Strategically Thematic: EXIT: The Game

Hi! This is Ambie from Board Game Blitz, and this is Strategically Thematic, a segment where I talk about theme in different strategic games. This time, I’m talking about EXIT: The Game.

EXIT: The Game is a series of games based on Escape Rooms. If you haven’t heard of an Escape Room, they’re physical adventure games where a group of people are in a room solving a bunch of puzzles within a certain time limit in order to escape. Usually they each have a theme, like a prison break, or a science lab. Similarly, each EXIT game has a different theme - I’ve played the first three games which are in an Abandoned Cabin, in a Pharoah’s tomb, and in a Secret Lab.

The main mechanics of an Escape Room are in the puzzles, not necessarily matching the theme of the room. There is usually some setup story and decorations to match the theme, but for me, most of the fun in an Escape Room is in the puzzles and trying to escape the room as quickly as possible. The EXIT games capture the Escape Room feeling really well for me. Although the basic mechanics are the same in each game, each one has very different and interesting puzzles to solve.

The EXIT games are mostly based around Riddle Cards and Answer Cards. Throughout the game, you’ll find different Riddle Cards, which will be different clues to figure out puzzles and unlock things. You also start with a booklet that usually has a picture of the room you’re in with a bunch of locked items that you’ll need to open. The booklet also has some other pages with puzzle parts. When you think you’ve figured out the answer to a puzzle, you put a 3 digit code into a dial, and it reveals which Answer Card you need to look at. If you’re right, you can open the lock and find more clues through the Riddle Cards. There are also Hint Cards for each puzzle, so if you get stuck you can look at those.

The main thing in the EXIT games that make them the best Escape Room board games that I’ve played is that they are not replayable at all. You’re allowed to draw on the pieces, cut them up, and fold them, and this freedom allows the puzzles to be really creative and unique. Additionally, just like in real Escape Rooms, you’ll have lots of pieces from the beginning of the game that you aren’t able to use until later on, when you find a puzzle that will use those clues.

EXIT: The Game is a great experience if you enjoy Escape Rooms, or if you’ve never done an Escape Room and are interested in seeing what they’re all about. Each one I’ve played has had exciting and unique puzzles, and although the EXIT games are better with a smaller group than a normal Escape Room, they still give a great Escape Room experience with really cool puzzles. Thanks for watching Board Game Blitz! What’s your favorite escape room board game? Let me know in the comments!

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