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Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E06: Quiet As The Grave 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 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 After helping cuz JJ figure out the last puzzle to where the family treasure might be buried, he's unfortunately stumped again. He can't seem to pinpoint where Alfred hid this treasure. It's time to help your long lost family member again... 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The game started with the usual intro letter along with the initial barcode scan. Once you scan the barcode, it'll lead you to an automated chat feature with your cuz JJ. This is where you'll input your answers. Hint systems are available by scanning a barcode as well. There's a bit more interaction with the mobile interface with this game. You'll receive more backstory videos and puzzles you'll have to complete on the website instead of just using it as an answer input device. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 There's a bit more reading in this game. We didn't mind it as much since it was quite easy to spot what was useful and what was just backstory context. There were essentially 3 important information you had to figure out for this game. We enjoyed the puzzles that were involved with the first two parts but the third part felt like it was quickly put together as we didn't feel relevancy to the current story. The puzzles also felt like they wanted to just "give" you the answers so you can move on to the next step. We also had some issues with our mobile interface for the end puzzle and had to report it to the makers. The buttons doesn't seem to react when we inputted the right answer a couple of times. Hopefully this will get resolved soon. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 From the puzzles aspect, this episode was probably not our favorite. We did enjoy the interactive functionalities that were added to their online interface as this is another new feature that's been integrated into their games. It's also great to put a face finally to the character "S". I'm excited to see who else will be joining us on this adventure in the future episodes! 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 #Episode6 #QuietAsTheGrave #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Travel #Itinerary #Espionage #Passport

Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E07: Buried Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 2/6/2021 Price: $14.99 CAD or subscribe to save 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 After finding the burial site that Alfred had left for us, JJ got trapped underground! Good thing we are still able to communicate with him through the TerraTalker transmitter. Hopefully we'll be able to save him in time! 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 By now, we are quite familiar with the Mobile Escape game play style. You should always take another look at the envelope that the game came as we learned that there's always going to be a "surprise". In this episode, we received an intro letter, 2 double-sided blueprint pages, a TerraTalker Manual, a resistor calculator (OHMs), a resistor, mission assignments and an instruction card (if you pick the regular difficult level, you'll also receive a flow card). Begin the game by reading the intro letter first and scanning the bar code at the bottom of the letter. You'll then be taken to a website where all the password inputs and interaction with JJ will take place. In this episode, they choose to use an chatbot that's in a format of text messaging which is quite fitting to the storyline as JJ is stuck underground. As you help JJ maneuver around the underground site, you'll eventually start to communicate with him through a TerraTalker machine. This fancy machine was a nice design element to be added to the game instead of having just a normal password input. Hint systems were quite clear for this episode and if you needed them, they're easily retrievable by scanning the barcode on the instruction card. We also recently discovered that they do a recap for all previous episodes so if you do decide to try an episode from the middle, you can catch up to the storyline. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 You'll need to prepare a pair of scissors for this game. Although the game suggested tape, we didn't need it. It was actually easier without it since we needed to flip the pages from time to time. You'll probably need some good eyesight for a few of these puzzles. A magnifying glass or light from your phone should help. The puzzles had a really nice flow in this game. Cousin JJ's "commands" are what you'll use as a guide this game on what will need to be done next. There were some decoding that we had to do along with some light Math and reading. The input device was really easy to use and we had no issues understanding how to operate the mechanism. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 This was yet another creative episode from Mobile Escape. What would you do if you're buried underground? This episode really made the players think in that real life situation. Since we're JJ's eyes above ground, we had to use the blueprint we received and figure out how to communicate the information to JJ by using the TerraTalker. Eventually we're able to complete another successful mission! We know that the Hunters are getting close so hopefully we won't have to wait too long to help JJ escape again! 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 #Episode7 #Buried #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Travel #Itinerary #Espionage #Passport #Underground #CaveIn #TerraTalker

Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E08: Metro Madness (Hard version) Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 3/16/2021 Price: $14.99 CAD or subscribe to save 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 JJ is free again from the Hunters (with your help of course)! But the Hunters are still one step ahead of us and we need to find their safehouse in this town as soon as possible. We have to steal back the key so we can find that treasure! Let's help JJ with his mission once again... 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Each of the episodes can be played independently as the puzzles does not require you to know of any prior knowledges from the previous episodes. If you want to know the story line, check the recap section on their website. In this chapter, you're provided with an intro letter, a city brochure, a metro ticket, a photo strip, and a guide map. If you don't feel like reading the intro letter, you can go to the instructed website for an intro video instead. This is also the site to enter all your answers. The input is in text bot format and acts like a communication device between you and JJ. As you direct JJ to a right location, you'll be awarded with a video. It's quite nice to feel the "adventure" along JJ's side with these added components. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 Your goal in this mission is to help JJ track down the secret location of the Hunters. There are various clues that has been left on these documents. We found that it was confusing for us to know which was the first location that they wanted as we started discovering many other clues just by looking at different connections on the paper clues. If you have the regular version of the game, it might be a clearer path with the flow card. Once we figured out the first location with a nudging hint, then the rest of the journey were quite smooth. The photo strip was an easy puzzle but the way the clues were presented made the puzzle felt harder than it was. Our favorite puzzle was what the creators thought was the hardest. It was the most satisfying one for us and we actually completed that a lot faster than the other puzzles in this episode. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 This episode felt more like a puzzle hunt. I guess it goes well with their theme since we're "hunting" down the Hunter's location. A few of the puzzles felt like they could be solved in a non-linear fashion but the code input has to be done in a sequential way. This was the only thing that gave us hiccups during our game play. Other than that we enjoyed JJ taking us on a little tour around the beautiful town of Ratselstadt. 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 #Episode8 #MetroMadness #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Travel #Itinerary #Espionage #Passport #Underground #CaveIn #TerraTalker

Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E09: Best Served Cold (Hard version) Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 4/7/2021 Price: $14.99 CAD or subscribe to save 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Cuz JJ finally made it to the Hunter's hideout. All you need to do now is help him find the key to Joro's treasure! Hopefully it's an easy task? 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The game arrived in a dark blue letter sized envelope. Inside you'll find an intro letter, hunter documents letter with ledger, a photo, a miniature wood hallway, a miniature rug, a key card, and a scrap of cloth. Besides the materials that came in the mail, the game was accompanied by an online chatbot. This was where the communication between you and cuz JJ occurs. Other than the chatbot, there was also a digital interface where you'll be able to enter the solutions to the puzzles. This episode had a lot more video components which we really enjoyed as we no longer had to imagine the scenes in our heads. Instead cuz JJ was showing us every step of the way. Whenever we entered a code, he would do the same. We'll then be able to see what we got from the locked device. He would then inform us to either look at an image that he would send us over the chatbot or have us look at the materials in the mailer. This was a big step up for Mobile Escape to be able to give us so much content and value from a tiny envelope. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 Overall, most of the puzzles were quite easy and we felt that the game was more focused on the narrative. The puzzles were merely complementing the scenes and they were helping to reveal secrets to the storyline from their solutions. There was one puzzle that took us awhile though. I know some players may want to salvage this game to resale or replay but it was quite impossible to eyeball the answer without tracing the steps. It was a clever puzzle and if you get stuck, there's a full video tutorial on it. You should definitely give it a try and we suggest using a pencil. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 This was another very enjoyable episode from Mobile Escape. This episode really gave us an escape room vibe. It felt like cuz JJ was our avatar and we're guiding him with our commands to search, open and decode items in a mysterious mansion. A mechanism towards the end really wowed us. It was such an intricate device and we had fun watching JJ unveil all of its hidden secrets. But wait there's more...We have to applaud Mobile Escape's writer on this episode. We did not see that twist coming! Now we are dying to know what's going to happen next! 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 a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MobileEscape #EscapeMail #Episode9 #BestServedCold #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Travel #Itinerary #Espionage #Passport #Underground #CaveIn #TerraTalker

