Van Ryder Games is bringing a new “season” of its solitaire games, Graphic Novel Adventures, to trade in Q3. The first season is available now.

Adapting the graphic novel format to gaming, players begin reading on page one and make choices that direct them to other pages in the book. With emphases on puzzle-solving and investigation, each game leads the player through a complex plot they must solve to win. QR Codes in the pages can be read for clues and tips to defeat a challenge. The first season included Captive, Loup Garou, Tears of the Goddess, Your Town, and a Sherlock Holmes collection.

Season 2 adds even more. In Mystery, the player assumes the role of a superhero trying to prove themselves good enough to join the world’s greatest super-team. Pirates: The Great Chase allows the player to select one of three characters with different stats, then has them pursue a prisoner who has escaped the ship and is swimming for a nearby island. Pirates: The City of Skulls allows players to continue the adventure exploring a fortified city. There are also  two more Sherlock Holmes adventures, one where you can play as either Holmes or Moriarty, and one where up to two players can participate, with one acting as Holmes and the other as Irene Adler.

Both seasons of the books were funded via Kickstarter, with Season 1 raising $296,000 from 3,850 backers and Season 2 raising $150,860 from 1,969 backers.”

Each game book is sold separately and has an MSRP of $22.99. An age range was not given, but players do need to be able to read, and the games are designed to be difficult, requiring several hours to play.

Click on the gallery below for images.