OVERALL PRODUCT RATING: 4 Keys

Aid and abet Al Capone, slay a dragon, break into an ancient temple, bring down a criminal gambling ring, and explore a mysterious cave… for FREE!

We’re starting with the OVERALL section, which typically closes out each of our reviews in order to provide the big picture information about this product. From there, we’ll bounce to one general SCENIC section for the entire product – as all five games have equal quality materials and graphics used. In place of the traditional STORY and PUZZLES sections, we will be replacing them with five mini-reviews – one for each included game.

Unlock! Demo Adventures is Space Cowboy’s way to hook you in – packing not one but five different varying length home games inside the “box” for free. As with each Unlock! offering, a playable Tutorial is included. It should be noted that the Tutorial is the same in every Unlock! series, so once you’ve played it, there’s not much benefit in revisiting it.

Normally, Unlock! releases could be purchased in one of two ways – individually per game, or as a package set housed in a single themed series box. Interestingly, we’ve found that in those instances, it almost always proved cheaper to purchase each single game one by one on Amazon. It would appear as though Unlock! has since moved away from the individual games with newer releases, as both Unlock! Heroic Adventures and Unlock! Timeless Adventures are each only available as single-boxed three packs. But the good news here – these Demo Adventures are 100% free!

This series of free, downloadable games – called Unlock! Demo Adventures –  is available through their website, which you can find by clicking here. They range in length, although several are full 60 minute games. To play them, it’s best if you have access to a color printer and several sheets of cardstock, as well as a scissors to cut out each individual card. Just for fun, we did try playing one game “fully digital,” with the help of Photoshop to lay out each of the cards on our virtual desktop – and while it did work, and we still were able to enjoy the Unlock! experience, we found this to be far more time consuming than just taking a few minutes and a few sheets of paper to print them out as intended.

Progressing through an Unlock! game will lead players to either a number or letter – and if correct, this will indicate the next card(s) to draw from the deck.

Each Unlock! game is run through a free app, available in the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores. Through it, you’ll not only manage time limits and receive hints, but also enter various codes and even solve some of the puzzles in tech-driven, digital setting. As an added bonus, the Unlock! app also includes themed background music that helps bring the storyworld of each game to life.

The app allows games to be played either with or without penalties for incorrect answers. We prefer playing without penalties, as we feel it more truly mimics a physical escape game experience where you may try a code in a lock when you’re uncertain. Although the penalty free mode is activated (in the app’s Settings) by turning off the timer, rest assured you will still receive your escape time at the end. In fact, turning off the timer is the only way to receive an accurate escape time, as penalties add multiple minutes to your overall duration.

Although the Unlock! Demo Adventures does include five unique stand alone games, we’ll be presenting them as one single review simply because they are easily downloaded as one free set. You’ll notice there is one “OVERALL PRODUCT RATING” – which we’ve combined together to give an average score. Each individual game within the box will also get its own rating below.

As we’ve touched on previously, being a home game, we define “Scenic,” from a graphic design perspective, as well as the quality, weight and feel of print materials inside the box.

We mentioned that Space Cowboys goes the route of fully card-based escape home games. The Demo Adventures are printable at home, and we suggest printing them on cardstock to better match the quality of the purchased Unlock! sets. Be sure to print them in color as the scenic is not only enhanced by color but the puzzles sometimes rely on it. Normally, each edition is produced to the highest levels of quality – with thick, glossy textures that have the feel of a upscale deck of playing cards. Unlock!’s decks, however, are larger than a traditional card – measuring in at nearly 4.5″ tall by 2.5″ wide.

Something we’ve always enjoyed about Space Cowboys is their use of multiple different artists for each Unlock! box set. What results is a distinctly different animation style, evoking unique moods that help bring each storyworld to life. No two decks within a set will ever feel the same, or even slightly similar, for that matter.

Each game’s respective page within the Unlock! app fully compliments the theme of its storyworld, with unique buttons, sound effects and background music scores to transport the adventure off the cards and bring it to life all around players.

5th Avenue

RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 9:23

New York, 1931.

Al Capone has called upon you from Chicago. You must steal a revolutionary product from the multinational corporation 2M4GD CORP. Industrial espionage is not your forte, but you can handle this job.

It’s intimidating when the notorious Al Capone calls asking for some important help. The mission is simple: break in to the Flatiron building on 5th Avenue, steal what he needs, and get out undetected. Easier said than done.

In order to accomplish the task at hand, would be thieves must pay close attention to the details in their surroundings, or in the case of Unlock! games, the details on the cards. 5th Avenue does a good job of introducing players to the concept and play beyond the tutorial game. The mechanics are built upon as players learn how different cards can interact, yet this occurs in a nicely stepped fashion making the game still very approachable.

There are several fun puzzles in 5th Avenue that are neither too difficult or too easy. A logical progression takes place from outside the building, to the interior space, to actually stealing the goods, to escaping. It follows the storyworld intuitively, leading to a great first impression of the Unlock! brand.

Doo-Arann dungeon

RATING: 3 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 2:34

The sense of unknown danger becomes more and more palpable with each step taken further into the dungeon. It may be the darkness, it may be the foreboding water well, or it may be the faint sounds of a dragon just beyond that wall. One thing is for sure – it’s just slightly too dark in these halls for us to clearly see our way forward.

