Team - 2 players
Outcome - Escaped (Full Completion)
Time Elapsed - 53 Minutes 51 Seconds
Hints Used - 0
"You are the lucky winner of a free stay at Foxcrest Retreat, where the famed Dr.Gravely has improved upon the latest in spa treatments and relaxation for those of high social standing. Upon your arrival, however, you and your fellow guests may find the "health retreat" is not what it seems.."
Overall Thoughts
Having played an abundance of EXIT : The Game I decided to give Escape The Room a try; the main similarity with these games is the use of a decoder wheel but I personally prefer the way EXIT does it with the cards to check you are correct. The main issue with the ETR decoder is you have to line up the same two symbols on the wheel to know you are correct; in a way this gives you instant confirmation but it also makes it way easier to "brute force" an answer. If you manage to line up one symbol but are uncertain on the full answer this makes it too easy to just cycle until you find the answer.
The puzzle flow of this game is incredible at no point was I uncertain where I was upto or where to go next making the game feel seamless. The instructions and guidance throughout are great and although we did not need it hints are available online via their website. The puzzles within were easier than anticipated but still an enjoyable difficulty, stating on the box a 2 hour completion time for 3-5 players or 1.5 hours for 6-8 players it only took myself and a friend just over 50 minutes to play through the box. The puzzles were significantly more tactile than I had anticipated ranging from observation to a jigsaw-esque puzzle. Much like the professor puzzle games I've played in the past each puzzle was contained within a puzzle decorated with objects and puzzles that helped to progress the story. Each puzzle also came with a story card which helped to immerse us in what was going on as we progressed.
SPOILERS AHEAD
There are multiple endings for this game and as a completionist I had to solve all of the puzzles. Having solved the final puzzle and gotten the ending story I decided to see what would have happened should we have chosen to finish the game at the earlier point or had we have run out of time on the final puzzle and it seemed that you got a very similar outcome throughout. This is a little disappointing as it gives the last puzzle very little worth.
SPOILERS FINISHED
Overall I'd say this game is an absolutely fantastic box for both beginner and intermediate level puzzlers; although those with a lot of puzzle experience may find the puzzles a little on the easier side. The game is also fully resettable and you do not destruct any of the contains. In my opinion this is a great addition for puzzle boxes as you can pass this on to friends to also play; increasing the lifespan of the box.
Final Review
Difficulty - 2 / 5
Puzzles - 4 / 5
Theming - 3.5 / 5
Creativity - 4 / 5
Enjoyment - 4 / 5
Value For Money - 5 / 5
Overall Score - 4 / 5
Sneak Peek