Photos provided by Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E10: Revelations (Hard version) Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited (Suggested 2-3 hours) Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: 5/25/2021 Price: $14.99 CAD or subscribe to save 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 This is strange. You've been tracking down The Hunters for awhile now and all of a sudden their leader Hans Nilsen writes to you? Can he be trusted? Or is there more to the story? And more importantly, where is cuz JJ? 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The game arrived in a white letter sized envelope. Inside you'll find an intro letter, 8 page newspaper and a tracing paper. You might feel overwhelmed by the amount of information at first but once you find the clues to the steps you should take, it'll make the game play much smoother. Reading and attention to detail are both necessities for this game. If you are playing as a team, you can even divide up the newspaper pages and work on them separately. Some information are just in plain sight where as others are in puzzle forms. It's great to be able to work on some items separately but ultimately still come together to complete the game as a team. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 There's a lot of thought that went into designing the puzzles for this game. Every news article has a meaning behind it and somehow the creator was able to string them together for a meta puzzle. Every time when we thought we finished the game, there's another encrypted message waiting for us. It was very satisfying if you're a puzzle lover. It's not the tedious heavy decoding type of puzzles as there were many variations in types (we can't discuss much due to spoilers), All I can say is that we've definitely had some realization moments where we were like: " No really? Wow! That's really cool!" You'll be utilizing the internet for some incidences including entering the final code. There was a new technology add-on that we haven't seen tabletop games used in awhile. Mobile Escape always tries to change up or add something different to each and every one of their games to keep their players engaged. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 We were super excited when the creators told us that this chapter (See photo below for all 10 chapters so far) is going to be very special since we won't be getting the usual 1 hour puzzle experience but 2 - 3 hours instead! Other than the gratifying puzzles, we really loved the narrative. From how episode 9 ended, we were not sure what was going to happen in episode 10. The backstory, the journey of cuz JJ from the beginning until now and the untold stories from the other characters in the game just slowly appeared in front of our eyes. It was like watching a drama one episode at a time and finally reaching that "aha" moment (knowing me, I would have probably binged it). But now what? There's two more chapters to this Season! What else could possibly happen? Can you guys please make these games faster? 😜 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 a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MobileEscape #EscapeMail #Episode10 #Revelations #PuzzlesByMail #Adventure #Mystery #ByMail #mystery #Travel #Itinerary #Espionage #Passport #Underground #CaveIn #TerraTalker

Photo above is property of Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E11: Perilous Choices (Hard version) Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited (Suggested 1-1.5 hours) Difficulty (based on 2 players): 7.5/10 Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: July 20, 2021 Price: $14.99 CAD or subscribe to save 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Cuz JJ finally made it out of the safehouse. You received a notebook that probably can help you with retrieving the Joro treasure. Hopefully there are no more surprise on Joro island? 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Like the previous episodes, we're given an intro letter giving us a little reminder of what happened in the last episode. If you wanted to have a full summary of ep 1-10, scan the barcode on the intro letter and read their recap section. You'll be needing internet for this game as communication with cuz JJ will be through a chat room. This is where you'll input your answers and receive information in text or video format from JJ. We found no issues playing it on our phones but of course you can use your computer as well. At one point you'll also be needing a scissor. Since we have the hard version of the game, we only received a check, notebook and a barcode card that provided the link to the theme music and hints/solutions. In the easy version, you'll also receive a flow card which gives you additional cluing on what steps to take. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 If you remember Ep 4: On the Run, you might feel that the passport have some resemblance with the notebook. Through the game play, you'll discover more Easter eggs from the past games. We thought that was really clever to string the storyline together through puzzles since we're almost at the end. Some puzzle types might be easy to spot for experienced puzzlers without the additional cluing but it's great that clues were also embedded in the storyline should you need them. Once you figure out the starting point, the rest will fall into place. There were two multi-step puzzles in this game that took us awhile to figure out. For this reason, I would say this is probably the most difficult episode from Mobile Escape thus far. I love Mobile Escape's hint and solution section. Other than the tiered nudges, you'll also get step by step images or videos explaining the solution so everything is super clear. Photos above are properties of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 I can't believe there's only one episode left of Season One! We're really going to miss cuz JJ. From Ep 1, we saw the growth and creativity from Mobile Escape in every episode going forward. The outside filming (love the drone footage) with professional actors really bought the audience into a real world experience rather than just an "at home tabletop" game. In this episode, they also implemented a new technique in one of the puzzles as well. On the one hand, I can't wait for the finale but on the other hand, I can't help but feel a bit sentimental but there's got to be a Season 2 right? 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 Mobile Escape 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 #SubscriptionGames #PuzzlesByMail #MobileEscape #Adventure #Mystery #BehindTheMasterMinds #Canada

