UniQuest Games - "The Hunt"

Photo above is property of UniQuest Games

Company: UniQuest Games

Game: The Hunt

Country: Belgium 🇧🇪

Language: English

Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬

Genre: Mystery, Adventure, Secret Society

Date Played: November 15, 2021

Difficulty (based on 1 player): 5/10

Size of Team: Unlimited (Recommend 4-5 Players) (Ages 12+)

Time: Unlimited (Approx. 180 Mins.)

Price: €54.00

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The secret order of the Pithoi Knights have devoted their lives to protecting a mystical weapon, known as the Corona's Box; unfortunately it was stolen in December 2019. The knights believe they finally have tracked the location of the box, only for the knight hunting it to be mortally wounded in an attack. This knight, with his dying breath, packed all the clues he had gathered into case and has passed on to you. Are you willing to take the oath and help humanity? The fate of the world rests in your hands.

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"The Hunt" comes in a traditional cardboard box with the name of the game, an image of the world map, a mysterious figure, and a handprint. Inside you will find an envelope with a wax seal stuck to the lid of the box. The game contains two large envelopes (white and brown), a red transparent sheet, a large poster of cars in Riga, a booklet providing directions in Riga, a USB with a curious website on it, a newspaper wrapped around a vial of crystal orbs, two curious vials of holy waters, two passports, a dark page with symbols and words on it, and a hint card with a QR code. I found this game is packed with lots of content and the items look well made.

Photos above are property of UniQuest Games

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"The Hunt" is a puzzle game that focuses on tracking the path of the infamous Corona’s Box. The game begins with accessing the USB found with a wax seal envelope to receive your first instruction, which will guide you to the Pithoi Knight’s website. On this site there are some clues about the game as well as a form, which provides you with the objectives of the game. You will need to identify the four specific locations the Corona’s Box travelled since it was taken by another secret order – the fourth location being the current location. The various clues in your box are associated with the different couriers involved with the theft and through identifying the courier and hacking onto their work portal, you will gain the key pieces of information to help you identify the locations and the order of the box’s journey. Once you have all four locations, submit your answers onto the Pithoi Knight’s form before emailing the knights about your success. If you are stuck, the hint site (make sure to click the preferred language of Dutch or English in the top left corner drop down menu) breaks down the puzzles and provides multiple hints before giving the solution.

This game is generally non-linear in terms of identifying the locations so you can divide and conquer or pick and choose where you want to start. You will need to identify the symbols associated to each courier and these will indicate which components in the game are relevant to your current task. I recommend not opening everything up immediately and waiting until you make it through the introductory puzzles before diving in so there’s no confusion of what items go to which courier.

** Note: Some components will be altered during the playthrough, and a USB is included in this game. If you would like to bypass inserting a USB into your game, the hint site does provide a pdf of what is contained in the USB.*

Photos above are properties of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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The puzzles in this game use a nice variety of searching puzzles from ciphers to tracking movements. The key to this game is observation across all elements so take time to look through each item carefully before discarding it. I appreciated the little surprises in puzzles that acted to boost the fun of some of the more traditional puzzle methods. This game is packed with hidden elements that provide players with opportunities of “aha” with each location. These puzzles aren’t difficult but rely on keeping track of information, so I recommend making sure to have a pen and paper handy as you move through the game to keep records. This game is self–contained so all information provided by the game is all you need to complete it.

The non-linear elements of this game definitely lends itself to be a more collaborative game which I think is an excellent idea. There is an escape room feel to this game based on the structure of the puzzles. I did find a couple puzzles a little tedious in the latter half of the game if you’re playing in smaller groups (1-2) so I do recommend playing with a few people so you each can have a refreshing experience.

Photos above are properties of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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The Hunt was an adventurous trek across four fascinating countries with a fun assortment of escape room puzzles that work to encourage cooperation and collaboration amongst friends. I thought the story was pretty simple and that worked well to let the exploration element of this game shine through for players. This game is definitely for groups looking to play an escape room in the comfort of their home that is both cheaper (if you’re playing in groups of 4-5) and provides longer playtime. If you enjoy secret societies, searching puzzles, and playing puzzles with friends I think this is a great option to try out.

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

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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 UniQuest Games for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.

#JillianRaymond #AtHomeGames #PuzzlesByMail #OneOffs #UniQuestGames #Belgium #Mystery