LOCATION: Webster, Texas, USA Photo above is property of Break Free Escape Room Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The Forgotten Feature 📅 DATE PLAYED : October 29, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Paranormal 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl) : 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-8 ppl (Ages 15+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : $27.00/ pp (Min. 2 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY Josie was inadvertently left behind during a school field trip to the movie theater and, despite a town-wide search, was never found. Her spirit is believed to haunt the theater. With the theater scheduled for demolition, you have one hour to liberate her spirit. Can you set her free? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This storyline is very unique and rarely seen in other escape room locations. The theme of investigating a haunted theater immediately captivated us. What could have happened to this little girl? The introductory story unfolded on the big screen, complete with movie theater seats, popcorn, and atmospheric lighting, allowing us to settle in quickly and "enjoy" the movie. We knew exactly what to do once we solved the first puzzle, as certain props would reveal themselves. With numerous similar props scattered around the room, we were ready for the challenge. The puzzles varied, requiring logic, memory, and keen observation. One particularly complex puzzle demanded a combination of all these skills, and a cool prop activated the solution. The game creators skillfully integrated the puzzles into the storyline until the very end. Solving all the puzzles also unraveled the mystery of the missing girl. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK This room needs a more intense eerie sound, music, and light ambience to truly capture the "haunted" theater atmosphere. Strategic jump scares can be easily incorporated at key moments. One of the clues had unclear wording, leading to multiple potential solutions. Clarifying this would be great. A prop required a second use, which was the only instance in the room. A subtle hint or clue within the room would prevent players from unnecessarily wasting time or asking GM for hints. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? If you're a film buff, you'll thoroughly enjoy reminiscing about some of the greatest movies of all time displayed throughout the room. The set design authentically captures the feel of a small private theater. We anticipated a touch of eerie ambiance from Josie which would have enhanced the experience but the puzzles, while not overly challenging, require keen association skills to link the various items and decor scattered about. Solving the mystery was incredibly satisfying, akin to a "Nancy Drew" moment, as we finally set Josie free after all these years. What would your movie ending be? ℹ️   ADDITIONAL INFO Locker and seating in the lobby Free parking right outside Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Break Free Escape Room for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLEscapeRoom #EscapeRoom #BreakFreeEscapeRoom #Horror #Paranormal #Creepy #Texas #USA

LOCATION: Boisbriand, QC, Canada Photo above is property of Immersia Escape Games Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The St-Onge Case (Weekend at the Shack 2) 📅 DATE PLAYED : September 23, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Thriller, Serial Killer 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 Players) : Adaptive 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 3-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 75 Mins. 💰 PRICE : CAD $50.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY Ten years ago, Philippe St-Onge took the lives of three of your friends during what was supposed to be a carefree getaway. Now he’s locked away…but your old friend Alex has discovered the secret location of his prison and is bent on revenge. Against your better judgment, you agree to help, hoping not to relive the trauma of that fateful night. But once inside, it’s clear that the shadows of the past aren’t done with you yet. Video above is property of Immersia Escape Games 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Expansive, cinematic world : This game feels big in both physical scope and ambition. It just kept going! The multi-level environment is impressively detailed, with distinct spaces, strong mood lighting (but never too dark to see), and a sense of progression that makes the experience feel like an adventure. Tactile and varied puzzles : There’s a satisfying mix of hands-on mechanical moments and tech-forward interactions, with something for everyone. We particularly loved one communication puzzle! The non-linear design allows for plenty of parallel play within each section, which is great for groups who love to divide and conquer. And there’s plenty to keep you occupied…there’s a reason this is a 75 minute game. Everything functioned smoothly, which is no small feat in a room this large. Onboarding & story delivery : This game is a sequel to the original Weekend at the Shack game, which is still available at Immersia’s Laval location. We haven’t played it, but a recap of the original game’s events was cleverly woven into early puzzles, while videos moved this story forward with strong production and acting. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Storyline : While the environment is immersive and thrilling, and the story delivery has great production value, the story itself seemed overly contrived to us. The final moments didn’t land as powerfully as may have been intended. Given how strong Immersia’s storytelling usually is, we’re used to feeling a bit more invested. Unused Bits : We ran into a couple of unused locks. There is also a TON of set dressing. Immersia mostly does an excellent job of making it clear what’s in play versus just there to set the scene. However, there were a few things in the shack where that wasn’t quite as clear and caused a bit of confusion. (When we asked about one of the locks post-game, we were told we weren’t meant to open it. At the time I didn’t realize the game had adaptive difficulty…so we’re not sure if this was an artefact of that or something else.) 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? " The St-Onge Case: Weekend at the Shack 2 " is a dark, moody thriller that majorly delivers on atmosphere, scope, and production value. You don’t need to have played the original to dive in, though we hear there are some great Easter eggs and callbacks for returning players. The massive space (be prepared for some steps) makes it perfect for groups, especially teens or adults who want something immersive without leaning into full horror. There’s blood and creepiness but no jump scares, and the tactile puzzles will keep everyone busy. We also love that Immersia has implemented adaptive difficulty, allowing a wider range of skill levels to succeed. So gather your crew, steady your nerves, and see if you can put Philippe St-Onge’s legacy to rest once and for all. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Immersia’s Boisbriand location has plenty of free parking available. The space itself has two main waiting areas (including some comfy sofas/chairs), game trailers to watch as you wait, lockers, bathrooms, and a few things for sale. Photos above are property of Immersia Escape Games Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of the game: Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Immersia Escape Games for providing us with a media discount for this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #DaveBristol #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #ImmersiaEscapeGames #Thriller #SerialKiller #Quebec #Canada

