Background of the reviewer: Middle-aged mom with years of experience in the Pokemon TCG competitive community. I am a casual gamer who mostly plays with my family (Catan, Ticket to Ride, Fluxx, Pandemic) or Solo Marvel Legendary. Always looking for new gaming opportunities.
Experience with Escape Room Games: This is my first purchase of and experience with a table-top escape room game. I purchased this after reading multiple BGG reviews of all of the currently available escape room games. I have not done any live escape room experiences.
Out of the box: The instructions are super explicit about not examining the included materials. The box contains a plastic wrapped set of cards, a cardboard decoder, three “strange” items, a book and a rule book. The instructions are very clear in guiding players through setting up the game without accidentally revealing any information that would ruin the experience. Everything is very well-constructed and a good value for the price. It was very easy to get the game started. The other suggested materials were pencils with erasers, a pair of scissors and some paper.
How hard is this to play? The directions are very clear and easy to understand, and we quickly got the hang of trying different things, talking things over, and thinking outside of the box as much as we could. The game is very well constructed and all of the components work well together. My wife and I found the puzzles extraordinarily challenging. The suggested playing time is 60-90 minutes and after two hours we were not even halfway done. We got the first riddle, but then had to use one clue on the second riddle, 2 clues on the third and could not solve the fourth. Despite how hard this was for us, it was still fun as we had some “ah-ha we got it” moments, only to realize we did not. The clues we did reveal showed us that were on the right track multiple times, but just couldn’t quite bring it home. Interestingly, each time the clue showed us how close we had come, we eagerly moved to the next riddle thinking that it would be the turning point for us. (it never was) We are clearly not of the ilk that finds success at games like this, and in hindsight, neither one of us is into puzzle-solving. We don’t do Suduku, anagrams, or other logic puzzles. I think if we had more brain-stretching experiences like this we would have fared better. We boxed it back up, but fully intend to pull it out again when are refreshed, and maybe have a third person to join in. Even though we have decided this game probably isn’t for us, we will be buying the next one in the series for our 14-year-old son who definitely loves puzzles and challenges like this.
What, exactly, are you doing when you play? You are using the provided materials to solve riddles. All of the information you need to solve the puzzles is there, you just need to figure it out. Each riddle you solve “unlocks” the next set of riddles. At first you are solving one riddle, but then move on and have multiple riddles involved. You and the other player(s) are working together to brainstorm ideas of what might work. Each time you think you have it solved, you use the cardboard decoder to check your answer. If you are wrong, you go back to the drawing board. The decoder is very well made and a clever way of guiding you without revealing anything.
Recommended number of players: The box says 1-4 players but I think 4 is on the high end. There is not, in my opinion, enough to keep 4 people occupied. I think this would be a great date night activity (if the couple are a lot more logical than my wife and are), or maybe for three people. I think this could also be played by six people if you used two copies (or photocopied a second set of the book) and agreed to not work ahead of the other players but worked side by side. The book that you are referring to is hard to share with two people, let alone 4, and it’s a crucial part of figuring things out. I also question the 12+ age rating. I am not sure a group of 12-year-olds could figure this out without an adult involved, but others may disagree. Once my 14 year old plays the next one in the series (after Christmas) I can update my thoughts.
Replayability: This is a consumable game -- components of the game are marked or destroyed as part of the play. Also, once you solve the riddles there is no point in re-playing it. When my wife realized it was not re-playable she was at first confused. Why did I buy a game that we would just throw away when we were done with it. Once I explained that it cost less than a movie ticket (I got it on sale for $10), and this was our date night activity, it made more sense to her.
Final thoughts: Although this ended up not being the type of game I think we would play again (we’ll stick to Pandemic and Marvel), I do not regret the purchase in the least. I would highly recommend this to those who: enjoy logic puzzles; are creative problem solvers; have a fairly high frustration tolerance; are interested in stretching their mental muscles. It is extremely well-made, clever (at least as far as we were able to proceed), and a great experience for a good price-point. If you are considering purchasing an escape room table top game (or dropping the big bucks for a live experience), I would suggest this as a good entry game. If you enjoy it, you can consider the more expensive options out there. If, like us, it’s not your cup of tea you are out less than $15.
Frequently bought together
This item: The House of Riddles | Exit: The Game - A Kosmos Game from Thames & Kosmos | Family-Friendly, Card-Based At-Home Escape Room Experience for 1 To 4 Players, Ages 10+, Multi-colored
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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 House of Riddles
A mysterious invitation leads you to a house of riddles. But when you arrive, you find everything looks abandoned. With a bang, the front door slams behind you. You are trapped! What's going on here? Will you be able to crack the case and find your way out of the house?
Difficulty Level: 2 of 5.
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| EXIT: The House of Riddles | EXIT: The Stormy Flight | EXIT: The Sunken Treasure | EXIT: The Haunted Rollercoaster | EXIT: The Sacred Temple | EXIT: The Abandoned Cabin | |
| Customer Reviews |
14,706
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| Cooperative Game | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skill Level | Novice | Novice | Novice | Novice | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Ages | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ | 12+ |
| Playtime | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 120 - 180 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 | Jigsaw Puzzles | 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 Secret Lab | EXIT: The Polar Station | EXIT: Theft on the Mississippi | EXIT: The Forbidden Castle | EXIT: Dead Man on the Orient Express | EXIT: The Catacombs of Horror | |
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4,021
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1,262
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4,021
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14,706
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| Cooperative Game | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | Advanced | Advanced | Expert | Expert | Expert |
| Ages | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ | 16+ |
| Playtime | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 60 - 120 mins | 120 - 240 mins |
| Theme | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Family Friendly | Mature Content | 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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Reviews with images
Very fun to play as a family!
Is a fun game to play with your family. Lots of riddles, and a good challenge for your fam. Quality was good, and was pretty portable for an escape room card game. Exceeded my expectations. 👍🏾
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2019
Style: Dead Man on the Orient ExpressVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024
Style: Dead Man on the Orient ExpressVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Corinna Kelly
Fun and challenging
Reviewed in Canada on May 29, 2024Style: Enchanted ForestVerified Purchase
Bruno Barrera
Este Sunken Treasure me pareció de los mejores que jugue de esta serie de Exit
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Michele Datz
Perfect for an evening of fun
Reviewed in Canada on February 27, 2024Style: Stormy FlightVerified Purchase
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Really clever and fun. I will buy more!
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Jaimie Meulensteen
Fun & challenging
Reviewed in Canada on January 3, 2024Style: The House of RiddlesVerified Purchase