It’s hard to review an escape room style board game, like any Exit or Unlock game for two reasons. So much of the fun is figuring out a puzzle. But also, so much of the game is that it is a one time play with those puzzles. This year, my wife and I decided to do one that’s an advent calendar, and while we aren’t through it yet, it’s time to take about some initial impressions. What do we think of Exit: Hunt for the Golden Book?

How To Play: Exit: Hunt for the Golden Book

Someone has lost the Golden Book of everyone who has been naughty or nice and you’ve been tasked with finding it. And that’s all the premise that you get for the game.

After that it’s a series of puzzles that you need to solve, one per day. And without spoiling anything, I can’t go into what they are, but it does seem to be different each day, I’ll say that much. Mechanically, though, you don’t know what door to open next, and that is the main thing you’re solving each puzzle. You move from one door on the box to another based off of a numerical three digit key that you find. And you know if you are right if the directions that you use from the decoder give you the symbols that match on the door.

What Doesn’t Work?

I think for some people this is going to be a game that is just too easy. We’ve done four puzzles and we had a little bit of an issue with one of them, but the other three were simple and easy to figure out. And even this newest one, I think we should have done better on it. But some puzzles are going to be more apt to trip people up than others.

What Works?

Now, on the flip side, I think that those puzzles are about right for what it should be per day. It’s odd to have the same thing as not working and working. But the puzzles take about 5 minutes to maybe 10 minutes if you’re going slowly, or on the first day where there is a prologue to read as well. But that’s what I want from a game like this one. I don’t want to sit down every evening or morning and spend 30 minutes solving a puzzle. 5 minutes is a great amount of time.

Who Is It For?

Now, the previous two sections were short because I think it’s more important to talk about who this game is for. Again, I don’t want to give away too much about the game. But this is an advent calendar and it’s one that’s meant for families to do. My wife and I are doing it and having a good time. It’s beyond what my 4 year old can help with, but in a few years, by the time he’s 7, he probably could. Because it’s that simple.

But that is the point, it is supposed to be that simple so that it can be a quick family activity. Exit: Hunt for the Golden Book is meant to be a family project not something focused on hard core gamers. That is a good thing, because it’d be lacking if it was focused on more. It is one that I definitely recommend for people who want a fun little activity to do each day, a fun little puzzle to solve.

Final Thoughts on Exit: Hunt for the Golden Book

I enjoy my experience with Exit: Hunt for the Golden Book. And I think I might like it better than a normal Exit or Unlock game. Yes, it is easier to play. But the benefit of that is that anyone can play it. And you don’t pick a time to play it. It is just something you fit into your day. Not like the other escape room style games which you might plan your day or gaming session around for a day. This keeps it nice and short.

Plus, there is more story. Probably should be something that I like. But I like story, and Exit: Hunt for the Golden Book has more. Most escape room style games give you a bit of a story. But Exit: Hunt for the Golden Book gives you some each day. Yes, it bounces around a lot, but it’s there and that makes the experience better as well.

I definitely can see getting one each year, as long as they keep doing them. And that’s saying something, it’s a repeated buying experience. I feel like I’d play an escape room style game again, but I am not seeking them out as I once was. Something like Star Wars Unlock or Lord of the Rings Exit sound fun. But a random box, less so. But the advent calendar gives you that right amount of thinking for each day and just enough puzzle.

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