Photo above is property of Beadle & Grimm's Company: Beadle & Grimm's Game: Star Trek - Picard: Murder on the Titan-A Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬 Genre: Murder Mystery, Sci-Fi Date Played: November 5, 2025 Difficulty (based on 4 players): 5/10 Size of Team: 1+ Players (Age 14+) Time: Unlimited (Approx. 90-180 Mins.) Price: $40.00 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 As peace offerings are set to begin on the U.S.S. Titan-A, Klingon High Councilor K’Gurg was found stabbed and murdered in his guest quarters. What’s worse is that Captain Liam Shaw was the last person seen coming from K’Gurg’s room making him the prime suspect. As a team of Starfleet Investigators, can you determine if Captain Shaw is the murderer and if not, who the real killer is? Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening up the box, we find a lot of information on different forms including statements from different crew members, reports and more. There are also envelopes marked with Stage 2 and 3, which we are instructed not to open until told to do so. Other cool things include a large poster of the U.S.S. Titan-A and the coup de gras of the game, the Starfleet badge. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Reading the instructions first, it did a great job clearly explaining the game and how to use the Starfleet badge, setting us up for a smooth experience. We then jumped into the introduction letter, which kicked off the mystery and gave us the backstory. From there, we pored over the documents to find clues, discrepancies, information and solve the puzzles that would unlock each new envelope and progress the story. While there was plenty to read and go through, we did wish that a few key items were utilized more directly to help solve the mystery. The story itself was well written and genuinely fun to unravel. An amazing bonus was that each letter came with an audio version narrated by Captain Liam Shaw (Actor Todd Stashwick) himself that added to the immersion. The only small disappointment was at the end after Shaw gave us a brief congratulations, the conclusion had to be read rather than heard. While the game had some cool physical items such as the Starfleet notepad, and a wall worthy poster of the U.S.S. Titan-A, the true standout was the Starfleet Badge. It had stellar craftsmanship, made of metal and is an amazing collectible piece. When scanned with the Pinfinity app, it would turn into our solution submitter as we progressed through the envelopes. It also had a few fun bonuses like quotes from Captain Picard. It was such a pleasure to use that we wished there was so much more that we could have used the app for. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 There were only a handful of puzzles that included deciphering and pattern solving to access certain locked areas but the bulk of the game was reading everything and making connections and finding contradictions. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 For both " Star Trek " fans and non-fans, this was a great murder mystery experience. As someone who isn’t versed in Star Trek lore , I found the story easy to follow along and still make sense. The connections, contradictions and clues made logical sense as we worked our way through the story. The poster was lovely and that Starfleet badge was absolutely gorgeous Though the game says it could play up to 6 people, we found playing with 4 felt right, giving everyone a chance to read everything and compare notes with one another. If you are looking for something engaging for a game’s night, this one will (pun fully intended) make it so. (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Beadle & Grimm's for providing us with samples of the game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #OneOffs #MurderMystery #SciFi #BeadleandGrimms #USA

LOCATION: West Hartford, Connecticut, USA Photo above is property of Mission Escape Games (Connecticut) Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : Into the Depths: Submerged 📅 DATE PLAYED : October 14, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Espionage, War 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 6.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : Mon-Thu: $40.00/ pp (2 ppl), $35.00/ pp (3-4 ppl), $33.00/ pp (5-8 ppl) Fri-Sun (& Holidays): $115.00/ group (2-3 ppl), $35.00/ pp (4-8 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY Join your team on a covert mission to explore the ocean's mysterious depths. Each discovery tests your bravery and teamwork. Can you use your wits and defeat the enemy ships in time? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Miss Escape Games consistently dazzles us with their set design. As soon as we entered the room, it was clear we had been transported to the interior of a wartime submarine. From floor to ceiling, everything exuded a steel-tank vibe. With buttons and switches everywhere, we knew there was a thrilling challenge ahead. The lighting, sound, and special effects were meticulously timed for that right moment. You'll undoubtedly feel as if you've completed an action in real life. We thoroughly enjoyed the moments where we had to "force" something open and deploy some items. The subtle clues in this game truly test players' attention to detail and their ability to associate them with the tasks at hand. We were briefly stumped on one, but solving it delivered a highly satisfying "aha" moment. The game included a substantial number of puzzles that required teamwork, perfectly complementing the theme. We felt like navy officers, announcing instructions to each other to accomplish tasks. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK One of the animations seemed somewhat long and repetitive towards the end, but this is a minor suggestion, likely because it occurred near the game's conclusion, and we were uncertain about having enough time to watch it. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This game is perfect for a smaller group of players. Even though it's quite spacious inside, the thrill lies in passing crucial information among teammates, and a big group might have more difficulties with that. For the two of us, the game ran incredibly smoothly after a little nudge at the beginning from our amazing GM. We had an absolute blast and believe you will too, especially if you're a fan of decoding secret messages and have a passion for war-themed games. And if you ever find yourself in NY, you must check out their other game " Carbon: 3708 " It shares a similar set design vibe but cranks up the challenge with its puzzles! ℹ️   ADDITIONAL INFO Street meter parking and parking in the lot across the street are available but very limited. Avoid parking in the bank's lot across the street. Arrive early if you need parking, as it can be challenging to find a spot. Lobby area with seating available Merchandise is available for purchase Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Check out our YouTube video for a sneak peek of the location, an interview with the owner, the room(s) (no puzzle spoilers) and more: Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure :   We thank Mission Escape Games (Connecticut) for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLEscaperoom #EscapeRooms #MissionEscapeGames #Espionage #War #Connecticut #USA

LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Photo above is property of Red Door Escape Room (Las Vegas) Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : Borderlands: Tannis's Lab 📅 DATE PLAYED : November 9, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Sci-Fi, Action 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl) : 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : $39.95/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY Red Door teamed up with 2K Games and Nerdvana to build a real-life slice of the Borderlands universe and Tannis’ Lab lands with all the game’s wild, irreverent energy. You’re recruited to stabilize and power up a vault key and then put it to use. If you’ve played the game, the in-jokes and lore will land and amplify the fun (we imagine). If you haven’t, the plot can feel a bit murky, but that doesn’t stop the room from delivering on the look and the weirdness that Borderlands is known for. Video above is property of Red Door Escape Room (Las Vegas) 🎯    HIT THE BULLSEYE Set design & vibe : The lab nails that cartoon-punk sci-fi aesthetic with futuristic machinery, piles of gadgets, and the sort of delightful clutter that reads instantly as Borderlands. Big, bold, and weirdly playful (considering all the guns), it was our favorite environment of the three Red Door rooms we played Tech that works : We always appreciate when a game that is so gadget-forward (tablets, custom machines and devices, and lots of interactive tech) where everything functions smoothly! The tech feels integral to the game and the experience. Character work : A quirky, thematic character (a fun robot-y presence) helps shepherd you through the lab. Whether or not they’re a canonical NPC from the game, they’re charming, and their personality adds a lot to the experience. (Some people might find him a bit over the top, but I was a big fan!) Moments of levity : The room leans into some seriously goofy and irreverent energy with little flourishes (including a brief, delightful dance moment) that are pure joy if you let them land. Mission guidance : The tablet can guide you through objectives when you need it, which is handy; sometimes you’ll spot the next move without it, but it’s a sensible safety net if you’re unsure what your next step should be. 