Toy Fair is an exclusive show, in that you need to be in the industry (or press) to get a ticket. But every area of the industry is represented: manufacturing, design, insurance, shipping, and more. The most attractive booths to someone like me, of course, were those showing off the coolest and newest games. A few interesting games caught my eye while I was wandering dozens of aisles of displays.

Jumbo Games

Jumbo Games is a large international toy and game brand with many, many products on the market. At previous Toy Fairs, we had seen their line of Wasgij jigsaw puzzles. These puzzles don’t 100% match what is pictured on the box, but instead reveal a different perspective of the box image or a moment before or after the box image takes place. The most interesting new product they had on display was Pieces of Evidence, a jigsaw-based detective game. The first box in this line, “The Last Voyage!”, will contain three jigsaw puzzles that each offer clues to help resolve the final mystery. We’re looking forward to seeing it in stores in late 2026.

Fizz Creations

Fizz Creations is a toy company that has recently dipped into the at-home puzzle game experience. Their display had a few notable games on their puzzle shelf, each with an interesting form factor. There was a pop-up book, a manga box set, and miniature cardboard briefcases with puzzles inside. The pop-up book, Cryptic Circus, was a murder mystery. While the format definitely seemed geared for children, the content was not. Wheels of Time promised five different games set in different eras. This seemed to be a theme of Fizz’s puzzle offerings: many of their games said that they had multiple ways to play or different paths to take.

Professor Puzzle

We reviewed a few games from Professor Puzzle’s Quick-Fire Escape Rooms a few years ago. Since then, Professor Puzzle has released new games in the same line as well as a new murder mystery line. Escape Through Time will be their newest entry in the escape room line when it releases, and Death in the Alps is the title for the upcoming murder mystery game. Both games are slated to release in Q2 2026.

University Games

University Games has been a long-time presence in the desktop puzzle space. Their BePuzzled series produces Hanayama puzzles and 3d crystal puzzles, but also mystery jigsaw puzzles and boxed murder mystery party games. Their Murder Mystery Party boxed games come with roles for six participants, as well as a suggested food and drink menu. The newest item in this line is Mistletoe & Malice, which tasks your dinner guests to solve the Christmas time murder of the Noël, Queen of Puddings.

Quick Thoughts

• Thames & Kosmos’ 2026 Exit: The Game Advent Calendar will be called The Magic of Christmas. Look for it in late 2026. We have loved the Advent calendars in past years. (See our reviews from 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022.)
• Flipsi Puzzles showed off their double-sided jigsaw puzzles. Each promised an intriguing surprise when flipped to the secret secondary side after the puzzle was completed.
• CGE’s Codenames has been a popular game in the escape room community, and they announced three expansions packs for Codenames that will release in Q2 2026.
• Fun Squared Games showed off Code Lock, a head-to-head logic puzzle about following instructions to sort your nine numbered tiles faster than your opponents.

Toy Fair 2027

Toy Fair will return to the Javits Center from February 20-23, 2027. After nearly heading to New Orleans for a few years instead of staying in New York City, I’m glad to see that it looks like NYC will continue to host Toy Fair in the coming years. I’m already looking forward to 2027.

Hopefully we can get our hands on some of these upcoming games soon! Keep reading here for reviews once we do. I expect some of them will end up in our next Holiday Gift Guide in November.

The post Toy Fair 2026 appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Are you looking to turn your party into a rave? Black light. Trying to find that pet stain you missed? Black light. Hiding secret messages in plain sight? You guessed it, it’s black light! To celebrate our April Fool’s Day project – a whole cookbook and party planning guide for hosting a black light dinner party – today, we explore everything about black lights.

Joining us are the Wild Optimists: Juliana Moreno and Ariel Ruben. They created the Escape Room in a Box series and have since collaborated on many tabletop games and interactive marketing campaigns. Their newest game is Lovecraft and Poe, a cooperative strategy tabletop game. Players choose characters with variable strengths and weaknesses, and work together on an ever-changing board to defeat unique villains in every game.

Today’s game is In the Black, a Taboo-style guessing game where every answer includes the word “black.” Lovecraft and Poe will be available via Kickstarter soon, so follow Wild Optimists and sign up for their newsletter to stay informed. You can also learn more about their work on REPOD S1E3.

Time Stamps

• 01:49 Game: In the Black
• 09:08 About: Wild Optimists’ New Game Lovecraft & Poe
• 19:52 Topic: The Black Light Dinner Party Cookbook
• 23:59 Topic: About Black Light
• 32:20 Credits

Guests: Juliana Moreno & Ariel Rubin of Wild Optimists

The Wild Optimists is an award-winning interactive design company devoted to creating new ways to play. They dream up playful experiences with a focus on games and puzzles for at home gaming, live events, site specific installations and brand marketing. The goal is always to enhance the guest experience by giving players the chance to be the hero.

WO began when Juliana Moreno and Ariel Rubin combined their theatre degrees and Hollywood writing and production backgrounds with their life-long love for gaming to create the first ever at home escape room game: Escape Room In A Box: The Werewolf Experiment. After licensing that project to Mattel, they have since created eight other published tabletop games, selling more than half a million units.

Building upon that success, Wild Optimists has brought the gaming experience beyond the table and out into the real world. Collaborations include interactive design for theme parks such as Universal Orlando and Mall of America, marketing campaigns supporting high-profile Film/TV properties for studios such as Sony and Amazon, and live immersive experiences for companies such as Hasbro, AEG, and the Santa Monica Pier.

Wild Optimists is on a mission to make the world a more joyful, connected, and playful place.

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

Production Credits

• Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira
• Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law
• Produced by Theresa Piazza
• Supported by Lisa Spira
• Edited by Peih-Gee Law
• Music by Matt Farthing
• Logo by Theresa Wagner

The post PG’s Playhouse E41: Black Light (ft. Wild Optimists) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: at home

Date Played: January 2, 2026

Team Size: 1-4; we recommend 1-2

Duration: 2-3 hours

Price: $75 CAD

REA Reaction

I’m a sucker for a kitschy sci-fi comic inspired by the 80s and 90s, and The Alien Ship did an interstellar job of combining puzzles, comics, story, artwork, and humor. Each puzzle fit in the orbit of the game world, combining a page or two of the actual comic to read, a puzzle to solve, and a solution to check on CLAIR, your AI (solution disk similar to that of Exit the Game). We desperately wanted more of the comic itself as our favorite part was getting the little story blips and admiring the artwork between puzzle solving. The puzzles frequently utilized the art in the comic, and left breadcrumbs throughout the artwork that culminated to help solve the final sequence.

While the puzzles were thematic and felt like they belonged in the game world, some of the components struggled from lack of polish and were finicky to extract a solution from, even when we knew how to execute the solve. While the game did a pretty good job of hiding future puzzle information in the artwork, sometimes information that was not useful for the current solve would cause confusion. We strongly recommend playing the game in one night or during consecutive nights, as information throughout the game is relevant later. We struggled occasionally to identify when a puzzle required previous knowledge, but we did take a few day-long breaks between play sessions.

