Series One: On The Run

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We’re huge fans of escape rooms and monthly subscription-based models, so we were very excited to hear about Breakout escape room’s latest endeavor. Currently, the only series in their arsenal is “On the Run”, which immerses you immediately into the story as you play one of the “characters.” The box they ship the game in is even packaged to look like it’s shipped from somewhere far and wide. This is part 1 of their current subscription series. (The next set will come a month later.) There’s a journal, newspaper clippings, the wedding program and napkin, and a few other clues to read and unravel what actually happened. We play detective as we find out our childhood friend is suspected of killing his wife, an heiress.

The set looks very promising, with quality-made paper which keeps the clues very easy to read. The method in which we are to solve the mystery is executed in a very clever way, and their story-telling is unlike anything we have ever seen before. It’s obvious how much thought went into the making of this series, from the backstory and number of documents included, to the various websites in which to sleuth around, making for a very rich and intricate world. It is very reminiscent of a murder mystery, with clues woven together. They even have a website dedicated to helping people if they get stuck. One nice addition to the box could be something besides all the extensive literature. A lock and key and other puzzle mechanisms are more expensive, we know, but there could possibly be some puzzles to solve on the paper, like a cryptogram to make it more interactive and varied. So long as it ties in with the story, that could add a refreshing component and a nice reprieve from all the reading.

The biggest downfall for all of us is that, with as dense as the literature is to comb through only one box, we are still unable to solve the mystery because it’s not a complete set. We get as far as we can, and are left at a cliff that basically spells, “To Be Continued…” Although it leaves us with heightened suspicions and an inkling of who really committed the crime, for us, that was the most frustrating part. We don’t want to have to wait an entire month for a new set of clues! And then another 9 months (we don’t know the actual number) to find out the ending! This is where this subscription-based model is severely flawed. Granted, we are fans of Dungeons and Dragons, and know all about playing campaigns over multiple times and settings, but in that game it is our decision on when to start and stop the game. While the story does intrigue and hook us, once we found out we have to wait another month we’re kind of over it. According to their website, each story lasts for less than a year before a new one begins. If Breakout were to send a fully contained story in one box, we’re sold, and we would be subscribing for a lifetime because it really is fun figuring out the relationships between the characters and gathering our own suspects list.