Over the past few weeks and months, we have been playing a lot of at home escape room type games (games like Break Free which starts with all players being handcuffed together and have to work their way free) – some have just been for the adults and some suitable for all the family. They are a great way to challenge your mind and learn to work together, having to co-operate and spending quality family time together. We have all enjoyed most of them, especially the youngest who is now nine (she has really got into them). Playing a game that uses logic, concentration, planning, thinking and patience (especially under pressure) appeals to us and is great fun.
The latest game we have been trying out is Spy Code Operation: Escape Room (part of the Spy Code range that includes Break Free, Safe Breaker and Diamond Heist), an interactive game where you have to use logic and spy skills to free your teammate wearing the escape belt, before the time runs out!
Spy Code Operation: Escape Room is a game suitable for 2-6 players aged 6 years old and above.
In the box:
- Timer Strap
- Key Cage
- 2 Sticks
- Quiz Master
- 45 Quiz Master Card (15 Easy, 15 Medium and 15 Difficult)
- Lucky Spinner
- 3 Keys
- Game Rules
The idea of the game is that you have been captured on a super-secret spy mission and have very little time to escape. One of your spy friends has a timer strapped to them and you and the other spies (players) will need to find the correct objects hidden around the house and use them to solve the three puzzles to be able to free the other spy from the timer! Co-operation and teamwork, logic, quick thinking, a steady hand and nimble fingers will be required to succeed.
Before starting to play there is some minimal assembly required but is all very straightforward of slotting together some pieces and installing batteries in the timer, it should only take a couple of minutes.
Once you have assembled the pieces and are ready to start, place the Key Cage, Quiz Master and Lucky Spinner in different locations around the round, select a player to be captured (the one who will have the timer strapped to them) and then you can set the timer for how long you want to play for. You are now ready to play. Good luck!
Once a player presses the fingerprint button on the timer, play begins. The players (not the one with the timer strapped to them) need to then find and solve the three challenges in order (Skill Key Cage, Quiz Master and finally the Lucky Spinner) before the time runs out to release the captured player. If you solve all the challenges, you will gain the key to open the timer and press the STOP button to win.
The first challenge is the Skill Key Cage. Each side of the cage of the cage has a different difficulty level. Spin the wheel on top of the cage to decide what side is going to be opened. Use the two sticks to try and remove the key from the cage maze without touching it with your hands. Once you have the key you can move onto the second challenge: Strategy Quiz Master.
Using the key gained from the first challenge, unlock the device for the Strategy Quiz Master. You must solve any three of the different puzzle cards to release the next key. Once solved and you have the key you can move on to the third and final challenge: Lucky Spinner.
With Lucky Spinner you have to insert the key from the previous challenge in the top and turn it clockwise whilst pushing down on the key until it clicks. You then have to lift up doors to find the key. Once you have solved this challenge you can release the captured player.
To release the captured player you insert the last key into the timer and turn it clockwise to reveal the escape button. Press the escape button before the time runs out and the strap on the timer will release.
If time runs out and you haven’t released your captured spy friend, there is a safety button that you can use to release the strap.
Overall, Spy Code Operation: Escape Room is a fun a challenging game with a play time of around 10-15 minutes. It is a strategy game that requires logical thinking, strategy skills and patience to solve the mathematical puzzles, find patterns and solve problems to crack the code. With everything feeling like you have to solve it at speed, it can be quite tension packed.
The timer that straps around the body of the player does look a bit like a bomb, and whilst it isn’t called that in the instructions, we all refer to it that way without meaning to. Whilst we don’t have issue with that, others might. The timer is just a device to hold the prisoner captive and it is excellent, it even adds to the tension of the game with its loud ticking noise.
We loved this game. It is very simple to set up and play. Game play is quick so a few games can easily be played so that everybody gets a turn solving the puzzles as well as being the captured player.
A fantastic fun and challenging interactive game that gets the mind working and testing out those spy skills. A great way to spend those cold and dark winter evenings.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £19.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.
