The Escape Room with an X Factor

We wanted this game to have that certain X factor, something that makes it stand apart.

Each of our rooms is designed to feel like an exciting adventure into a new world, and for this one we aimed for a lighthearted, low-stakes experience. Since it’s our only single-room game at this location, we poured in as much detail as we could so players could get lost in the lore, the puzzles, and all the little nooks and crannies.

A Different Kind of Goal

There’s no pressure to solve everything in an hour (no one has managed that yet as of writing this). The real goal is simple: collect 12 coins.

Every puzzle awards between one and three coins depending on its complexity, and the Toadiebank keeps track of your score. (It’s also just a delight to feed.)

Replayability Built In

Each time you play, you choose a different character with its own puzzle line. That way, you’re always learning and uncovering more of the room.

If we had dumped all the puzzles out at once, players without a full group could have been overwhelmed. Instead, the design rewards repeat visits and reveals itself a little more each time. Even full groups of eight can return and still see something new.

More Puzzles Than Any Other Game

Most escape rooms are one-and-done, and there’s no real sense in attempting a room you’ve already 100 percent completed. To make it unlikely to be solved in a single run, we packed this room with more puzzles than any of our others: over 50 unique puzzles in total.

For comparison:

Caves of Caneen has 16 puzzles

Vampire Crypt has 14 puzzles

Designed for Two, Fun for Many

Since my wife and I usually play escape rooms as a duo, we wanted to make a game that two people could really sink their teeth into and master. We’ve found that something magical happens when you play a room multiple times. You notice new details, fresh puzzles, and little nuances you might have missed before, sometimes even solving challenges new to you that a friend solved last run.

Although I initially imagined this as a game for pairs, it quickly became clear there was plenty of space and plenty of puzzles for bigger groups too. Even with a full group of eight, you can return and still find something new to discover.