Photo above is property of Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - S01E12: Bloodlines (Hard version) Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Adventure, Mystery Time: Unlimited (Suggested 2 hours) Difficulty (based on 1 player): 7.5/10 Size of Team: Unlimited Date Played: November 4, 2021 Price: $17.95 CAD or subscribe to save 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 It is the moment you and Cuz JJ have been waiting for – you are on Joro Island (FINALLY) and so close to the treasure you can feel it in the air. Unfortunately, there is still that problem of getting into the secret chamber…better hurry before the others arrive! 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ The game arrived in a black letter sized envelope. Inside you'll find an intro letter from your cousin, a large double-sided star-chart on black newspaper paper, a pyramid key (needs to be assembled), two letters from your ancestor, a symbol sheet to aid decoding, a celestial bodies list, and a sticky note. If you opt for regular difficulty level for this game, there will also be a flow card to guide you through the game. I appreciated the inclusion of a QR code with a file of previous key artifacts from other episodes that are important for this episode in case you do not keep them. There is also a QR code that link to a website with hints and music. Photos above are property of Mobile Escapes 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The introduction letter sets the stage for the tasks your cousin needs you to undertake while he’s the “boots of the ground,” so to speak. There is an accompanying chatbot (accessed via a QR code) where you communicate with your cousin during the adventure. He’ll provide short video clips as you progress while also giving you the lay of the land to give you a better idea of the current task in front of you. Once you have solved the puzzle you submit the answer to your cousin using a digital interface and he’ll update you on what happened once he inputted the solution in the chambers. I like the format of these games because you have a true face behind the AI working alongside you. JJ and his involvement are the key to your success in these games as he guides players through each puzzle, especially because all the components are accessible for the beginning. This game packs a lot of content into all its components and players can easily be overwhelmed with much content if not for JJ. In addition, you truly have a companion working with you and experiencing the success of solving each puzzle. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 In this game, you will have to look back to previous mailings for clues and information. I liked how there was a referral back to previous mailings to show this experience as a full story from beginning to end, with little bits coming back. I would say the puzzles were a good mixture of challenge and ease for players. There is a lot of content in the mailings and clues are carefully hidden to help stagger the various “aha” moments players can get. There are quite a few physical elements to puzzles that help provide variety to the puzzling. I would say less experienced puzzlers may need a bit more guidance to complete the game, which is where the regular level is excellent as it gives you a card that has little images to nudge you to what items you need to move forward. The puzzles themselves aren’t too difficult once you understand them, but it can be tricky figuring out all the components you need to fully solve the puzzle and having a good spatial awareness for a few of them. Parts of this experience are non-linear which can also add to the challenge as you have five puzzle tasks (each being two parts) so don’t be afraid to use the hints to help nudge yourself if you are used to more linear formats. I thoroughly enjoyed the structure of many of these puzzles and thought they added something unique to experience because they really got the player involved with the game components. There was purpose to having each piece in front of you on the table. I do think the hint system could benefit from a “items you will need” section even for more experienced players as there were a few times where there was so much to look at that I missed a small thing that would have smoothed out the puzzling for me. Episode 12 is the accumulation of all the other puzzling over this journey so expect quite a challenge, but also an infusion of fun and creativity different from the past envelopes. Escape Mail does an excellent job making each envelope, from 1 to 12, feel fresh each time. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Bloodlines was the perfect finale to Season 1 of Escape Mail, filled with memorable puzzle moments and a satisfying conclusion to the journey. The adventure with JJ was long and filled with twists but if you stuck around, I would say the feeling of accomplishment was high as the final video played at the end. I really enjoyed the physicality of this game and JJ helped keep the experience smooth, even during the difficult moments. I recommend Escape Mail for the puzzler looking for a treasure hunting experience that ramps up each episode while also being quite an affordable price. I can’t believe this journey has ended…or has it? I’m hoping for a Season 2! Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 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 Mobile Escape 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 #SubscriptionGames #PuzzlesByMail #MobileEscape #Adventure #Mystery #BehindTheMasterMinds #Canada

