Escape the Crate is a subscription box for those looking for the fun puzzle solving experience of an escape room right in their own home. Every other month, this box delivers a new adventure to your doorstep, and you will solve the puzzles in challenging scenarios such as escaping from a pirate ship, solving a murder mystery, defusing a bomb, and more. This box was kindly sent to us for review.
Subscription Details
Escape the Crate ships every other month for $29.99 plus shipping. Each box contains letters, ciphers, puzzles, tools, and other objects that may help you in your adventure.
As players, you take on the role of an agent working for E.M.I.T. or Emergency Mediation In Time, a time-traveling organization that goes back in time to fix issues. Each mission is a self-contained adventure with a beginning, middle, and end. Older “retired” boxes are available for a one-time purchase at $39.99 plus shipping.
Escape from Ice Age Park
“2 chapters await in this brand new adventure. Your arch-enemy is up to no good again… This time, he has gone back in time and nabbed a bunch of extinct creatures and has opened one of the most exciting theme parks in the world…Ice Age Park. Messing around with time is exactly what you are trying to avoid, so of course you have been sent to the Grand Opening to check it out. After all… who wouldn’t want to play with a baby mammoth? It becomes immediately apparent that some corners were cut with security. Stranded in the middle of a zoo in lockdown, you need to match your wits against mother nature to escape with your very lives! The ice below your feet is cracking, a rhino stampede has taken out the gift shop, and an out of control hot air balloon drifts into the heavens… but nothing compares to the feeling of being hunted. The saber-tooth cats are loose and they are hungry. Fast and cunning, they are hot on your trail and you don’t want to be around when they catch up. Solve the puzzles, crack the codes, and uncover the secrets to get the park back online… and to avoid the jaws of defeat.”
This box transports us into an ice age theme park. The game is split into two separate chapters, with progressing difficulty. This time around, players have to play the chapters in the order presented to fully experience the story. I love anything to do with animals, and am so excited to play this!
How to Play
The box contains an information sheet with instructions to start. It has a link to the Escape the Crate website that will guide your team on your mission. You will need an internet connection to enjoy the game, so be sure to have your computer or smartphone ready.
The box contains papers, cards, and physical props containing puzzles and clues that will be used throughout the game. As you play, the game will give you directions on which pieces to use.
Be sure to study all the included pieces carefully, there are clues everywhere, including on and inside the mailing box and on the physical props!
My husband and I played both chapters over the weekend. Before settling in to play, we prepared the clues according the the website’s instructions. The instructions are really clear with pictures showing what to do and the pieces to lay out.
After reading through the instructions and setting everything up as directed, we got to work. You have the option to set a timer for yourself if you want. We generally opt to skip the timer and have a relaxed experience.
There are a couple of envelopes that you should not open until the website tells you to.
Each section of the adventure has information laying out the problem. You can choose to either read or listen to an audio recording of each section. I love the effort to cater to different preferences. My husband and I play by first listening to the audio recording, and then reading through the written version to look for additional clues we may have missed.
You have to key in a code to move on in each step of the mission. This will be a number or word from solving the puzzle. If needed, you have the option of using a series of hints. There is no penalty for using hints and completely up to the players how much they want to depend on them. Each hint will reveal a little more of the solution. We decided not to use any hints since we were not timing ourselves.
Escape the Crate provides the option to download and print the papers again if you want to replay the game. If you are a player who likes to scribble on the clues, this allows you to do so!
Escape the Crate Review – Final Thoughts
Escape the Crate did not disappoint with this box. We had a lot of fun playing and the puzzles were a good mix of difficulty levels. All the work and creativity that went into creating each adventure really shows. I absolutely loved the theme park setting, and who could resist cute wooly mammoths? It is one of my favorite subscriptions to receive, especially with the current stay at home orders! Already looking forward to the next one.
Toby & Rocket – http://www.tobyandrocket.com