You’re sweating. It’s 1937, the humid air of Sukhothai is sticking to your Royal Army disguise, and you’re staring at a board game that looks like a cross between Chess and a geometric nightmare. Honestly, this is why people love Indiana Jones. It isn't just about the whip-cracks or the punching—though there’s plenty of that in MachineGames’ latest outing. It’s about being the smartest person in a room full of people trying to kill you.
The mystery in question, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: A Game of Wits, is one of those classic "aha!" moments that can easily turn into a "why am I still here?" moment if you don't slow down. You find it tucked away in Voss’s Camp, way up in the northern reaches of the Sukhothai map. Most players stumble into the barracks, see the safe, and start trying to guess the combination like they’re playing a slot machine.
Don't do that.
The game wants you to play Mak-Yek. It's a traditional Thai board game, and the solution to that stubborn safe is literally sitting on the table in front of you, disguised as a set of blue and red pieces.
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What Actually Is the Mak-Yek Puzzle?
Basically, you’ve got two documents on the table: the Mak-Yek Rules and a note called Lorenzo’s Challenge. One Fascist soldier was clearly bored out of his mind and dared another to solve a specific board state in exactly four moves.
Here’s the kicker: the safe code isn't some random date or a number written on a wall in the next room. It’s the row numbers where your pieces land after those four moves. If you aren't familiar with how Mak-Yek works, it’s kinda simple but also frustratingly specific. Pieces move like Rooks in Chess—straight lines, horizontal or vertical, no diagonals. You capture enemy (red) pieces by "sandwiching" them between two of your blue pieces (custodian capture) or by sliding a piece between two red pieces that are one square apart (intervention capture).
Solving A Game of Wits Without Losing Your Mind
If you’re standing over the board right now, here is exactly how you beat Lorenzo at his own game. You need to move four blue pieces to wipe the board clean.
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- Move the first piece from F1 to F3. This is an intervention capture. You’re sliding right between two red pieces on row three. Because you ended on row 3, your first digit is 3.
- Slide the piece at H1 over to D1. This traps a lone red piece on the first row. You’re on row 1, so your second digit is 1.
- Take the piece at B1 and shove it all the way to the top at B8. This is the "big" move that clears out the cluster at the top. Since you landed on row 8, your third digit is 8.
- Finally, move the piece at F8 down to F6. This cleans up the remaining red stragglers. You landed on row 6, giving you the final digit, 6.
Put it all together and the code is 3-1-8-6.
Punch that into the safe behind you. Inside, you’ll find 195 Baht (the local currency) and, more importantly, you’ll bank 250 Adventure Points. It finishes the "A Game of Wits" mystery officially.
Why the Disguise Matters Here
Seriously, get the Royal Army Uniform. You can find it in the washing yard just to the left of the main building where the safe is. Trying to solve a mental board game while Nazi patrols are breathing down your neck is a recipe for a quick reload.
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MachineGames did something clever with the "Adventure Difficulty" settings in The Great Circle. If you’re playing on a higher puzzle difficulty, the game doesn't give you as many "mental" highlights. You actually have to visualize the moves. If you’re stuck, Indy’s camera is your best friend. Snapping a photo of the board often triggers a hint from Indy himself—his "thinking out loud" voice acting by Troy Baker is actually useful here rather than just being flavor text.
The Bigger Picture of The Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has been a massive hit since its late 2024 launch on Xbox and PC, and its subsequent arrival on PS5 in early 2025. By now, in 2026, we’ve even seen the Order of Giants DLC expand on these mechanics in Rome. The game succeeds because it understands that Indy is a professor first and a brawler second.
A lot of people complain that the stealth is clunky or the combat feels "floaty," but they’re missing the point. The "Game of Wits" is the heart of the experience. It’s about environmental storytelling. You aren't just opening a box; you’re snooping through the personal lives of the soldiers stationed there, reading their petty bets, and using their own hobbies to rob them blind.
Practical Steps for Your Sukhothai Run
If you’re just starting the Sukhothai level, keep these things in mind to make your life easier:
- Prioritize the Breathing Device: You need it for the main objectives in this area. The cash from the "A Game of Wits" safe is a huge help in buying it if you haven't been scrounging every coin.
- Check Both Sides of the Notes: One of the biggest reasons people fail the Mak-Yek puzzle is that they don't flip the rules document over. The "intervention" capture rule is on the back.
- Don't Forget the Camera: Every mystery you solve adds to your adventure book. This isn't just for completionists; it’s how you unlock the XP needed for better combat and stealth skills.
Once you’ve cracked the safe and finished Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: A Game of Wits, make sure you head back out through the hole in the wall toward Wat Chana Songkhram. There are more collectibles in the area, but with the 3186 code out of the way, the hardest mental hurdle of the camp is behind you. Go spend that Baht on something useful.