Escape Room type games are great fun, especially ones that you can play at home and play more than once. They are a great way for players to challenge themselves whilst learning to work with others. They are excellent for allowing players to spend quality time together.
When looking for a puzzling escape room-esque type of game, do you go for one where players need to solve a series of clues or something more hands on? I love playing both and have been trying out Spy Code Operation: Escape Room. It is part of the Spy Code range that includes Break Free, Safe Breaker and Diamond Heist. It is an interactive game where players must use logic and spy skills to free their teammate who is wearing an escape belt before the time runs out!
Spy Code Operation: Escape Room is a hands-on challenging puzzling escape game that is suitable for 2-6 players, aged 6 and above. It has a playing time of around 15 minutes.
In the box:
- Timer Strap
- Key Cage
- 2 Sticks
- Quiz Master
- 45 Quiz Master Card (15 Easy, 15 Medium and 15 Difficult)
- Lucky Spinner
- 3 Keys
- Game Rules
In Spy Code Operation: Escape Room you have been captured on a super-secret spy mission and have very little time to escape. If that wasn’t enough of a problem, one of your fellow players (or rather, one of your spy friends) has a timer strapped to them. The challenge is on. You and the other spies (players) will need to find the correct objects hidden around the house and use them to solve the three puzzles to be able to free the spy from the timer! Co-operation and teamwork, logic, quick thinking, a steady hand and nimble fingers will be required to succeed. Can you do it in time?
Before beginning your spy mission there is some minimal assembly required but is all very straightforward. Slotting pieces together and installing batteries (2x AAA, not supplied) in the timer. It should only take a couple of minutes.
Once the pieces are assembled and the batteries installed in the timer, place the Key Cage, Quiz Master and Lucky Spinner in different locations around the house. Select a player to be captured (the one who will have the timer strapped to them). Set the timer for how long you want to play for. You are now ready to play. Good luck!
Once a player presses the fingerprint button on the timer, play begins. The players (not the one with the timer strapped to them) need to then find and solve the three challenges in order (Skill Key Cage, Quiz Master and finally the Lucky Spinner) before the time runs out to release the captured player. If you solve all the challenges, you will gain the key to open the timer and press the STOP button to win.
There are three challenging puzzles to solve to before you can stop the timer:
- Skill Key Cage: In the cage is the first key that you need. Each side of the cage has a different difficulty level. Spin the wheel on top of the cage to decide what side is going to be opened. Use the two sticks to try and remove the key from the cage maze without touching it with your hands. Once you have the key you can move onto the second challenge.
- Strategy Quiz Master: Using the key you liberated from the cage, unlock the device for the Strategy Quiz Master. You must solve any three of the different puzzle cards to release the next key. Once solved and you have the key you can move on to the third and final challenge.
- Lucky Spinner: Use the key you captured from the previous challenge puzzle and insert it in the top of the spinner and turn it clockwise whilst pushing down on the key until it clicks. Lift up doors to find the next key. Once you have solved this challenge you can move on to release the captured spy.
With the three challenge puzzles solved and keys gained, to release the captured spy you insert the last key into the timer and turn it clockwise to reveal the escape button. Press the escape button before the time runs out and the strap on the timer will release. You win!
If time runs out and you haven’t released your captured spy friend, there is a safety button that you can use to release the strap.
Overall, Spy Code Operation: Escape Room is a fun a challenging escape room game. It is a challenging puzzle game that requires logical thinking and patience to help players solve the mathematical puzzles, finding patterns and solving problems to crack the code. With the addition of a timer that increases the tension, everything feels like you must solve it at speed.
The timer straps around the body of the player easily. The player wearing it is inactive during the game, so the short game play of 15 minutes is a good length. Whilst this player is inactive, they can be encouraging and offering advice to the other players. The timer is just a device to hold the prisoner captive and it is excellent, it even adds to the tension of the game with its loud ticking noise.
This is an excellent challenging game for kids to play. It is very simple to set up and play. Game play is quick so a few games can easily be played so that everybody gets a turn solving the puzzles as well as being the captured player. The game play can also be adjusted for younger and older players.
Spy Code Operation: Escape Room is a fantastic fun and challenging interactive puzzle game that gets brains working and testing out those spy skills. A great way to spend the rainy evenings we have been having recently.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £19.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.