Escape Comics’ The Alien Ship is launching on Kickstarter today and I suggest backing it if you appreciate a great comic with puzzles along the way! Of note, they are offering a discounted price today only, for the launch of the Kickstarter.

Who is this for?

• Sci-fi explorers
• Comic book nerds
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• Old school comic book humor and artwork
• Puzzles that mesh well with the story

Story

As the captain of the League of Nations intergalactic team, we were sent on an expedition to discover the secret plans of an alien race and stop them before they could wipe out planet Earth!

Setup

Within The Alien Ship box, we found multiple envelopes sealed for later and, well, a comic book. (It IS called Escape Comics after all!) This comic book was used as a guide throughout the experience, providing us the story, puzzle elements, and steps for progression. Most of the envelopes contained paper and cardboard used in unusual ways.

Hints were delivered through a progressive hint deck, with different amounts of hints depending on the complexity of the puzzle. Answer verification included a decoder disk and a deck of cards, similar to the Exit the Game series.

The Alien Ship box was fully resettable without any printing or destructive components.

Gameplay

Escape Comics’ The Alien Ship was a narrative driven, play-at-home escape game with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay orbited around reading a page or two in the comic, being pointed to an envelope or other material in the game box, solving the puzzle using items both in the envelope and items we had unlocked previously, and verifying the solution with the decoder disk.

The puzzles included observation, manipulation of objects, making connections, and reading between the lines.

Analysis

 The story, components, artwork, and humor struck the perfect balance of 80s/ 90s sci-fi comic books. We loved reading the panels between every puzzle and piecing together the story.

 Escape Comics had a fantastic progressive hint system that helped whenever we got stuck. We loved how the puzzles had a varied amount of hints depending on puzzle complexity, and all included a walkthrough in case we got REALLY stuck.

 One puzzle did not fit together properly, leaving gaps between important pieces and requiring significantly more trial and error than expected. Additionally, this puzzle required a player to hold an object up, hindering their ability to solve using only one hand. We never ended up finishing this puzzle fully, but got the gist of the solve enough to move on.

We especially loved a simple yet elegant early-game solve with some of the more interesting components in the box.

 Symbols that were used throughout were sometimes difficult to identify and tell apart, causing a cypher to be tedious on occasion. Thankfully, there were no large portions of translation.

/ A specific late-game puzzle had a clever solution that we appreciated, but using the cardboard pieces to accomplish the solve was difficult. We had trouble keeping these components perfectly aligned to see the answer.  

 The game was fully resettable to hand off when we’d finished. No components were destroyed, and clear instructions were provided to help repackage the game.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: A small table
• Required Gear: A pen and paper

Back Escape Comics’ The Alien Ship, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Escape Comics provided a complimentary game.

The post Escape Comics – The Alien Ship [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: at home

Date Played: November 29, 2025

Team Size: 1-6; we recommend 2-3

Duration: about 90 minutes plus setup time

Price: $29

REA Reaction

Mystery Locks’ The Alchemist’s Box was a combination papercrafting activity (if you opt for the full experience setup) and a tabletop puzzle game. Available only as a printable game, some level of arts and crafts was necessary to play this game, but the effort was worthwhile.

We chose to set up the game using what the creators called the “full experience” – using all of the provided assets. For about an hour before playing, we crafted themed envelopes that contained story cards, puzzles, and hints. The final piece was the game’s centerpiece, a cube that would be heavily involved in nearly all of the puzzles. Because this assembly portion provides the opportunity to know which items are in which envelope, I recommend – if time permits – assembling and then waiting a few days before playing to allow yourself to forget any behind-the-scenes knowledge you may have accidentally picked up.

The Alchemist’s Box was heavily focused on making connections between different sources of information. The cube played a central role in this, both from a mechanical perspective and a narrative one. This led to some very satisfying aha moments in the early part of the game as we discovered not just how a single puzzle worked but how the whole game would flow. The downside was that as the game continued on, there were fewer opportunities for those aha moments as the way ahead became more focused.

The highlight of The Alchemist’s Box was the meta puzzle at the end. After making connections faster and faster as we progressed through the game, we stumbled and slowed at the meta. But when the breakthrough happened after some trial and error, the solution was a truly gratifying moment. It was a great capstone on an already enjoyable game. If you like spending time crafting and solving inventive puzzles, The Alchemist’s Box might be a good choice for you.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Anyone into papercraft
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• Well-designed components you get to assemble yourself
• An excellent meta puzzle

Story

A letter set us down the path to find Isaac Newton’s final experiment, the Philosopher’s Stone. We needed to parse through his notes and diagrams to find it.

Setup

The Alchemist’s Box took a good amount of setup to prepare before play could begin. Because this was a print and play game, everything had to be assembled prior to solving. The instructions provided for three levels of setup, starting with the full experience where every asset was printed and assembled. Players could reduce the items to assemble and therefore the time to set up in a few ways, for example by replacing the themed printable envelopes with standard envelopes they already owned.

Full setup took about an hour to cut, fold, tape, and glue everything just right. The provided instructions were very detailed and made the process relatively simple and streamlined. Once the envelopes were filled with puzzles, stories, and hints and the centerpiece of the game, the paper cube, was assembled, it was time to play.

Gameplay

Mystery Locks’ The Alchemist’s Box was a standard play-at-home game with a moderate level of difficulty.

Puzzles were heavily focused on making connections as well as decoding.

Analysis

 Phenomenal meta puzzle to end it. One of the best coming together moments of any paper puzzle that I have played.

 Some fonts, especially on the hint cards, could be a little larger to increase readability.

 Extremely detailed setup instructions and a fully detailed walkthrough were included.

 The progressive hint system was helpful when needed, but could use more granularity. Often some of the steps felt too large.

The low price point makes this game a good bet for the player on a budget.

/ Having to assemble the game at home made it cheaper and easier to ship (all digitally) but added a significant setup time to the playthrough, and also set up opportunities to gain information you should be gaining through gameplay instead (e.g. recalling the sequence of the envelopes).

For a play at home game with so many good looking pieces, The Alchemist’s Box has a lower than expected cost. Players will want to decide for themselves if the additional setup time is worth the reduced cost.

 The Alchemist’s Box did a great job of building on itself. Things learned in earlier puzzles were sometimes useful in later ones.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: A small table. There are a lot of components but few of them are out at one time.
• Required Setup Gear: Scissors, tape and/ or gluestick.
• Required Playing Gear: Pencils and a notebook.

Buy your copy of Mystery Lock’s The Alchemist’s Box, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Mystery Locks provided a complimentary game.

The post Mystery Locks – Alchemist’s Box [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: at home

Date Played: November 2, 2025

Team Size: none specified, we recommend 1-2

Duration: 2 hours

Price: It was free with any fieldnotesbrand.com purchase

REA Reaction

Field Notes is a stationery company that makes, among its many delightful offerings, limited edition notebooks with a vintage aesthetic that appeal to the writer in me. When I heard about their Wednesday Murder Club collaboration with The Mystery League, I purchased it immediately. It was available for just a single day, which unfortunately means it’s no longer easy to obtain.