🧩   MISSED THE MARK Narrative clarity: As players unfamiliar with the video game on which the room is based, we had a hard time really understanding the story. While it didn’t impact actual gameplay, it seems like a little more exposition about what’s going on would help all players to engage with and follow the narrative. Terminology hiccup : Calling mandatory objectives “side missions” adds a small layer of head-scratching from the start. Staff do warn you in the intro, but the wording seems unnecessarily misleading, even if it may be a nod to the video game. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? If you love " Borderlands ", Tannis’s Lab is a must-visit. While we couldn’t recognize them ourselves, we’re confident the Easter eggs, tone, and set dressing will reward your fandom. But if you’re coming in cold, like us, don’t worry! The room still delivers on immersion, polished tech, and playful moments; just be prepared not to be too focused on the story. This is primarily a single-space romp with a few pockets to open up, so expect concentrated, gadget-forward puzzling and plenty of tactile interaction. Fans of strong set design and character-driven quirks will get the most mileage here. For folks who want a big, theatrical, game-accurate environment and don’t mind leaning into the chaos, this one’s a blast! 🔎 HINT Take a careful sweep to find what’s immediately accessible… ℹ️   ADDITIONAL INFO The lobby/waiting area where you check in also has merch for sale and a small amount of seating. There also are bathrooms available, and each escape room has a small box in which to put your things. Parking can be tricky, so allow extra time if driving yourself and look for a paid lot. Otherwise, it is right on the strip and walkable from many local hotels. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure :   We thank Red Door Escape Room (Las Vegas)  for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #KristaJones #IRLEscapeRoom #EscapeRooms #RedDoorEscapeRoom #SciFi #Action #Nevada #USA

LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Photo above is property of Red Door Escape Room (Las Vegas) Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The Relic 📅 DATE PLAYED : November 9, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Adventure, Archaeology 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl) : 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : $39.95/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY You’re stepping into the aftermath of an archaeological dig gone very wrong: the team that uncovered an ancient relic has mysteriously vanished, leaving behind half-finished translations and ominous clues. Your task? Track down five obelisks to steal the relic’s power before the dark presence tied to it tightens its grip and you befall the same fate as those before you… Video above is property of Red Door Escape Room (Las Vegas) 🎯    HIT THE BULLSEYE Nonlinear structure where each obelisk has its own puzzle track is great for divide-and-conquer teams…and perhaps generally recommended. It’s not a big space, but there’s lots to do! Dim, atmospheric lighting enhances the excavation vibe, but you’re given a flashlight so you’re never fumbling blindly. (I still appreciate the little things!) Every so often, the ancient being “curses” you, forcing you to pause your excavation and appease whatever lurks beneath the surface. This unusual mechanic adds a fun, unexpected flavor to the experience and breaks up the pacing in a memorable way. A cohesive space that feels like a true archaeologist’s camp (mechanical locks, artifacts, tools) but enhanced by bits of tech-infused mysticism from “the presence” and a standout altar feature. While some puzzles were more standard, several stood out as particularly clever and unusual and for the most part they made sense with the theme and story. 🧩   MISSED THE MARK Although we solved it, the scent-based puzzle included several fragrances that were a little too similar, and one we couldn’t smell at all (likely in need of a refresh). Similarly, a sound-based puzzle featured a couple of items that were also very similar, though the limited options kept it solvable. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Searchers, rejoice! This room rewards a careful eye, though some items are so well tucked away that you’ll probably only discover them once you find the clue pointing you there. (That said, a truly elite searcher could jump ahead a bit, but might then get frustrated after having spent time solving a puzzle that just tells you where it was...) The Relic mostly plays out in one primary space, with a few small reveals along the way, so don’t expect sweeping environments or sprawling exploration. What you will get is a well-constructed, traditional-leaning room with a satisfying mix of mechanical locks, a sprinkling of tech, clear puzzle logic, and a steady adventure vibe. It’s not trying to redefine the genre, but it is a well-executed, all-around enjoyable dig. Definitely my overall favorite of the three rooms I played at this Red Door location. A well-delivered, entertaining choice for teams who love classic escape room structure with just a hint of the arcane. 🔎 HINT You have a flashlight. You’re allowed to shine it freely (if your hands fail you). ℹ️   ADDITIONAL INFO The lobby/waiting area where you check in also has merch for sale and a small amount of seating. There also are bathrooms available, and each escape room has a small box in which to put your things. Parking can be tricky, so allow extra time if driving yourself and look for a paid lot. Otherwise, it is right on the strip and walkable from many local hotels. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure :   We thank Red Door Escape Room (Las Vegas)  for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #KristaJones #IRLEscapeRoom #EscapeRooms #RedDoorEscapeRoom #Adventure #Archaeology #Nevada #USA

Photo above is property of The Detective Society Company: The Detective Society Game: The Disappearance of Claire Makova - Episode 1 Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Detective, M ystery Date Played: November 12, 2020 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 5/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Recommended Age 14+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested 90 - 120 Min) Price: £30 (Individual), £27 (Monthly) , £144 (Whole season) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 We've been hired by Dolosus Global to investigate on Claire Makova's disappearance. As we dug deeper into her file, it seems to be much more than a simple missing person's case... Video above is property of The Detective Society 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ The game box felt a bit flimsy for mailing as ours was kind of destroyed when it arrived in our mailbox. We would recommend looking into heavier paper stock especially for international shipping. Although the packaging was quite consolidated so it probably saves players a good amount of money on the shipping fees. Inside the box was a large envelope containing 3 small envelopes (marked X,Y, and Z), the instruction envelope, a very cute pin and a locked zipper pouch. 