you will feel right at home with the sequel. Son of Doctor Esker’s Notebook plays the exact same as the previous game. Players will be given an introductory puzzle that consists of a few cards. They will also be given a few answer puzzle cards with numbers on the back. Players will need to find the answer of the puzzle cards, which will be a set of numbers that will tell players which puzzle to attempt next.

My main concern for Son of Doctor Esker’s Notebook was the possible repetition of puzzles. Even in the original game, a few puzzles were recycled with a different coat of paint. While they were still enjoyable, I’m not so sure they can stay entertaining through another entry. While Son of Dr. Esker does feature the same mechanics as its predecessor, the puzzles all feel fresh and original. Throughout the various puzzles, we didn’t encounter too many recycled concepts.

There are a wide variety of puzzles in this game that challenge the players differently. Playing with groups is ideal because it allows for a variety of different minds to approach everything differently. You don’t need to be a genius to play Son of Doctor Esker’s Notebook, and we found that everyone was able to understand a solution before the other players got it. You don’t need to be a genius to play since there are many ways for players to grasp onto what is happening on the cards.

Son of Doctor Esker’s Notebook will last players a good few hours, give or take a couple of hours depending on how well the players do with puzzles. It’s very much an enjoyable experience but there isn’t much room for replayability. Once you have played through the game once, that is it. Due to how enjoyable it is, Son of Dr. Esker is a good value and worth the play if you enjoy puzzle games.

Like in the previous game, Son of Doctor Esker’s Notebook has a webpage where players can get hints from when they are stumped. The hints range from the obvious to pretty much solving the puzzle for you. We appreciated the hints, as we sometimes found ourselves stumped in the end. A few puzzles require some outside knowledge which can be simply perplexing sometimes. Still, nothing felt unfair as we played.

Son of Doctor Esker’s Notebook is another well-made puzzle game that builds upon the innovative solution center that was created in the first entry. The puzzles are more diverse, making this a better game in just about every way. Fans of the first game should definitely pick this one up.

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