Photo above is property of Mobile Escape Company: Mobile Escape Game: Escape Mail - Shinobi: The Ninja Scroll Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Adventure, Ninja Date Played: March 12, 2024 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 7/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Recommend 1 to 6 ppl) Time: Unlimited (Recommend 2.5 - 3 Hrs) Price: $32.95 USD 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 There has been a fraction of rebels that are spreading chaos across our beautiful homeland. We need your help to restore peace upon this land. Will you be able to complete these tasks of Ninjutsu to prove your worthiness? Video above is property of Mobile Escape 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ The game came packaged in a tube. We really like the design. Simple yet unique. Inside the tube, there is a scroll with wood framing (on the top and bottom), 8 shuriken parts, 7 grappling hooks, 6 logic tokens, 3 solution sheets (2 are spares), 1 pairing chart, 1 mailer tube, 1 storage bag, and 1 key (actual metal). Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 You'll need to be able to access internet for this game. The game has an intro and is paired with music throughout the game play. This definitely enhanced the immersion. Once you scan a QR code, it'll bring you to a website where you'll be able to start the game. This game can be played in two ways: beginner or standard. If you chose beginner, you'll get a visual hint when you press a symbol. This will definitely help you with a starting point. We played the game in "Standard Mode" and when pressed on a symbol, you only have a place to enter the solution. Both modes will have nudging hints should you need them. The website was really easy to navigate. Should you want to want to switch from beginner to standard during the middle of the game, you can do so as you please. You can also leave the game or pause the timer. And when you want to come back to the game later on, it'll be exactly where you had left it off. If you are able to solve all 9 puzzles successfully, there will be an outro video waiting for you at the end to welcome you into the Ninjutsu world. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles can be solved in any order. You can go from left to right or select any symbol to work on that particular puzzle. You'll be able to find clues associated with that symbol on the scroll. There are also other components that came with the game that would be used in collaboration with the visual clues. The game creators were quite clever in where to hide these information, just like Ninja's in stealth mode. The puzzles ranged in difficulty level from simple visual ones to multi-step logic puzzles. We were able to work on them as a team and not have to crowd over each other's space since the puzzles could be solved simultaneously. Sometimes it also helped to visualize it from a different perspective when one of us couldn't see through a puzzle or solution. There are a few minor visual clues that we were confused with. I've given my suggestions to the creators since this review so hopefully that could be improved in the final version of the game. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 I've always been intrigued by the Ninja culture (in fact I'm watching Netflix's "House of Ninja" series right now and it really reminded me of this game). There's something really secretive about them. I felt that sense of mystery emitting from this game. The 9 "tests" also gave me that sense of urgency to want to complete my mission so I had to finish the game in one session. There are a couple of additional things I like to commemorate the game on: replayability (nothing will be destroyed so you can regift it), sustainability (the scroll could easily become a cool artwork to be hung as a memorabilia after the game play) and winnability (it's a guaranty that everyone (yes, even your pet detectives) will become a Ninja after the completion of these missions)! 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 Mobile Escape 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. #CiciCao #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzleByMail #Adventure #Ninjas #Canada #MobileEscape #EscapeMail

LOCATION: Edmonton, AB, Canada Photo above is property of Operation Lockbox Company: Operation Lockbox Game: Rescue the Cup Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Rental Gamebox 📬 (Need to be picked up or add delivery fee) Genre: Family, Sports Date Played: March 29, 2024 Difficulty (based on 4 ppl): 5/10 Size of Team: Unlimited Time: 24 Hours (Which is the rental time, but recommended time is 60 Mins) Price: $65 CAD (One day)/ $130 CAD (Two days) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 The NHL Stanley Cup has been stolen and the detectives have one suspect, Samuel Kroft, an assistant director of the Athletics dept at the local community college. Suffering from Chronic Sore Loser Syndrome (CSLS), he is the prime suspect. With the research provided, can you solve the puzzles and find the cup? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Picking up the rental box, we got a full-sized hockey equipment bag with an envelope attached on the outside. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 After reading what was in the envelope, we got started into solving a puzzle to open the hockey bag. As we continued to access different areas in the bag, the game had a neat setup that made it feel like we were breaking into Samuel Kroft’s office. Though we were trying to save the Stanley Cup, this experience included a lot of other sports knowledge and references which we were allowed to look up and google. This made for a great overall sports themed game. Operation: Lockbox likes to upcycle items for their games, and we found there was a lot in this game that was creatively used, either used as props, clues or having been turned into lockboxes. One thing we did notice was that they attempted to find a balance between set design and not including too many red herrings. We did get sidetracked a few times, focusing on stuff we didn’t need to but when we discovered what we needed, it did seem obvious. