Finders Seekers Subscription Box Review + Coupon – UNITED KINGDOM

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Finders Seekers is a monthly puzzle subscription box for anyone who loves puzzles, escape rooms, Sherlock Holmes, mysteries, or anything requiring a little brainpower. Finders Seekers features a new destination each month, so in addition to the puzzle/escape room experience, you get a mini travel experience, too, exploring a new city and its culture every month.

DEAL: Save $5 on your first box! Use this link and coupon code BRAINQUEST.

FYI – there are SPOILERS in this post!

As a subscriber (limited numbers can join each month), you are invited to join the Society of Seekers, a group of like-minded puzzle fiends who use their heads and a little bit of internet-search know-how to explore a city and solve a mystery each month. We’re off to LONDON this month!

Everything is packed in a string-tie envelope.

There’s also a sticky note that contains instructions on how to get started with this case.

Everything in the box!

Also included in this month’s box is a welcome letter and checklist of every item that should be inside the package, plus all the clues you’ll need to solve the mystery.

The website took us to London!

Hi Seekers!

The National Crime Agency of London has been working around the clock to gather intel about the missing Royal Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Three nights ago, the jewels were securely placed in their vault at as part of the Ceremony of Keys, which locked down the Tower of London. But the next morning, the Crown Jeweler conducted her daily inspection and discovered that the real jewels had been switched with forgeries.

After extensive surveillance of Internet chatter, it is suspected that Lord Lockhart, a shunned and scorned aristocrat is the culprit. He boasted in a chat room that he buried the jewels somewhere in London. Their location have been encrypted and etched onto diamonds from one of the Queen’s favorite necklaces. Lockhart’s accomplices have possession of the diamonds and are stationed throughout London. Your mission is to track down the diamonds and discover where the rest of the Crown Jewels have been buried. A cryptic souvenir calendar was found in Lockhart’s flat that will help you locate his team. Solve the puzzles at each location and provide the proper password to collect the pieces to the necklace.

To play:

  1. Review all the materials in your box. There are hidden elements throughout that will prove useful.
  2. Visit the 9 popular attractions around London where Lockhart’s accomplices are positioned. To do this, visit the websites listed in the calendar. You can scan the QR codes to quickly access the pages.
  3. Solve the puzzles at each location to reveal a password that will earn you the diamonds and necklace.
  4. Once you have retrieved all the parts to the necklace, put everything together and discover the location where the rest of the Crown Jewels are buried.

Good luck!

London Souvenir Calendar. To start the mission, they sent us this cryptic souvenir calendar that was found in Lockhart’s flat. This can be used to locate his team!

This looks like a normal calendar, except that there’s a website URL at the bottom.

TATE MODERN

Britain’s national gallery of international modern art is housed in the former Bankside Power station, a large brick factory that was transformed into a museum in 2000. The large and spacious building provides an industrial yet neutral backdrop to some of the world’s most famous modern art. The airy galleries make the perfect setting for massive installations while side galleries fitly display smaller, intimate works.

As you enter one of the Switch House galleries, you recognize one of Lockhart’s men (wearing the family’s crest). To secure the diamond, you must provide a password. After a few seconds, you realize the stocky man is standing watch next to an interesting piece of art hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. The two-sided piece of art (copy included in your box) is reminiscent of Lichtenstein’s Pop Art, but meant to be viewed from all sides. You then realize it holds the key to get what you came here for.

2-sided Modern Artwork Print. This two-sided piece of art is reminiscent of Lichtenstein’s Pop Art, but meant to be viewed from all sides. The lightbulb like images on the artwork gave us a clue that it has something to do with this puzzle!

I was able to view both sides of this artwork at the same time using the clue on the artwork. The trick is to view the artwork behind the light to reveal our clue!

You’ve recovered the Baguette Diamond! Under a microscope you are able to read the laser-engraved numbers below.

Using another clue from the calendar, I reached Abbey Road!

ABBEY ROAD

The famous recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road has hosted some of the biggest names in music history, including Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Adele and most famously, The Beatles. The Fab 4’s album Abbey Road was recorded here and the cover was photographed just outside of the studio.

