Videos/ Photos provided by The Escape Game
Company: The Escape Game
Game: Escape From Iron Gate
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Language: English
Type of Game: Board Game 📬
Genre: Prison
Date Played: 10/6/2020
Difficulty (based on 2 players): 4/10
Size of Team: 3-8 Players (Ages 13+)
Time: Unlimited
Price: $40.00
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"Iron Gate" was inspired by The Escape Game's physical escape room "Prison Break". Your goal in this game is to be the first to escape the prison as there's only one of you that'll make it out. Ready ? Set? Go!
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The game came packaged in a cardboard box with cool visual graphics of a prison surrounded by fences and of course, an iron gate. In the box, you'll have a ton of goodies for you to discover. There's 1 game board, 1 escape manual, 2 reference cards, 44 rare items cards, 50 common items cards, 300 puzzle cards, 150 action cards, 50 lucky cards, 40 gate cards, 1 decoder card, 8 players tokens, 2 symbol dice, 4 crafts dice, 1 drawing pad, 2 pencils and a 30 second timer.
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Personally when I see instruction booklets of over 5 pages of reading on game rules, I feel defeated even before starting the game. I'm so glad this game provided an option for a video instruction (video below). We also did an unboxing (video below) and a bit of game play so hopefully that would make setting up and playing the game a bit easier for you guys. After placing all the game pieces at it's designated locations, each player will be dealt with 3 common cards and 4 gate cards (1 from each gate). Everyone starts at the same position on the START section of the game board. The youngest player roll the dices first. There are only three outcomes: AA, PP or AP. These outcomes will instruct the player to take two cards on their turn (either lucky/action, lucky/puzzle, or puzzle/action). Follow the cards instructions and read the reference card on what you are allowed to do with each of the cards. In this game, you'll have to use some strategy if you want to be the first to escape. You'll need a common item and a rare item in order to pass each gate. Remember to trade with other players and with the commissary to get the items you need!
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The puzzle cards are not your typical logic or escape room type of puzzles. They were more in the trivia category. You'll encounter some word play proverbs, visualization, riddles, decoding, logic in the "puzzle cards" deck. If you drew an "action card", you'll have to either draw or act. Personally those are my favorites as they remind me of Pictionary and Charades (which are two of my top choices when it comes to family board game nights).
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We haven't played a board game or strategy game in a long time. I think the last strategy game we remembered playing was "The Settlers of Catan"! This game was much less "gruesome" when it comes to trading or begging for items we needed from each other. It was also much easier to accomplish since you are not only relying on your teammates to acquire your items. The puzzle cards were a hit or miss since it's not really a puzzle per se and sometimes categories may need prior knowledge. Brandon knew a lot more proverbs than me since he was born in the States and heard of them before so it definitely was a disadvantage if I got those cards. But good thing I made it up in the decoding/logic category! The action cards were definitely more fun because anyone could give it their best shot even if their drawings were first grade quality (like mine) or never acted in their lives before. This game is definitely replay-able and if you like a mixture of Charades, Pictionary, and Trivia Pursuit mixed in with a tad of strategy, you might want to give it a shot!
Video Instructions on How to Play the Game:
(If you do decide to try this game, please remember to let them know that you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
Disclosure: We thank The Escape Game for providing us with a sample of the game. Although complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.
For people in outpatient treatment programs, overcoming obstacles and finding solutions is part of the recovery process. Just as in the game, progress is made step by step, often with the support of others, and requires patience and determination. Activities like escape rooms remind us that we’re capable of tackling challenges and finding a way out, whether in a game or in life’s real struggles.