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Prior to receiving the game in the mail, we got an email message from Dolosus Global informing us a package was coming soon. In the email was a little back story and the first "puzzle" to start the adventure. This was a great way to get us get intrigued about the incoming package and raised our anticipation. Since the email did say that we couldn't do anything with the information until the package arrived, we just waited for the package and solved everything together. If you did not get this email for some reason, you'll be able to get this information on the intro letter of the package once it arrives. The instruction envelope contains the password you'll need for the online hint system. A business card with QR codes was also provided for easy access of clues and rules via your cell phone. Although we didn't use the other resources, there's also a FB and reddit group that you can find assistance if you get stuck on the puzzles. This is the first game we've played that really got their hint system covered. I'm sure you'll be able to finish the game with no issues. Once you've read the intro letter, you and your team can simultaneously work on envelope X, Y, and Z together. When you figured out the solution to that part, you should have access to the lock on the zipper pouch. I would consider this to be the start of part II of this game. Part II had a different vibe than part I. Right away we felt like we had to put our detective hats on and sift through all the clues that's been presented to us. This game will actually take you out of your physical tabletop space and make you go into a virtual world where you have to search for clues on the internet, make calls to suspects (international players can look at the hint section for the voicemail recording instead of paying for international rates through texting), look up evidence, etc... 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles in Part I were not linear and two of them were quite simple. We did spend a quite of amount of time on the third one as it was significantly more difficult in terms of logic than the other two. I'm sure Math lovers will have a blast with this one. In part II, there were less logic involved and more of a "search and find" kind of adventure. It was a nice mix up and transition to go along with the story line. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 The thing we really liked about this episode of The Detective Society's game is their three part game play design. It was nice to get an short email prior to the game arrival to get us intrigued about the package first, then start the game with a non-linear puzzle segment so each player could get a chance to work on something separately and then coming together as a team effort to find out the mystery all together at the end. They also used nice elements of virtual components to make the story in the game more believable to the players. We were surprised at how much effort they put into some of these website designs but we only got to use a little piece out of the information for one puzzle. But after solving the final puzzle, I'm sure there's more to come in the future episodes that we'll be able to dig deeper into these resources. This is the first time we solved a mystery but didn't feel good about it (you'll have to find out why after playing the game yourself). Playing The Detective's Society's game is like watching a great TV series where you love it but hate it at the same time. Good thing they have an option to purchase the entire season so you can binge through the game and find out what happened at the end! Please do let us know as we're dying to find out! 😭 Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank The Detective Society for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #TheDetectiveSociety #Subscription #Kickstarter #detective #mystery #puzzles #solve

Photo above is property of The Detective Society Company: The Detective Society Game: The Sudden Silence of Timothy Lee - Episodes 1 & 2 Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Detective, M ystery Date Played: May 1, 2021 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Recommended Age 14+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested 90 - 120 Min) Price: £30 (Individual), £27 (Monthly) , £144 (Whole season) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Your agency received a package from Dr. Fishman. Recently, he has been caring for a patient named Timothy Lee. Timothy's case has been very peculiar since day one and Dr. Fishman suspects foul play. Since he has no evidence, officials are not taking him seriously. You are his last hope... Video above is property of The Detective Society 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Episode 1 and 2 came in a same size cardboard box. Each box has an envelope that's labeled "begin your investigation here". Inside you'll find a short intro story or summary of the past episode. You'll also be provided with a website to the hint/solution page and the password to get in. Both episodes contain paper clues, envelopes and other physical props. Each episode also comes with their own signature pin. Episode 1 Episode 2 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The game play is the same for Ep 1 and 2 and I assume for the entire season of the game. You are to use the paper clues to track down people, places and events in order to find out about the truth behind Timothy lee. This is done by not only using the paper materials from the mail but also websites and sometimes even social media. There's no need for you to enter or verify a passcode when something has been solved. Once you find the information requested, you'll need to email the answer to the correct party. If the answer is correct, you'll receive further instructions on how to proceed. One thing that The Detective Society 's games stood out for us from the other puzzle games that we've played is the fact that the game actually starts before we actually even receive the game. You'll receive an email with a preliminary storyline and a mini puzzle. If you want to wait and solve it when your package arrives in the mail that's completely fine but we really liked the build up for the suspense. Moreover, there's even a surprise email that will come a few days after you have solved the episode. It feels more real to have other continuous interactions even after the 90 min of game play. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 This is not your typical escape room or cipher type of puzzles. The game will put you in the shoes of a real life detective. When you received this box of clues, you'll need to read through the information provided in order to find out the relationships between various people with the current client and the victim. You'll need to sleuth the internet so you can "follow" them through their daily lives and find clues to connect the stories together. The props were also helpful to paint a more realistic picture as they felt like evidence to where the person have been to or have done. At times, you might even need to contact the person through email (make sure you use a single email for the entire game and also put the right info in the body text and not the subject). I'm a big fan of pretty much any type of detective shows that's out there so I really enjoy having the opportunity of becoming one. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 One thing that The Detective Society does really well is the cliffhanger. Like any Netflix series we're watching currently, they know exactly when to stop to make you want to come back for more. In ep 1, they gave us just enough to make us intrigued about what's going to happen next. In ep 2, the plot thickens as more information were revealed and we were able to tie some information together from ep 1. Now they have us wonder, will there be a twist in ep 3? Is that person really who they say they are? There's 6 episodes in each season so if you're the type of person that likes to binge watch a show (totally me), I would purchase the bundle and play it together in one setting! Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank The Detective Society for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #TheDetectiveSociety #Subscription #Kickstarter #detective #mystery #puzzles #solve