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 From the start, there were a variety of puzzles that had us all work together to solve. Some required knowing or looking up sports trivia, while others required us to find useful items to decipher clues. The game was set up in a linear fashion so it was easy for us to focus on what lock we needed to open. Operation: Lockbox also has a knack for making some cool low-tech locks and mechanisms for the game and this was no different. There were a few great “Wow” puzzles and how they gatekeep different areas was impressive. How the hint system worked was that they provided us with a phone number that we could text when we were about to begin and they would be on standby for 2 hours if we needed hints (though if we messaged after the 2 hours, they would still respond but would probably take a little longer). For the times we needed a hint, our GM was prompt in responding and even though she was not there with us physically, she was helpful in nudging us in the right direction. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 "Rescue the Cup" was packed with so many high points, from the sports trivia to the clever locks to the up-cycled props. As a family activity, the puzzles were thrilling to go through together with enough to keep everyone engaged. The story was the right amount of entertaining and excitement for the kids. We played with 4 people which we found was a great number without getting in each other’s way. This game would be fun for any sports fanatic and perfect for anyone looking for a puzzling experience right in your own home. (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"!) #MatthewLiu #AtHomeGames #RentalGameBox #OneOffs #Family #Sports #OperationLockbox #Canada

LOCATION: Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Unknown 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 30, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Horror 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $28.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes The Great Escape Room Challenge (now known as "Mad Escape") is located in a complex but a bit hard to find pending on which location you are coming from. You may have to go around one more time if you missed the entrance. They do have a huge sign on top of the building once you find it and plenty of parking space. We arrived on a Saturday and the lobby was packed. We were greeted right away by a man with a huge smile that's working diligently at the door which turned out to be the owner. We love the lobby decor as it felt like a theme park. They have huge 3D cutout posters for your victory poses at the end for each room. They will also be adding in mini games that you can play while waiting. You can tell they want the customers to have a beginning to end immersive experience as each room has an "entrance" made to go with the theme. There are four rooms running currently. We saw all of them and you can have a quick peek at it in our youtube video. The "Slime Factory" is a great idea for a kids party since after you make the slim you get to solve puzzles in an escape room. Who doesn't want to make slime? The manager at the location however recommended that we do the "Unknown" room and I (Cici, of course) being a scaredy cat ask if there's live actors in the room. I do have to say I was sort of "tricked" as I anticipated just a small scare at the end but lets just say I felt like I was in the Saw movie (I sincerely apologize to the game master that to bear my high pitched scream throughout the game. I would've much rather make slime). We were joined by one newbie to escape rooms but she was a lot braver than I was so I was glad that there was another set of eyes to check for the creepy darkness that pretty much surrounded us at all times. This room was a bit peculiar in the setting of an escape room. It felt more like an immersed movie and you were part of it like a victim just waiting for what will happen next. There's no "hint" or "clue" that will be given. What you need will be given to you based on how much further you are into the game and the whole goal of the game is that you'll be able to escape so even till the end we don't even know how much time we had left but we lived! I was so happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel and that big smile on the owner's face as he greeted us at the door. This room can be converted to different kinds of horror during different holidays according to the owner which is pretty cool. We were also privileged to see what the two other new room will look like ("Runaway Train" & "Mission to Mars" ). The owner has future goals of expanding his brand into a franchise and we know he'll be very successful at it given the quality of his rooms and his passion for the industry. This is a must try if you are ever in the area and if not, make the trip and venture into the "Unknown". Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** (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 Great Escape Room Challenge 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 #Horror #TheGreatEscapeRoomChallenge #NewJersey #USA

LOCATION: Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Bank Heist 📅 DATE PLAYED: June 22, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Heist 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $28.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Read our review of the “Unknown" room at The Great Escape Room Challenge and more about this escape location.  They also recently changed their company name to Mad Escape in case you are searching online (it’s the same company). We had to come back to try their other games since “Unknown” was so good. Today we started with their “Bank Heist” game. As always, we always love when the story already started prior to entering the room. We were led to a set design that looked like a bank building and the game master debriefed us there. But as thieves it only made sense to enter through the alley. The teller windows looked quite authentic along with other props you would see in a bank. We were stumped on one of the props since we haven’t seen it used in recent days anymore at a bank but was able to figure it out quickly with a clue. One suggestion I would make is to have some items refurbished as they are pretty worn out by now from the previous game plays. The puzzles were on point and easy to follow. We always enjoy the surprise factor by their set design and this room did it again. With just the two of us, we successfully completed our mission and escaped with some loot. It’s definitely a fun room and I would think kids would particularly enjoy the room for some unique aspects of the puzzles. If you love spy movies and want to channel your inner “James Bond” and show off some of your “007” moves, this is your room! Since we were tight on schedule, we quickly got out of our spy hats and became explorers. We are now ready to enter the next room... “Mayan Tomb”. 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 The Great Escape Room Challenge 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 #Heist #TheGreatEscapeRoomChallenge #NewJersey #USA

