Explore Magic Woods or Search for a Lost Artifact in These New Exit Games (Spoiler-Free Review)

We recently took a look at some of the newest games in the Thames & Kosmos Exit series. From a fairy tale-filled forest to a creepy cemetery looking for a lost treasure, these newest entries continue to bring new and diverse themes and puzzles to the table.

You can read our review of previous games in the series as well as a general overview of how the gameplay works, here and here.

The Enchanted Forest

It all started with a stroll in the woods. You crossed a bridge and it disappeared behind you, leaving you in a forest full of fairy tale creatures. You must work together to solve the riddles in order to bring the bridge back and escape, or be stuck in the enchanted forest forever.

How did it go? The Enchanted Forest had some really unique and enjoyable puzzles. Three in particular stood out to us, including a tactile puzzle and several creative uses of components. These were satisfying to solve and quite cleverly designed.

There is a lot of flavor text in the game. This can slow down gameplay, which is problematic in a game where the speed at which you complete it determines your final score and you can only play once. This text mostly ties into the theme rather than the puzzles, but it seems a shame to skip it. We'd have liked a little bit more balance in the amount included, or for the larger sections of flavor text only to be read when the timer was stopped. It is, however, a really fun theme and it’s enjoyable to encounter the familiar fairy tales as you work your way through the puzzles.

Overall we were very impressed with this one and had a great time with it! We were able to complete it in eighty minutes with no hints. The length felt right, and while the puzzles were challenging they were never frustrating. The Enchanted Forest is a great example of what is so fun about the Exit series.

The Cemetery of the Knight

After receiving a mysterious letter in the mail, you set out to uncover the crypt of Sir Reginald Wreston and retrieve a hidden artifact.

How did it go? The Cemetery of the Knight felt more difficult than the rating on the box implied. We've played quite a number of the Exit games at this point, and found we were getting stuck more often than usual, and had to use more clues than we typically do. Some of the puzzles felt a little unsatisfying, not making a lot of sense even once they'd been solved. We also found some of the artwork to be extremely small and difficult to decipher. Each Exit game always lists any additional items you'll need for solving; this one should have recommended a magnifying glass. Or better yet, included one in the box.

We did enjoy the theme, feeling the spooky cemetery setting would be particularly appropriate for around Halloween. While not our favorite entry in the series, it still had some clever 'aha' moments, and the designers continue to bring new ideas to the table with each game.

Disclosure: we received complimentary review copies of these games.