Exit: The Abandoned Cabin | Exit: The Game - A Kosmos Game | Kennerspiel Des Jahres Winner | Family-Friendly, Card-Based At-Home Escape Room Experience for 1 to 4 Players, Ages 12+

These guys have developed a great system of puzzles, answers, and clues to let you tailor the difficulty to your own group or level of persistence. This is the second “Exit” series box I have played, the first was the pharaohs tomb. Both were great fun with a variety of twists and turns in the puzzles. You start the game by reading the brief introduction and taking out of the box only the items you are told. One by one you collect the clues, unlock new items and puzzles, and by the end you have used everything in the game. There are a couple items in each box you don’t get for quite a while, but seeing them doesn’t give anything away. Figuring out how to use them is the trick. New areas are shown in the main booklet and on cards you get for solving puzzles. Read carefully, look closely, and try to think outside the box or you will never escape the escape room in a box. Trying to beat the clock without using the included HINT cards may be impossible. I recommend these games without hesitation. Great series. Once you try them you will recommend them to others. Yes these are use-once games. And underpriced for the fun and sense of accomplishment you will get from completing a well designed escape room experience at your own game room table in the safety of your own home. Note: to be clear, you can actually pause or stop playing at any time, the peril is strictly fictional. ;)

I will preface this review by saying I am comparing it to the other escape room board games I have played and explaining the flow/working of this game. This review does NOT contain spoilers of any kind! Comparison: After having played the Spin Master "Escape the Room" games (with the chrono decoder) I have been looking for more escape room board games. I then played the Thinkfun escape room games ("Escape from Stargazers Manor" and "Secret of Dr. Gravely's Retreat"). From playing those 2 series of games I was a little weary of a card based escape room game but this worked really well! My play group found the Thinkfun games a little too easy (finishing between 30 and 40 minutes) but this game seemed to provide the right challenge. This game seems to be more riddle based like the Spin Master games as opposed to story based like the Thinkfun games. I like both formats but I prefer the riddles/puzzles. Whats in the box: So the game comes with a rule book (top left), a game book (top middle), riddle cards (middle left), answer cards (bottom left), hint cards (bottom right), "suspicious objects" (middle), and an answer wheel (middle right and solo picture). Gameplay: There is a little story in the rules that summarizes how you got trapped and then it tells you to start a timer (i used my phone). Once you start the timer all you are given is the game book. In the game book there are various riddles that make no sense yet and a few pictures of the room. You will see a picture of a riddle card and you pull it out of the deck. You solve the riddle which can involve counting certain things in the room or finding something, or a word search (very similar to the puzzles/riddles in the other escape room board game s I have played). You then enter the answer you get into the answer wheel it will give you a number and you pull out the corresponding answer card. The answer card will give you a message saying it is wrong or a card that tells you the next riddle cards you find. There are a total of 10 riddles but like 25 riddle cards (some riddles take multiple cards and parts to solve and you will use more and more of the game book along the way). This process repeats until you solve the last riddle and get an answer card that says you escaped. There are 30 hint cards (3 per puzzle) which you can use anytime you want and they are all marked with the shapes associated with the puzzles. Besides the original story from the rule book the only other story part is when you finish the game the last answer card give a little epilogue. Overall a great experience and I just ordered the other 2 games because this was so enjoyable. Update: Played the other 2 and they work the same way, and they are just as fun.

We ordered a few of these to play over the holidays. This one wasn't our favorite. Some people might prefer the puzzles in this version, but we felt there wasn't a cohesive story to the game. There were often multiple puzzles open at once, which made it a little more difficult to figure out where to go. Not having a clear idea of what to do made it a bit harder, but not in a good way. Reading the reviews, it is a matter of what kind of puzzler you are. I was playing with my mother and brother, for three adults this was a good value to me. Yes, you can only play it once, which is somewhat wasteful in an environmental sense. But, once you've figured out the puzzles there is no replay value anyway and a real escape room would have cost way more (25 minimum per person as opposed to 15 for all three.) I think what matters is what you expect out of this experience. If you are an advanced puzzler, or used to visiting physical escape rooms with a large group, you might be underwhelmed if you think this will be just like thar experience. This was great for our family as my mother dislikes puzzles and my brother isn't much for puzzles, so this was not an optimum escape room group. Im really the puzzle person in the family.This game worked for us at our different levels, but there wasn't a clear storyline and we had to use for hint cards than I wanted to since we just couldn't tell what was expected of us at a few different points. Overall, love the concept and while this one frustrated us a little it was still totally worth the money.

