I have previously written a review of an Unlock boxed escape room game, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Since then we have played a few more of them and have been very impressed with the variety of themes and puzzle types across the range. Our most recent addition was Unlock! Star Wars, a Star Wars themed escape game which we received as a Christmas gift. My husband and I are both Star Wars fans, so combining this theming with a game style we enjoy was sure to be a hit! We have now played all 3 of the games inside, so its time for a review…
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How Unlock! Games Work
All the Unlock! games come with 3 separate games in the box, and each game usually consists of just a deck of numbered/lettered cards. Occasionally a game will also include a supporting item, such as a foldout printed map or room layout. The game is then played using the cards alongside an app, which is an interactive feature of the game. It provides a live timer (which can be turned off if you prefer a lower pressure game experience), and it’s also the place where you enter codes to unlock new game stages/elements, and operate “machines”. We have discovered that these machines are are not always (in fact are rarely) literal machines, but rather a place to interact physically with game elements. The creativity of these games, the puzzles involved, and the interactive elements often surprises us, and no 2 games are ever the same!
Unlock! Star Wars
This Star Wars themed version of an Unlock game contains 3 games as usual, all rated level 2 or 3 difficulty, with 3 the most difficult. And of course, all the games are set in the Star Wars universe. Each game had a different story, a different character type for you to play, and a different setting within the universe, and so they all felt very distinct. This box also came with its own Star Wars version of the app to download, rather than being a game featured on the standard Unlock! app.
Game 1: Escape From Hoth
Escape from Hoth is a story almost directly lifted from the Hoth scenes in The Empire Strikes Back. You are a rebel scouting the ice planet of Hoth, end up in a Wampa cave, have to escape and make it back to the rebel base, and end up fighting AT-AT walkers, much like the film. There weren’t a lot of surprising elements within the story itself, but the puzzles were engaging, and interaction with the app included speaking into it, using our phone like binoculars, and literally wiping an item clean to reveal a clue, so it was quite creative and fun. This was the game most directly linked to a specific Star Wars movie, and it even had cameo appearances from C3PO and Chewbacca!
Game 2: An Unforeseen Delay
In An Unforeseen Delay you take on the role of a smuggler who is held prisoner onboard an imperial ship. The mission is to rescue your droid and escape with your stolen cargo, and you come into contact with stormtroopers as well enemy ships while trying to escape on yours. Although I didn’t recognise the story as an existing one, it felt very Star Wars as you have your own droid and end up involved in a space battle. One thing to note about this particular game is it contains one puzzle that requires at least 2 people. This doesn’t affect whether you can complete the game, but it would affect your enjoyment of that part of the game if you were playing it solo.
Game 3: Secret Mission on Jedha
Secret Mission on Jedha is the only game in the set where you are on the Empire’s side, which I thought added some nice variety. You are an imperial spy hunting down a crashed shuttle and its cargo of kyber crystals on Jedha. There was the nice inclusion of a physical fold-out map, which you use to find hidden locations and to follow tracks in the desert. And although you never see him, the game references the character Saw Gerrera. As a level 3 difficulty game, there was a bit more to this one than the others, and we did need a couple of hints to finish it. But it was very enjoyable, as always!
Review of Unlock! Star Wars The Escape Game
Overall we really enjoyed this Unlock series of games. They were definitely not the hardest ones we have played, but they each contained tricky puzzles of their own. It was nice to have unique puzzle types in each of the 3 games, and creative and distinct app interactions in each story, utilising sound and physical interactions with objects and places, such as these examples:
The addition of “advantage cards” was an element we’ve not seen in the other Unlock games we have played. They provided small hints to some of the puzzles in the game, and you have to blindly select 3 out of 6 advantage card options before the game begins, based on names such as “Droid Specialist” and “Terrain Mapping”. We didn’t find them a necessary addition at all though, as all the puzzles in the games can be solved without additional assistance. In fact in some cases having these cards was a bit distracting.
The Star Wars theming of the games was very satisfying and would be enjoyable for any Star Wars fan. The games included familiar locations, scenery, typical plot points, and even some character cameos! And it was nice to have 3 distinct viewpoints – rebel, smuggler and imperial spy – and settings – ice planet, desert moon and imperial ship – for variety. However, it is worth mentioning that a non-Star Wars fan could easily play these games – no prior knowledge of Star Wars is needed to be able to solve any of the puzzles or to play along.
If this seems up your street, you can buy a copy of Unlock! Star Wars The Escape Game here. And if the game style is appealing but you’d prefer a non-Star Wars version, my absolute favourite so far has been Unlock 6! Timeless Adventures.
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