SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
TL;DR Version...
PROS:
- great price for the experience
- excellent at-home approximation of the real thing, down to having help/hint cards, like you might ask a real-life game master for help
- no experience necessary
- during COVID: an escape room... in your house... with only those you already hang with daily!
- free mobile app for skip-reading-the-rulebook instructions with graphics AND a timer with appropriate atmospheric audio, which adds a lot to the experience (they should promote this feature more)
- a "scoring system" that favors quicker exits without using help cards and compares your accomplishments across different Exit games (or to other people, if you want that)
- some of these puzzles are just ingenious and I don't know how they can make so many across multiple games and maintain excellent quality
CONS:
- really struggling to come up with any here...
- reaching/picky: there's one puzzle you can only really solve (beyond a powerful imagination) with a very common kitchen item that's not mentioned in the "other things you'll need" section (but is depicted when you get to that puzzle) ... but I can also see an argument that naming it would give too much away
- there's also one puzzle where the scissor-work required just takes a long time, only one person can do it while the others watch (long, boring for them), and the longer it takes with the ticking time-pressure, the more socially agonizing it is to be "Edward Scissorhands" ... so this one game could be improved if there was a way to shorten that one puzzle.
- unlike a real escape room, you can't break off into sub-teams to solve any puzzles simultaneously ... this is 100% linear ... a very minor thing, though.
FULL REVIEW:
My first escape room experience was when my 2nd-level-up boss had us do one as a team building thing around the holidays a few years back. So ~8 of us made it out of a hostage-like situation with ~10 seconds left.
The thrill of that is akin to the first time one makes an amazingly unexpected shot while golfing (regular or mini-golf). And it makes you want it again. But my first "hit" was free.
I not only wanted that experience again, but also wanted to share it with my family. This past summer of 2021, the kids were old enough to get into it, so for my birthday we tried out a real room together. We failed... with several puzzles remaining.
We figured if we played smarter and ask for more help earlier, we could win one. So we did it again the last week of summer. And failed again. But this time we were so close, the game master generously gave us 5-10 extra minutes to experience finishing it. Nice, but still a bummer to "lose" again.
And they cost about two hundred fifty dollars combined. Worth it, but deterred from another go for a while.
Plus, it was a summer of COVID before kids could be vaxed, so we were masked up and scheduling the first session of the day to avoid people, which is much harder during the school year.
When along comes my discovery of these Exit games. Gave one each to the kids for Christmas. Now, I'm a board-gamer, so it takes some mental toughness for me to consider buying a game (out of Germany, no less) where I will be damaging game parts on purpose and only playing it once. BUT for the chance of giving my family the escape room experience for this price compared to the real thing ... this is practically a steal!
New Year's Eve 2021 was an ideal time to try this, and House of Riddles was the first we've tried so far. It just went fabulously! Everyone contributed, even the 8-year-old spotted some things that saved us. In the end, as a team, the family figured everything out without a single Help card, and we finished in less than the 90min max, but more than the 60min "ideal" which docked us 1 "star" (equal to under 60min + 1 Help card). This was a family-bonding, new-years accomplishment we could all be proud of.
And to round out the experience... in real escape rooms, if you win/finish, they get a pic of your group while holding a board with your time on it. Otherwise, you can get a pic, but no time. So before this, we had 2 family photos with no one holding a time. But to close out 2021, I screenshotted & printed the final time (and score) from the mobile app, setup the tripod, and we got a family photo (dog included) where we finally got to hold up our successful escape room exit time!
Bottom Line: While it is "just a game," it also holds the potential for building memories with family & friends that you will never forget. Thank you, game makers!
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From the manufacturer
EXIT: The Game
EXIT: The Game is a series of escape room games for the home. Players must solve riddles and puzzles and crack codes to escape from an imaginary room or environment. But the clock is ticking! Can you escape?
- Escape room in a box: Bring the excitement and intensity of an escape room to your living room!
- Teamwork: Up to 4 players work together to solve the clues and escape.
- Unique themes: Each game has a different setting with clues and puzzles integrated into the storyline.
- Unplugged: App not required! Everything needed is included in the box.
- One-time use: Each game can only be played once, because you must mark up, fold, and tear the game materials to crack the codes.
EXIT: The Sunken Treasure
Setting sail for dangerous waters, you embark on a treacherous quest for the legendary treasure of the Santa Maria. While investigating, something goes terribly wrong and you are trapped deep underwater! Can you solve the riddles of the wreck and recover the treasure?
Difficulty Level: 2 of 5.
