Mvemjsun and beyond!
Location: at home
Date Played: June 25, 2022
Team size: 1-5; we recommend 1-3
Duration: 30-60 minutes
Price: about $15
REA Reaction
Great Space Escape was a solid escape room kit for kids that dabbled with immersive elements amidst a simple yet fun story. Although the setup took longer than advertised (an hour vs. 20 minutes), the resulting 3D papercrafts were the highlight of the game, mimicking thematic objects in the narrative and helping the game come to life. Even though we don’t live in a space ship, the narrative and accompanying movement through our home helped the kids imagine that we were in one. One puzzle particularly delighted my kids by incorporating knowledge of our home (“HOW DID THEY KNOW???”).
The activities in this kit seemed well-designed for the average frustration tolerance of children. They required simple connections that yielded attainable aha moments. Kids with a lot of puzzling experience might find these puzzles to be on the simpler side, but they were still thematically engaging with some satisfying interactive elements.
As the gamemaster, I was pleased with the gameplay enhancements that Paper Adventures had made beyond their last game, Auntie’s Manor. The quintessential “Game on a Page” quick reference sheet that summarizes all key elements of gamemastering now contains the solutions, and almost all of the cutting has been offloaded to the setup phase. Also, from a hosting perspective, the story was more interesting with more opportunities to embellish the experience if you have the energy and interest. All in all, this was a lovely little game for both the players and gamemaster alike.
Continue reading “Paper Adventures – Great Space Escape [Kids’ Product Review]”