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Photo above is property of The Mystery Agency Company: The Mystery Agency Game: The Vanishing Gambler Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Detective Date Played: August 26, 2021 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 7/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Can be solved alone. Recommended for ages 14+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested 90 Mins.) Price: £40 inc. VAT Shipping for 1 game - £3.59 UK, £21 USA. 10% off purchases of 3 or more games with code MULTIBUY10 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Roy Marshall, notorious casino cheat, vanished from his prison cell just before midnight 3 days ago. Left in his cell were his personal belongings. It’s your job to use these items to work out where Roy has gone! Our second game of this series, we couldn’t wait to see how it was similar, but different, to "The Balthazar Stone" that we played first. Photo above is property of The Mystery Agency 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Like with their other mysteries, the quality of this set strikes you as soon as you receive it. The outer cardboard box is enticing, smart and sturdy. Upon opening it, you discover an evidence wallet. It is tantalisingly locked with a small 3 digit padlock and has some details of the prisoner, the content’s processing and the items within. Also inside the box is a page from a “newspaper” containing a news story, adverts and the lonely hearts column. That’s all you see until you crack the first puzzle. But after that, the physical artefacts are again of good quality, varied and plentiful! They are also very in keeping with the theme, and of course there are the online elements of the game which help make it more immersive, realistic and more fun! Photos above are property of The Mystery Agency 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 To get started, you must enter a code from inside the box into the agency’s website, and reveal your workspace containing your first clue, a hint file and a computer where it asks you for the answer (this can feel a little bit “spoilerish” due to it revealing what you will be seeing at the end, but it’s really not an issue). Once you have completed the game and provided the final solution, you get a digital certificate and very kindly, a set of instructions for resetting the box. This means, as long as you don’t write on any materials and treat everything carefully you can re-gift this for someone else to enjoy. We found with a paper and pen handy we didn’t need to write on anything, although if you have the option you could make photocopies in order to give you something to work with. Photos above are properties of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles were well signposted, just taxing enough and are nicely connected together to reveal the story. Some items are used multiple ways which is extremely clever, and only one puzzle we needed to get a hint on because the quality of the image means it’s very hard to determine the information you need. This could definitely be a little bit clearer, but it’s a small gripe. I'm pretty sure that you can try out a few things it “could be” until you figure it out. Theres a nice mix of things to do that keep you immersed and it really feels like you are solving a genuine mystery. All in all, it took the two of us around 90 minutes to solve (not against the clock). 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 We kickstarted the full set of three, so they worked out cheaper than they are now available for. But I feel that as long as you fully immerse yourself in the story and take the puzzles and adventure slowly, then this is great value for money. We can’t wait to try out the third and final current game and see what other mischief we get up to in the other two titles from this group. Wee also heard that there is a “Meta” game which combines elements of all 3 of their games to create and solve a fourth mystery! Bring it on! (If you do decide to try this experience, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) #HelenBailey #AtHomeGames #Puzzlebymail #OneOffs #Detective #TheMysteryAgency #UnitedKingdom

Photo above is property of The Mystery Agency Company: The Mystery Agency Game: The Ghost in the Attic Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Detective, Supernatural Date Played: September 9, 2021 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 7/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Can be solved alone. Recommended for ages 14+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested 90 Mins.) Price: $65 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 In the 1950's, a board game was released that was responsible, so they say, for terrible fates that befell anyone who played it. So much so, that every single copy was recalled. But not every copy made it back. You have been sent one and asked to help determine what’s really going on. Dare you open the box (despite the warnings to the contrary!) and help The Mystery Agency figure it out and lay the ghosts to rest? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ As with their previous mysteries, this comes beautifully packaged and fits well with the others, dimensions wise, to form a very appealing stack of boxes on the shelf! The inner contents are just the board game box, which when opened contains everything you need and packages very neatly together. The playing pieces, dice and board itself are full board game quality, colourful and fun, with a ton of little added details. Photo above is property of The Mystery Agency 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 This is the cleverest of the three as not only does it work as a mystery game, but also once you have solved the mystery, you can actually PLAY the board game! You need to solve the mystery of why the game has been causing so many problems and crack the case - your final solution is entered on the companion website. The website is also where you find the hint system and there are also companion websites to peruse for clues. We thought this