In 2007, when the first room of this type in Japan was created, people were delighted and very curious about such a novelty. Seven years later, an equivalent appeared in Poland. Despite the passage of years, the interest does not decrease, and more and more variants are becoming popular. On the basis of all the hype, board games were created, inspired by real places where a person can prove himself and transfer entertainment to the home environment. A new marine version by Fox Games has just been released.
We enter the world of Blackbeard and its rough sea. The news says that he hid his treasure somewhere, and only the greatest daredevils will be able to find it. As a skilful and cunning seeker, you have discovered the first clue, you acquire the map, and you are one step away from getting the riches you want. It becomes more complicated when your enemies are on your heels and the slightest mistake can destroy your chances of winning. Time to go on an adventure because the puzzles will not be solved by themselves.
Escape Room: Blackbeard’s Treasure is the eighth part of handy games that are as exciting as their prototypes. And so he goes on a sea adventure in which the waters are foamy, treasures are huge, and pirates lurk behind the rocks. Martino Chiacchiera and Silvano Sorrentino, Italian board game designers who already have over a dozen editions on their accounts, are responsible for the title, including other titles from the Escape Room series or Kryminalne ridki .
A small box hides a small amount of content, but this is really enough to have a good time. After opening, we find a deck of cards with all the clues and gameplay elements on them. You cannot shuffle them, view them, or skip any step. This version is different than the others because the main element of the fun is competition. Previously, you could even play alone, here the participants split into two teams and fight for the laurel of victory. Unfortunately, this procedure significantly influenced the entire reception of the title, not entirely positive. The original concept of escape rooms, in which people collaborated with each other, was somewhat lost. Although the Treasury Blackbeardhas its advantages. One of the most important is execution. Alberto Bontempi’s illustrations are a miracle. They give a wonderful pirate atmosphere. You can feel like a corsair on the trail of a big win. The story may be a bit hackneyed, but it’s still fun, and we’re fighting like Jack Sparrow.
The whole deck seems large and similar to the previous parts, but the puzzles fit on about seven / eight sheets. There are also two games that unfortunately end quickly. It is complemented by coins, duplicate cards for the team or all players. The games in the game are a big plus, where we can prove ourselves in a challenge based on classic ships or sharing the spoils. Looking at it as a whole, there are fewer challenges than before, and it can be felt. I also can’t forget about one error, because of which the solution did not coincide with the activities performed later.
The big downside is the lack of any prompts, which don’t have to be on top, but are nevertheless useful when you get stuck and can’t move on. The title should assume this and give everyone a chance to enjoy the game. There are absolutely no tips, and each of them is scored differently. After discovering the puzzles, the teams should separate so as not to lead each other to a solution. Writing on the pages will take too long, so bad and so bad. There are fewer challenges due to division into teams.
The mechanics also underwent a small revolution. Each team solves the presented puzzles, and the one who does it faster and their solution is correct gets a card with coins, but if the answer is wrong, then the opponents fight for the treasure. In no case is the number of coins or the solution idea revealed. When no one answers correctly, this step is skipped and goes on. The whole procedure of non-cooperation significantly influenced the pace of the game. In the past, you could debate endlessly, reflect on everything, but now it is not like that. The “enemies” are not asleep and will not wait for us. As it happens, some people will suit this state of affairs, others will not. I belong to the latter group. I understand that in many cases dynamics is important in games, but not in games where you have to think about every move. It took some magic away and certainly a lot of the original assumptions. It may not be so felt when companions have a pace similar to ours. It’s worse when you fight super smarts who know the solution in no time.
To sum up, it is an interesting proposition from the Escape Room series – something new, a different atmosphere. It is interesting that the creators try new techniques and develop themselves, even though they may not like it completely. The latest offer will definitely appeal to the fans of competition, but for fans of the calm course of the game, I recommend other titles. Pirate chic is noteworthy, but there are few puzzles. You can have fun – with a few caveats.