At first glance, this notebook looked no different from other Field Notes memo books. It called itself a “48-Page Murder Book” on the cover, and the pages were printed with a dot grid. However, at the bottom of the pages were pairs of rhyming couplets that told the story of a murder. The inside back cover contained an introduction to the Wednesday Murder Club mystery, along with a list of suspects and weapons.

Despite its compact form factor, this was a surprisingly complex puzzle experience. A series of key insights were required to fully solve it. At various points, I found myself trying several different approaches before stumbling upon the next crucial aha. Solve times will vary greatly depending on how quickly each step’s insight clicks.

Overall, this was a satisfying solve. I was able to complete it solo, and its difficulty is roughly comparable to an easier puzzle from the MIT Mystery Hunt, though most Mystery Hunt puzzles tend to require significant external research.

Based on this experience, I’ll be eagerly watching for any future puzzle collaborations from Field Notes—and any new puzzle offerings from The Mystery League.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Stationery fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• Unusual form factor
• Interesting puzzle

Story

Thirty guests were invited to a gathering where the host ended up murdered.

Setup

Puzzle clues were hidden within an ordinary-looking notebook. I first needed to find, and then decode, the necessary information to obtain the final answer of who the murderer was.

Gameplay

The Mystery League’s Wednesday Murder Club was an unusual puzzle game (just a notebook) with a high level of difficulty, albeit with a relatively short, single-path solve.

The puzzles focused on observational skills, information processing ability, with a dash of inspiration (for the aha puzzles).

Analysis

 Field Notes memo books appeal strongly to the stationery lover in me. This one was no exception.

 The unusual form factor made for a refreshing puzzling experience. The puzzle info was discreetly scattered throughout the notebook – not obvious, yet not difficult to find.

These puzzles were much more similar in nature to puzzle hunts, in the amount of data processing that was required, but the length was more akin to escape game boxes, so stamina-wise it would be a good way for escape game players to get a taste of what a puzzle hunt might be like.

There was one step that required the player to recognize a famous author. I would technically consider this outside knowledge, which should not have been required (according to the instructions.)

 This notebook was only available by making a purchase from Field Notes on a specific day. This felt like an unnecessary limitation on this unique product.

The uniqueness of this item meant that I had no way of knowing what level of solving difficulty to expect. It was harder than most average at-home puzzle games, but with fewer steps, which balanced out the gameplay length.

 Since Field Notes was hosting a contest for puzzlers to submit their solutions, no hints were available when I played this.

 I was happy to have this as both a lovely souvenir and a useful notebook after the puzzle solving was complete.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: None
• Required Gear: Although no other materials beyond the provided notebook were necessary, I found a spreadsheet quite helpful for organizing intermediate solution steps. The book stated that only the information within it should be used, but I believe one step required a bit of outside knowledge—albeit fairly common knowledge.
  

Visit Field Notes, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

The post Field Notes – Wednesday Murder Club [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: At home

Date Played: January 10, 2025

Team Size: 2

Duration: 4 chapters, 90 minutes per chapter

Price: About $180

REA Reaction

When Month of Date Nights by Giddy Box arrived, we were excited to have a chance to spend some quality time together after welcoming a new family member into our home. You can see Kirito below. He even helped us unpack the box.

True to form, we were unsure what to expect from our first date night. The date night started with an initial puzzle which was incredibly well designed and satisfying to solve. However, we were underwhelmed with the activities and game during week one. After week one, we were happily surprised that all of the other activities were fun, engaging, encouraged creativity, and provided nice keepsakes. The puzzles also continued to surprise and delight us each week, though they understandably were on the easier side.

Even though the puzzles were great, they were a rather small part of the overall experience. Each week we spent about 5 minutes solving the puzzle to obtain a 4-digit code, and then 85 minutes engaging in couples’ activities. Since this is Month of Date Nights and not month of puzzle nights, the balance didn’t put us off and made sense for the product Giddy Box produced. (If Giddy Box came out with an escape room or puzzle-centric game, we would buy it in an instant.)

No puzzling experience was needed to enjoy Month of Date Nights, but we wouldn’t recommend the experience to brand new couples. Many of the activities in Month of Date Nights drew on memories or stories about your partner; therefore, we would recommend that couples with some tenure embark on the Month of Date Nights journey. However, Giddy Box did a good job designing an experience appropriate for any level of relationship (dating, engaged, or married) that was not intended to go beyond PG. Since we’ve been married ten years, we found some of the activities weren’t as challenging as intended, but we had fun reminiscing and creating more memories together.

Compared to other guided couples’ activities we have tried, Month of Date Nights was certainly the most memorable and self-contained. Giddy Box provided us with a great opportunity to shut out all the other noise for an hour or two while we enjoyed each other’s company.

Who is this for?

• Any puzzle experience level
• Couples who have been together for some time, and already know each other

Why play?

• Effortless date night plans
• Humorous and playful couples’ activities
• Opportunity to make memories and keepsakes with your partner

Story

The gods were meddling in human affairs again! Over the span of four weeks, we spent time partaking in activities crafted by different Greek gods to recount and grow our love story as a couple. As all gods tend to be a little tricky, we had to solve their puzzle to obtain each week’s supplies before we dove into the challenges and games within.

Setup

To begin each week’s activities, we referenced the Month of Date Nights book for the required materials, gathered wine and charcuterie, scanned the QR code for a curated soundtrack, and lit the provided candle. Most components were contained within labeled bags which were unlocked by solving a simple puzzle; however, there were some components for general use across weeks (i.e., dice, meeples, and Sharpie markers) and some materials carried over from previous weeks. We found that a kitchen table was about the right size to hold our drinks, snacks, and the necessary components.

Gameplay

Giddy Box’s Month of Date Nights was a four-part experience with some light puzzling. Each part is intended to be played a week apart leading to a month’s worth of self-contained date night experiences.

The gameplay was predominantly couples’ activities that focused on guided creative writing and simple games. There was one puzzle at the beginning of each week that used spatial and visual connections to find solutions.

Analysis

 The few puzzles included in Month of Date Nights were clued well, logical, and satisfying to solve.

 The activities in the first week were underwhelming and left us worried that the next three weeks would be a slog due to the shallow writing prompts and a simple roll and move game. However, the following weeks were significantly more involved and enjoyable offering deeper questions and more cooperative and complex activities.

 After the first week, Month of Date Nights provided cute and creative activities to test your knowledge of your partner. We were able to share stories and memories that led to a lot of laughter and some sweet moments.

 Other than snacks and beverages, Month of Date Nights contained everything we needed to complete each week. It was nice to have a short evening planned out without any effort on our part.

/ The Greek pantheon theme was woven throughout all four weeks, though the story was only loosely tied to the activities and fairly forgettable.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: A dining room table
• Required Gear: Internet connected device, and drinks and/or snacks (optional)

Buy your copy of Giddy Box’s Month of Date Nights, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Giddy Box provided a complimentary game.