LOCATION: Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Mayan Tomb 📅 DATE PLAYED: June 22, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Exploration 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $28.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Read our review of the “Unknown" and the "Bank Heist" room at The Great Escape Room Challenge and more about this escape location.  They also recently changed their company name to Mad Escape in case you are searching online (it’s the same company). We were led by our gamemaster to the front of a temple looking structure and our storyline was played for us on the TV. As we entered the Mayan Tomb, we immediately felt immersed! The set design, lighting, and music all felt like we’ve entered an Indiana Jones movie. As we made our way deeper into the tomb, new “wow” moment of discoveries were made. This room doesn’t have any locks so if you are a tech room lover, you will love it in here. We did encounter one puzzle that the gamemaster had informed us to be careful with in terms of maneuvering it. I feel like that particular puzzle could break easily as it’s quite easy to be “hard” on it when time is of the essence. It would be great if they can improve the puzzle somehow so that the focus can be on solving it versus caring for its condition. Other than that, we were once again “satisfied” by the quality and gameplay at The Great Escape Challenge! We escaped with just the two of us with ample time to spare. This room was quite spacious, so having a group in there would be a lot of fun as well although some puzzles are easier with less people than more and the design was quite linear. We can’t wait for their new rooms - "Mission to Mars" and "Runaway Train" to come out as both looked amazing when the owner showed us a sneak peak at the set design. The escape room owners devote months into a project like this for players to enjoy only 60 minutes of it. We really appreciate the amount of work and dedication they put in to creating these rooms and you can easily see their passion through their work. We hope more players would acknowledge the hard work and put some care into the props when playing in the rooms as they can get quite expensive to replace. Have you ever encountered “aggressive” players before? (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 Great Escape Room Challenge 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 #Adventure #Mayan #TheGreatEscapeRoomChallenge #NewJersey #USA

LOCATION: Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA Photo above is property of The Great Escape Room Challenge 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Pup's Rescue 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 12, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Detective 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $30.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You've been hired to investigate on cases of missing dogs in the neighborhood. You stumbled on some leads that led you to what you believe to be the dog catcher's house. Will you be able to rescue the missing pups in time? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Omg, what a cute theme! The title and trailer caught our attention even before the game was open to the public. The decor was on point. It literally felt like we got sucked into a cartoon episode as soon as we entered inside the living room. The huge puppy that was revealed later on was also a pleasant surprise. We loved the way that hints were given in this room. The interaction with the pup definitely added a level of immersion rather than just plain clues given by the GM over the TV monitor or speaker. There were also little surprises that we encountered along the way which enhanced the player & character interaction. The storyline was well written. As we discovered items, we knew exactly what to do with them, and as time went on we also found more details about the missing pups. The room really encouraged communication between the players. There were a good amount of puzzles that involved both of us but it also gave us opportunities to complete several tasks separately. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There was a prop in there that we had to utilize several times as an input device. It did feel repetitive after a while. Also, enthusiasts who normally assume that "an item should only be used once" rule might be confused by this. The way we entered the living room from the porch felt too easy. It would've been nice to have included a puzzle for us to solve in order to infiltrate the house. There was a sequence that we had to solve but for some reason, the buttons were delayed. This room had bonus puzzles that you didn't need to solve in order to escape the room. We were confused by this as we would solve these bonus puzzles but not get anything in return. It might be best to label them somehow. One of the areas required crawling. Some additional padding at the start would be nice. Currently, the whiteboard is fixed on the wall. It would be better if it were removable as the room is quite large and at times, we needed to run back and forth just to jot down items. It would have been nice to feel like we rescued the pup and escaped towards the end. Perhaps a miniature plush pup as a symbology? 