HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

One common characteristic of board gamers is a passion for puzzles – both intellectually and literally. The Sacred Temple brings the perfect mix of the two by combining an escape style game with traditional jigsaw puzzles. The jigsaw puzzles provide a unique backdrop to the narrative and serve as an interactive resource for much of the game. While they’re not terribly complicated, they do provide a fun element to the mix.

While this entire review is meant to be a little vague so as not to give away any of the twists and turns that come with an escape-style game, I also want to provide a sense of what you might be getting yourself into.

To begin, The Sacred Temple provides a few random game pieces and a brief story intro to get you started, but it is essentially up to you to solve the puzzles and navigate your way through. The game’s 12 puzzles are presented in a series of sealed documents that take you from one challenge to the next. No 2 challenges are the same and you’ll need to keep your mind sharp to solve them.

As you traverse the riddle documents, the game will notify you of new components to grab to help you on your journey. Many of these seem trivial, but therein lies the discovery and intrigue in a game like this. There’s nothing like finding an old coin and realizing it’s the key to opening a door to a lost civilization (that doesn’t happen in this game… but you get the idea).

These types of games are generally good for one play – and that’s the case here. You will often permanently alter pieces from the game. Because of that, the components aren’t typically super high-end, but that shouldn’t affect your enjoyment. The value is in the experience – pitting your creative, perception and deductive reasoning against the game. The satisfaction from solving a locked puzzle isn’t the same you get from your more traditional board games. The weight of your success sits on your shoulders… and because of that can render a much more satisfying experience.

The box claims 1-4 players. It’s my opinion that 2 players is the right player count for a smaller Exit game, like this one. I would even go as far to say 1 player is ideal, but you need that second player to share in the joy of the discovery. It also doesn’t hurt to have someone to share ideas with. Anymore than 2 players and the game tends to get a little crowded. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it does make it harder to really engage the game.

ARTWORK

KOSMOS does a great job of creating a lost world full of Indiana Jones-type adventure. Each location is packed with atmosphere and mystery. The artwork is top-notch and you never feel cheated for a minute. Overall, the artwork does a great job elevating the entire gameplay experience.

COMPONENTS

The components are fun and I loved discovering how each would be used in coordination with the adventure. They’re all made from paper, but they’re a step above your standard, glossy sheets. My guess is the publisher keeps the components from going overboard in order to keep these games affordable. They serve their purpose and I never felt like anything was “cheap” despite the quality not being what other more high-end games provide.

MY THOUGHTS

If you’re a fan of escape-style games or the Exit: The Game series, I would give my recommendation based on whether the theme appeals to you or not. The atmosphere and environments created by the game were a big positive for me. I loved the environments and the Indiana Jones feel to the graphics. The challenges are fun without being frustrating and they work really well together with the theme.

I also really enjoyed tying in classic jigsaw puzzles to the game. The puzzles aren’t terribly difficult, but I love putting puzzles together almost as much as playing board games. It’s really a treat for the two to be combined together. I also loved that they didn’t just serve as a new way to present a photo on a piece of paper. The puzzles truly serve the game in multiple ways and that was a surprise I didn’t see coming. I really appreciated that extra, creative touch. The game provides 3 separate puzzles to put together during the course of the game.

The box claims the difficulty to be a 3 out of 5. I would generally agree with that. Of course, the difficulty does vary from puzzle to puzzle. Overall, I felt the puzzles were pretty well thought-out and they do a great job of engaging the theme and immersing you in the story. There were only 1 or 2 that I felt a little cheated. For those in need, the game does provide a help system to provide you clues without giving away the solution. Of course, they provide the solution as well, but why would you want to use that?

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think Exit: The Game – The Sacred Temple provides a TON of value. These games usually run $10-$15 and that’s a bargain for the experience. The theme was right up my alley and I imagine it will appeal to many board game adventure seekers out there. The puzzles, while not too difficult, were fun and engaging. The suggested age range is 10+, but I’m not sure most 10 year old will be able to solve many of the puzzles. Where they could participate is piecing together the jigsaw puzzles. Combining the game with jigsaw puzzles was a great idea and adds to an already fun experience. If you’re looking for a night or two of high-adventure, seeking lost temples in distant lands – this is an Exit game you should check out.