Photo above is property of The Detective Society Company: The Detective Society Game: The Cursed Exhibition - Episode 1 Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Detective, M ystery Date Played: October 10, 2021 Difficulty (based on 1 player): 6/10 Size of Team: 1-4 ppl (Recommended) (Ages 14+) Time: Unlimited (Roughly takes 90 - 120 Min) Price: £35.00 (Individual), or £128 (Whole season) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Claire Cobb, the archivist of The National Museum of Legends and Mythology, has been found dead in her locked archival room in the museum. The police are confounded on what has happened and you have been hired by the Angus Philips, the curator of the museum, to re-examine the case to see what you can unearth about her death…and if you can find the mysterious object that appears to be the focus of a series of rather strange occurrences dating back centuries. Are you up for the task or will you, too, become lost in the exhibitions of time? Video above is property of The Detective Society 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Episode 1 came in a cardboard envelope. A white envelope labelled, “begin your investigation here,” guides players to the starting point with a brief introduction, note about the hint site, and a nudge on where to begin your investigation. The envelope contained a bevy of paper documents, a few curious props, and a locked zipper pouch that was begging me to open in. I found the components to be a high quality and fit well with the theme. I could very much see these items in a museum at the information desk, in the archives, and office spaces. There are a series of website you will visit over your journey and you will be given the URLs as you move along. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 This game has a focus on logic puzzles as you track down people, where they travelled, and what there were doing. Your ultimate goal is the locate the missing artefact that Claudia was last seen with, but you’re also learning a little bit about the ongoings of the museum and the history of this artefact. There is a woven narrative that I greatly enjoyed reading through and I encourage players to take the time to read the information. For me, it encouraged me to invest in the experience and I received a more rounded experience by learning more about this strange artefact. In this series, the gameplay involved you emailing the conclusions of each puzzle to a character, in this episode it is Angus. If what you said is correct, you’ll be given the next steps. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 This series definitely encourages a more detective style of puzzling. You are tracking the movements of characters using evidence from the police and hunting down contacts who may have the answer to what you need. Perspective is also another element to the puzzling that I really enjoyed as it had me stop and look from a different angle then I am used to. Often, you’ll see similar elements to puzzles across games but with The Detective Society there was also a refreshing twist that made the puzzles new and exciting. The documents, websites, and props will work together to provide a greater view of what happened and hint at what is coming. I found the puzzles themselves to be not very difficult, but you need deduction to really get the full answer for the game. Keep in mind, you will be emailing people of the course of your journey so make sure you use only one email and put the information into the body text to ensure you receive accurate and prompt replies. There is also a bit of texting that happens, and I recommend downloading WhatsApp if you are in Canada/USA in order to get a response from the numbers. I found texting them with my phone garnered no response but using WhatsApp got me one. I enjoy a good detective experience and I felt this episode really provide an excellent balance of online sleuthing and physical investigation. There is nothing like the feel of getting a lead thread and rifling through your papers to find the one item to corroborate your thought and I was able to get quite a few of these while playing. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 As this is a six-part series, the ending of episode one of “The Cursed Exhibition” left me with even more questions than I started with. I am fascinated with the premise and am desperate to learn more. They built a rich narrative within their mystery that provides players with enough information to engage with the story without information dumping, which is a fine line I appreciate a great deal. I am excited to see what happens next! This series it not fully completed, yet, with only the first three episodes out currently and by January 2022 the series will conclude. If you enjoy monthly mystery subscriptions this is a great option, but if you prefer to binge your subscriptions, The Detective Society also has two addition series completed that are ready for your at home investigation, “ The Disappearance of Claire Makova ” and “ The Sudden Silence of Timothy Lee. ” Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank The Detective Society for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JillianRaymond #AtHomeGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Detective #Mystery #TheDetectiveSociety #UnitedKingdom

Photo above is property of The Detective Society Company: The Detective Society Game: The Professor's Missing Potion Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: DIY Escape Kits 🖨️✂ Genre: Detective, M ystery Date Played: October 16, 2021 Difficulty (based on 5 adult players): 2/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Recommend 2-6 Players) (Ages 8-12) Time: Unlimited Price: £9.99 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Professor Errol of Blink Workshop has concocted the most unique potion for invisibility. Unfortunately, thieves have broken in and stolen the potion and he is in desperate need of your assistance to find and stop these thieves. Can you piece together the clues and track down these thieves or will the professor’s invention be lost for good? Video above is property of The Detective Society 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The Professor’s Missing Potion is the first Print-n-cut game designed by The Detective Society as well as their first family-friendly game they have invented, with the help of Jamie from Armchair Escapist. In order to play this game, you will need a printer, a pair of scissors, a pen/pencil, a device with internet access, and a device that can send or receive SMS/WhatsApp messages. You will be in contact with Professor Errol over the course of the experience via text messages and he will guide you to each puzzle you will be completing. Once you have solved the puzzle, you will submit your answers to him and he will provide little narrative pieces to move forward. There are a series of websites you will be accessing to receive audio messages, gain additional clues, and unlock more information. This game has a great deal of colour in the printables and in the online websites that are cheery and fun. You will need to cut one page for ease of puzzle solving but otherwise you can easily write/draw on the other papers. If you are stuck or unsure how to move forward you can ask Errol for assistance as he has a built-in hint system. Note: Only the phone number provided when the game is purchased can communicate with Professor Errol so if you plan of gifting this game or would like you child to use their phone to play, use their number to ensure they can communicate with the character. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles within this experience are meant for a younger audience. They require observation above all but have a nice variety keeps players on their toes including math, logic, searching, and spatial recognition. I particularly liked how that provided a physical manipulation element to a traditional logic puzzle that made it easier and more straightforward to track. There was one clue in a puzzle that I felt might not work for younger players but with adults around and the other clues available it shouldn’t impede solving of the game. I found the game to be clean and bright with lots to look at. It’s not a long game which is perfect for kids and the linearity helps students follow along and feel confident in their solving. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 The Professor’s Missing Potion is an excellent children’s game that kids and parents can amuse themselves with through its well-constructed puzzles and bright illustrations. I like how they took elements of adult puzzles and provided clear clues and sign posting to help younger minds make connections. The puzzles were fun and the text message components provide kids with a quick reward to move forward with. The way certain solutions are revealed will definitely excite kids and there is a certificate they gain at the end to remember their adventure. I would recommend this to any family who loves to puzzle together as it balances between puzzling and activities with an ease that benefits both adult and children alike. Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank The Detective Society for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JillianRaymond #AtHomeGames #Detective #Mystery #TheDetectiveSociety #UnitedKingdom #printncut #kids #kidsgame