Unlock! introduces players to some great concepts and gameplay in this title. Adventurers will learn to cast spells, build an inventory for future use, and develop a keen eye for spotting clues along the way. Unfortunately, they will also likely become familiar with the hint button included in the Unlock! game app. There are several steps along this journey that are less than intuitive, especially for those newer to the Unlock! brand.

Thankfully, a strong storyworld and detailed scenic help carry this title. While there are some fun puzzles to be found within this dungeon, Do-Arann doesn’t quite execute as well as it could.

In Pursuit of cabrakan

RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 26:37

Sunlight bursting through the cave ceiling illuminates the path forward. A quick glance around the entryway shows obvious areas that beg to be explored further, as well as some far less overt areas of interest. From this point forward, In Pursuit of Cabrakan is chock full of rich storyworld and the puzzles to match.

In a perfectly intuitive flow, treasure seekers will traverse the many chambers of the cave that hides the Cabrakan gold statue. Unlock! packs in several great “ah ha!” moments along the way, truly demonstrating just how well their card based escape games can deliver. The final 1-2-3 punch of challenges before achieving the ultimate goal proves to be incredibly satisfying and fun. Even if time is not a factor, the way each of these tasks flawlessly leads to the next creates a sense of urgency as players dash throughout the cave. The end result is an artful deck of cards that feels like so much more.

The Elite

RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 13:18

Las Vegas, Nevada.

You are taken to a man in a beige suit in the hallway of a hotel casino. He speaks to you:

«It seems that you are the best of the best investigative services. Today is your lucky day, you are going to have the opportunity to prove it. Behind me is the hideout of a man suspected of illicit activities: illegal game organization, rigged betting and massive cheating. Infiltrate his room, find the evidence we need to charge him and get out quickly.»

With a backstory that can potentially lead to a lot of clever and exciting challenges, The Elite is set up well to pack a solid punch. The story take an early turn, blowing up an preconceived ideas investigators may have had.

Once inside the criminal “hideout”, A.K.A. a hotel room, investigators quickly discover that they not only have to stop a cheater… but they also have to defuse a bomb! Because escape game. Although a cliche brick & mortar escape game trope, it actually works surprisingly well as a narrative driver for The Elite.

There is one instance of fairly difficult “scavenging” that if missed will bring your mission to a screeching halt. Part of this issue can be attributed to lack of familiarity with Unlock! game mechanics, as seasoned players would likely have no problems finding what is “hidden”. Intuitive puzzles with palpable consequences make this mini-game a fast paced, exciting, and challenging experience.

The Temple of ra

RATING: 1 Key          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 2:27

The temple of RA has just been excavated in the Valley of the Kings. You are certain that it holds an amazing treasure. Unfortunately, no one pays attention to your theories that people find bizarre… So, you decide to take risks and to sneak into the temple at nightfall, between two patrols. After a long tunnel, the glow from the flashlight illuminates the anteroom…

The Temple of RA is Unlock! Demo Adventure’s most difficult game, according their rating system. That difficulty comes in the form of crazy logic leaps, and game mechanics that force players to break the rules of pretty much all escape games and card games alike.

The massive mental gymnastics needed to progress show up early on in the game, and they. Just. Keep. Coming. While there are a few notable “OHHHHHHH!” moments to be had, they pretty much all only occur after generous use of the hint button. Just when it starts to become clear that the puzzles in The Temple of RA are all very difficult, players settle in to attempt to solve a card that ends up being a total red herring, wasting valuable time and adding to the confusion.

Most offensive of all is the final puzzle sequence. To achieve the ultimate goal of uncovering the hidden treasure, adventurers will be required to do something so unintuitive that it almost makes it seem as if the game is cheating against the player. This frustrating mechanic – one that is not used in any of the other Demo Adventure games – puts a sour finish on an already aggravating game. The Temple of RA clearly brought up the rear in this pack of five, but truth be told not every game can be a real treasure.

Upon first learning of this product, we’re not afraid to admit that we thought there was no way a simple deck of cards could ever evoke the flavor of being in an actual, highly themed physical space. We’re happy to say that Space Cowboy’s Unlock! series has consistently proven us wrong.

Unlock! has become the one home series that we find ourselves constantly checking online in hopes of finding a new release – and the moment one is available, we order ours immediately. The Unlock! series has consistently proven to be a breath of fresh air in the home game setting – providing experiences that are always clever, fun, story driven and set in a wide variety of unique themes – with the one consistent constant being their ability to inspire the feeling of playing a genuine escape game without ever leaving the comfort of our own home.

It’s great to have a way to test some Unlock! games for free. Players who may otherwise be hesitant to give card based escape games a try can see just how much fun they can be without any expense, and we’re confident they’ll quickly be hooked!

*Brad was too grumpy to take a picture after playing The Temple of RA

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Venue:  Space Cowboys

Location: At Home Game

Number of Games: 29 (5 + 1 Tutorial game included in the Demo Adventures download)

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: Varies (30 or 60 minutes – optional to turn the timer off)

Capacity: 1-6 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): $0.00 (FREE)