The post Giddy Box – Month of Date Nights [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: At home

Date Played: September 28, 2025

Team size: 1; we recommend 1

Duration: 316 Pages

Price: $13.99 paperback; $4.99 on Kindle

REA Reaction

As an escape room enthusiast, I’ve daydreamed about overnight and multi-day experiences on a grand scale. So, I was excited to find out more about the escape-room-esque attraction Kayla Hicks invented for her new novel Escape City. Escape City fictionalized a city-sized playground where patrons could experience the danger and thrill of a zombie apocalypse paired with puzzle laden streets hiding secrets and safe houses.

This fast-paced novel took me on a wild ride through a high-tech amusement park gone wrong. Though I didn’t connect with the ultra-rich influencer characters on a personal level, it was fascinating to see them stretch their intellect to overcome the hurdles placed in their way. I chewed through this book at a impressive rate. Kayla Hicks’ writing style kept me glued to the page and itching to find out what happened next.

My biggest disappointment was that the reader could not solve the puzzles and riddles that the characters encountered with the information provided. However, there was enough context to deduce what the character’s next step should be, which was satisfying up to a point.

Overall, Escape City provided a unique tie-in between escape rooms and literature outside of “puzzle books” and classic murder mysteries. Although Escape City was targeted toward YA readers, I believe the book would be enjoyable for anybody who likes escape rooms and zombie survival stories.

Who is this for?

• People looking for a pulse-pounding adventure story
• Anyone who likes puzzles, escape rooms, zombies, and survival games

Why read?

• Digestible characters and a fast-paced survival adventure
• Commentary on the potential dangers of cutting-edge technology
• Portrayal of escape rooms in “mainstream” media

Story

Noah Bronston, heir to an amusement park empire, invited his friends to his dad’s newest attraction, Escape City. The teens expected to embark on a multi-day, low-stakes survival romp. By solving puzzles, they could evade the animatronic zombie horde and make their way to the evacuation zone at the heart of the city.

Something unexpectedly went wrong, and the metal monsters acquired a taste for flesh. Now our heroes’ lives were on the line. Would their wits and wiles be enough to get them safely through the deadly streets? They had three days to find out before the rescue helicopter left for good.

Setup

Download the e-book or buy the paperback and start your adventure!

Gameplay

Kayla Hicks’ Escape City was a novel with some escape room elements sprinkled throughout.

Core “gameplay” revolved around reading about the characters’ experiences. The puzzles were not presented in a way where the reader could solve them, but there was enough information that I often deduced how they needed to solve the puzzle before it was revealed.

Analysis

 There never was a dull moment. Even the safe zones maintained a level of tension as the story progressed.

 The characters felt flat. There wasn’t a good reason to root for them or against them. My apathy toward Noah and his friends detracted from a deeper connection with the adventure.

 Escape City was geared toward a YA market and fit that audience well. I would have gobbled this book up as a teen.

 The e-book that I received included a short story that gave insight into the experience of the theme park employees. It was a fun peek behind the curtain to understand what caused everything to go sideways. There were also some fun world-building materials in the appendix, including a “Zombie Survival Guide” and handouts or posters that park patrons would encounter. 

I would have liked a map of Escape City in the front of the book to help follow along with Noah and his friends’ escape. There was a map in the appendix, but it wasn’t very detailed.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: A comfy chair
• Required Gear: An e-reader if purchasing the e-book

Buy your copy of Kayla Hicks’ Escape City, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: We received a complimentary e-book.

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The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.

The post Escape City [Book Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Every year we assemble a collection of potential gifts to get your family, friends, or yourself. They range from intensely practical… to niche and specialized… to debatably unhinged.

The REA team truly spends 12 months slowly researching and creating this collection. With 2025’s guide publishing today, we literally created the draft for the 2026 guide this morning.

Each year’s gift selection offers an assortment of games, puzzles, tools, and oddities. We don’t repeat gifts year to year, so you can always reference our past guides for more inspiration. We’ve put a lot of thought and love into each guide; they still hold up.

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016

2025 Gift Guide

As always, we break this guide up into categories for your comfort and convenience.

Tabletop Escape Games

Our first category is always tabletop escape rooms and puzzle games. We play a lot of these over the course of the year. These are – hands down – our favorites.

Ministry of Lost Things: Case 1: Lint Condition (PostCurious)

$29 (Allplay)

2024 Golden Lock Award Winner

Lisa Spira: “Ridiculously adorable! I loved this inter-dimensional, whimsical world. The game offered an impressive variety of puzzles, but for me, the language-based ones were the highlight. Lint Condition is the first game in the Ministry of Lost Things series, so if you love it, you can expect more good things to come.” (Review)

History Mysteries: The Medieval Mishap

£24.00 ($32 before tariffs) (History Mysteries)

2025 Golden Lock Award Winner

Sarah Mendez: “Whether you like jousting, alchemy, or just plain puzzling fun, this family game manages to engage tweens and adults alike with gorgeous materials, well-balanced challenges, and a charming web app to guide the whole endeavor.” (Review)

Hidden Notes

$35 (Giddy Box)

Lisa Spira: “With the pace of our lives, it’s hard to carve out time for a date. Hidden Notes made it easy to sprinkle little acts of love into jam-packed days. Each time I found one of David’s tiny notes, it brought me outsized joy.”

David Spira: “We are juggling a lot here. For us, a night in but away from our computers was special. These notes culminated in a low-stress date night from the comfort of our own home that included solving simple puzzles together and appreciating on our partnership. If you want to give your partner a thoughtful gift, but you don’t have the time to figure out how, Hidden Notes puts the experience on rails, but with plenty of room for you to express yourself to your partner.”

The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints (Bluefish Games)

$39 (Bluefish Games)

2025 Golden Lock Award Winner

Christina Rohlf: “The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints is a perfect mix of puzzles surrounded by a quirky story characteristic of all of Bluefish Games’ tabletop experiences. The abridged audiobook and puzzle pages were so seamlessly related that we felt like we were able to experience the story firsthand as we puzzled.” (Review)

EXIT: The Game – Advent Calendar – The Intergalactic Race

$49 (Amazon)

Tammy McLeod: “EXIT Advent Calendar’s The Intergalactic Race provides 24 days of bite sized puzzles, that while being creative and fun, get progressively more challenging and unhinged over the course of the month.” (Review)

The Shackleton Series (Escape Mail)

$80 (Escape Mail)

Christina Rohlf: “The Shackleton Series was a perfect way to engage with a historical narrative amongst a plethora of puzzles and escape room elements. We found this to be one of the harder tabletop puzzle games we have played recently, but there were also in-game resources to scale the difficulty level for less experienced players.” (Review)

Jigsaw Puzzles

Greater Roadrunner 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle (New York Puzzle Company)

$29 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Our community has no shortage of birders… so here’s one for you. New York Puzzle Company makes fantastic jigsaw puzzles and has a collection featuring illustrations from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Collection. This is my personal favorite puzzle from the collaboration.”

