Hatch Escapes - "Mother of Frankenstein: Volume One" (Prototype)

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Company: Hatch Escapes (Published by Arcane Wonders)

Game: Mother of Frankenstein: Volume One (Prototype)

Country: USA 🇺🇸

Language: English

Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬

Genre: Love, Mystery

Date Played: October 31, 2020

Difficulty (based on 2 players): 8/10

Size of Team: Unlimited (Suggested 1-6 ppl)

Time: Unlimited (Suggested 10-15 hours)

Price: $99.99 - $299.99 (Preorder now. Expected delivery Spring 2021)

"This review was based on a prototype of the game. The actual product may differ."

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Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) has left 3 books for her son. In this collection, you'll discover various challenge and puzzles she has left behind through hand written letters, jigsaw puzzles, mysterious objects and artifacts. Will you be able to follow the breadcrumbs and figure out how did the famous novel Frankenstein came about?

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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Our prototype game came in a small cardboard box. We only received Volume 1 of the game plus the start of Volume 2 (the 2D jigsaw puzzle part). When you purchase the game, you'll receive 3 locked books, loose documents, hand crafted letters, rotating rings, 2D jigsaw puzzle and a 3D castle of Frankenstein puzzle. You may also receive additional items if you've backed them on Kickstarter or if you got the plus or ultimate edition. Regardless of which game option you went with, you'll be amazed by the quality and ingenuity of the game design.

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Our prototype consisted of Volume one and the 300-piece jigsaw puzzle in volume 2. Volume one mainly described Mary's teenage years. It introduced all the excellent education her father was able to provide for her and therefore set a perfect stage for her achievements later on in life. We were also introduced to the poet she was having an affair with, Percy Shelley. The 15 hand written love letters were really pleasurable to read. I haven't really felt so emotional from a game until we played this one. The way Mary communicated her love and anger towards Percy was felt through her words. The puzzles were embedded so well in this immersive experience you almost don't feel like you're playing a game. Its as if you're watching a play and the puzzles were merely there to create a "secrecy" feeling of the affair. The prototype took us around 3.5 hours to play. We binged through it but didn't really feel tired at all. The story was too good to put down.

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Volume one presented us with 3 assignments which was related to her education. We must complete poetry, music and astronomy. It was helpful that I had some music background but you can easily complete the puzzle without the knowledge from the clues provided. Poetry felt like the easier assignment out of the three. We did have to use a hint on astronomy. We liked the variations in puzzle types and the way they were designed made us feel like students again. There were hints available on there website but we felt that they could be more clear with a more extensive explanation (perhaps they'll revise it when the full game comes out). The love letter puzzle wasn't difficult but you'll have to like to read and be good at paying attention to details.

The real challenging (but also the most fun) puzzle was the jigsaw. We haven't played one where it's in a circular shape and completed from inside out. The floor plan provided definitely helped. If you're clever enough, you should also spot something else that will help you in the right direction. We saw it midway and it definitely made the rest of the puzzle completion process much quicker. The final reveal was very satisfying. I really wanted to just frame that puzzle at that moment and never take it apart.

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The prototype left us with a big cliffhanger moment. In volume 2, the story will take you to Castle Frankenstein in Germany. This is where you'll be using the 300-piece jigsaw puzzle that you've completed as a floor plan at a fancy ball in 1814. I wonder what could happen there? In volume 3, it's going to be even more epic! You're supposed to be constructing a 3D puzzle of Castle Frankenstein! This is where Mary learned from the famous alchemist and how she got inspired to write the first science fiction novel, Frankenstein. "Mother Of Frankenstein" transformed a table-top game into a beautiful immersive theater experience. Through the game play, we were able to feel emotions like happiness, sadness, surprise, confusion, empathy, accomplishment and more...The jigsaw puzzle was a perfect way to "piece" everything together and we can't wait to check out the final product!

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Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game:

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)

Disclosure: We thank Hatch Escapes for providing us with a beta sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.

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