Photo above is property of The Detective Society Company: The Detective Society Game: The Cursed Exhibition - Episode 2-6 Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Detective, M ystery Date Played: March 14, 2021 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10 Size of Team: 1-4 ppl (Recommended) (Ages 14+) Time: Unlimited (Roughly takes 90 - 120 Min) Price: £30 (Individual), £27 (Monthly), £144 (Whole Season) Video above is property of The Detective Society 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 - EPISODE 2 Following "Episode One of Cursed Exhibition " , Detective Danielle Higgins is continuing her investigation surrounding an artefact that is leaving behind a trail of bodies. She believes the key is tracking down the residence of the last thief, but it has proven to be a challenging task for the police. Are you up for the task? Inventory List for Episode 2: Episode pin QR card with hints and music links Wallet with staff card, loyalty cards, photo, and receipt "Begin your investigation" envelope Two-page resume of suspect Tram map Dating website membership letter Transport company letter Loyalty card letter Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 - EPISODE 3 Higgins is continuing her investigation surrounding the missing artifact and while our last investigation proved fruitful, she has reached a dead end. She has come across a strange website, but is unable to figure out its strange lock. She is asking for your assistance in pouring over the new evidence left behind to see if maybe it holds the key. Care to continue down the rabbit hole? Inventory List for Episode 3: Episode pin QR card with hints and music links "Begin your investigation" envelope Introduction note from Detective Higgins Envelope with letters and photos from Scarlet Star Line Envelope from University of Greater Wellington containing a letter, dig-site information, dig-site protocols, a photo, and a news article Envelope containing graveyard map, an iron ring, family history, and note from character Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 - EPISODE 4 Detective Higgins has been forced to take a less than lawful approach as this case turns out to be more far reaching than anticipated. She needs to find a hidden location that may contain the key to everything that has been happening. She’s tasked you with investigating the one clue she has to go on while she acts as the ground team. It’s time to start sleuthing! Inventory List for Episode 4: Episode pin QR card with hints and music links "Begin your investigation" envelope Introduction note from Detective Higgins Coroner's report Strange journal Car park map Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 - EPISODE 5 Higgins has gotten closer to the end goal but complications are making this situation tricky. With her hands tied to the ground, she needs you to investigate more about the location to see if you can uncover its secrets! Let’s get cracking! Inventory List for Episode 5: Episode pin QR card with hints and music links "Begin your investigation" envelope Introduction note from Detective Higgins Membership card Location fragment page Electric bill Eight key slips Four photos Three map slips Map key Large map Security manual Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 - EPISODE 6 The end is in sight! Detective Higgins has found the pieces she needs to stop this and knows what she must do. On the ground, the local police need her help with some peculiar cases that may be connected to her task. The hope is these cases will unlock the final location hidden within the city. Help her solve these cases and put an end to these tragedies once and for all! Inventory List for Episode 6: Episode pin QR card with hints and music links "Begin your investigation" envelope Introduction note from Detective Higgins Suspect list City map Four case files containing photos, incident reports, and evidence found at the crime scenes of all locations. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Episode 2 to 6 came in a same size cardboard envelope. Each envelope contains a starter envelope that is labelled, "Begin Your Investigation Here," which introduces the chapter and provides a code to access the hint site. In addition, you will find a letter from Detective Higgins which will follow up your investigation from the previous chapter and give you the task for the chapter. There will also be an email included to contact once you have solved the case. All the episodes will include a variety of documents, case files, articles, pamphlets, maps, wallets, and more that will aid your investigation. You also will receive a unique pin for each chapter which I enjoyed trying to find where the image on the pins connected in the plot. 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The game play across the series follows the same structure. Detective Higgins will give you an initial task to start the chapter. These tasks involve combing through the files to track down people, locations, and pathways. This may involve examining websites, sending emails, or messaging people using online platforms, emails, SMS/Whatsapp. Once you have uncovered a name or a location, you will send an email or message to the character asking the question (usually it is Detective Higgins but, on occasion you may be working with someone else). If the answer is correct you will receive a response quickly letting you know the next steps. I really enjoyed the exploration this series provided across the adventure. As you come across websites and clues you can also find little easter eggs from previous games and humorous messages. This is the kind of game that rewards you for taking your time reading and examining everything you come across, both with catching these fun teasers and also changing certain outcomes in the game. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 This was my first full season of The Detective Society and I found the puzzling lighter but the engagement and collaborative puzzling opportunities made this an extremely enjoyable experience. This is definitely the kind of puzzling you want to do with friends and with the chapter break up, it's easy to divide up play times into smaller portions. The style of puzzling itself requires you to track patterns and follow leads. I found the balance between physical components and the online components to be really well done. It was a smooth experience to examine the websites and then comb through the piles of documents to see what could aid in my movement forward. There was one puzzle in particular that my group loved in chapter four as it followed through with some excellent tracking that was hands-on and allowed multiple people to work on it together to build engagement and teamwork. There is a bit of outside research required for a couple puzzles, but it was easy to see where that was needed and even easier to find the answers. I recommend using a proper computer for these games as you will be opening multiple tabs and most emails you receive from characters will lead to hyperlinks. I also recommend having a printer handy for chapter six or access to a good photo editing software as it will make the experience easier. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Finishing the " The Cursed Exhibition" has made me eager to get my hands on another season. The story building kept us on our toes while the puzzles kept us focused and determined to see this through. My favourite episode was episode four of the season, not just for its team building puzzling, but also for providing a fun twist I wasn't expecting. I think The Detective Society has perfected those little touches that, throughout an experience, can really make an experience because of the consideration and details that it provides. I recommend this series for groups looking to pour over work together and hunt for answers across websites. Take your time with this series and you will truly enjoy it! If you are interested in trying out their other seasons, see our review of season one and season two . Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank The Detective Society for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JillianRaymond #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Detective #Mystery #TheDetectiveSociety #UnitedKingdom

