Escape Game Review

The Game is Afoot… Book: Sherlocked the Official Escape Room Puzzle Book

Video ~ ~ Mike K. ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM BOOK PROMO:

So… many people ask “what have you done while being quarantined/socially distanced due to COVID-19?”

Well, we co-wrote a book and created puzzles for a Sherlock-themed escape room puzzle book! So, give us a little bit of love and click one of those “share on social media” buttons. We’d appreciate it.

Watch the video we made about how this project came to be:

We present to you: Sherlocked!: The Official Escape Room Puzzle Book

Last October, Sophie, an editor from Studio Press (an imprint of Bonnier Books UK), contacted us to see if we had any interest in creating a series of puzzles for a Sherlock Holmes-themed puzzle book. We were nervous at first because Sherlock is such a literary icon. However, when she assured us that the Conan Doyle Estate sanctioned this project and was on board, we couldn’t wait to get started, which we did starting in January 2020.

This is a pick your own path book (so it’s not something you read straight through from cover to cover). You assist Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they investigate a mystery (well, a couple of mysteries) and find yourself solving puzzles that you might normally find in an escape room. There are points where you decide how the story moves along and can encounter different endings (so you can read the book more than once!).

So, check it out. We think it would make a great present for the holidays, or for someone who likes puzzles and is bored at home.

WHERE CAN I BUY THIS:

(The links below will be updated as we get them along with dates the book will be made available)

(*Note: The Escape Room Guys LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com… in other words, we earn a small fee by providing direct links to products on Amazon in return for promoting them.)

UPCOMING CONTEST:

Next week you can enter a contest we’re conducting through our social media channels and this blog. Readers from the United Kingdom (where our publisher is located) and the United States (where we are located) can solve a puzzle to be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of the book. We’ll send a copy to 5 randomly drawn winners each from the U.S. and U.K. who solved the puzzle correctly.

So, follow us now on one of our social media channels (links below) or follow this blog to be notified when the contest starts. Full rules will be outlined when the contest starts next week.

Follow us on our social media channels:

Thanks to everyone (our families, friends, followers, escape room friends, and enthusiasts) and we really hope you enjoy this book.

Lots of love,

Mike and Jason

Uncovering the Family Jewels – Game: Legacy Episode 2: Hellas – July 19, 2020

~ Jason

ESCAPE GAME REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’ve always wondered if your family had a secret stash.

Avoid if… you don’t take advantage of local pamphlets and brochures while on vacation.

THE BASICS

Argyx Games

Developer Website: https://www.argyxgames.com/

The Game: Legacy: Quest for a Family Treasure – Episode 2: Hellas

Description (from the company website): Marseille, Fall 2019. You receive the letter of a notary that comes with a mysterious black box. In his last will, your estranged father reveals the existence of a family treasure, hidden somewhere in Europe. To find it, he leaves you objects and documents that belonged to him as well as to your ancestor. You have to shed light on the past in order to be able to claim your inheritance… (see their video below)

Difficulty (1-10): N/A

Time Limit: None, but typically completed in 60-90 minutes on average

Cost: $56 to $119, depending on which package you back on Kickstarter

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-4 people

OUR EXPERIENCE

Note: The ERG were given the opportunity to try out this game for free, with the understanding that we would continue to provide an honest review and follow the same process we’ve used on all of our other ratings.

Logistics:

Description of the game: We’re not going to go into detail here as it’s basically a surprise for you. Our promotional game, however, came in a blue paper envelope from Argyx in Paris. Your game will come in the black box shown on the KickStarter page.

Understanding of the Mission: First, keep in mind that Hellas is game 2 in this set. Its story continues the one you complete in Eiffel 1889 (which is also a slightly longer game than Hellas). In Eiffel 1889, you were trying to find the identity of a lost ancestor. In Hellas, you need to take what you learned and discover the location of said ancestors buried fortune. There are 5 distinct tasks for you to complete to do so.

How Much Space is Needed: 4-6 sq.ft. is sufficient for the materials, plus space for a laptop or tablet.

Age Appropriate: It’s rated 14+. There’s nothing inappropriate in Hellas.

Did We “Escape”: Yep!

Time Remaining: We finished in about 1:15 (it should take you 60-90 minute on average). Yay, we’re average!

Our Suggested Party Size: 2-4 for sure

Did the room challenge the entire team? Mostly

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Steph D, Heather

Worth the time and money? This is a loaded question. The price is pretty steep for a take home game ($57/€47), BUT that gets you 2 games (Eiffel 1889 and Hellas (this one)) and all the stretch goals of the campaign (which includes, at the time of this writing, 1 additional document for Eiffel 1889 and one for Hellas (which is another puzzle)). That comes out to roughly 2-3 hours of total game time.