Escape Room Games for the Home! 

The EXIT: The Game series allows you to bring the excitement, intensity, and team spirit of an escape room to your living room. In each EXIT game, your team starts out locked in an imaginary room or trapped somewhere. You must solve a series of riddles and puzzles in order to unlock doors and objects, and reveal new riddles. Each correct solution brings you to another riddle and eventually to freedom.

EXIT: THE GATE BETWEEN WORLDS 

An ancient map has led you deep into a cave and through a strange gate to another world. Can you solve the riddles and find your way and back home? 

EXIT: THE CURSED LABYRINTH 

During a tour of a historic castle, your attention is diverted to an intriguing labyrinth in the middle of the castle’s garden. When the gate slams behind you, the only way out is through. Can you solve the riddles and escape the impenetrable labyrinth? 

EXIT: KIDNAPPED IN FORTUNE CITY 

Criminal activity is rampant in Fortune City, and now the sheriff has disappeared. Can you solve the riddles and stop the kidnapping before it’s too late? 

EXIT: THE DESERTED LIGHTHOUSE (WITH PUZZLE)

You trudge along the dark, rocky coast seeking shelter from the raging storm. Drenched to the bone, you look up to see a brilliant beam of light pierce the curtains of rain. A lighthouse! But suddenly and inexplicably, the light goes out. You glance out into the water and spot a ship. It is heading straight for the cliffs! You realize that it is up to you to race to the top of the lighthouse and turn it on again before the ship crashes on the cliffs! But many puzzling obstacles stand in your way. 

In this EXIT game, there are riddles within riddles, hidden within four 88-piece jigsaw puzzles. Like other EXIT titles, The Deserted Lighthouse has no game board, but it also has no riddle cards. Instead, there are four jigsaw puzzles that you will find and assemble, one at a time. Each completed puzzle reveals a location containing more riddles to decipher.

EXIT: THE SACRED TEMPLE (WITH PUZZLE) 

Crooked treasure hunters have broken into the office of your university’s archaeology department! Your professor has disappeared without a trace — and so has a book with old records about a hidden temple. You must act quickly and chase down the criminals. Your pursuit will take you deep into a mysterious jungle on a small island. You must find the professor in time and save the revered treasures of the temple before they fall into the hands of the devious robbers! 

In this EXIT game, there are riddles within riddles, hidden within four 88-piece jigsaw puzzles. Like other EXIT titles, The Sacred Temple has no game board, but it also has no riddle cards. Instead, there are four jigsaw puzzles that you will find and assemble, one at a time. Each completed puzzle reveals a location containing more riddles to decipher. 

THE CREW: MISSION DEEP SEA 

In this highly-anticipated follow-up to the original cooperative card game — winner of the 2020 Kennerspiel des Jahres — players work together to search for the lost continent of Mu. This new adventure takes your crew deep down into the abyss on a search for the fabled sunken land. How far you get depends entirely on how well you work together as a team. Card by card, trick by trick, your search party will discover the challenges that lie ahead and forge a path to Mu. This new version of The Crew has the same innovative cooperative trick-taking mechanic as the highly lauded original game — but with some exciting new surprises! 

While communication between your crew members is severely limited by your submerged state, it is also critical to your success; finding the hidden land in the murky depths depends not only on winning tricks, but also on carefully negotiating the order in which they are won. If things don’t go as planned, you might just be able to salvage the operation. But it will take near flawless execution and perhaps a little luck to finally reach Mu. 

UBONGO: THE BRAIN GAME TO GO 

In this fast-paced, addictive, and easy-to-learn puzzle game, you race the clock to fit a set of interlocking tiles perfectly into a specific area. Based on the original hit board game Ubongo, this compact version features 15 colorful plastic tiles, 20 puzzle cards with over 200 puzzles, and a plastic game board that doubles as a durable travel case. Slide in a puzzle card and give your brain a workout! The puzzles get progressively more challenging as you go. Pass the game around to challenge your family and friends. Who is the master layout artist and who is spatially challenged? 