Lizard Infinity Puzzle (nervoussystem)

$80 (Etsy)

Tammy McLeod: “The Lizard Infinity puzzle, made up entirely of uniquely colored lizard shapes, will stymie every attempt to find the ‘best’ solution, as there exists no beginning or end to the gradient of the design.”

Peacock Library Lamp (Liberty Puzzle)

$105 (Liberty Puzzle)

David Spira: “I’m in the enviable position of regularly receiving third-hand laser-cut wooden jigsaw puzzles. This is one of the cooler designs that I have seen in a while. I also have a weakness for stained glass and just love this aesthetic.”

Escape Room Tickets

David Spira: “You can always forgo buying stuff and purchase experiences as gifts instead. May I suggest a wonderful escape room? We have regional recommendations guides for many cities all over the world. Find the one nearest you, and get into some fantastic games.”

Puzzle Books

Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More!

$38 (Amazon)

Brett Kuehner: “Once a year the NY Times publishes a mega-sized puzzle section that includes a giant crossword, puzzles based on their daily types like Connections and Spelling Bee, and an assortment of other puzzle styles. This book has 200 pages of puzzling, with more than 20 different puzzle types.”

Games World of Puzzles

$39.99 Print/ $17.99 Digital. 9 issues per year (Games World of Puzzles)

Cindi Saiewitz: “I’ve had a subscription to Games World of Puzzles for decades, and have always loved the interesting articles and variety of puzzles in each issue. From the front cover to Pencilwise section to quizzes and contests, there’s a range of difficulty and different puzzle styles to suit everyone. It’s always in my backpack when I travel. A definite must for puzzle people.”

Mechanical Puzzles

Jellyfish, by Acazu

$14 (Team JB Hobbies)

Brett Kuehner: “Lovely organic shapes and a fairly easy solve. Many people will solve it in under 15 minutes, making it good for beginners to tray-packing puzzles.”

Sliding Crossword, by Sherzod Khaydarbekov and produced by NothingYet Designs

$30 (Nothing Yet Designs)

Brett Kuehner: “A hybrid of a 4×4 letter grid puzzle and a sliding piece puzzle similar to the classic 15 puzzle. Solve the clues to determine the words and then slide the pieces to make a grid with all the answers. Three different challenges.”

7 puzzle set, by Acazu

$65 (Team JB Hobbies)

Brett Kuehner: “If you think Acazu’s Jellyfish puzzle is attractive but will be too easy, give this a try. Seven sets of pieces, each of which can be arranged to lie flat in the same square frame. Varying difficulty levels. None are easy, and collectively they’ll keep someone puzzling for quite some time.”

Skyscraper, by PuzzlerWJ

$95 (Team JB Hobbies)

Brett Kuehner: “This 3D-printed sequential discovery puzzle has more than 10 steps, and you find tools along the way to help with later stages. One step does require a very keen eye for detail, but the others are a little easier, leading to an overall medium level of difficulty.”

Piston II, by Felix Ure

$280 (Team JB Hobbies)

Brett Kuehner: “Made of solid brass and steel, Piston II weighs more than a kilogram. You’ll definitely feel that weight as you work your way through the solve. There are no blind steps; everything you can do is visible. It is down to your ingenuity and persistence to find the path to the end.”

RECON – The Reality Escape Convention

$699 (RECON)

Lisa Spira: “This August we’re bringing RECON to Laval, Québec, Canada. Tickets are on sale now, in time for the holidays. If someone in your life is creating or operating escape rooms, or thinking about getting into this industry, there is no better gift than a RECON ticket. Give them the opportunity to learn and connect at RECON. While they are in Laval, they can also take inspiration from the world-renowned local games.”

Use code REA50 for $50 off a General Ticket (valid through December 31, 2025.)

Note, if you buy a RECON ticket as a gift, and you want it to be a surprise, you can put your own email in the “attendee email” field and update it later. If you add their email, they will get a confirmation email from RECON when the ticket is purchased.

Home

Citrus Garnish Tool

$12 (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “For our group of friends, game night gives us an opportunity to whip out fancy barware and craft fun cocktails for the group. Garnishing with a beautiful citrus twist gives your drinks a fancy flair, and this tool makes it quick and easy. I bought this as a gift after a miserable night trying and failing to make garnishes with just a paring knife. This tool only has one job, but it does it beautifully.”

Silicone Ladle

$25 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Ok, stay with me now… This ladle is the best. It has a flattened front that is also flexible, so it can scrape things in with exceptional efficiency. Once you use this, you’ll never want to go back to round and rigid ladles.”

Whiskey Smoker Kit with Torch

$60 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “I always admired the cocktails with the smokey taste, and with this kit I’ve been able to explore the world of smoked drinks at home! It comes with plenty of wood to get you started on your smokey cocktail journey!”

Office

chubbycable Fast Charging Soft Silicone USB C Cable 240W Extra Thick

$21 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Everything that I own is now on USB-C… and when I made that leap, I wanted cables that truly felt pleasant to use. These cables feel terrific. More specifically, the connectors are chonky, knurled, and easy to grip. I’m not going to travel with these cables, but I keep one beside my bed and one at my desk.”

Sennheiser Pro Audio Microphone, XS Lav USB-C

$50 (Amazon)

David Spira: “I went on a quest to find a simple and inexpensive microphone to make recording easier for my guests. This is the solution. If you want to level up your microphone but don’t want to buy, set up, and learn to use a bunch of equipment, this, right here, is the solution. This is especially helpful if you plan on guesting on a podcast.”

Endless Alchemy Fountain Pen Ink & Lamy Z28 Fountain Pen Converter

Ink $40 (Amazon) & Converter $6 (Amazon)

Lisa Spira: “In last year’s guide we featured Lamy Fountain Pens as an easy and affordable way to get into fountain pens. This year we upgraded by getting this Alchemy ink that has a beautiful shimmer… also the bottle makes you feel like a wizard. To cleanly load this ink into our Lamy pen, we use these little converters that suck up the ink before we slide it into the pen. All of our new Patreon supporters get a card that is handwritten in this ink.”

REA Membership

If you’re supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon (thank you!!) please consider giving the gift of a REA Patreon subscription. You can choose any tier, and gift someone any number of months, or gift an annual subscription at a 10% discount.

If you’re enjoying our Patreon Discord chat, consider gifting someone else into that conversation. If you enjoy the REPOD Bonus Show or the Spoilers Club podcasts, this is the best way to share that content with someone else.

All of our work is fan funded, and your support goes a long way. Just a few dollars a month helps us keep all of this going. And beyond the money, this community also means a lot to the entire team here. If you have the means please consider supporting us, and bringing someone else in with a gift subscription.