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| EXIT: The Sunken Treasure | EXIT: The Haunted Rollercoaster | EXIT: The Stormy Flight | EXIT: The Mysterious Museum | EXIT: The Abandoned Cabin | EXIT: The Secret Lab | |
| Customer Reviews |
14,560
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2,224
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14,560
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14,560
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14,560
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3,984
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| Price | $16.81 | $14.95 | $20.24 | $15.75 | $14.95 | $14.95 |
| Cooperative Game | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skill Level | Novice | Novice | Novice | Intermediate | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Ages | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ | 12+ | 12+ |
| Playtime | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins |
| Theme | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly |
| Format | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet |
| Number of Players | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 |
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| EXIT: The Polar Station | EXIT: Theft on the Mississippi | EXIT: The Sinister Mansion | EXIT: The Forbidden Castle | EXIT: The Pharaoh's Tomb | EXIT: Dead Man on the Orient Express | |
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| Customer Reviews |
1,255
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3,984
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1,571
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14,560
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14,560
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14,560
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| Price | — | $14.95 | $14.95 | $14.95 | $14.95 | $17.38 |
| Cooperative Game | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skill Level | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Expert | Expert | Expert |
| Ages | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ |
| Playtime | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins |
| Theme | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Mature Content |
| Format | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet | Cards & Booklet |
| Number of Players | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 4 |
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Videos
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Videos for this product
1:30
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Honest review of The Sunken Treasure | Exit: The Game
Rebecca Sadhwani
Videos for this product
0:50
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Why We Love the Escape Room-Like Exit Games
Slides and Sunshine
Reviews with images
Great escape room game
I will preface this review by saying I am comparing it to the other escape room board games I have played and explaining the flow/working of this game.This review does NOT contain spoilers of any kind!Comparison:After having played the Spin Master "Escape the Room" games (with the chrono decoder) I have been looking for more escape room board games. I then played the Thinkfun escape room games ("Escape from Stargazers Manor" and "Secret of Dr. Gravely's Retreat"). From playing those 2 series of games I was a little weary of a card based escape room game but this worked really well! My play group found the Thinkfun games a little too easy (finishing between 30 and 40 minutes) but this game seemed to provide the right challenge. This game seems to be more riddle based like the Spin Master games as opposed to story based like the Thinkfun games. I like both formats but I prefer the riddles/puzzles.Whats in the box:So the game comes with a rule book (top left), a game book (top middle), riddle cards (middle left), answer cards (bottom left), hint cards (bottom right), "suspicious objects" (middle), and an answer wheel (middle right and solo picture).Gameplay:There is a little story in the rules that summarizes how you got trapped and then it tells you to start a timer (i used my phone). Once you start the timer all you are given is the game book. In the game book there are various riddles that make no sense yet and a few pictures of the room. You will see a picture of a riddle card and you pull it out of the deck. You solve the riddle which can involve counting certain things in the room or finding something, or a word search (very similar to the puzzles/riddles in the other escape room board game s I have played). You then enter the answer you get into the answer wheel it will give you a number and you pull out the corresponding answer card. The answer card will give you a message saying it is wrong or a card that tells you the next riddle cards you find. There are a total of 10 riddles but like 25 riddle cards (some riddles take multiple cards and parts to solve and you will use more and more of the game book along the way). This process repeats until you solve the last riddle and get an answer card that says you escaped. There are 30 hint cards (3 per puzzle) which you can use anytime you want and they are all marked with the shapes associated with the puzzles.Besides the original story from the rule book the only other story part is when you finish the game the last answer card give a little epilogue.Overall a great experience and I just ordered the other 2 games because this was so enjoyable.Update: Played the other 2 and they work the same way, and they are just as fun.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024
Style: Dead Man on the Orient ExpressVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Bruno Barrera
Este Sunken Treasure me pareció de los mejores que jugue de esta serie de Exit
Reviewed in Mexico on March 17, 2024Style: The Sunken TreasureVerified Purchase
Michele Datz
Perfect for an evening of fun
Reviewed in Canada on February 27, 2024Style: Stormy FlightVerified Purchase
david kehler
Really clever and fun. I will buy more!
Reviewed in Canada on February 2, 2024Style: Mysterious MuseumVerified Purchase
Ti Hua Yen
Really fun
Reviewed in Canada on December 21, 2023Style: The Abandoned CabinVerified Purchase
Alex26
Muy divertido
Reviewed in Mexico on December 20, 2023Style: The House of RiddlesVerified Purchase