was a very strong storyline and satisfying conclusion. However, there are some slightly scary/creepy messages in the game that could be a potential trigger or uncomfortable for some. Photos above are properties of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles were very well constructed, stayed well within the theme and were nicely varied. My only gripe was that we had trouble solving the very first puzzle which was to open the locked chain around the box. But it actually just fell off anyway, which felt a bit of an anti-climax! However rather handy, it transpired as the reason that we couldn’t solve the first puzzle. After all that was in our set, one item which is vital to the solving of the puzzle to get into the locked box, had been put INSIDE the box! After half an hour of trying to work out the first step with just the box itself, we gave up and looked at some hints and it was only then that we realised what had happened. Whilst enjoying, there was a very nice reveal which made us exclaim out loud - "These moments are the ones that make me think that a game was above and beyond"! 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 A massive hit for us and third in the series that we have played. We have been mightily impressed by this offering from The Mystery Agency and thoroughly enjoyed playing them. The fact you can reset and play again is fantastic, but they look so great and have such great components in them that we don’t really want to part with them! A whole extra puzzle, or meta-puzzle, has been announced which will use elements from the three main games, which is a fantastically clever idea and we look forward to seeing how this works! Promo: 10% off purchases of 3 or more games with code MULTIBUY10 (If you do decide to try this experience, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) #HelenBailey #AtHomeGames #Puzzlebymail #OneOffs #Detective #Supernatural #TheMysteryAgency #UnitedKingdom

LOCATION: Napier, New Zealand Above photo has been provided by NAPIER GAOL Escape Room Date Played:  Dec 6, 2018 Price: $20/pp ($13/pp for ages 16 and under) Length of Time: 60 Minutes Total # of Players: Up To 6PPL Difficulty Level: 5.5/10 Public/Private: Public Escaped? Yes Hint: What you see in your cell might not be for you... Our next stop is in Napier, New Zealand. This escape room is located in an actual prison that has been transformed into a tourist attraction. Getting to this location was a bit of a hike. We suggest taking an Uber or taxi to get to the front of the facility. All the escape rooms are authentic and have remained true to scale. For the "Therapy Unit" room, we started off blindfolded and handcuffed in separate cells. Obviously, we felt immersed into our game the minute that we started. Since they kept their rooms true to the storyline, there wasn't that much technology incorporated. *** We regret to inform this experience has closed*** Disclosure: We thank Napier Gaol 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. #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #napierprisontours #napierprison #gaol #therapyunit #therapy #unit #napier #newzealand #nz

LOCATION: New York City, New York, USA Photo above is property of Exit Escape Room NYC Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Sugar Rush 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 18, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Fun, Family 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up to 8 ppl (ages 9+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $30.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public/Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers We love this new Exit Escape Room NYC location. The lobby is very spacious with loft-like ceilings. They also have a party room so it’s great for corporate or celebration events. In this location, there are three games as well. They have two identical “Sugar Rush” rooms (if you're feeling a little competitive) and the newly built “High Speed NYC” room. We took a peak and compared it to the “High Speed NYC” room at the old location, this one feels a lot more updated but in terms of size and puzzles, it’s the same. We had a lot of fun in the “Sugar Rush” room with just the two of us. This is a dream come true to incorporate “cooking” into an escape room theme. It was very clever how the puzzle designer implemented a “process” in the room where you would have to create the initial project and end with a finished one without having to break any safety codes. Once again, we'd like to emphasize that Exit Escape Room NYC is really great at keeping the flow of real-life situations on a step-by-step basis and let it develop into the ultimate ending. We were debriefed on us being sent into compete in a cupcake baking challenge, but our competitor has hidden all the ingredients and locked us inside to sabotage us. We must make the cupcakes in time for the judge before time runs out! As we stepped inside the kitchen, everything felt very “organized”. This is one of those rooms where you don’t need to find or organize your clues, everything has been placed right in front of you. All you need to do is associate what goes with what and the puzzle will solve itself. With that said, there’s pretty much no red herrings in this room. We recommend this for beginner escapees or families with kids to try this room as it’s very entertaining. The puzzles did feel a bit easy at times because of that. It would be interesting to see if they can have a more difficult level incorporated for enthusiast's. Also, I think incorporating a scent would've elevated the level of immersion when the finished product is ready or even through-out the game. Overall, we really enjoyed this room mainly because I’m a sucker for sweets! 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 Exit Escape Room NYC for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLEscapeRooms #EscapeRoom #ExitEscapeRoomNYC #Fun #NYC #USA

