Room Escape Artist

Oh, the weather outside is frightful.

Location:  At Home

Date Played: March 16, 2025

Team size: 1-8; we recommend 2-6

Duration: 60-90 minutes

Price: £16.99 + £12.50 shipping to the US available upon request (free shipping in the UK)

REA Reaction

Puzzle Post’s The Disappearance was one of two new games released in their dinner party collection. Although I am usually hesitant to suggest a tabletop escape game for more than two people, Puzzle Post factored in all of the typical disadvantages of playing in small groups (4-6) and provided solutions for them.

Have you ever struggled to make sure everyone can see all of the puzzle materials in small group play? Puzzle Post provided two copies of every document, which allowed us to each have our own set of materials. Or, in actuality, Kurtis and I still shared documents while our cat Aslan proudly held down the second set of documents to keep them safe. The duplicates could also be used as a refill kit to share the experience with another group.

Have you ever been bored playing a small group game because there isn’t enough to keep everyone busy? The Disappearance was completely non-linear. After reading the intro letter, all nine puzzles were immediately available and could be completed simultaneously in any order. Furthermore, the information needed for each puzzle was usually self-contained on a single page, which made it easy to divvy up puzzles. However, this also made the puzzles somewhat easier because we never were required to synthesize information from multiple sources.

Since the puzzles could be solved in any order, the story of the game was constrained only to the intro letter and the ending sequence after all puzzles were solved. We would have been more engaged in the story if we’d uncovered incremental details about the plot as we progressed through the game. However, the puzzles were themed well to the Arctic circle, seemed realistic, and also provided an educational experience.

The Disappearance stood apart as one of the few tabletop escape games that can properly cater to a group by providing multiple copies of materials and incorporating non-linear puzzling. I would highly recommend The Disappearance for any enthusiasts looking to share their puzzling hobby in a small group setting.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Any experience level
• Arctic Research fans
• Friends getting together for the evening

Why play?

• You’ve enjoyed previous Puzzle Post games
• Logical and varied puzzles
• High-quality paper handouts

Story

Dr. Carter, a preeminent migration pattern expert, has gone missing in the Arctic Circle! Suspicion and conspiracy theories about the cause of her disappearance quickly arose at the research station. We urgently needed to take the information Dr. Carter had left behind to determine her whereabouts.

Setup

The basic story, instructions, and content list were printed on the back of the envelope. After opening the envelope, the introductory welcome letter gave us additional information including: the hint website, a website for answer inputs, and a more detailed story. The introductory letter also provided a recommended starting point in our search for Dr. Carter. All handouts were immediately available upon opening the envelope.

Gameplay

Puzzle Post’s The Disappearance was a play-at-home escape game with an easy level of difficulty.

The Disappearance consisted of nine puzzles inside a cardboard envelope. The puzzles could be solved in any order and in parallel. There were a good variety of puzzle types including visual connection, papercraft, cipher, and deduction. The puzzle answers could be checked either incrementally as they were solved or all at once at the end of the game. Four progressive hints were also available for each puzzle.

Analysis

➕ The puzzles included were logical and varied. We were interested and delighted in the variety of puzzles that we solved throughout the game.

➕/➖ Each puzzle was contained on a single piece of paper, which made it easy to distribute materials for players to work in parallel. However, there were no multi-step puzzles or synthesis of information from multiple handouts.

➕ The paper quality and use of full color photos were enjoyable. Many of the handouts looked like real research documentation and seemed relevant to the Arctic. We thought that the realism of the documents in The Disappearance could also lend itself nicely to an educational environment.

➖ The narrative of The Disappearance and the finale both felt pasted on. The documents, while realistic, never seemed to further the storyline about Dr. Carter’s disappearance. There was no escalation or forward motion of the plot after the introductory letter until you unlocked the digital vault and were presented with the ending.

➕ Every handout and puzzle had a duplicate. The duplicate materials combined with the non-linear puzzle flow allowed for group play in either a single team or head-to-head (by splitting into two teams). The extra materials also could be useful as a built in reset kit for a smaller team.

➕/➖ The challenge presented by The Disappearance was easy. All puzzles were well-designed, straightforward, and logical, but the action needed to solve each puzzle was obvious. Our team of 2 completed the envelope in about 45 minutes at a leisurely pace.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: Coffee Table
• Required Gear: Internet connected device, paper, and writing utensil

Buy your copy of Puzzle Post’s The Disappearance, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Puzzle Post provided a complimentary game.