The Logic Escapes Me

A tough cryptic crossword to provide some Christmas challenge

A round-up of the best European games as voted by enthusiasts from around the world in 2019.

A portable escape experience that HintHunt market alongside their other, more conventional, games. We found it a huge letdown – poorer decoration, fewer puzzles, a lack of exploration and on top of that some red herrings and tech failures left this a disappointing game.

It may not be the most elaborate of themes, but it’s delivered well. With some of the stronger puzzles I’ve come across in London games and solidity in most other areas, this is definitely a game I’d recommend for enthusiasts in the capital.

In the middle of nowhere and not much to look at, once you’re in the game itself, there’s actually plenty to enjoy. Sure, some of the puzzles weren’t perfect but we really enjoyed this ninety-minute experience.

A fun, sci-fi-themed game with good theming, really enjoyable puzzles and moments of humour. If you’re in the area then it’s well worth dropping in.

Lucardo continues to improve, and The Prison probably ranks as the best of the Manchester experiences. I may have had more fun in their University of Magic game because of its theme but, objectively, I think this is a more impressive experience: the puzzles fit the theme, there’s a better-than-average overarching story, and the moments of theatre deliver a coherent game that’s well worth playing.

A review of Tulleys Farm’s Hallowe’en attraction, Shocktoberfest. It’s a festival of fun with a variety of interesting attraction and a carnival feel to the whole event. If you’re not entirely turned off by scares then I’d recommend giving it a go. I did and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it!

A great experience that I’d highly recommend. As always with Tulleys’ games, there’s a beautiful, expansive set with plenty of logical puzzles to keep a larger team occupied. Aside from the slightly crowded moments early on and the not-very-relevant futuristic setting of the story, there’s really not much to find flaw with here.

A pretty game but, in spite of the effort that had clearly gone in, I still felt it lacked something from a visual point of view. The puzzle aspect of the experience was better, but the linearity and relative simplicity of the game means that enthusiasts are likely to escape in a shortish time.