Hi There!
We’re Andy and Catherine, a husband-and-wife duo with a love for puzzles, a knack for storytelling, and a shared inability to sit still. We’re also the folks behind Puzzling Pursuits - we’re so happy you’re here!
How It Started
Let’s rewind to 2020: lockdown life, endless days at home, and a serious case of cabin fever. We needed an escape—something fun, challenging, and a little magical to break the monotony. So we did what any slightly unhinged, stir-crazy couple would do: we decided to create our own boxed escape room experience. At home. From scratch.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t an instant success. Far from it! What followed was months of trial and error: researching, brainstorming, hundreds of sticky note puzzle ideas, and bribing friends with snacks to be our test subjects. Our dining table disappeared under mountains of paper, prototypes, and packing tape.
Our "bedroom" in the early days.
Oh yes, and there were debacles. Many debacles. Like the time the delivery truck took out our neighbor’s tree (sorry, Mr. Higgins), or when an unexpected rainstorm nearly turned our carefully packed games into papier-mâché, or the unforgettable glue fiasco—turns out, “industrial-strength” is no joke when applied to envelopes.
How It's Going
Fast forward a few years, and things look a little different (thankfully). We’ve upgraded from our dining room to a professional manufacturer (hooray for fewer papercuts!), partnered with an actual warehouse (our garage has never been happier), and have met some amazing puzzle and design friends who’ve helped take our games to the next level.
Our dog, Finn, inspecting our first shipment from our manufacturer (still in the garage).
Catherine gets full credit for the spark that started it all, but by mid-2021, Andy dove in full-time to bring it to life (and yes, he’s still holding down the fort solo!). Meanwhile, Catherine, true to her “can’t-sit-still” nature, launched her own new venture, but still adds essential creative input, tests all the puzzles, and pulls Andy out of any rabbit holes he's wandered too far down. :)
We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but more importantly, we’re thrilled by how much fun our players are having. Watching you all solve, laugh, and share your adventures has been the absolute highlight of this journey.
A Note of Thanks
Creating Puzzling Pursuits has been one of the most challenging and rewarding things we’ve ever done. We pour our hearts into every game, aiming to make each one more immersive, creative, and “aha!”-inducing than the last.
To everyone who’s joined us on this adventure—whether you’ve sent a kind note, shared your favorite moments, or tackled one of our puzzles—we can’t thank you enough. You’ve made this dream come alive, and we’re so grateful for your support. Here’s to many more adventures and plenty of puzzle-filled fun!
Happy solving,
Andy & Catherine
p.s. We always welcome feedback, so please let us know what's on your mind by e-mailing us at support@puzzlingpursuits.com or using the contact form below.