Play... OR DIE!
When we were at the London Toy Fair earlier this year, one of the products that Toyologist Peter Jenkinson mentioned was a range of single use games - board games that you can play only once, then have to throw the parts away. We were intrigued, and asked to try one. And so we check out the Kosmos Games Exit The Game - The Abandoned Cabin.
There are several versions of Exit The Game, all being based around having to solve puzzles and crack codes in order to escape a room or place... in your mind, that is. The game box itself is very compact, as all the contents are books, cards, or disks; no playing pieces or boards or anything to Jenga.
The game is designed for 1 to 6 players with everyone involved working on the same team to crack the riddles and make it out of there. The Abandoned Cabin's scene is one of an old cabin in which you (and your party, if you have friends) seek shelter after your car breaks down. After spending the night there you awake to discover you're trapped in, and have to solve the puzzles left by the true owner of the cabin. Who seems to be nuts.
Playing the game through involves following the narrative set out in the booklet, and tackling the puzzles as they present themselves. It takes about an hour to play - more if you linger on some of the problems (and if you read out the clues left by the cabin's owner in a creepy voice), and due to the time-pressured, claustrophobic nature of the game, it's best played at night. Ideally in the dark.
There isn't a lot we can say about the game-play without dropping some spoilers, but we can report that it was quite challenging. Yes, we did have to use the clue card to help us get by one particular part. No shame, bitches.
But as teamwork games go, this is brilliant. There is plenty of atmosphere to revel in, and the challenges set are tough enough to make you all really think. Exit The Game - The Abandoned Cabin, and the other games in the series, would be perfect for families with older kids, or adults looking for a group challenge. That doesn't involve sex.
£12.99
Available from www.amazon.co.uk
