RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: *not timed (played 1:59:49)
How can such a small box be packed with so many surprises? The answer is simple: MAGIC.
Last summer, a documentary team uncovered blueprints for a secret box in the Paris archives, believed to be drawn by Harry Houdini himself. They asked us to recreate it. After a year of research and testing, the box came back to life, preserving its mystery and spirit. Alongside the blueprints, an invitation was found – Houdini’s call to his collaborators:
“Dear Friend, allow me to present you with a challenge that I trust will captivate your curiosity. Success in solving it will grant you entry to our circle of kindred spirits, where new designs and illusions are born. Faithfully yours, Houdini.”
Now, the challenge is yours. Step into Houdini’s world, become one of his collaborators – and set him free.
Houdini may be the one name most synonymous with the very notion of escape. Famed the world over for his uncanny ability to break out of even the most impenetrable of captivities, his spirit – perhaps both figuratively and literally – is now trapped inside of an intricately detailed ClueBox.
It will take careful thought, a keen eye for detail and a whole lot of actual magic to free his soul from this small wooden prison. Doing so will result in not only a standing ovation from the audience, but a chorus of gasps and audible “how did they do that” stunned whispers from Houdini’s own assistants as they free his spirit from these mortal shackles.
The quality of the Houdini’s ClueBox is magic in and of itself. With each piece custom cut from durable, thick birch wood, accentuated by real metal miniature jail bars and draped in the chains of unbreakable handcuffs, instantly make this At Home performance a true spectacle.
The ClueBox stands 4.25″ tall, with its base being 4.25″ wide and 4.25″ deep. Vibrant, vintage promotional poster graphics evoke a sense of traveling back in time to witness one of Houdini’s greatest feats live and in person, establishing a clear theme that ties each side of the cube together. But this trick is still one of Houdini’s own design, so successfully performing it will be anything but simple, thanks to multiple secret locks, functional switches and all sorts of interactive mechanical components that cover literally all six sides of this cube. There’s even a small hidden compartment available to hide a personalized gift for that special someone.
While this all may sound complicated – and it is – perhaps the most unexpected surprise of Houdini’s Magic Escape is that everything comes out of its retail packaging fully assembled, and immediately ready to play! Of course, that doesn’t mean getting through its many layers will be an easy task. iDventure rates Houdini’s Magic Escape as one of their more difficult ClueBox products to date!
Houdini’s Magic Escape stays true to its namesake, incorporating a whole host of puzzles themed directly to real stage illusions – from sleight of hand with a deck of cards to an astonishing surprise with a simple six-sided die, and even a functional sliding cabinet! On far more than one occasion, even Houdini’s own trusted assistants may find themselves gasping out loud, “how the heck did that just happen?!”
Physically movable switches, gears, other tactile interactive parts – and yes, actual magic tricks – give the ClueBox its distinct escape game flavor, making this far more than just a traditional wooden puzzle box and much more a genuine performance. Each step of this adventure creates its own unforeseen delights, pairing different styles of challenges often hidden in plain sight that pack all sorts of surprises into its compact frame.
Houdini’s most difficult trick shall forever go down in history as his Chinese Water Torture Cell, and although this ClueBox is far less dangerous, it’s almost equally as challenging. Let this be a moment where seeking the occasional hint is encouraged, because the pure magic revealed throughout this daring act is worth every second of its playtime.
Houdini’s Magic Escape packs more authentic ‘wow moments‘ into its small ClueBox than perhaps the majority of At Home games available today. Upon first glance, it’s rather unassuming – and therein lies its most effective illusion of all. Every step of this surprising performance hides secret clues leading to fully functional mechanics that should seem impossible in a small package, or at such a relatively reasonable price point. It’s been said several times herein, but there really is magic inside this ClueBox.
iDventure carefully crafted a product that is fully replayable, and provides detailed reset instructions for each hidden lock and secret switch. The process is extensive though not difficult, and took roughly XX minutes to reset after this initial playthrough.
iDventure offers two distinct product lines, a ClueBox such as Houdini’s Magic Escape, with a heavy focus on very challenging mental tasks, and a PuzzleBox such as The Wonderbox of Alice where the focus is more on piecing together several unique jigsaw puzzles which themselves interact with the physical mechanics. Both product lines are unique, and either one would set them apart in the competitive At Home game market. Combined, it makes iDventure an At Home game powerhouse that unquestionably offers a puzzle style for every type of player.
*Taron & Mako, Escape Authority’s Co-VPs, Dog Business™ and lead home game correspondents endorse the opinions found within this review.
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Venue: iDventure ClueBox
Location: At Home Game
Number of Games: 11 (1 in this box)
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 120 minutes
Capacity: 1-3 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers (but if you are, call 911 immediately to report a home invasion.)
Cost (at Publish Time): $64.99 (Amazon.com)
We thank iDventure for inviting us to play this game. Although a complimentary copy was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.
