Escape rooms are very trendy. With the EXIT series from Kosmos, for example, there are also alternatives in a small format for the home, which transport the feeling of the escape room into your own four walls. Living Room Escape goes one step further. With these games you can turn an entire room in your home into an escape room.
Living Room Escape is an Escape Room company from Austria, founded in 2020. During the corona pandemic, the idea of moving escape rooms into your own four walls was born there. After some tinkering and testing, the first three living room escape rooms were ready in 2021. Identity: unknown We have now tried it and can report on our experiences.
Identity: unknown - construction
What's special about Living Room Escape games is that one person becomes the game master and can then watch family and friends flex their brains. Whoever directs the game is responsible for the structure of the game and any tips and assistance. The others have to puzzle.
The cost of materials from Identity: unknown is rated on the website with one of five keys. The effort for the game master is two out of five keys. Four out of five keys are given as difficulty.
In addition to a print template containing various materials for the puzzles, the game master also receives assembly instructions, a playthrough book and a hint and solution book. The additional materials needed for this escape room were all in the household. With the other two, it could be a little different, since some more special items are needed there. However, if you want to lead the game, you can look at which items are required for which room before you buy the game.
The playthrough book is intended to give the game master the opportunity to test the room beforehand and to play through the process. Here you will find photos for individual sections of the game, with the help of which the necessary clues should be discovered. The experiences with it were rather moderate. The discovery and touching of the materials is then missing, since some puzzles are "worked" with elements of the game.
The assembly instructions and the print template are very good. The printing instructions give clear instructions on which pages are required for which number of people, so that nothing has to be printed out unnecessarily.
Without having examined any of the documents in detail beforehand, the room was set up in just under two hours. What is to happen to the individual elements of the artwork is described with absolute clarity. No items are left and everything could be put in the right place without searching the manual. The checklist at the end of the assembly instructions ensures that nothing can be forgotten or done wrong.
Identity: unknown - The Game
Where the game master's work almost ends, that of the players is just beginning. There is a character for every person. These have abilities that become useful as the game progresses. If not all main characters can be cast, additional clues will be distributed in the room. Which characters are used for which number of people is clearly described in the instructions for the game master.
If everyone is in the right room, you can start right away. Everyone gets their character profile. After the introduction by the game master, there is a small audio file online. The task is to find clues to the identity and whereabouts of a gang boss who is to blame for the increased crime rate in the hometown. The room that was set up is the home of a henchman who will be gone for an hour. In this hour, the players have to collect clues and solve all the puzzles. During this time, the game master stays in the background. As in a normal escape room, there are hints if the players get stuck.
The process is no different from a classic escape room. Once all the puzzles have been solved, the identity and whereabouts of the gang boss have been discovered, and peace can return to your own hometown. At the end there is a certificate for the successful team.
Who are the games suitable for?
Living Room Escape have managed to bring the feeling of a "real" escape room into your own four walls. Effort and gaming experience are in good relation to each other. The clear instructions for the game master and the hint and solution book help the players to be guided through the escape room.
The puzzles themselves are not too difficult. If there is a problem at one point, the game master can easily intervene. In terms of difficulty, the game is definitely suitable for beginners. The most experienced person in terms of escape rooms in the test was the game master. The other people had only visited one escape room and played some escape games. There were no major problems solving the puzzles.
The games definitely have a special place in the spectrum of escape games for the home. Due to the time factor associated with the construction, they are not ideal for playing "just in between". Of course, most escape rooms outside of your own home are not suitable for this either. If you are not lucky enough to live in the immediate vicinity of an escape room, the time required is quite comparable. Due to the not excessively high difficulty, the game is well suited for beginners. Here they get an escape room feeling at a fraction of the usual costs. This game or the preparation and management of the escape room is also an excellent gift.
Anyone looking for the most authentic escape room experience possible should definitely take a closer look at these games. If you get involved in the construction, offers Identity: unknown a very nice gaming experience for the home. Due to the special flair of discovering new things in a familiar space and the moderate difficulty, the game is suitable for every experience level. The individual characters and their abilities ensure that everyone is involved in the puzzle.
If you want to take a closer look at the Living Room Escape missions, you can here do.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kosmos 682248 EXIT - The Game - Shadows over Middle-earth,... * |
9,99 EUR |
Buy |
Last updated on 27.05.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX / Affiliate Links / Images from the Amazon Product Advertising API. * = Affiliate links. Images from Amazon PA API