A friend and I have been very into escape rooms and escape room type games. Some have been good and some have been terrible but this has so far been our favorite!! Every step of the way we had a lot of fun and thought it was so clever. Definitely recommend and will be buying more as gifts.

Background of the reviewer: Middle-aged mom with years of experience in the Pokemon TCG competitive community. I am a casual gamer who mostly plays with my family (Catan, Ticket to Ride, Fluxx, Pandemic) or Solo Marvel Legendary. Always looking for new gaming opportunities. Experience with Escape Room Games: This is my first purchase of and experience with a table-top escape room game. I purchased this after reading multiple BGG reviews of all of the currently available escape room games. I have not done any live escape room experiences. Out of the box: The instructions are super explicit about not examining the included materials. The box contains a plastic wrapped set of cards, a cardboard decoder, three “strange” items, a book and a rule book. The instructions are very clear in guiding players through setting up the game without accidentally revealing any information that would ruin the experience. Everything is very well-constructed and a good value for the price. It was very easy to get the game started. The other suggested materials were pencils with erasers, a pair of scissors and some paper. How hard is this to play? The directions are very clear and easy to understand, and we quickly got the hang of trying different things, talking things over, and thinking outside of the box as much as we could. The game is very well constructed and all of the components work well together. My wife and I found the puzzles extraordinarily challenging. The suggested playing time is 60-90 minutes and after two hours we were not even halfway done. We got the first riddle, but then had to use one clue on the second riddle, 2 clues on the third and could not solve the fourth. Despite how hard this was for us, it was still fun as we had some “ah-ha we got it” moments, only to realize we did not. The clues we did reveal showed us that were on the right track multiple times, but just couldn’t quite bring it home. Interestingly, each time the clue showed us how close we had come, we eagerly moved to the next riddle thinking that it would be the turning point for us. (it never was) We are clearly not of the ilk that finds success at games like this, and in hindsight, neither one of us is into puzzle-solving. We don’t do Suduku, anagrams, or other logic puzzles. I think if we had more brain-stretching experiences like this we would have fared better. We boxed it back up, but fully intend to pull it out again when are refreshed, and maybe have a third person to join in. Even though we have decided this game probably isn’t for us, we will be buying the next one in the series for our 14-year-old son who definitely loves puzzles and challenges like this. What, exactly, are you doing when you play? You are using the provided materials to solve riddles. All of the information you need to solve the puzzles is there, you just need to figure it out. Each riddle you solve “unlocks” the next set of riddles. At first you are solving one riddle, but then move on and have multiple riddles involved. You and the other player(s) are working together to brainstorm ideas of what might work. Each time you think you have it solved, you use the cardboard decoder to check your answer. If you are wrong, you go back to the drawing board. The decoder is very well made and a clever way of guiding you without revealing anything. Recommended number of players: The box says 1-4 players but I think 4 is on the high end. There is not, in my opinion, enough to keep 4 people occupied. I think this would be a great date night activity (if the couple are a lot more logical than my wife and are), or maybe for three people. I think this could also be played by six people if you used two copies (or photocopied a second set of the book) and agreed to not work ahead of the other players but worked side by side. The book that you are referring to is hard to share with two people, let alone 4, and it’s a crucial part of figuring things out. I also question the 12+ age rating. I am not sure a group of 12-year-olds could figure this out without an adult involved, but others may disagree. Once my 14 year old plays the next one in the series (after Christmas) I can update my thoughts. Replayability: This is a consumable game -- components of the game are marked or destroyed as part of the play. Also, once you solve the riddles there is no point in re-playing it. When my wife realized it was not re-playable she was at first confused. Why did I buy a game that we would just throw away when we were done with it. Once I explained that it cost less than a movie ticket (I got it on sale for $10), and this was our date night activity, it made more sense to her. Final thoughts: Although this ended up not being the type of game I think we would play again (we’ll stick to Pandemic and Marvel), I do not regret the purchase in the least. I would highly recommend this to those who: enjoy logic puzzles; are creative problem solvers; have a fairly high frustration tolerance; are interested in stretching their mental muscles. It is extremely well-made, clever (at least as far as we were able to proceed), and a great experience for a good price-point. If you are considering purchasing an escape room table top game (or dropping the big bucks for a live experience), I would suggest this as a good entry game. If you enjoy it, you can consider the more expensive options out there. If, like us, it’s not your cup of tea you are out less than $15.

