Threads of FatePostCuriousEscape roomTabletopThe best at-home experience we’ve done so far. It lived on the dining table for days as we came back to it to do an hour or two at a time, and I really miss it! The puzzles were overall fair and satisfying - doable without hints if we slept on it whenever we got stuck. Of course there were a couple of frustrating ones, but even then there was fair clueing (you REALLY needed daylight for one). The world was rich, immersive and emotionally resonant. We actually paused the game for a while before the ending because there was a decision that felt… existential and important? That’s not your everyday puzzle game, and this is not your everyday puzzle game.
Madok's Lost TreasureSociety Of CuriositiesEscape roomTabletopThis was our first physical game by Society of Curiosities (we’ve done virtual ones before), and they’d packed a lot in the box! It doesn’t come with: a huge box or tons of props, which is great for storage and feels ecologically healthy. It does come with: loads of satisfying puzzles and fun integration of virtual/irl and physical/tactile components in the box, plus nice twists. Hint system is good - we failed in the execution of one puzzle and were able to get ourselves back on track without being spoiled.
The Posie Ring & The ChapbookSociety Of CuriositiesEscape roomTabletopAll of the Society of Curiosities games are great, but this is my favorite this far. There were a couple of delightful game elements that unfolded at different times that offered interactions that felt really fun, and their hint system is so nuanced that you can figure out where you’re going slightly sideways without ever getting spoilered. I’m only now realizing how much I appreciate the mission debrief email at the end which gives you the flow of the puzzles solved and how - I wish in-person escape rooms did this as well! Top recommendation for play-at-home with two people.
The Hincks Gazette: Vol. 1, Issue 3: JuneBluefish GamesEscape roomTabletopThe humour and whimsy in these games continue to delight; clean puzzles cleanly clued.
Mother Of Frankenstein: Volume 3Hatch Escapes - OnlineEscape roomTabletopI can’t bring myself to thumbs down Volume 3 because it continues a wonderful series (adult, brave, not dumbed down, trusting that people can and will read.) There continue to be aspects that were lovely and not-terribly-frustrating in Volume 3. BUT. There are elements of it that are akin to completely irrelevant can-stacking for the sake of aesthetics, AND the cans are microscopic, fiddly, tear apart easily and interrupt game flow for hours. HOURS. Volume 1 is in our top three at home escape rooms, and Volume 3 is, well, not. We are, however, grateful for the hint system that eventually allowed us to bypass the fiddling and just get to the end of the game without actually setting it on fire in frustration. I love so much about this series, but it is such a shame I can only recommend volume 3 to a person combining the eyesight of a child, finger dexterity of a watchmaker and the patience of a horde of saints. (Or, just bypass the r****)