LOCATION: Prague, Czech Republic Photo above is property of The Chamber Escape Room Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Opus Magnum 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 8, 2024 🎬 GENRE: Horror 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: 1890-2690 CZK ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [48:02] 📖 THE STORY As a team of experienced investigative adventurers, you have been contacted by the grandchild of a notable Czech scientist. The scientist’s work was very important, potentially world changing, but during the second world war his office was bombed and the evidence of his findings was lost. So, how do you search for something buried 20 feet underground? How to manipulate the past without destroying the future? Do you truly know what you are doing? Mind the consequences! 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Perhaps the most successful and interesting part of this room is the ending, of which there is more than one possibility. Unfortunately, I cannot mention more for fear of spoilers or influencing your game. But this is a design feature you don’t often find in rooms and we enjoyed discussing the numerous outcomes with the game master after. A lot of effort has been put into creating a grand and stylish space with only high-end materials being used both for construction and decoration. The scientist certainly worked in a luxurious office with evidence of his world travels proudly displayed throughout. These thoughtful touches added to the immersion and impressive nature of the game. We enjoyed how creative and dynamic the puzzles were. Tasks were often completed with the help of the different items adorning the office and its adjoining rooms. Although there weren’t many cooperative puzzles, we did find that they still had us all involved, discussing how we might best solve the problem. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Although our game master delivered the introduction to our game in character, actually in two characters(!), we found it took way too long and we began to switch off. It’s a shame that the set was so beautifully crafted and seemingly underutilized. There were a couple of rooms we would have liked to have spent more time in. Since time traveling is such a major component of the game play and story telling it would have been nice to have seen some special effects that would better emphasize and enhance this monumental action. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? For players who want a more thoughtful room experience this is one to try. There are consequences to your actions, so paying attention to the choices you make and the information you gather along the way will impact how you finish the game. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Staropramenná (Wonderland, Opus Magnum) – Parking is recommended at the “Nový Smíchov” shopping centre. Parking is free for 2 hours on working days and for 5 hours on weekends and holidays There is a lobby area with comfortable seating and lockers. Photos above are property of The Chamber (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 Chamber for providing a media discount on the tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #TheChamber #Horror #Prague #CzechRepublic

Photo above is property of Room Escape Digital Company: Room Escape Digital Game: IMPACT Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Digital Escape Game 💻 Genre: Sci-Fi Date Played: March 8, 2024 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 7/10 Size of Team: 2-4 Players (Per Access Code)/ 2 Computers (Min. per team) Time: 60-90 mins. Price: $34.99 CAD (inc. tax)/ group (2-4 ppl) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 The Nebula is a deep space research station, approaching an asteroid field. You are part of the 'on-the-ground' team providing remote support. When the crew is locked out of the control room, they are rendered helpless to pilot the ship away from the asteroid field and out of harm's way. You and your fellow support team must regain remote access, restart the systems, and pilot the ship to safety. The crew is able to communicate with you from the station, helping to guide you through what task needs to be done, but as they are locked out of the control room they cannot help you. It's up to you to save them from the asteroids! Video above is property of Room Escape Digital 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ It is a very cleanly built game. The visuals were not overly complex to the point of causing confusion; instead, they were straightforward and to the point so that we could focus our energies on understanding the problem facing us and solving the puzzles. Between stages of the game were short videos, which were fun and well produced. The color scheme was consistent and very much of a piece with the theme of the game. There was perhaps a bit more color than would normally be incorporated in a true space station, which I very much appreciated! It kept the experience lively and fun even as the puzzles were challenging. Neither overblown nor under-designed, the graphics were just right to enhance the experience without getting in the way. 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The overall mission is broken up into three mini-missions. Each mini-mission is broken up into smaller subtasks, so there were no periods of confusion over where to go or what needed to be done next. The subtasks and mini-missions proceeded in a logical order that made sense in the context of the mission - repair wiring before restoring power, activate near object scanner prior to planning the route, etc. We did have access to multiple areas of the station at one time, so we were able to enjoy the sense of exploring it a bit as well learning that, as we made changes to one room, it would alter what the other person was seeing. This made for some fun a-ha moments. The subtasks for each mini mission were listed unobtrusively at the bottom of the screen, making it easy to understand how we were progressing through the overall mission and what was coming next. We had to explore and experiment to learn where to go and what to do in order to complete the next task. It was well designed technically - no glitches or things that didn't work as they should, no hitches as we manipulated the various controls. We didn't struggle with learning how to operate the controls in the different areas of the space station, so we were able to focus our mental energies on the tasks at hand. Also, as we completed tasks, more aspect became operational, so we didn't spend a bunch of time trying to figure out components that weren't yet operational. Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The tasks had similar challenge levels and durations - there was never a sense of one task being incredibly difficult and others being too simple. This kept the game moving forward at a steady pace without periods of frustration or boredom. The challenges were fully integrated into the story, there were no elements of 'open this lock to find this piece of hardware'. All the puzzles felt like tasks that would actually be necessary in a situation where we were remotely taking control of and piloting a space station. The puzzles were interactive and required cooperation, in a variety of different ways. A keen eye & good communication were necessary as many of the differences between our screens (and changes that occurred when the other player did something) were subtle at first glance. Once we identified the differences, we then had to execute a sequence of actions either in alternating turns, or parallel. The overall challenges and differences were varied such that we couldn't just say 'oh, this is another one of those puzzles, we know what to do because we did it before'. This led to an excellent balance between figuring out what to do, and executing it. Because it required participation from both of us, there was no sense of one or the other solving all the puzzles while the other person followed along. The teamwork aspect was quite well integrated. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 So many digital games gloss over the questions of 'why is this being done digitally?', and impose arbitrary time pressures. It was refreshing to play a well thought-out online game that is built entirely with those things in mind. As we are the remote team supporting our friends on the space station, it makes complete sense that we need to work on this through a digital interface and with limited information (but an understanding of what needs to be done). and get it done before they hit the asteroid field! We played with two players and finished it in an hour and a half. It was fulfilling and satisfying and never felt 'long'. I am not sure how that would change with four, but I wouldn't want to be missing any of the fun pieces of the game while others were solving them! Photo 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 Room Escape Digital 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. #DaveBristol #AtHomeGames #DigitalGames #RoomEscapeDigital #SciFi #Canada

LOCATION: Epsom, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Escape from the Room 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: TheMixed Up Mind of Mr. Crabheal 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 15, 2024 🎬 GENRE: Multiple Personalities 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl (Recommend 3-6 ppl) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £20-27.5/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You’ve been called in to try to determine the target for Mr. Crabheal’s dastardly plan…his other five personalities are eager to help. But will the clues they’ve left behind (and some notes from their psychiatrist) be enough? If you can’t figure out which Tube station he’s rigged in the next 60 minutes, London will never be the same… 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This game has quite an unusual structure, where you must access 6 spaces, each belonging to one of the personalities. You are introduced to 6 puzzles per area, for a total of 36! Each one allows you to rule out a station as the target; so, the more you solve, the better off you are. However, you can still “win” the game by solving the last puzzle (the targeted station) and hitting the button before time runs out, at which point you’ll receive a score based on how much you solved correctly and in how much time. (We got 82.02% as a team of 2, and I had a rockstar partner!) There’s a lot to love about this format! They take a light-hearted approach, and having six different mini-themes keeps things fresh as you move along. It’s also a great way to keep a “win” accessible to many while providing lots to do for enthusiasts and/or larger groups. Puzzle, puzzles, and more puzzles! Yep, there’s lots to do here! And a nice variety of difficulty levels for the puzzles. It’s quite non-linear, so (after the very beginning) there would be room for larger groups to divide and conquer. It also means that if you get stuck (particularly given that you may not have time for all the puzzles), you can just move on to a different puzzle for the moment. As you progress through the game, you are introduced to all six of the personalities and get to learn a bit about each of them. This is a nice addition to bring more life to each of the characters as you enter their spaces. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There are a couple of big, fun pieces, but for the most part they are not looking to impress with elaborate sets or extensive tech. The decor is largely quite simple, and there are plenty of padlocks to be found. While this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the game, it may disappoint some folks who prioritize the high production values found in many other TERPECA-nominated rooms. Although controversial, dissociative identity disorder is considered a serious mental health issue. While the theme was capitalized on well to create an entertaining experience, some may consider the theme itself to be in poor taste (as seen with a number of more common escape room themes, such as prisons, asylums, true crime, etc.). 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "The Mixed Up Mind of Mr. Crabheal" is a great choice for players who value puzzles over production value. Escape from the Room brings whimsy and theatricality to what could be a very dark theme. The creative structure is refreshing and smartly has a lot to offer for a wide variety of groups of different sizes and skill levels. So, if you’re ready to work on your speed game and up for something a little different, head on over to Epsom and keep London safe! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO The Epsom location is about an 8 minute walk from the Epsom train station. There is a small lobby and bathroom available. There is limited wheelchair access; it sounds like their Wallington location is more accessible. 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 Escape from the Room for providing a media discount on the tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #KristaJones #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #EscapefromtheRoom #MultiplePersonalities #Epsom #UK