You step inside the understated building and immediately spot Lockhart’s crony. As you approach him, you notice his t-shirt is a reproduction of one of The Beatles’ album covers (below). It contains the encrypted password needed to gain access to the next diamond.

Abbey Road Studios

This photo gave me a hint for the next password.

You’ve recovered the Marquise Diamond! Under a microscope you are able to read the laser-engraved numbers below. Save this page for future reference.

The next stop is a red phone booth!

RED PHONE BOX

One of the most recognizable icons of London is the red telephone box, or kiosk. Since 1926, the bright “currant red” structures can be seen everywhere you go, with around 11,000 boxes in use today. In recent years, the phone booths have become somewhat obsolete, so many have been converted into news and coffee stands. But because of their quintessentially London status, the red phone boxes will forever dot the city’s streets.

The next diamond to recover on your list is at two red phone boxes on Chester Square. You approach Lockhart’s sidekick and scan your surroundings, looking for the clue to the required password.

Red Phone Box

The photo did not provide us the word but it led me to a number written on a car.

You’ve recovered the Oval Diamond! Under a microscope you are able to read the laser-engraved number below. Save this page for future reference.

Another calendar page led me to Big Ben!

BIG BEN

Many may not know that Big Ben is actually the nickname of the largest bell located inside Elizabeth Tower as it is officially named. Completed in 1859, the tower is 335 feet tall and is part of the Palace of Westminster. Throughout the years, the clock has had its share of malfunctions and breakdowns usually due to environmental factors. The clock is currently undergoing major renovation and will not resume tolling until 2021.

As part of your mission, you have scored credentials for unprecedented access to the clock tower and an engineer’s drawing of the clock gears. You climb the endless stairs until you reach the clock face and mechanisms. The complicated gears move loudly and you are glad the bells won’t be blaring while you are there. You examine the intricate machinery as one of Lockhart’s chumps approach you. Again, you must provide a password to acquire the next diamond.

Big Ben Puzzle. Solving the Big Ben puzzle is really tricky because every time I move one part, the other gears rotate as well. There’s also a note that told us to reset to the starting position each time. After a number of tries, I finally got it right!

You’ve recovered the Trillion Cut Diamond! Under a microscope you are able to read the laser-engraved numbers below. Save this page for future reference.

Then, I proceeded to the London Underground! This will be over soon as I have already retrieved a number of diamonds.

THE LONDON UNDERGROUND

The Underground is London’s subway system used by millions of British commuters every day and is much like a city in itself with shops and attractions. You’ve been trailing one of Lockhart’s henchmen as he heads into The Underground. He’s standing in the tube waiting for his train to arrive, so you need to act fast before he vanishes for good. You know there is a password you need to discover to get him to hand over the diamond, but as you look around the empty station you can’t see anything that really stands out, except for a malfunctioning train departures sign.

This malfunctioning train departures sign is the key for the next diamond!

You’ve recovered the Round Cut Diamond! Under a microscope you are able to read the laser-engraved numbers below. Save this page for future reference.

Next stop is Wimbledon!

WIMBLEDON

As the oldest tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon is unmatched for prestige in the arena of professional tennis. It’s also the only Grand Slam tennis event in the world that is played on grass! Ball Boys and Girls (or BBGs) are usually pulled from local schools in London, but Lockhart has managed to get one of his accomplices on the Centre Court.

In order to get the ball girl to give you the diamond at this location, you’ll have to figure out the password. You see a sheet of paper sticking out of her backpack that has a pixel puzzle on it. Intel says that probably has the encoded passphrase. Time to get to work!

Wimbledon Puzzle. This is one of the easiest parts of the mission to retrieve the lost diamonds. I used the card and shaded the blocks as instructed!

You’ve recovered the Asscher Cut Diamond! Under a microscope you are able to read the laser-engraved numbers below. Save this page for future reference.

Next on the list is The Victoria and Albert Museum!

THE VICTORIA AND ALBER MUSEUM

The Victoria and Albert Museum (or V&A for short) is the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design. Queen Victoria’s address was recorded upon its official naming in 1893: “I trust that it will remain for ages a Monument of discerning Liberality and a Source of Refinement and Progress.”

