July 2026 Newsletter

Hey Enigmailers,

I’m trialling a monthly news update. Hopefully this will give you more of an idea of what I’m working on, the chance to solve some bonus puzzles, and perhaps see where my culture fit is going. By my reckoning, this will be 50% puzzles, 50% inspiration, ideas and thoughts.

UP NEXT

Seasonal Clues in Sprues

These are a Christmas-themed quartet of sprues which will be ready for 2026, perfect for those of you who’ve enjoyed your Sprues so far!

There’s also going to be an extra-special bonus sprue, but you’ll have to wait and see what that is. All I can share at this point is that it comes in glow-in-the-dark green (SO EXCITING), and a long-time inspiration and Escape Room doyenne is giving input…

If you want to back it, please follow this link: Seasonal Sprues on Kickstarter

Here they are, just above my computer screen in my study!

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON

I have been writing and prepping for Sjandiva Outdoors, the sequel to the original Sjandiva. Below is the very first puzzle made - think you can solve it?

Again, same format, but I’ve taken feedback from previous backers, and now each chapter will be self-contained - either trail or linear, but remaining within each section.

Want to know when this launches (August 2026) and don’t want to miss out? Head to this link. Sjandiva Outdoors on Kickstarter

I’ve also been wandering the woods near me, which have just opened up again to the public, for FORENSIC. I have all the elements in place; I just need to adjust some small sections and also gather some materials.

I’ve been working with an ESP32 and an e-ink display for a sort of now/next tool, but I’ve started playing with it as an event countdown timer too. It’s incredibly satisfying to tinker with!

Finally, I’ve been tidying up the finishing graphical touches to my "To Have And To Solve" puzzle boxes for my forthcoming wedding in October. These are three puzzle boxes which hold some treats inside, and have been really fun to work on. The Enigmailed crew over on Discord have been amazing supporters of this project, and I’m grateful for all their input.

I don’t quite know what to do when I’ve completed the boxes themselves. I might put the puzzles together into a PDF, I might hire out the boxes. No idea. Ideas welcomed!

CONSUMPTION

Audio

I’ve been making a lot of playlists for the wedding (see above), which are mainly instrumental. I’ve been playing a lot of Hiatus, combined with Stutter House for when I run, which melts Spotify’s algorithm a LOT.

I enjoyed the first episode of Spencer Beebe’s escape room podcast, and caught up on some classic films with the What Went Wrong podcast (in-depth film assessment; seriously brilliant).

I had the chance to see Fink play locally to me, and by some weird accident, ended up at the front. It was extraordinary. The gigs happen in a record shop, so there are only ever 30 people there, but it was inspirational.

Books

I’ve read six books this month: One’s Company (rich lady goes crazy), Small Things Like These (spare and beautiful), Awakened (dystopian vampires; wordier than it needed to be), Perfection (yawn), Last House on Needless Street (murder mystery-ish), Notes on an Execution (gripping start).

Films & TV

Embarrassingly, I’ve watched 24 films in June 2026. The best was a rewatch with the family of a classic: Children of Men. It really is an extraordinary film. I’d also highlight Sorry, Baby, which was, by turns, tragic and funny; often in the same scene.

For TV, I’ve enjoyed Reported Missing on BBC, hated Two Weeks in August (also BBC), and have a fondness for Grace (feature-length crime drama with John Simm, ITV).

Games

I played the Taskmaster Escape Room game, and have been working my way through the 100 Word Dungeons game, which I've been really enjoying on my Kindle Scribe.

COMING UP

I head to Naples at the end of this month for a city break with the younger half of my children. Aside from the obvious, any recommendations are welcome.

I'll be finishing the Seasonal Sprues campaign on holiday, which is quite exciting.

I'm also contemplating taking a few of the Incointation coins to hide around Pompeii when we visit (I do have a funny story about this, for another time). Thoughts?

Until next time,

Step