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There is an Art to Capturing Criminal Masterminds – Game: The Escape Game Unlocked: The Heist (Volume 1) – May 27, 2019

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE GAME REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you prefer to stay indoors, want to be a detective, and are technologically inclined.

Avoid if… you don’t like art and don’t really care about justice.

THE BASICS

The Escape Game:

Developer Information: The Escape Game: Unlocked

The Game: The Heist – Volume 1: Chasing Hahn

Description (from the company website): IN THIS EDITION, YOU’LL CONTINUE YOUR MISSION FROM “THE HEIST” AS A SECRET AGENT IN AN EFFORT TO THWART THE INFAMOUS ART CURATOR, VINCENT HAHN.

With the help of your Intelligence Agent, you’ll uncover The Curator’s true identity, connect him to a crime, and work with the International Police to finally exact justice.

ERG Note: You do not have to have played the previous room of the same name to follow the story.

Difficulty (1-10): Unrated

Time Limit: No time limit

Cost: $20

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 1 to 4 players

OUR EXPERIENCE

Note: The ERG were given the opportunity to try out this game for free, with the understanding that we would continue to provide an honest review and follow the same process we’ve used on all of our other ratings.

Logistics:

Description of the game: There are postcards, evidence photos, a brochure, and some props used in the game.

Understanding of the Mission: We were tasked by law enforcement to track down Vincent Hahn, a notorious art thief, by figuring out what he was going to steal next and from where.

How Much Space is Needed: We played on a table that was 3′ x 6′ and there was still room left for our snacks and drinks.

Age Appropriate: The theme is appropriate for all ages, but the puzzles are listed as 12 and up.

Did We “Escape”: Yes!

Time Remaining: There’s no limit, but we finished in about 84 minutes.

Our Suggested Party Size: The game is recommended for 1-4 players and our 6…got a little bored at times. 4 is definitely right.

Did the game challenge the entire team? At times.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Steph, Corey, Eric, and Brittany

Worth the time and money? $20 is a steal for this.

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Dispatch by Breakout Games: On the Run, Box 4 – Game Review – May 27, 2019

Video ~ ~ Mike K.

ESCAPE GAME REVIEW:

Dispatch by Breakout Games – Game Subscription

On the Run – Box 4 – Australia

Cost: Varies. Monthly payment options and box sets available on the website.

After a year between doing box 2 (South America) and box 3 (Tokyo), we decided to try and knock out box 4 right after completing Tokyo. In fact, we got a bit frustrated with some of the puzzles in Tokyo, so we started working on Australia, and that went a bit easier. We’ll say that box 4 (in Australia) took us only about 1.5 hrs, which is longer than the first two, but only half the time as box 3.

We really liked the flow of this one as well. It did a good job in progressing the story and adding additional information and challenges, but still made you go back to other boxes and utilize things you found and messages you received in order to “solve” this box and get to the video that tells you that you’re ready to progress to the next one.

Watch our video review and comment on this post.

Are you playing this subscription? What do you think?

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Are there games, locations or rooms you’d like us to scout out?

Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

Follow us on our social media channels:

The Escape Game: Unlocked – The Heist, Volume 1: Chasing Hahn – May 27, 2019

Video ~ ~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE GAME REVIEW:

The Heist by The Escape Game: Unlocked – Game Subscription

Volume 1: Chasing Hahn

Cost: $20.00

We were contacted by The Escape Game: Unlocked and asked if we’d be interested in playing their new game. Of course we said yes.

So, this is essentially our reaction video after playing the game, but we’ll be doing a comprehensive review post with ratings based on our new escape game rubric. Stay tuned!

Here is how the game plays: Your mission: as a team of detectives, you need to stop international art collector (and thief!), Vincent Hahn. He’s been stealing from museums over the years, and has always eluded capture. Now, you have a break in the case and need to piece together clues, gather evidence, and try and stop him before he strikes again.

Overall, this was a pretty fun game. It took us just over an hour with a small group of friends (we had 6 total in our group). The website that you needed to use to play the game was well designed (but – HINT – make sure you sign in with a user name and password that you’re willing to give the rest of your team so you can all be in the website at the same time… otherwise, there will be a lot of waiting around by some of you).

There were lots of things to look at, but the game is pretty linear, so you’ll need to be good at sharing and working together as a team as you progress.

We’re looking forward to Volume 2.

Watch our video review and comment on this post.

Have you played this game? What do you think?

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Are there games, locations or rooms you’d like us to scout out?

Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

Follow us on our social media channels:

Dispatch by Breakout Games: On the Run, Box 3 – Game Review – May 27, 2019

Video ~ ~ Mike K.

ESCAPE GAME REVIEW:

Dispatch by Breakout Games – Game Subscription

On the Run – Box 3 – Tokyo

Cost: Varies. Monthly payment options and box sets available on the website.