One of the great treasures in the museum is an original wedding invitation from the Queen herself, but upon arriving at the museum you learn that the souvenir version has some interesting details that have Lockhart’s sneaky fingerprints all over them. You take one of them and look it over realizing that it contains the key to finding the passphrase you need to find the diamond stashed here.

Wedding Invitation. This puzzle took me a lot of time to solve. The wedding invitation had some obvious shiny letters on it, I gathered them all but I just couldn’t find the correct words as the password.

Then, I tried flipping the invitation and focused on the crest at the back to find it!

You’ve recovered the Pear Cut Diamond! Under a microscope you are able to read the laser-engraved numbers below. Save this page for future reference.

I’m off to Buckingham Palace!

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

The Royal Standard flag is flying high at Buckingham Palace today which means the queen is home. The palace security is increased because of the recent theft. Intel has confirmed that one of Lockhart’s men has made his way into the ranks of the guards. They have narrowed it down to four of the guard posts out front. The raw data below has been gathered about the guards, but you’re going to have to solve for the exact guard to intercept the next diamond.

There are 4 guard houses with 4 different guards, all in a row. The guards names are George, Paul, John and Ringo. They each drink a different kind of tea: English Breakfast, Earl Gray, Green Tea or Chamomile Tea.

Other facts:

  1. Paul drinks green tea and is not in the first guard house.
  2. Either John or George are in the third guard house.
  3. John doesn’t drink Earl Grey and is not in the first guard house.
  4. Ringo is in the second guard house.
  5. George doesn’t drink Earl Grey or English Breakfast.

THE CULPRIT SPILLED A FEW DROPS OF HIS ENGLISH BREAKFAST TEA NEAR THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. WHICH GUARDSMAN HAS HIDDEN THE DIAMOND AND IN WHICH GUARD HOUSE CAN IT BE FOUND?

Buckingham Palace Puzzle. The royal guardsmen were infiltrated by Lockhart’s crew, so I needed to know which of these men had the hidden diamond and what guardhouse he was guarding. With the given facts in the card, I was able to solve the puzzle in no time!

You’ve recovered the Princess Cut Diamond! Under a microscope you are able to read the laser-engraved numbers below. Save this page for future reference.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic British detective, Sherlock Holmes, was a proficient observer with nearly infallible logic. His service to Scotland Yard and the citizens of London is chronicled in various books written in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One of Lockhart’s henchmen is a bit of a fanatic for Doyle’s work.

You’ve managed to get into the henchman’s room and find a safe in the floor. You’ll need to crack the password to open the door and retrieve the diamond inside.

Spyglass. Also included in the box is a spyglass with a red lens. Inspecting some clues will be easier with the help of its colored lens.

I used the spyglass to inspect the August 2021 calendar page hoping to find an answer to unlock the safe!

You’ve recovered the Queen’s Royal Pageantry Necklace! The jewels have been removed. Recover them all to proceed. Save this page for future reference.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You solved the case! Scotland Yard police stormed Piccadilly Circus and with the help of metal detectors, the Crown Jewels were located buried in the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. The treasure has been returned for safekeeping in the Tower of London. Lockhart and his gang have been apprehended. While they may deserve some of the public torture that used to take place at the Tower of London, these forms of punishment were banned long ago.

Finally! After going through a number of puzzles from different places, I was able to retrieve all the diamonds! I used the numbers on each diamond as coordinates. It then led me to Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, where I found the last password to finally recover the treasure!

It was fun solving the puzzles in this month’s box! The featured places in the United Kingdom were just as beautiful as the diamonds that were stolen by Lockhart, and through them, I also learned about the country’s rich history. This is a challenging mission and it took me a while but it was surely worth it. The most satisfying part is getting the last password and seeing the word “CONGRATULATIONS” on the web page! I’m really happy with this subscription and I think anyone who loves puzzles and adventures would love it as well!

Did you solve the mystery? How long did it take you? Let us know in the comments below!

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