Exit: The Game FAMILY  The Mystery at Meanstone Manor and The Caper at Candy Castle

• Designer: Inka, Markus and Emely Brand
• Publisher: Kosmos
• Players: 2-4
• Age: 8+
• Time: 45-75 min for each of the two cases
• Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/425mdSl
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

A cool team of animal superheroes has formed a secret club in EXIT: The Game – Family: in order to solve a pair of puzzly adventures.  First, the friends experience strange things at Gemeinstein Castle where they hope to get to the bottom of a mysterious disappearance.  Then something strange is also going on at the Candyland candy factory. Why does Hamster Häm get a stomachache from secretly snacking?

The EXIT series was one of the original puzzle-game franchises to hit the market when the escape room game craze took off a few years ago. To date, my family and I have been able to play all of the ones released here in the US, and this is a series that we continue to look forward to future installments. While there are many worthy competitors in the genre, the EXIT series is possibly the best known of the bunch – due in part to the initial set of games being awarded the 2017 Kennerspiel des Jahres award.

I will try to give my thoughts on this game, but beware – much of what I saw will be couched in generalities. As with all the other escape room game reviews, I will not spoil any of the secrets. Any details come from the box or the rules themselves.  Like almost all the earlier EXIT games (except The Catacombs of Horror), this game comes in a small format box, and all the puzzle material is contained within the box.

However, the rules specify that you will need some extra material – it recommends having paper, pens, and scissors handy. Unlike some of the other entries in the escape room game genre, this one is definitely more of a “legacy” style as the intent is that you will need to alter the components in some way in the process of solving the puzzles.

The format of the game is similar to the previous games, so if you are a veteran of the series, you already know what to expect… Each has a small book of rules, a large deck of cards and a few assorted specialized bits that are specific to each game. In this game, you also a number of punch out chits and a mysterious box with sticks in it…

Though there are two adventures listed on the box, you have to do them in order.  You only have access to the Mystery at Meanstone Manor first.   As with all the other EXIT games, you’ll be challenged by a series of puzzles, one after the other

All of the puzzles have a three part solution – which might be letters, numbers or shapes.  It all depends what is on the solution wheel in the particular game. When you think that you have the right answer, you use the solution wheel to dial in the answer.  The outermost ring has the ten puzzle shapes. You line up your three-part answer in a column under the appropriate shape, and then you look at the hole in the back of the wheel to confirm you have the right answer.  The front of the wheel will then tell you which clue card to reveal next (using a system that we’ve seen before in the EXIT advent calendars). 

As you would expect, the puzzles here are meant for families, and they are fairly simple.  We played with only adults (as that is my usual game group), and we did not have any issues with the puzzles.  There were one or two puzzles though that might need the helping hand of a parent – so if you leave your kids to play this on their own, be sure you’re nearby.   If you’re not, there is also a handy guidebook of hints provided in the box.

For newbies to the series, and for children as well, this is a great introduction to the EXIT line of games.  The theme (and the animal adventurers) are certainly targeted at the younger crowd; but like I said, our group of four adults still had a good time with it.  We finished each of the cases in about 20 minutes, which leads me to think that the 25-45 minute range on the box is a good estimate.

Like some of the games in the genre, these EXIT games are meant to be used only once.  As the rules clearly tell you, you might need to alter the components (drawing, cutting, pasting, eating, etc.), and once you do that, it may be impossible to play that particular set again.  I don’t have a problem with this at all. First, and foremost, allowing (or demanding) that you change the components opens up all sorts of possibilities with puzzle creation, and I think that the Brands have done an excellent job at this.    Second, the cost of the game is not high – and at an MSRP around $29, that is a fair price for a good one to two hours of entertainment for a group. If nothing else, it is certainly in line with the price of other one-use games.

Overall, my rating for the entire series is an enthusiastic I love it!

Until your next appointment,

The Gaming Doctor

Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/425mdSl