Tabletop Games

Flip 7

$8 (Amazon)

Cindi Saiewitz: “Flip 7 is a fast-paced, press-your-luck-style card game where players try to earn points by being the first to turn over 7 cards. Flip a duplicate? You lose the round and all your points. Special cards can improve your hand or dash your hopes, all with a single flip. It’s fun to watch the tension and excitement build as players inch closer to getting that 7th card. Plus, you find out which of your friends are risk-takers! My adult son, who generally hates playing most games, was on his feet more often than not, as he dared to flip just one more card and steal the round.”

The Gang – Cooperative Poker Card Game

$16 (Amazon)

Cindi Saiewitz: “The Gang combines the strategy of Texas Hold ‘em poker with just a touch of the card game The Mind in a cooperative, fast-moving game that’s simple to learn, yet subtly addicting. With only a 20-minute play time, it’s easy to spin up a game anytime – no gambling or in-depth poker knowledge required. It joins The Crew as one of my two favorite games to grab when packing for a trip.”

Abducktion – A weirdly Strategic Duck Kidnapping Game

$35 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “Here at Room Escape Artist, we love ducks almost as much as escape rooms. Combining ducks, UFOs, easy-to-learn gameplay, and ever-changing win conditions equals one of the most-played games on our shelf!”

Perspectives

$35 (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “Perspectives is a collaborative investigation game where each player has unique information they must share to solve the mystery. This is an asymmetrical information game that rewards observation and communication. There are some very satisfying aha moments and puzzley elements. Each game has three cases to solve, with four acts in each case. Every case has a totally different story, with different art styles and deduction patterns.”

Escape Plan

$95 (Amazon)

Christina Rohlf: “For years I have been drawn to complex, thematic, worker-placement games, making Vital Lacerda (the king of those games) one of my favorite designers. While Escape Plan is certainly complex and thematic, it is a not a worker placement game. Nor is it dominated by any single mechanism. There is a bit of exploration as you navigate the city while evading the law enforcement, tableau building as you recruit gangs and contacts for your underground network, some elements of racing as you try to escape the city first on day 3, resource management as you balance your daily income with extracting money from your laundering operations, and more. However, the mechanism soup of Escape Plan is tied so well to the theme of the game that every action makes you feel the urgency of being a crime lord on a grab-and-go mission. Although we have played Escape Plan as two and enjoyed it, this game really shines with a larger player count (4-5).”

Tools

JACO Superior Products ElitePro Digital Tire Pressure Gauge

$30 (Amazon)

David Spira: “My trusty old tire pressure gauge died last year. This one is so much better. It’s not close.”

Rolls MM11PRO Microphone Mute/ Talk Switch

$69 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This is a push-to-talk/ push-to-mute button (you can choose which mode it operates in), and it’s robust AF. I saw these in the gamemaster room at CU Adventures back in the spring, and it immediately solved a big problem for me: I was tired of editing little bits of background noise from my podcasts. I no longer have to do that on my own track because my mic is only active when I depress the button, which I hold in my hands while recording. It only works with proper XLR microphones and I recommend pairing it with a high quality set cables. No tool has saved me more time and effort this year.”

KNIPEX Automatic Wire Stripper

$50 (Amazon)

Brett Kuehner: “Do you strip wires? Like, lots of wires? If so, get this; it will make you happy. Put the wire in, squeeze the handle, and the wire is perfectly stripped to exactly the length you want. No adjustment for wire gauge, no nicking, no guessing how hard to squeeze. And since it doesn’t pull on the wire, you can strip wires that are attached at one end without damaging them.”

Books

Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

$10 (Amazon)

Theresa Piazza: “The Starless Sea is a wonderful book that any escape room enthusiast or immersive experience goer will love. I was gifted this book a few winters ago and once I started reading it, I could not put it down. It is set in a New York City I wish was real. It’s a tale with hidden doors to magical places the reader truly could get lost within.”

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

$14 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “The premise sucks on paper: Carl and his cat Princess Donut find themselves in a destroyed planet earth, with their only option of survival to enter the World Dungeon and fight their way through 18 floors. I can promise you, this is the first book that’s caught my attention in years. It’s equal parts fast paced and hilarious, and leaves you wanting more!”

Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds by by Margaret Kerrison

$30 (Amazon)

Richard Burns: “This very approachable writer’s guide is filled with lessons, tips, and examples that will be useful for anyone endeavoring to into the world of immersive storytelling. It uses a no-nonsense method of asking practical questions and letting those answers inform decision making.”

Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Puzzles and Games of the Broadway Legend by Barry Joseph

$35 (Amazon)

Lisa Spira: “Matching Minds with Sondheim explores the wild, expansive, and deep relationship that the legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim had with puzzles throughout his life. In the book, author Barry Joseph includes Sondheim’s discovery of escape rooms in his 80s. This exceptionally written book is the definitive work on the subject.” (Listen to author Barry Joseph on Reality Escape Pod)

Everyday Carry Items

Oclip Ultra Flashlight Clip-on Light (OLIGHT)

$50 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This tiny flashlight packs a lot of might and options. It’s bright at 530 lumens, and has 3 modes: spotlight, floodlight, and UV light. It’s also rechargeable with USB-C, and has a sturdy and versatile clip so it’s easy to go hands free.”

Peak Design Mobile Tripod

$79 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This tripod is incredibly solid, and it magsafes to the back of my phone (portrait or landscape). Whether I am using this to film or just setting it on a table or an airplane tray table, it’s perfectly reliable.”

Peak Design Qi2 Charging Car Vent Mount

$99 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This is a pricey car mount, for sure. However, I always try to spend money in accordance to how much I use an item… and I got tired of mediocre car mounts slumping or breaking on me. Just make sure that this particular mount fits your air vents. If it doesn’t, they have other options.”

Travel Gear

1oz Silicone Travel Bottles, TSA Approved Leakproof with Locking Lid (4-Pack)

$7 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “Recently, I realized how much space and weight my toiletries take up in my travel bag. Saving space for those precious souvenirs is important, so I’ve come to terms with bringing smaller bottles with plenty of product for the week. Plus, the locking lid never leaks!”

Silicone Luggage Tag

$8 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Luggage tags are a necessary pain in the butt. Most are too flimsy to survive airport baggage handling… but when I have bought metal ones, they have gotten bent and mangled. This tag is splitting the difference. The silicone tag is durable yet flexible, while the metal loop is strong enough to hold everything together. I also appreciate how loud some of these tag colors are. It helps make my bag stand out on a carousel.”

humangear GoBites Quattro | Travel & Camping Utensils

$16 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Sometimes I find myself sitting in escape room lobbies eating delivery… but my order didn’t come with utensils. This kit is amazing. It’s lightweight yet durable, never rattles around, doesn’t trigger the TSA, is dishwasher-safe, and includes a fork, spoon, chopsticks, and a toothpick.”

GEARAID HEROCLIP 360° Swivel Carabiner Gear Clip and Hook

$28 (Amazon)

David Spira: “I have always kept a carabiner on my bag to attach random stuff. This carabiner does all of that plus it can turn into a hook and hang off of a variety of surfaces. It also comes in multiple sizes. I use the medium one which can hold 60 pounds.”

