Room Escape Artist

The Professor’s Last Riddle is a tabletop escape game created by Exit: The Game.

Format

Style of Play: tabletop escape game

Who is it For?

• Puzzle lovers
• Any experience level
• Fans of Exit: The Game

Required Equipment: pen & paper, scissors, tape

Recommended Team Size: 1-3

Play Time: about 90 minutes

Price: about $18

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

Our favorite professor had passed away and left a packet of postcards and clues to help determine his heir. Thus, one riddle at a time, we determined which game materials to use and how they resolved to a 3-part combination for the standard Exit: The Game decoder wheel.

Cindi S’ Reaction

Professor Ian Jonasson, renowned archeologist and educator, recently passed away, leaving a locked safe and one final riddle. As his students, we were tasked with following clues around the globe, wherever they led, to open his safe and discover his most valuable treasure. This Exit: The Game edition had an interesting storyline and a few Easter eggs for fans of the Exit series. The pacing was especially strong as we found ourselves immersed in the gameplay without a sense of time passing. There was a variety of fun puzzles, most with some sort of twist that we figured out without nudges; in fact, there were only a couple of puzzles later in the game that had us scratching our heads and reaching for the help cards. The final puzzle was especially unusual. If you are a fan of Exit: The Game series and this style of gameplay, you won’t be disappointed with The Professor’s Last Puzzle.

Sarah Mendez’s Reaction

The Professor’s Last Riddle matched my conception of a typical Exit: The Game installment: a majority of solid puzzles, a couple of satisfying ahas, a couple of frustrating head-scratchers, and some box manipulation. I can’t say anything in particular stood out about it (either positively or negatively), but we had a fun enough time playing.

Even though this game felt average to me overall within the series, here are the things you could use to decide whether to play:
• There was a relatively low level of destruction compared to other installments.
• The game was linear but still gave space to explore and make connections.
• The most involved puzzles were both novel and flawed.
• I’ll remember this game as “the one with the balloon.”

Theresa W’s Reaction

The Professor’s Last Riddle, a fitting title for the adventure players are taken on, is another good installment for the Exit: The Game series. Although the puzzles in this game felt a bit easier in comparison to recent versions, they were still satisfying. The puzzles in The Professor’s Last Riddle were fair. They took a lot of past puzzle concepts and gave them a new life. The story twist was seemingly unnecessary and underwhelming; if you’re here for strong story-based tabletop games, this isn’t it. Play for the puzzles and the unconventional reveals.

If you’re looking for a reason to pick up this Exit: The Game installment over any others, know that it is perfect for players who want an easier game with many tangible 3D elements and a rewarding final puzzle. Each puzzle, albeit easy, was satisfying. Plus the puzzles and travel theme tied very well together. Exit: The Game has done a great job of staying more consistent recently with games that include strong puzzles and no logic leaps. I cannot wait to see what 2024 has in store for this series!

Disclosure: Exit: The Game provided the Hivemind reviewers with a complimentary play.

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