Mastery

Some key facts you want to know:

– This game is awesome fun even for 2 players only, and completely nuts when you’re 4 or more.
– Games are quick (10 minutes each)
– Accomplishing the objective means various interactions (moving, discovering rooms, unlocking treasures, etc.)
– The dice rolling mechanic is NOT just chance, you have to think twice and use strategy to cooperate with other players.

First I’m going to say: buy this game. Buy it, because there’s nothing like it in your board game library and you WILL find this fun, trust me.

We play with an iPhone, the game’s soundtrack is available on YouTube, or you can download the MP3. If you’re anything like me, finding a working CD player in your house might be a quest 🙂

Now here’s the picture:

My wife and I are 40. We have 2 kids, and and our friend couple (same age) has 3 (including a baby). On rainy weekend days we call each other because the only way we can have a life is by having the kids play together while WE play together *some* game. Any game.

I was looking for something that’s easy to learn, but still provides enough action and strategy to get our brains going while we have a good time.

What would not be enough: Mice and Mystics would be out of a question, because there’s too many rules to teach, for zero action and not enough strategy.

What would be too much : Robinson Crusoe, while being a great cooperative game, there’s just too much strategy and not enough action.

Just perfect for the situation, is Escape.

Why:

1. It’s ambient. The soundtrack takes you straight in an Indiana Jones movie.
2. Easy to teach. 10 minutes. Really.
3. Lots of challenges, especially with the curses which make an already challenging game even more challenging. Did I mention it’s challenging?
4. This doesn’t feel like playing a boardgame at all. It feels like playing a video game on a board.
5. YOU WANT TO SUCCEED. Badly. But the more you are, the harder it’s going to be. So you’ll be playing 10-minute game after 10-minute game.
6. It’s EXCITING. It actually gets you through a rollercoaster of emotions, just like when you’re betting those fat 10,000$ chips at the Casino (something I have yet to try).
7. Your friends, who had barely played anything else than Monopoly, Sorry or Twister — and that’s before they had kids— will absolutely enjoy the sheer fun of discovering and playing this.

For all the hesitating you’re going to experience the next time you’re figuring out which game you want to buy, remember my words:

GET.

THIS.

GAME.

You can thank me later.