The Murder of Max Sinclair [prev. Case Closed]Case Closed EdinburghEscape roomIRLCase Closed deserves a perfect score in our books—a definite must-try if you find yourself in Edinburgh. Our only minor quibble is the occasional simplicity of some puzzles. Should they ever craft a room tailored for escape room enthusiasts, it would undoubtedly earn a coveted spot on our bucket lists.
Box One By Neil Patrick HarrisTheory11 OnlineEscape roomTabletop➕ Diverse Puzzle Variety: Box ONE offers a wide range of puzzle types, including trivia, "connect the dots," logical challenges, and lateral thinking puzzles. The diversity keeps the experience engaging and fresh. ➕ Innovative Puzzles: The intricately designed box delivers several surprises and "aha" moments as you progress through the challenges. The puzzles are both creative and impressive. ➖ Time-Gated Puzzles: Some puzzles require answers to be input at specific time periods, which can be a drawback when playing in a group, potentially leading to time constraints. One puzzle even necessitates a day-long wait to proceed, which extends the overall playtime. ✖️ Potential for Spoilers: Experienced escape room enthusiasts might be tempted to explore the entire box in advance, potentially stumbling upon puzzles and solutions ahead of schedule. This can diminish the surprise and suspense of the game. To maximize the experience, it's advisable to approach the puzzles step by step. Box ONE is an enjoyable and unique puzzle adventure suitable for players of all levels, from beginners to seasoned escape room enthusiasts. The game offers intriguing challenges and surprises that captivate players from start to finish. To fully appreciate the experience, it's best to tackle the puzzles one at a time and avoid spoiling the surprises.
EspionageThe Cipher Room NewtownEscape roomIRLI really enjoyed my time playing Espionage from The Cipher Room! I would consider it to be more on the easier side of escape rooms and would recommend beginners and families to try it out! Even seasoned enthusiasts will have a kick playing this room. Furthermore, it's not scary whatsoever so it appeals to everyone!
Phantom PeakPhantom PeakEscape roomOther "Phantom Peak" offers an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience. It's recommended for anyone looking to try something unique. While the back-and-forth travel and the simplicity of some puzzles could be improved, it remains a remarkable adventure worth experiencing multiple times.
cQ OrigenesclueQuestEscape roomIRL"clueQuest: cQ Origenes" offers an enjoyable and immersive escape room experience, with intricately layered puzzles and advanced technology integration. Our recommendation is to play with a larger group (4 or more) to facilitate more efficient searching and puzzle-solving. Despite minor issues, it remains a highly recommended experience.
The Emerald FlamePostCuriousEscape roomTabletop➕Beautiful and fantastic components. There's a reason why the game is priced so high. ➕Lots of puzzles. There is a large amount of puzzling to be had within this game, with many of them being varied in all sorts of ways. ➕Good signposting. They're obvious enough that you won't mistake it as fluff but subtle enough that it does not straight up give you the answer. ➕Decent hint & solutions sytem. Multiple hints are given for each puzzle. My only criticism would be the method of revealing the hints are rather outdated. ➖Cursive handwritting. While it adds to the immersion, it does make it more difficult to read what the letters are saying. ✖️A bit too difficult for me. Some of the puzzles went over my head, requiring me to head to the hints section a tad too often. I would recommend playing with at least 2 players to avoid this issue. Emerald Flame is a really well made game. While it leans heavily into the puzzly side compared to its story and theme, it does have some beautiful and thought provoking puzzles.
Ruff Bluff: A Furlock Holmes MysteryTrapped Puzzle Rooms - OnlineEscape roomTabletop➕ Physical components are impeccably crafted, offering a tactile and immersive experience. Each element feels well-crafted and fits seamlessly into the detective narrative. ➕ The puzzles are masterfully conceived, displaying exceptional design and subtlety in their execution. While a few hints were sought after, none of the puzzles felt excessively challenging or unfairly designed. ➕ Charming and whimsical! The game abounds with dog-themed humor and puns that are bound to tickle your funny bone. The undeniable cuteness of the canine characters adds to the game's allure. ➖ On the challenging side. This game may not be ideal for beginners in the realm of escape room-style games, as some puzzles demand substantial cognitive prowess to crack. ✖️ Website quirks. The online platform tends to sign you out after a period of inactivity, requiring you to re-enter your answers upon each refresh or login. Although some answers are automatically saved, this isn't always the case. "Barker Street Detectives" presents an intriguing concept by casting dogs as the central characters in this captivating case. Coupled with its ingenious puzzles and meticulous attention to detail, it stands out as one of the finest escape room games we've encountered. Highly recommended!
The Medusa ReportDiorama OnlineEscape roomTabletop➕Superb components. They feel deluxe as they should be. ➕ While I wasn't too keen on the story, my friends were very engaged with it and enjoyed it immensely. ➕ While easier than The Vandermist Dossier, I had a satisfying time solving the puzzles in this game. They were very well designed, thematic and creative. Some of the puzzles led to some mindblowing experiences in how the game was crafted. ➖A good number of puzzles were spatial puzzles. While they were still varied and interesting, it may put others off from the game. ➖Some busywork. The game requires you to decode coded messages every now and then, requiring you to spend a good 5 - 10 mins on that. Personally, I would visit the solution once I've figured out the approach to solving it. I really like The Medusa Report! Their puzzles are superb and gave me multiple doses of dopamine when we solved the puzzles. While the story didn't click with me, it'll definitely click with many others. This game is fantastic and a must play for escape room enthusiast.
Threads of FatePostCuriousEscape roomTabletop➕ Physical components are great. Everything feels and looks good. Only issue was the deluxified box. I would've preferred not having it and paying a lower price for the game. ➕ Great puzzles. The puzzles were enjoyable and personally less difficult as compared to The Emerald Flame. The puzzles were varied as well although they do tend to lean towards the logical side. ➕ Good Hint & Solution system. While simplistic, it does the job very well with its layered hint system. ➖ Okay story. As the game is played in multiple sessions, I did not keep track of the story but it seems fine. ✖️ Some busywork required. Once you've figured out the approach for some puzzles, it'll take a few minutes to decipher the solution Overall, I really enjoyed this game! It was quite difficult for me while playing solo so I do recommend partnering up with someone else when tackling this game. It has great puzzles with some "a-ha" moments, lovely art and beautiful trinkets.
Curse of the DarkProfessor Puzzle - OnlineEscape roomTabletop➕Superb bang for your buck. The game is well playable with 6 players and we took ~3.5 hours to complete it. That's $7.50/pax for 3.5 hours of entertainment! ➕Immersive and spooky story. The story was well-made and easy to digest as they're staggered throughout the game. The use of the location tiles accentuated the feeling of being the investigator exploring the house. ➕Crazy good puzzles. The puzzles are SO varied, unique and interesting it's unbelievable it's priced this low. It gave us a handful of "a-ha" moments and none of the puzzles fell flat or unfair. The difficulty of the game hit the sweet spot with us being a group of experienced and beginner players. ➖Some fiddly components. We would've preferred a sturdier version of it but it's a hard ask given the price of the game. ➖Not resettable. Due to the nature of the answer system and puzzles, it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to gift this game away once you're done with it. Hands down this is one of my favourite escape room games I've ever played. With fantastic puzzle design, engaging story and amazing table prescence, it's a must play for anyone who has a slight interest in puzzles or escape rooms.
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