For the Little Ones

How To Fool Your Parents by David Kwong

$13 (Amazon)

David Spira: “One of my all-time favorite magicians made a book to help kids learn magic. David Kwong’s practial and informative style is perfect for the type of kid who loves learning skills and secrets.” (Listen to author David Kwong on Reality Escape Pod)

Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin

$20 (Amazon)

Brett Kuehner: “This picture book starts with a kid who wishes he could be a robot, and the story unfolds from there. Everyone I’ve shown it to, of any age, has loved it. You can judge this book by its cover, but Robo-sauce is definitely more than meets the eye.”

Froggy: A Pond Full of Pals! by Paige Walshe

$13 (Amazon)

Theresa Wagner: “Froggy is one of the most lovable storybook characters of recent years, combining adorable friends, serious life lessons, and incredible artwork for all ages!”

I Know Dino! Amazing Breakthroughs, Mega Mistakes, and Unsolved Mysteries in Dinosaur Science by Sabrina Ricci & Garret Kruger

$17 (Amazon)

David Spira: “This book is amazing. It’s technically written for kids, but it’s filled with wonderful dinosaur knowledge for all ages. And who doesn’t want dinosaur knowledge? It’s also written by our friends Sabrina and Garret from the I Know Dino Podcast, and they are wonderful.”

Lulu! (Squishmallow Original 10 Inch Theotto The Cthulhu)

$21 (Amazon)

Lisa Spira: “We absolutely love our Lulu– that’s what we named our adorable Cthulhu. We first bought her at Costco in the huge size to accompany everyone on the Montreal Tour and for escape room photo ops. We later bought this smaller size for overseas escape room travel. And I have to say, this size is the most huggable. She’s just such a perfect size to cuddle with.”

For the Dogs

Bully Stick Holder

$13 (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “If you love to spoil your dog with bully sticks or other types of chews, you need this holder. It serves two purposes. It helps your dog have a more secure grip on the chew, because the holder is easier for the paws to grasp. More importantly, it keeps your pup from accidentally swallowing the last few inches of the bully stick, which can present a choking or blockage hazard.”

Calming Dog Bed

$60 for small doggos (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “If you have a pup who loves to dig their bed before getting comfy, they need this bed. My dog, Yum Yum, loves to “make up” his bed and already destroyed one before I got him this one, which has lasted for 3 years so far. It has a loose blanket top with lots of material that moves around as he digs. It keeps him from ripping up the bed, and it also lets him “arrange” the bed how he likes.”

Dog Car Seat

$69 (Amazon)

Peih-Gee Law: “Even pups want to travel in style and comfort. This car seat has 2 straps to securely fasten it to the car seat, and another strap to secure your dog to the car seat. It’s very comfy for the dogs, with bolsters on all sides so they can rest their heads. It also keeps them safely contained if you need to abruptly slam on the brakes. This can also double as a portable dog bed when traveling.”

For the Cats

Yeoww! Catnip Yellow Banana

$8 (Amazon)

Kurtis Rohlf: “Whenever our cats are looking for a little trip, they always gravitate toward this bright fruit toy! It is chock full of catnip and they bite, lick, and kick it to their heart’s content. It is filled 100% with catnip, so you don’t have to worry about it running out of “power.” We tend to buy a new one every couple of years after it bursts from being used so much.”

MidWest Feline Nuvo Grand Forte 41-Inch Cat Scratching Post

$59 (Chewy)

Kurtis Rohlf: “We first got this nearly 4-foot tall scratching post when we were fostering a litter of kittens. It was hilarious, and sometimes terrifying, to watch them climb to the top and play “king of the post.” Our grown cats love this too since it allows them to stretch out to their full length while scratching. This is a must-have post for anyone with cats that love to climb. It is durable, has held up for the past 5 years, and is still going strong.”

For The Person Who Has Everything

Lego Game Boy

$60 (Amazon)

David Spira: “Every once in a while Lego makes a set that truly speaks to me, and this Game Boy is incredible. The icing on the cake is the The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening cartridge.”

Burnt Impressions Custom Toaster

$150 (Burnt Impressions)

David Spira: “When Lisa and I got married, one of my oldest friends gave us a toaster bearing the engraving, ‘You should have had a registry’ on its side. When he got married earlier this year, he became the proud owner of a toaster that burns my face directly into toast. The possibilities are endless with this gift, but do note that delivery took longer than I had expected, so don’t dawdle.”

Support Room Escape Artist’s Mission

There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from Amazon or Etsy after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on Patreon.

The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.

The post 2025 Room Escape Artist Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: at home

Date Played: November 6, 2025

Team Size: 1+; we recommend 1-2

Duration: about 5 hours total, or 10-15 minutes per day for a whole month

Price: about $49

REA Reaction

Alternatives to the traditional chocolate Advent calendar have proliferated in recent years, but the EXIT Advent Calendar is the first escape Advent calendar that I noticed, and they have been consistent in publishing a new one every year.

EXIT’s offering is also the puzzle-related Advent calendar that I look forward to the most. If you have ever played one of their standard boxed escapes, you will have a sense of how they hide clues in unconventional ways. The Advent calendar is more of the same, and I love how it challenges my assumptions of how an at-home game can be played.

I have played all the Advent calendars that EXIT has published in the United States so far (REA Advent calendar reviews, including these.) This year’s Advent calendar The Intergalactic Race, like every previous year, included new puzzle mechanics, which kept solving it refreshing. It also felt as though in The Intergalactic Race, EXIT had somewhat reduced the amount of puzzle content that was hidden in the room art. I appreciated this because it is always hard to see clearly inside the dark little box. If you have to choose between the different annual editions, this one is my favorite so far!

Note that this is not a calendar that can be reused — by the end of my play session, it had been reduced to rubble, though I received a nifty little gift for my efforts. Overall, I found it the perfect mix of challenging riddles, cheeky storytelling, and progressively unhinged scissor work. EXIT continues to out-do itself in its ability to find new ways to incorporate every bit of the physical materials into the puzzle.

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Any experience level
• Fans of EXIT: The Game’s normal escape game boxes
• Those looking for a daily bite-sized puzzle experience to liven up December

Why play?

• Daily puzzles are more fun than chocolate!
• EXIT: The Game puzzles are creative and more than a little delightfully unhinged.

Story

This year’s theme was a mixture of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Amazing Race, and Christmas all rolled into one. I was a sidekick in a competitive space race and, together with my pilot, I encountered all sorts of hijinks on the way.

Setup

The calendar came with a story book, a clue book, and a decoder. Each day, I read a new installment of the story, which sometimes included some new puzzle material. I then opened the door for that day and pulled out clue cards or physical artifacts. I solved the daily puzzle with the provided materials, sometimes including information found behind the door, occasionally the calendar package itself. The solution for each day was a 3-digit number, which when entered into the decoder, provided 3 directional movements and 3 shapes. If I followed the movements, the next door would have the same 3 shapes on it. I would then write the next day’s number on the door, ready for use the next day!