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This room was converted from the exact same layout as their previous room "Unknown". If you've played that room, you'll probably remember bits and pieces but the storyline and puzzles are completely different. Don't be fooled by the cute theme, there are a lot of puzzles in this room. Even as enthusiasts we ended up having only a few minutes to spare. This is a great room for family and friends to join forces as there's a lot of information to uncover but don't worry, the pup will surely help you out! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking right in front Lobby area with seating available Merchandise available for purchase 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 The Great Escape Room Challenge 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 #Detective #Fun #Family #Adventure #TheGreatEscapeRoomChallenge #NewJersey #USA

LOCATION: Dublin, Ireland Photo above is property of AdventureRooms Dublin Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: MAFIA 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 11, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Gangster 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 4.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl (Classic), 2-12 ppl (Duel) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: €70 - €228 (based on game style and # of ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You have been locked up by the mafia Boss at their headquarters. He will be returning in one hour to decide your fate. You better escape before it's too late... Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The set design of having to break out, then break in, and finally break out again is pretty unique. Escaping the initial area really forced us to think outside the box and utilized everything that we could reach or see. A visual puzzle was fun and the final reveal moment was satisfying. There's a puzzle prop that we haven't seen before and when we finally decided to give our idea a try (and it actually worked), we were amazed. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK One of the props used in the game felt a little out of place and we were confused by the leftover marks on it. Perhaps a more permanent establishment for it? A prop was a bit finicky on the input. We tried several times with the right code but were unsure why it didn't register. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This room was quite spacious. It could easily accommodate a large group. The puzzles were not too difficult so a small group of enthusiasts could easily make good time. After the game, I realized I could have just left Brandon handcuffed for the entire game, solved the puzzles, and escaped without him. So if you are mad at your other half....J/K! This game is a perfect game to warm up with the team before you head upstairs to challenge yourselves in their new game "T4K3N"! Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Street Parking is going to be difficult Lockers available Foosball table available "Mafia" is located down one flight of stairs 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 AdventureRooms Dublin for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #AdventureRooms #Gangster #Dublin #Ireland

LOCATION: Dublin, Ireland Photo above is property of AdventureRooms Dublin Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: T4K3N 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 11, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Spy, Suspense 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 4.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-5 ppl (Classic), 2-10 ppl (Duel) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: €70 - €200 (based on game style and # of ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Your journalist friend Brianna Hill has gone missing. You decided to check out her apartment for clues. You were shocked when the evidence you found revealed that she's actually an undercover spy whose job is to take down a criminal mastermind. It seemed like they were on to her and we think she was kidnapped. Will you be able to track down the suspect and save her before it's too late? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Right from the beginning, the entryway already got a solid point from us. The puzzles on how to get into the apartment were beautifully orchestrated and prepared us for what was to come. We entered what looked like a very normal apartment only to find the deep secrets hidden within. The creator was really good at surprising us with unexpected twists and turns. The physical puzzles that had us think about real-life situations and then actually have to execute them were our favorite parts of this game. The designer had a clever way for us to identify who was the culprit behind this operation. There was a "wow" moment in the room where we both yelled "No way!" at the same time. This just showed that even in small restrictive spaces, you could still make magic happen if you have "imagination". 🧩 MISSED THE MARK A transition hallway had a puzzle that felt really basic and out of place in comparison to the rest of the game. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? We loved the concept and thought process that went into creating this room. It's memorable because of the details that went into making this room feel believable in real life. How would a spy secure their front door area? What would they build in their apartment to keep the secret files safe? The highlight of this game is the cliffhanger. Although we identified the culprit, we still have to find out where he took Brianna and how we can save her. I guess what I'm saying is, sequel, please? Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Street Parking is going to be difficult Lockers available Foosball table available (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 AdventureRooms Dublin for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #AdventureRooms #Spy #Suspense #Dublin #Ireland