Photo above is property of The Detective Society Company: The Detective Society Game: Family Adventures ("The Missing Potion", "Time Travel Trouble", and "The Smashed Piñata") Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬 Genre: M ystery Date Played: April 8, 2023 Difficulty (based on 1 adult, 2 children): 6/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Ages 8+) Time: Unlimited Price: £22.99 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Family Adventures consists of 3 games: In “ The Missing Potion ”, someone has stolen Professor’s Errol invisibility potion. Can you find the potion before the culprit uses it for mischievous purposes? In “ Time Travel Trouble ”, a mystical clock that allows time travel has been stolen from the museum. Can you track down the thief and return the artefacts they have stolen through time? In “ The Smashed Piñata ”, Gavin’s piñata has been smashed before the party has even begun. Can you figure out who the smasher is and why? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Each adventure is contained in its own box, all placed inside a slipcase like a book. Each box has all the contents inside each of them as well as a starting card with a QR code. Scanning the QR code took us to a website to start the adventures. Photos above are property of The Detective Society 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The format of each adventure is similar. Scanning the QR code took us to a website with a high-quality video. Playing the video, we met someone who gave us a rundown of the mystery. From there, we were given a link that took us to a messenger app where we could communicate with the person. The story of each game was just right for the age range. None of them seemed too childish and all of them kept the attention of my kids and engaged in the game. They were humorous, fun, and light heart. The flow of the game was easy to follow as the messenger guided us on what we needed to do as well as progressed the story as we solved more puzzles. One issue we did find was that the hints were not intuitive when playing. Hints will only come up in the messenger when you input an incorrect answer. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles ranged from deduction, cryptic clues, math and more and there was a lot of tangible things to interact with. Everything was paper but all made of quality stock. These puzzles hit the nail on the head for a game aimed for 8+. They were not too easy that the kids solved them right away but not too difficult that I needed to guide the kids through all of them. My 9-year-old was happy with how many he was able to do on his own. For 3 games, it was nice that none of the puzzles seemed repetitive. Each game also had a nice final puzzle that wrapped up the story nicely. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Playing Family Adventures with my kids, we all had a phenomenal time. The characters, videos and stories were well done and a blast to interact with. The pace of the game and the difficulty of the puzzles were perfect and kept the kids involved the entire time. With the 3 of us playing, we were able to finish each of the games in about an hour. One tip we want to give is that we ended up connecting our laptop to the television, so we all did not have to crowd around the computer screen as well as it gave us plenty of space to solve the puzzles in the living room. This one is an absolute recommend for families with younger kids looking for some puzzle games to solve. Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank The Detective Society for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #Kids #Mystery #TheDetectiveSociety #UnitedKingdom

Photo above is property of The Detective Society Company: The Detective Society Game: Trouble In Folklore Falls - Episode 2 & 3 Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬 Genre: Detective, M ystery, Fairytales Date Played: April 27, 2023 Difficulty (based on 1 player): 5/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Recommended 1-4 ppl) Time: Unlimited (Recommend 90-120 Mins. per episode) Price: £80.00/ Whole season (3 Episodes) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 In episode 2, after B.B. Wolfe is framed by the Spider, Polly reaches out to you with some new evidence on who is responsible for the dognappings as well as a plan on how to break Bea out of prison. In episode 3, after you help Polly break B.B Wolfe out of jail, both are now on the run but with Bea’s old case files in hand, can you make the right connections, finally determine who is behind all these dognappings and stop them? Video above is property of The Detective Society 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening up the Detective Society branded large envelopes, I was greeted with some envelopes with story driven labels on them. I also found a letter from the Detective society explaining the case and information to get me started. 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Starting the games off, the introduction did a great job in guiding me to what websites to start off with as well as a nice immersive recap about what has happened in previous episodes. Most of the narrative required me to interact with the “radio” interface online, texting messages, calling phone numbers or checking out websites. For people outside the UK, they have an online “switchboard” set up that can be used to make calls as well as WhatsApp can be used for texting. The narratives are what brings this game to the next level. The audio clips from the calls and radio are exceptional that they completely immerse you into the story. The flow of the game was very smooth and broken up that I was never confused with what I was supposed to use and not use for the puzzles. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 Though this is more of a detective game that requires connections to be made between items, there was a lot of puzzling to be had. Even once I made the connections between items and information, I found I needed to know how to solve the puzzles the game offered. The game is played mostly in a linear fashion but there were a few times it did break out non-linearly. The puzzles worked well with the story. All the puzzles were themed and fit smoothly into the story line and nothing stuck out as out of place. I really enjoyed the feedback and how the story progressed after each puzzle. Though most of the puzzles consisted mostly of paper, I was still surprised at the creativity of them. The few tangible items that were included all led to satisfying eureka moments. The hint page was well thought out too. To access it, I needed a code from the envelope as well as set up a profile on Detective Society’s Player Hub. I could then log in and find the hints for each episode. The hints were well thought out and tiered in a way that I felt guided me to the answer and still let me have a eureka moment. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 "Trouble in Folklore Falls" was story-driven and had many great puzzles interlaced in the experience. The realistic websites, communication and “radio transmissions” immersed me in the world of Folklore Falls that I could easily believe it was a real place. I played on my own but the puzzles and story was linear for the most part and there was enough content that it could be played by 3 people comfortably. Anyone who is a fan of detective stories, fairy tales and a solid blend of deduction and puzzles would really enjoy this game. For one of Detective Society’s shorter games, this one was still packed with so much content and well worth the play. Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank The Detective Society for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Detective #Mystery #Fairytales #TheDetectiveSociety #UnitedKingdom

