Explore New Worlds and Exciting Puzzles in Exit: The Gate Between Worlds (Spoiler-Free Review)

This recent entry in the Exit series ditches most of the riddle cards and instead has you solve puzzles spread throughout a series of posters, each featuring a different world that you must travel to.

So put on your thinking cap, and dive through portals to a wide variety of worlds to solve an even wider variety of riddles.

Gameplay

At the start of the game, all you have access to is the decoder disk. This has a a series of three rotatable wheels. You can rotate these wheels, lining up a number on each one with one of the lock icons shown around the edge of the disk. When you think you have found a lock in the game and have the code for it, you line up the code with that lock's icon. A window on the disk will then show a symbol corresponding to an answer card. You then check the back of the answer card indicated and it will tell you if you are correct or not.

There are various items in the game that you will gain access to as you play (typically through solving locks): strange items, posters (each one of which represents a different location that you visit in the game), and a single riddle card. You will use these items to solve more locks and figure out more riddles.

Solve all the puzzles to complete the game, and earn a final score based on the time it took you and the number of hints you used.

Review

The Gate Between Worlds features some incredibly innovative puzzles, with the final one in particular being thoroughly impressive and unexpected. The game does run a bit long due to the difficulty, but this was definitely one of our favorites at this particular difficulty level.

With each poster representing a different world you enter, there's a lot of variety both in theme and artwork, which really keeps you engaged in the game, even when it does run long. Also, while from the story to puzzles you in no way need to have played Exit The Cemetery of the Knight, the storyline actually picks up where that one leaves off, which is a neat edition and a nice Easter egg for returning fans of the Exit series.

The fact that there is only one riddle card included, and the rest of the information is spread out across the special items and the posters, is really clever. The Exit games have always included unique puzzles in each game, but here it really feels like they are pushing themselves to get more creative with the core gameplay.

You may need a few hints over the course of the game, but we found all the puzzles to make sense and they never felt unfair. The game is also linear, so you’re not stuck wondering what you’re supposed to be working on next. But be aware that this is a game you can't pass on to a friend, as the components get quite mutilated over the course of the game.

The Gate Between Worlds is both fun and challenging, with solutions that will put a smile on your face as you crack the riddles and find those solutions!

Pros: Some really clever and innovative puzzles, all the solutions felt reasonable, great variation of theme

Cons: Runs a little long, you can’t pass it on to a friend

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.