I played through the entire calendar prior to writing this review, and each day took on average 10-15 minutes to play, including the daily story time. I used the hints on a couple of occasions when I knew that I just wasn’t getting the aha myself. Each day had 3 levels of hints, so I could read just up to the point that was helpful, without spoiling the entire puzzle. The answer is also always provided, just in case you’re not feeling it that day.

Gameplay

EXIT: Advent Calendar’s The Intergalactic Race was a standard play-at-home escape game in the form of an Advent calendar. It had a moderate level of difficulty.

The puzzles emphasized observation, decoding, and creative thinking.

Analysis

 The damage I was expected to inflict on the puzzle materials became progressively more destructive. This was a delight to my inner kindergartener.

Due to my prior experience with this brand, I was slightly trigger happy and ripped up parts of the game when I was not supposed to. Fortunately, I was still able to solve the puzzle (and could have resorted to the clue book if not). Player beware!

 The amount of play time (~5 hours total for this reviewer) for the cost ($40-50) was very reasonable.

The accompanying story book tied the puzzle narrative together well, but was somewhat lengthy. Many players that I play with don’t have the patience for a long story-time before getting into the fun part of the game.

 Unlike many other play-at-home escape games, this product absolutely cannot be reused to be given away.

 I love that successfully solving the final puzzle resulted in a prize.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: You need enough space to lay the box flat, with the lid open, and some room to lay out any provided cards for the day.
• Required Gear: You will need a marker for labelling the doors, and scissors are definitely required. Pen and paper may be useful. Tape as well.

Buy your copy of EXIT: Advent Calendar’s The Intergalactic Race and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Exit: The Game provided a complimentary game.

Support Room Escape Artist’s Mission

There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from Amazon or Etsy after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on Patreon.

The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.

The post EXIT: Advent Calendar – The Intergalactic Race [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: At home

Date Played: September 9, 2025

Team Size: 1-4; We recommend 2-4

Duration:  90-120 minutes per chapter, 6 chapters

Price: $79.95 + shipping

REA Reaction

My appreciation for history stemmed from the Dear America and American Girl historical fiction novels that I went through like candy during my middle school years. I even convinced my parents to leave the hall light on, claiming “I was afraid of the dark,” so I could read historical books well past my bedtime. The school librarian was confused how I was able to check out a book one day and return it for another the next morning. Escape Mail’s The Shackleton Series brought me back to those moments by providing an interesting historical story (that I had no experience with prior to playing the game) surrounded by an engaging, fun puzzle experience. I couldn’t wait to open each chapter and find out what happened next. Lyra, Vax’ildan, and Aslan (left to right) joined our crew for this expedition.

Each of the chapters were packed full of puzzles that required us to synthesize information from multiple documents and often required multiple steps. Although the game offered a flow card to help decipher which documents were related to each puzzle, we enjoyed embracing the additional challenge by sorting through the documents ourselves. Without the flow card, we found The Shackleton Series to be one of the harder tabletop puzzle games that we have played recently. This game would be an excellent choice for any experienced puzzle lovers who enjoy learning about history in a hands on way. However, we thought that the flow card was an excellent option for less experienced puzzlers or for players that want a more streamlined experience.

We also loved how carefully Escape Mail kept to the historical story throughout the game. Some of the documents were nearly transcriptions of journal entries or maps created by Shackleton and others on the crew. We enjoyed reading about the progression of the crew’s journey through the journal and thought that The Shackleton Series would be an excellent way to teach students about Shackleton’s expedition in a school setting. However, we would have preferred that more of the journal pages were tied into the puzzles so that players needed to interact with the historical account more closely in order to play the game.

In The Shackleton Series, Escape Mail created an interesting and fun tabletop experience for experienced puzzlers, novice puzzlers, grade school students, and history buffs alike by combining a historically accurate adventure with a multitude of puzzles.

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• History fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• The attention to historical details
• The quantity and complexity of puzzles
• Clever papercraft interactions
• Fun educational activity for middle or high school students

Story

Captain Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men embarked on their perilous journey to Antarctica in 1914. We found documents from the two years Shackleton’s crew fought the frigid and unwelcoming climate. By solving puzzles crafted by the crew, we discovered an epic tale of determination, camaraderie, and endurance.

Setup

We received the Shackleton box set which included all six chapters and allowed us to experience the full story. Each chapter came in a sealed envelope and contained all of the information and handouts needed to solve the puzzles within.

We also needed a writing utensil, paper, and and internet-connected device throughout our experience.

At the beginning of each chapter we were directed to a website with videos to introduce and conclude each chapter, thematic music, an optional timer, an interface to confirm our answers, and access to the hint system.

Each chapter also included an optional flow card to help sort the materials in the envelope into their respective puzzles. We chose not to use the flow card and deciphered how the materials were related ourselves, which provided us with a more challenging experience.

Gameplay

Escape Mail’s The Shackleton Series was a standard play-at-home escape game with a moderate to hard level of difficulty.

Gameplay revolved around connecting information from a variety of different paper handouts. Puzzles involved papercraft, word play, mapping, logic, and much more.

Each chapter provided a satisfying conclusion allowing us to choose to either pause or immediately move on to the next chapter. However, the story arc for Shackleton’s journey extended across all six chapters. The conclusion of each chapter also involved a meta puzzle which used all of the other puzzle answers from that chapter in an interesting way, including a meta meta puzzle after finishing all six chapters.

Analysis

 Each chapter had between four to seven multi-step puzzles. We also noticed a significant variety in puzzles throughout The Shackleton Series. In several instances we were surprised by the clever solutions to several of the interactions.

 Occasionally, we encountered puzzles that felt under-clued or vague. It appeared that there was a printing issue which made one color puzzle unreasonably difficult. However, the problematic puzzles were an extremely small percentage of the plethora of puzzles distributed amongst the six chapters of the experience.

 The “blue” story pages made this game unique and provided historical information about the journey of Shackleton’s crew. Escape Mail also provided a “historicity” section at the conclusion of each chapter to discuss which elements of the chapter were true and which were fictionalized. We thought The Shackleton Series would be perfect for middle or high school educators because the game was so historically accurate.

While the game instructions indicated that the story pages could be skipped, The Shackleton Files would have lost a lot of its charm by doing so. Therefore, we wished there was more puzzle info on the journal pages to discourage players from skipping the historical fiction narrative.

The flow card included in each envelope allowed us to choose a more streamlined experience by knowing which handouts were related to which puzzle. We appreciated that the flow card made The Shackleton Files more approachable for newer players, but was presented in such a way that we could choose not to use the card and rather synthesize the information ourselves. (A minor nitpick: Since all of the flow cards were packed face up in each envelope, we had to be careful to avoid “spoilers.”)

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: A coffee table
• Required Gear: A writing utensil, paper, and wi-fi powered device

Buy your copy of Escape Mail’s The Shackleton Series, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Escape Mail provided a complimentary game.

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