Spy Code – Break Free is included in our recommendation guide for Tabletop Escape Games – For Kids. For more of the best games of this style, check out the recommendation guide.
Chain up the kids for a few minutes.
Location: at home game for ages 6 and up
Price: $19.99
How it works
Break Free was one of three Spy Code games on the market targeted at ages 6 and up. Inspired by a combination of escape rooms and lockpicking, this game allowed up to 4 players to compete in navigating blind maze puzzles.
Each player secured a cartoonish plastic puzzle handcuff around their wrist, loaded it with 1 of 12 different puzzle inserts, and then used the “pick” tool to blindly feel their way through the maze. The first player to reach the bottom of their maze, hit the actuator, and pop open their handcuff received maximum points.
The maze inserts came in easy (green), intermediate (yellow), and advanced (red) difficulty levels.
Puzzles
Break Free was a competitive puzzle game through and through.
It felt like a competitive, kid-friendly version of other blind maze games like Inside Cubes or the expensive but fantastic Revomaze line of puzzles.
Standouts
Each of the 12 puzzles was entertaining to play on its own, especially the 4 advanced mazes. They weren’t too difficult, as they were designed for quick solving by children.
It was easy to swap the puzzles.
While Break Free taught absolutely no practical lockpicking skills, the concept of feeling around in a lock for feedback did translate.
When I opened a lock, it popped with a satisfying noise.
Shortcomings
If your kid becomes obsessed with Break Free, it would be pretty easy to memorize the limited number of patterns on the 12 different mazes.
Should I buy Spy Code Break Free?
Break Free was surprisingly fun to tinker with as an adult. It was not hard at all, but it still poked at that part of my brain that likes dexterity challenges and building mastery. I ran through all of the mazes in a couple of minutes.
I could easily imagine my younger self loving this game. I’m pretty certain that I would have played it as a tabletop game a few times, then tossed the instructions, merged it with my spy kit, and found new ways to incorporate it into whatever espionage silliness I was imagining at 8 years old. (It probably would have involved dinosaurs too.)
Break Free was easy to set up and simple to play. It built dexterity. If all of that seems appropriate for your child, order your copy of Spy Code Break Free today.
Full disclosure: Yuzu sent us a free sample of this game.
(If you purchase via our Amazon or Target links, you will help support Room Escape Artist as we will receive a very small percentage of the sale.)