LOCATION: London, England, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Escape Plan Ltd Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Roll out the Barrel 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 7, 2024 🎬 GENRE: History, War 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-5 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £28/ pp (£65 minumum) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY It’s 1945, and you and the rest of the squadron at RAF Tangmere are looking forward to a massive V-day celebration! You’ve heard that the higher ups have secured a keg of the finest but don’t intend to share with you lowly plebes. But the Air Commodores have been summoned to Sector Control for the next hour, and you figure you’ve earned that keg…so now’s your chance to sneak on in and see if you can steal that barrel, so you and the squad can live it up tonight like you deserve! Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE I loved the vibe of Roll Out the Barrel! While it’s still in the WWII theme of their other games, this is very light-hearted, focused on a celebratory prank. And it even has a very cute, unexpected little start that had me amused from the get-go! Once again, Escape Plan shines in their use of unique, tactile wooden puzzles and mechanisms that are just fun to engage with! There are a variety of puzzle styles, and the largely non-linear flow allows for folks to work in different areas as desired. This game really makes you feel like you might be back in the 40’s, with great antique-looking pieces, appropriate music, etc. There are even fun costume pieces you can throw on for your end-game pics! While this room may not have quite the same extent of personal history as found for The Adventure Begins, there are still ways in which the owners’ family history is integrated (and folks who’ve played their other games may spot some Easter eggs). 🧩 MISSED THE MARK I mMy eyes are no longer so young, and there were definitely some items here that I found really hard to read - mostly due to tiny font, though in some cases also because of lighting/glare or wear. There were a couple of puzzles that required longer processes - nothing too painful, but they got just a bit old before we were done (even when 3 of us were working on one). Overall, they were still a very minor part of otherwise very satisfying puzzling, and they could also be a place that folks who struggled with other components could feel that they were contributing. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "Roll Out the Barrel" is a delightful game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even if you’re not a history buff, they’ve created a lovely jaunt into another time, with unique, highly tactile puzzles. While the room may be more designed with enthusiasts in mind, they have some ways to simplify gameplay for those with less experience. So, next time you’re looking for that little something to add to your celebration, head to Escape Plan and see if you can steal that barrel of the good stuff! I bet you’ll leave smiling… Additional Info Escape Plan is housed within Rich Mix, a non-profit artists’ collective of sorts, where you can also see films and other shows! It is just a couple minutes walk from the Shoreditch Tube Station. They are generally able to adjust their rooms to be wheelchair accessible (with the exception of their newest offering); contact them in advance to confirm. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Check out our interview with the owner to understand more on the development side of these games: 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 Escape Plan Ltd. for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #KristaJones #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #EscapePlan #War #History #London #UnitedKingdom

Photo above is property of Story Time Learning Company: Story Time Learning Game: Story Time Backgammon Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game (Board Game) 📬 Genre: Strategy Date Played: March 26, 2024 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 4/10 Size of Team: 2-4 ppl (Ages 3 - 103) Time: Unlimited (Recommended 20-40 Mins) Price: $39.99 USD 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Peglegra of Fruitlandia is looking for a diamond from Icelandia, while Chompus of Icelandia is looking for fruit from Fruitlandia. Both set sail around the Bay of Gammon to get what they want. Along the way, they meet, have some fun and try to race each other to the finish line, without getting knocked into the sandbar by the other person. Through storytelling and adventure, people young and old can learn how to play backgammon while listening to this tale. 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening the big box, there are a lot of beautiful components that include the storybook, backgammon pieces, ship cutouts, a large backgammon board and more. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Going through the storybook, it has 9 stories, telling the tale of Peglegra, Chompus and their adventures meeting each other. Each story is based on a key rule of backgammon. At the end of each story, there are 3 activities to reinforce and learn some of the rules of the game. Things like coming around the board, knocking off your opponent and bearing off. The game comes with many different components and can be set up for people of different ages. Everything was beautifully designed. There are little ships that can be attached to the checkers to make the game more appealing to the youngsters and the young at heart, as well as dice cups with Peglegra’s and Chompus’ symbols on them. The board also had 2 sides to it. One side had Fruitlandia, Icelandia and other key locations from the stories marked on it while the other was your traditional backgammon board. The story was cute to read with the kids and kept them engaged with the fun characters and bright pictures. Some of the activities we skipped but we found them very clever in making sure that even the youngest of kids could grasp the concepts. For example, the first activity was learning how to read dice. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🆂🆃🆁🅰🆃🅴🅶🆈 The mantra of the story goes “Winds gust, waves dance. A little skill, a little chance”, which is accurate to the game of backgammon in itself. Though the story teaches the rules of the game, it does not go through any strategy, which we were free to explore and learn as we played. There were a few times though, that the activities would point out the different actions that could be taken with the dice roll, making sure we were aware of all the options available. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 "Story Time Backgammon" is a complete guide and toolset to teach backgammon to young and old players alike. They explain the rules in a very simple manner through storytelling and activities. Things like reading dice, which as an adult, is something I can easily overlook. Though the game does not go through the strategy, the appeal of this game would make anyone want to play it over and over again and learn it to get better. The pieces are cute and fun for the kids but as they grow up, can easily be converted to a traditional game of backgammon, but what’s the fun in that? (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 Story Time Learning 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 #PuzzleByMail #StoryTimeLearning #Kids #Strategy #USA

Photo above is property of Enigmaticon Company: Enigmaticon Game: Phone Escape: Hopeless Country: Greece 🇬🇷 Language: English/ Greek Type of Game: Video Escape Game (App) 📱 Genre: Thriller, Suspense Date Played: May 7, 2024 Difficulty (based on 1 player): 6/10 Time: Unlimited (Recommended 3 Hrs) Price: $1.99 USD (Available for download - App Store & Google Play) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Waking up into the darkness of the room, you find that your only source of light and communication is the mobile phone in your hand. Sending you messages through the phone is your captor. Navigating the apps on the phone and the room using only your phone, you must follow the captor’s demands, solve their riddles, discover why you are here and what truths lie in your past. Videos above are property of Enigmaticon 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Starting up the game, there is a message that says the game is best experienced with headphones in a dimly lit room. Taking this recommendation, I gave it a try and now I don’t believe there is any other way to experience this game. Not only did this immerse me more in the story but the music assisted the ambiance. The premise of the game is that I am kidnapped in an unknown location and must navigate the area using only the phone and the flashlight on it. The kidnapper also uses the phone to communicate with me using apps like messages and media functions. Enigmaticon used this setup to direct me through the game and used the setup perfectly to tell the narrative. It was smooth, felt natural and believable. The game was a mix between point and click and a first-person view in the 3D environment. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 There were a variety of puzzles ranging from difficulty and style. Things like making connections, logic puzzles and more. Some of the things that this game nailed was signposting the puzzles, so I knew what needed to be looked at when it was time as well as ramping the puzzles up in difficulty through the game. I did have some trouble with a few puzzles where I knew the answer but had issues with how it was to be input. I had to use the hints for those ones. One tip would be to have some pen and paper ready along with knowing that you may need some outside knowledge to solve some trivia type puzzles. The hint system was interesting to check out as it was an “app” on the phone. Clicking into it, you would get a tiered hint system going through the puzzle. Photos above are property of Enigmaticon 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Phone Escape: Hopeless used the layout of your typical smartphone to tell a suspenseful story and did an amazing job with it. The game had it all, amazing puzzles, gripping story, and suspenseful music. The puzzles ramped up beautifully and gave me so many eureka moments. The story had me on the edge of my seat. The original music theme was perfectly composed to accompany the feel of the game. Anyone looking for a thrilling escape room mobile game would love this. Enigmaticon says there is more in the works after this game, and I can’t wait to see what more they have in store. (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 Enigmaticon for providing us with a sample of the game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #VideoGames #AppGames #Enigmaticon #Thriller #Suspsense #Greece