Photo above is property of The Detective Society Company: The Detective Society Game: Murder on the Moon: Countdown to Chaos Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬 Genre: Sci-Fi, Murder M ystery Date Played: December 22, 2024 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Recommended 1-4 ppl) Time: Unlimited (Recommend 90-120 Mins. per episode) Price: $89.36/ Whole season (3 Episodes) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Lunovos Industries has been leading the world in space exploration and currently has the first moon base established. With a crew of 12 doing research and studying the moon, they are gathering valuable data to shape the future. Unexpectedly though, you receive an urgent call telling you that a crew member has been found murdered. With the eyes of the world watching this mission, can you help solve the mystery and find the murderer before they strike again? Video above is property of The Detective Society 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening the box, we found 3 envelopes, each labelled with the mission number. We also encounter a board game quality, incomplete map of the moon. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Before diving into “ Murder on the Moon ”, the game included a prequel titled “ Countdown to Chaos ”. This introductory game was designed for beginners, showing the basics of how Detective Society games work without explicitly explaining how to play. It started simple, with a letter and directions on where to start, and then built up from there. Once we completed it, we felt prepared to tackle the main mission. When we opened the first envelope for Murder on the Moon, we found another letter providing the game’s backstory and a QR code. Scanning it led us to a chat with the main character, Rosalie Hardy, who guided us through the game’s challenges and what we needed to accomplish. The game featured many highlights, especially the moon map we had to build and assemble. This was a puzzle in itself that we needed over the course of the game to solve other puzzles. Spanning three episodes, the story turned out to be much more intricate than we expected, drawing us in and keeping us engaged. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles required a mix of deduction and reasoning, with plenty of variety to keep us engaged. Some challenges involved assembling pieces, while others required carefully examination of items and documents to find connections. The Detective Society did an excellent job integrating the story with the puzzles, creating a seamless and immersive experience. A couple of tips we want to offer is to make sure to thoroughly review everything, especially the websites shared through the chats. They contain more information than you think. Also, make sure to keep previous envelope content within reach. You will need them throughout the game. The hint system was built into the chat and was well-designed and offered multi-tiered hints. While there were moments we wished it pointed us more directly toward the specific materials we needed to look at, overall, it worked effectively and complemented the gameplay. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 The Detective Society consistently sets a high bar with their games, and we found this one was no exception. The story created a world that was bigger than we would have guessed with puzzles that seamlessly flowed with the narrative. Each puzzle was engaging and challenging without overstaying its welcome. We played with 2 people but feel this game could be played with 4 people easily as stated on the box. This game would be perfect for any armchair detective, people who love narrative or a small group looking for an all day escape experience. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned puzzler, “Murder on the Moon” is absolutely out of this world! Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank The Detective Society for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Detective #Mystery #Fairytales #TheDetectiveSociety #UnitedKingdom

Photos provided by 4Walls Escape Company: 4Walls Escape Country: Germany 🇩🇪 Language: English, German Type of Game: Digital Escape Game 💻 Date Played: April 4, 2021 Size of Team: Unlimited (2-6 ppl recommended) 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Both games below are browser-based games that utilize text, audio and images to present the storyline and the puzzles. With the purchase of one game code, your team can log into the game at the same time. The game is synced so if one player enters the correct code, your entire team can proceed to the next stage. Each stage provides an audio file and text translation of the audio file so you can choose whichever option best suits your needs. We played the game over Zoom so we found it hard to synchronize the audio play for our teammates so we decided to designate a reader to read the storyline out loud. It's quite easy to navigate in this game as only certain hotspots are clickable and they even have an outline around them. I probably would have preferred to not have the outlines as it felt like too much handholding and less like a do-it-yourself adventure (there's an option to deactivate the hotspots but only when playing on a computer). If you get stuck, there's a nudging hint system build into the game. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles varied in difficulty level for both games. In " The Hunt ", puzzles were more traditional with directional, Morse code, logic etc. It's the easier game out of the two and we finished in 44 minutes. You'll need to use your phone for a QR scan at some point. " Mysterious Crime" had more puzzles and some did require outside knowledge that we had to Google. One design element that I really liked was that they were able to embed Google maps into the game rather than having us open up another window. We finished this game in 1 hour and 11 minutes. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 If I had to chose a favorite between the two, I would go with " Mysterious Crime". The storyline felt more mysterious and more intriguing. The solutions might not feel connected at first to the storyline but it all came together at the end. I would suggest writing down answers for this game so you can be reminded what hasn't been used. These games are quite heavy on narrative as each puzzle is paired with a opening story. It's great that the game provided us options to either read through them or just skip and do the puzzles. If you are looking for more of traditional puzzle types that are easier in level of difficulty and less sleuthing on the internet, then I would suggest "The Hunt". But if you want more of a detective vibe, I would definitely recommend giving " Mysterious Crime" a shot . Game: The Hunt Genre: Thriller Difficulty (based on 4 players): 5/10 Time: 1 1/2 Hours (Approx. per company) Price: €11.99 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 A new virus has caused major panic around the world. There seems to be a shortage of masks. Can you follow the clues and solve the puzzles in order to find the source for the life saving masks? Game: Mysterious Crime Genre: Detective Difficulty (based on 4 players): 6/10 Time: 2 1/2 Hours (Approx. per company) Price: €14.99 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 There seems to be a burglary at your parent's house but nothing was taken. As you searched through the mess, you discovered a family secret. It's so intriguing that you decided to hop on a plane to chase down the truth in another continent. Will you be able to find the truth before someone else does? 𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤 ℙ𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕟❜𝕤 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 Kobi R. Mysterious Crime is a digital puzzle leading where you follow a story using audio. text and several riddles. This game can be played in a group but fits a single player as well. The riddles are fairly short and while they have a connecting thread, they are pretty much disjointed from one another. Although there's a backstory and you do feel it progressing, it's not really a crucial part of the game for us, a group of experienced escapers, it was pretty much jumping to the next puzzle and seeing if we missed something along the way. Overall, an ok puzzle game in the big and vast world of digital escape games. (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank 4Walls Escapes for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #4WallsEscape #MysteriouesCrime #TheHunt #Detective #Thriller #SciFi #Virus #VirtualEscapeRoom #OnlineEscapeRoom #DigitalEscapeGame