So, we continue with this “play at home” subscription about your childhood friend, James, who is on the run after being accused of killing his wife, Victoria, on their honeymoon. Victoria is the heiress to a family dynasty, so James has to stay on his toes to stay ahead of them.

We had a bit of a hiatus between boxes 2 and 3 (just over a year, actually), so that probably contributed to the fact that we got REALLY stuck on this box… and admitting that some of the puzzles are a bit more challenging than the first two boxes we completed.

This one took us about 3 hours, and we were only able to finish it because of a hint or two provided by some of the other players in the Slack channel, but, the puzzles were fun and challenging, which was a big switch from box 2.

Watch our video review and comment on this post.

Are you playing this subscription? What do you think?

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Are there games, locations or rooms you’d like us to scout out?

Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

Follow us on our social media channels:

Dispatch by Breakout Games: On the Run, Box 2 – Game Review – May 15, 2018

Video ~ ~ Mike K.

ESCAPE GAME REVIEW:

Dispatch by Breakout Games – Game Subscription

On the Run – Box 2

Cost: Varies. Monthly payment options and box sets available on the website.

So, this review is based on Box 2 of a series that explores the continuing saga of your childhood friend, James, who is on the run after being accused of the murder of his wife, the heiress of a powerful family, during their honeymoon. James has been reaching out to you through a series of boxes sent to your address, which evolves the mystery. This is a pretty cool premise because while this isn’t an actual escape room, the mere method of tying in the delivery of the boxes to you starts the immersive experience.

We liked the second box as much as the first one. It required a lot of reading (like the first) and solving a lot of different clues using items in the box as well as your phones.

This one took us about 35-40 minutes, and was done by the same group of us (Mike, Jason, and our Escaptern Mark)

Watch our video review and comment on this post.

Are you playing this subscription? What do you think?

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Are there games, locations or rooms you’d like us to scout out?

Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

Follow us on our social media channels:

Dispatch by Breakout Games: On the Run, Box 1 – Game Review – May 8, 2018

Video ~ ~ Mike K.

ESCAPE GAME REVIEW:

Dispatch by Breakout Games – Game Subscription

On the Run – Box 1 (see promo video below)

Cost: Varies. Monthly payment options and box sets available on the website.

So, we are expanding our reviews to include games, and we decided to do a video overview of our experience playing box 1 of the On the Run series from Dispatch at Breakout Games.

Watch our video review and comment on this post. Are you playing this subscription? What do you think?

Also, do you like the video review, or do you prefer our standard format with the different sections rated by both Jason and Mike?

Let us know!

Are there games, locations or rooms you’d like us to scout out?

Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

Follow us on our social media channels:

Who Knew Zombies Liked Pizza? – Game: Escape Room Z – April 2, 2018

~ Mike K. ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE GAME REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you need a new and unique activity for Board Game Night.

Avoid if… you aren’t good with arts and crafts.

THE BASICS

Lock Paper Scissors:

Website: www.lockpaperscissors.co

The Game: Escape Room Z

Description (from the company website): Zombies are everywhere! And they’re hungry … hungry for … PIZZA!

Trapped in an apartment on the 28th floor, can you rescue the pizza, get the gun, unlock the door, and defeat the zombies?

But how? By solving lots and lots of interesting, fun puzzles!

Welcome to Escape Room Z, an hour-long puzzling adventure for you and your crew.

Difficulty (1-10): none given

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $19.99 + supplies (if you download and print yourself)

Party Size: no more than 8 recommended

Staging Area: Your room should be a comfortable size for however many people are in your party to get up and move around.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we played the game:

This is the video we took just after we completed the game:

Note: The ERG were given the opportunity to try out this game for free, with the understanding that we would continue to provide an honest review and follow the same process we’ve used on all of our other ratings.

Logistics:

Description of the room: We used our Community Room in our condo building (Jason and I live in the same building, but you’d know that already if you watched the pre-room video). We had 6 people, and that was a good size (although maybe our room was a bit too large for the number of pieces of the game).

Understanding of the Mission: Essentially, save the pizza that is baking in an oven on the 28th floor from a horde of hungry zombies.

Did We Escape: Yes (we saved the pizza LOL)

Time Remaining: about 19:30

Our Suggested Party Size: 6 is probably good if people have done games like this before or are regular “escapees” (escape room enthusiasts/addicts).

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Heather, Corey, Brittany and Katheryn (who served as our Game Master)

The ERG and their Disturbed Friends (Eric, Mike, Heather, Corey, Brittany, Katheryn, and Jason) turned their ordinary game night into an “escape the zombies” night!

Worth the time and money? Yes, even though it’s a once-and-done game (but all of them are anyway)

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • It’s your own location. Serve whatever snacks and drinks you want… maybe go with pizza to fit the theme?

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