Videos/ Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E01: Family Secrets Language: English Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 6/1/2020 Price: $14.99 CAD A mysterious letter came in our mailbox a few days ago. It was Mobile Escape's Season 1 Ep 1 of their Escape Mail series! Currently they have 12 episodes in this first season. You can purchase them individually or as a "binge bundle" at a cheaper price. We started the mystery with an encrypted letter from our long lost cousin, Joshua Jordan Fitzpatrick. There was minimal amount of material that needed cutting but you'll be needing a scissor and access to the internet. Inside the envelope we found 3 map pieces (this is correct as they will be sending a 4th piece in the later on episodes), compass scan, coin and pendant reliefs, shipping list, twine, and fabric. Every item was useful so be careful when opening the package and make sure to keep track of what you have used and haven't. If you didn't chose the hard level, a flow chart will be provided. This was quite helpful at guiding us through what step to take next in the puzzle. We really enjoyed the various types of puzzles the game was able to come up with only the materials that were provided. We liked the fabrication of the coloration of the old time map and shipping list. The fabric was also a "surprise" when it revealed itself. My favorite parts of the game were the cliffhangers. It felt like we're watching a drama series on TV. The fact that we only received 3 pieces to a secret map really made us wanted to know what's on that 4th piece. The ending was also a nice production leaving us wondering what had just happened and what now? For that reason, it's probably best to go for the "binge bundle" package! 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, please remember to let them know that you heard it from"ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Mobile Escape for providing us with samples of their game. Although complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MobileEscape #FamilySecrets #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery

Videos/ Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E02: Missing Person Language: English Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 9/7/2020 Price: $14.99 CAD After Ep 1: Family's Secrets' cliffhanger, we were very excited to receive Ep 2 in the mail. In this episode, our cousin JJ had been kidnapped by the Hunters and was trying to sent us information in order for us to rescue him. Hopefully we can decode the messages and free him from the Hunters! Like the first episode, we received a bunch of items which included a wallet photo, QR map, ticker tape, sonar device, access card, decryption paper, grid papers and a plastic needle piece. There was also a small paper that informed us of the hint website and a Spotify playlist. It would be helpful to have a scissor, pencil (although we drew directly on the computer screen and that worked as well), and an eraser. I've been also trying to pay attention to Easter eggs or clues that can't really connect with anything right now because the puzzler inside of me is saying: "there's got to be a meta puzzle at the end". In this "hard" version of the game, we were only given a hint on the starting point. As we solved the first puzzle, a video was awarded explaining the story line. From there we were able to figure out where to go next. The game was quite linear so it was easy to follow the flow. Just like in Ep 1, Mobile Escape's specialty was their videos and online photo components. Through them, we were able to envision the story and connect with the character at a closer level. There were 5 puzzles in total and most were quite easy and just required some attention to details. There was one that confused us with how the clue was presented but made sense for what it was looking for after we read through the first part of the clue. These mailers are great for players who enjoy a shorter puzzle game (usually less than an hour for us) but still have the element of surprise and drama build into it. The most difficult moment for the game is always going to be that waiting period for the next episode to arrive in our mailbox. 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, please remember to let them know that you heard it from"ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Mobile Escape for providing us with samples of their game. Although complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MobileEscape #MissingPerson #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Submarine #kidnapping #rescuemission

Videos/ Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E03: Ancient Mysteries Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 10/9/2020 Price: $14.99 CAD If you remembered our review of Ep 2: Missing Person , we saved cousin JJ but now he's in trouble again. He finally made his way to the treasure site but it seemed like the local Joro people did not make this job easy for him. We're going to have to help him decipher the messages and hopefully get the treasure in time! On the outside of the envelope, you'll notice the Joro numbering system (Please make sure you don't accidentally rip the envelope). Inside the envelope there were a temple layout, 5 totems, letter from JJ and a temple photo with QR code. You'll also need to prepare a scissor, tape, QR scanner and a flashlight. The first part of the puzzle was an "arts and craft" project. It was actually quite fun to piece together the totems and construct an actual temple (with a door opening too!). If this is too difficult, there is a video tutorial that you can follow. The QR code pretty much just opened up a website for us to input solutions in. The puzzles were not as enjoyable for us with this game. They just felt like a lot of not well written riddles. It was hard to follow some of the instructions and when we looked up the hints, we still did not quite get the logic behind it. It would've also helped if the game piece design was better in terms of the stability of the totems. Every time we tried to position them where they have to be, they just kept falling down. This made the game play much harder since we needed to visualize their positions. After finally getting through to the end with hints, we were disappointed that there was no ending video with this episode. We were hoping to see our favorite character JJ giving us a glimpse of what's to come in the next chapter. I guess we'll have to wait and see where "Ep 4: On the Run" will take us... Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: (If you do decide to try this book, please remember to let them know that you heard it from"ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Mobile Escape for providing us with samples of their game. Although complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MobileEscape #EscapeMail #AncientMysteries #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Temple #TotemPoles #Ruins #artsandcraft #treasure

Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E04: On The Run Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 11/28/2020 Price: $14.99 CAD or subscribe to save 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Continuing from Episode 3, Svetlana now arrives at a new location. JJ still needs her help to find that treasure. It seems like she has better safe-cracking skills than him. Let's get to the bottom of this mystery! 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Episode 4 came in a letter sized envelope along with a passport, a luggage tag and a boarding pass. You'll need a QR scanner, internet and a special tool (although you might be able to eyeball it). We were curious to see how much play time it was going to give us since at first glance there wasn't much there for us to do. It definitely surprised us when information started to unravel as we began to examine the materials more closely. The intro to this game was quite unique and we appreciate Mobile Escape trying to give us something new every time. The centerpiece of this game was the passport and we really enjoyed the "transformation" of this clue piece and how it was able perfectly merge in with the storyline and puzzle elements. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 Most of the puzzles in this episode was leaning towards visualization with some simple decoding. It went along with the theme of the story really well. The puzzles were not linear so you're be solving whichever you're able to spot first. We do suggest referring back to the intro instructions so you'll know what you're looking for. Besides one print mistake (the creators have already corrected this but just incase you have an older copy do refer to the hint system), we had a smooth run with this game. One thing we did notice is that because most of the puzzles revolved around the passport, all the players will have to hover around and try to solve whatever they are working on together as a team even though the game is not linear. This does get better at the latter part of the game but don't be a "hogger"! 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 This is probably one of our favorite episodes so far from Mobile Escape. The puzzles were very innovative and even if you did chose a "hard" difficulty level, it shouldn't really stump you as the puzzles all made sense. This episode really brought back memories when we're able to travel. Looking at all of those stamps on the passport made us feel sad but also appreciate this game a lot more as without it. we would be pretty bored at home. If you are stuck at home like us and looking for something fun to do, definitely give this subscription a try! 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, please remember to let them know that you heard it from"ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Mobile Escape for providing us with samples of their game. Although complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MobileEscape #EscapeMail #Episode4 #OnTheRun #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Travel #Itinerary #Espionage #Passport

Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E05: Lost Library Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 1/22/2021 Price: $14.99 CAD or subscribe to save 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Seems like our Cousin JJ found the location of the lost library with our help from the last episode. Now he needs us to find the key that's hidden inside the library before The Hunters gets to him.... 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Sticking with the back story, we received items that you would probably see in a library. There were aged ripped papers from books, a borrowing card, and a schematics drawing. One thing we always enjoyed with Mobile Escape is their clever ways of utilizing everything with just one small envelope. Don't throw away the envelope, you're going to regret it! Mobile Escape also improved the quality of their production on the intro videos (nice calves, cuz!), We quite like the new platform as they worked well on our phones. Since the first thing you'll need to do is to scan a barcode to open a website, it does make it important that the interface works well on mobiles. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 I think we lucked out with this episode as we got a "flow" card that usually comes in the "regular" version and not the "hard" version of the game. In the hard version (since the puzzles are non liner), your only guide is the input of the solution section and then it's up to you to piece together the clues. The "flow" card will really help to guide you on which clue you'll need for that specific solution. If you're a beginner puzzlers, we definitely recommend choosing the "regular" game option. This episode had a few easier puzzles like pattern recognition and decoding. We did enjoy the multi-step puzzle at the end and thanks Mobile Escape for that little "break". I'm sure it was intentional. 😜 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 This is a great episode for beginners who wants to see what mobile escape is all about. It's also good for players who wants a quick fix on puzzles that will take you less than an hour to complete. Even though you may not think you'll get much content from a small letter sized envelope, you'll be surprised at how much they were able to fit into it. We are also constantly seeing improvements and changes on Mobile Escape's production quality on the story lines and digital platform. Looking forward to meeting JJ in the next chapter! 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 Mobile Escape for providing us with samples of their game. Although complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MobileEscape #EscapeMail #Episode5 #LostLibrary #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Travel #Itinerary #Espionage #Passport