UNLOCK!
Designed by: Alice Carroll,Cyril Demaegd,Thomas Cauet
UNLOCK! is a game – a series of games, in fact, since we played the first one – based on the escape room idea where the players work together to figure out a puzzle within a set amount of time. We haven’t included any pictures with this one because they’d essentially be spoilers: the game only functions if you don’t look at any of the cards before play: hence, no pictures here.
The puzzles in this case are adventure narratives and there are three adventures in the box, plus a gentle tutorial game. Each one functions via a deck of cards and the UNLOCK app, which is free to download and, once downloaded, functions without wifi. The app functions as a timer, an interface (for entering codes) and also a source of clues should you get stuck (we did!).
The starting card is a location and it references other cards (by numbers or letters on their backs). Then you have to figure out a way to combine these cards together – literally adding their number values to give you a new card, which will be the next step in the story. Some cards combine with others, some are simply locations, but it’s all pretty straightforward in terms of rules. What’s a bit trickier is figuring out the puzzles! You win by doing so within the allotted time, and lose if you don’t.
Sam says
It’s a shame that the nature of Unlock! means that once it’s played, it’s played out, as me and my son had a lot of fun with this, despite the fact we were pretty awful at it. It’s not a terribly expensive game but you do need to be aware the whole playtime is three hours (one hour per adventure). On the other hand, they will be fun hours – of the tense, against-the-clock kind that provide inadvertent silliness as well as the logical puzzle. Some of the clues are more intuitive than others – some I would say, are a little bit cheeky. Be open to lateral links and unlikely correlations and you can have some fun here.
-
Take That!
None - it's a co-operative, collaborative game.
-
Fidget Factor!
None - you're working against the clock!
-
Brain Burn!
The rules are easy, but the brain-burning here is the lateral thinking.
-
Again Again!
Unfortunately, once you've played the three adventures, you know them and they cease to function. You can of course pass the game on to someone else though!