My husband and I used to regularly go to escape rooms before the pandemic hit. Since our local escape rooms were closed down due to COVID, we were looking for something to do instead. And, I came across these games. We absolutely love them! We find them just challenging enough to keep us thinking but no so weird or out there that you're left thinking "No one would have ever gotten that!" I find these games a great way to get out of my own head. and focus on something other than anxiety producing thoughts You know how they say the idle mind is the devil's playground? Well, my idle mind is the devil's Busch Gardens. He has a big ol' blast in there. "Oh no, the dog just barked! Now the neighbor probably hates me!" "Oh no the doorbell just rang. What if it's not UPS or an Amazon Prime driver and it's a serial killer?" "My husband loves Mexican food and we haven't gone out for it lately. He's probably gonna leave me now." Playing these game revokes Satan's annual pass. Or, at the very least keeps him off the Cyclone for an hour or so. So, snuggle in on a date night or get together with some friends and forget about the world for an hour or two. They're a blast and a great way to challenge your mind at the same time!

I am not a fan of board games. However, my wife is. So when I set out to make a DIY Date in a Box for a fun night in (we have 16 month old twins, we don’t get out much anymore) I searched for a fun game we could both agree on. As stated before, I don’t like board games so the idea of a one time use game was a plus. I also liked the idea of riddles and puzzles as supposed to roll the dice move your peg kind of game. Finally, this is a game in which players work together. The perfect notion for a date. Together and not against. I pulled the trigger and ordered The Abandoned Cabin. We both (yes even me the hater of board games) loved this game. We had a lot of fun playing off each other to solve the multiple riddles. The two hours it took us to exit the game flew by as we examined the riddle cards, journal, and mysterious objects. The game creators went to great lengths to incorporate multiple aspects of the game and box that were provided. We were in awe of the detail and cleverness of the riddles and their solutions. This game was the perfect addition to the date box I made. My wife loved it. I loved it. The Abandoned Cabin was a thrilling break from our usual night routine. We intend to purchase other versions of Exit the Game in the future, and would highly recommend it others.

Enjoyed the Abandoned Cabin game! I purchased it for $10.99...compared to the average Escape Room price of $25 per person, that's a great bargain, in my opinion. Played with 2 adults and a kid. None of the riddles were outlandishly difficult; yet, they still got you thinking. We only had to use 2 of the 1st clue cards. Looking forward to buying another one and probably another! ...and, in truth, if you're careful, you can complete the game without destroying anything (think pen and paper). We plan on giving it away to friends so they can enjoy it, too! Abandoned Cabin is worth 5 stars! Update: Playing Abandoned Cabin inspired me to get the Forbidden Castle and Polar Station...totally frustrated and annoyed with both of those! Many of the riddles were far fetched. We had to use so many clues, it was ridiculous. Also, I hated that the clues didn't really help you get there...almost always had to get the solution, which we hated. Also, in one of the games wound up cutting a piece, as it required, only to find out we cut it wrong and screwed it up (thought the "cube" needed to be rearranged). Doubt I'll purchase any more from this company. Absolutely try Abandoned Cabin! The other two...try at the risk of frustration!

Played it with friends. It was really exciting and challenging. Highly recommend it if you like exit games.

Es un juego que simula una "scape room" o sala de escape. Tiene pistas y acertijos que hay que ir acertando para lograr el objetivo final que suele ser salir de algún lado, en este caso el museo. Es muy adecuado para jugar tanto en familia como con amigos. Muy recomendable!!

As described. Complete, sealed. Nice game to play with friends or family. Handy size, easy to take along in your luggage for travels/sleep-overs.

Excelente juego! Llegó justo a tiempo y en perfectas condiciones. El juego es muy entretenido, fue la primera vez que jugamos un juego del tipo escape room. Siendo 3 personas nos tardamos 2 horas para terminarlo. El juego viene en inglés, así que es necesario un conocimiento intermedio del inglés para poder jugar. Nos quedamos con ganas de probar otros juegos de la misma serie. Si les gustan los acertijos y los juegos lógicos, les va a gustar este Exit!

Very fun and exceeds expectations