ANDOR: THE FAMILY FANTASY GAME 

Venture into a land of fantasy and legend! In this cooperative family role-playing game, each player chooses one of four powerful heroes: the magician, the warrior, the archer, or the dwarf. Your heroic journey begins with a mission to rescue some wolf cubs that are lost in a dangerous mine. But, before embarking on your search, your party must get past Mart, the bridge guard, by completing all of his tasks. Only then will he let your party cross his bridge and enter the mine. However, danger still lurks on the horizon, as a dragon encroaches on the castle Rietburg just as you approach the mine. Should he arrive at the castle before your heroes rescue the wolf cubs, your party will lose the mission — and the game. If your party rescues the cubs first, you win! Andor: The Family Fantasy Game features gameplay that is similar to the popular Legends of Andor, but more approachable to younger players, making it a great introduction to the entire Legends of Andor series of games.

ANNO 1800 

Anno 1800 is an epic city-building strategy board game based on Ubisoft’s popular PC game of the same name. Players strive to build up their industrial might as they develop an island society at the dawn of the industrial age. Investing in their nautical fleets enables trade and expansion to new territories in the old and new worlds, but players must focus above all on maintaining the health and happiness of the citizens of their home islands. While the population is initially satisfied with food and clothing, in time it will demand valuable luxury goods. Players must plan their development strategies and supply chains carefully while keeping an eye on the distribution of specialized roles within their territories. The objective of the game is to plan for an even distribution of farmers, workers, craftsmen, engineers, and investors. But beware, because the competition never sleeps. Players may steal new achievements out from under each other’s noses at any time! Whose island will prosper and whose will fall? 

THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD 

The year is 1193, and the county of Nottingham, England is suffering under the oppressive rule of the corrupt Prince John and his henchmen. In this cooperative family board game, players take on the roles of Robin Hood and his Merry Men as they battle the wicked rulers in the city and throughout Sherwood Forest. Designed and illustrated by Michael Menzel, the award-winning creator of the Legends of Andor game series, this game features a beautifully illustrated gameboard that changes over the course of the game and a gorgeous, faux-leather-bound, 216-page hardcover storybook that narrates the story and advances the gameplay. 

An innovative game mechanic allows you to move your character figures freely around the gameboard; you do not need to follow one set route. The gameboard also has interactive panels that are flipped to reveal hidden characters and new gameplay elements during play. As your quest progresses, you open these panels and speak to various characters who alter your course. A quickstart game in the rulebook effortlessly launches you into the action. Grab your bow and arrow and join the fight for justice and equity!

FANGS 

What team is the player sitting next to you on? Are they a blood-sucking vampire? A ferocious werewolf? Or just a hapless chump trying not to get bitten? And what team do they think you’re on?! 

In FANGS, it’s werewolves v. vampires v. humans. This thrilling social deduction party game challenges players to determine which one of these three secret roles each other player has assumed. Since you don’t know who you can trust when the game begins, you must attempt to conceal your role from the other players while working to identify your allies and your enemies. Werewolves are out to expel vampires from the game; vampires aim to expel werewolves; and the humans are just trying to avoid detection and survive until the end of the game. Throw in some secret weapons and ulterior motives, and this party game for 5 to 8 players makes for a howling good time. 

FANGS is an amped up werewolf-style social deduction game that is playable without a game leader and without an app. With lots of information to suss out and analyze, it elevates the social deduction game to the next level. Each player has a specific role with unique goals and win conditions, forcing players to act in ways others might not expect. On a player’s turn, they choose between multiple actions, but limiting factors make it so there are justifications and excuses for any action. The addition of a strong storyline gives this social deduction game the added feeling of a role-playing game. The design of the gameboard makes the game easy to learn and play, so all your friends and family can get in on the action. 

LOST CITIES ROLL & WRITE 

Begin your expedition on one of six colored paths by rolling the smallest possible numbers on the dice. Each turn, decide whether to continue an expedition or start a new one. Acceleration fields and artifacts provide opportunities to advance quickly, but you’ll have to carefully consider which paths to take on which roll. If you make good progress, victory beckons — but if an expedition gets stuck, you will lose points just as quickly as you earned them! This small and portable format is the perfect Lost Cities game for on-the-go fun. Simple rules and a short play time make this game ideal for family game nights.