Unlock! Kids - Irish Folklore Trilogy, By Space Cow - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             Escape room for kids  

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:     6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Kids and adults who enjoy puzzles and solving mysteries 

“Unlock! Kids - Irish Folklore Trilogy” from Space Cow is a magical game inspired by the enchanting world of escape rooms. Players embark on a journey through Irish tales, unlocking mysteries in a tabletop experience that feels like stepping into a realm of ancient secrets! Thank you VR Distribution for providing a copy.

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) Escape Room For Young Kids With No Reading Required

There aren’t many escape room games designed for younger kids - this set feels like a breath of fresh air. It includes 212 beautifully illustrated cards, 58 cardboard tokens, and special components. It unfolds through a numbered card system, where players use their materials to uncover hidden clues and symbols. What makes it so special is that it’s completely language-independent – no reading required! All you need is a sharp eye to match symbols and follow the whimsical pictures. The artwork itself is a visual treasure hunt, making it easy for kids (and adults!) to dive right in without reading skills! 

(2) Unique Items & Special "Choice" Cards

I adore the unique items that are incorporated into the puzzles. You’ll sometimes discover translucent cards that, when layered on top of an art card, reveal new symbols to decipher. You may also come across special “choice” cards where you have to select between two items—choose wisely, or face a tricky trap! Another delightful feature is combining cards to create larger pictures, each revealing new symbols that unlock further mysteries.

(3) Mini Tutorial Set - Guiding Players Through Unlocking Process

Unlock! Kids has a mini tutorial set, introducing 11 cards and 2 items to gently guide players through the unlocking process. While designed for young kids, the puzzles aren’t a walk in the park! My 8-year-old was able to crack some of the more cryptic puzzles, relying on the hint cheat sheet for nudges along the way. The challenge intensifies as the game progresses, making it enjoyable for both kids and adults.

(4) Immerses Players In 3 Irish Tales

What truly sets this game apart is how it immerses players in 3 enchanting Irish tales, each inspired by the breathtaking animated films of Tomm Moore: The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and Wolfwalkers. Players embark on adventures with a young monk, a mystical selkie, and a spirited wolf-girl, navigating through 6 games spread across the stories. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.gamesworldsa.com.au/products/unlock-kids-irish-folklore-trilogy

https://www.gamesmen.com.au/unlock-kids-irish-mythology-trilogy-card-game

Enjoy the video! 

Exit The Game Kids - Riddles In Monsterville, By Thames & Kosmos - REVIEW

Nature / Type:            Board game / Escape room for kids  

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids that enjoy escape room experience / detective games / solving puzzles 

Dive into a whimsical adventure with this escape room game for kids! In “Exit The Game Kids - Riddles In Monsterville” by Thames & Kosmos, players must outsmart the mischievous cookie monsters who have stolen cookie jars from neighborhood. Thank you VR Distribution for providing a copy! 

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) Team Up Or Play Solo - Solve Riddles & Unlock Cookie Jars 

Kids aged five and up can team up or play solo to solve riddles and unlock cookie jars. The game includes six types of visual puzzles on 36 illustrated cards, featuring tasks like matching emotions and completing puzzles. Players identify 3 monsters for each riddle and use the decoder dial to check their answers—silver keys confirm correct answers, while red Xs indicate errors. Correct answers earn tokens on face-down cookie jars, with exciting “spoils” revealed at the end - from icing cookies with sprinkles, to sewing kits and even stinky socks!

(2) Puzzles Of Varying Difficulty 

The game features puzzles of varying difficulty. One of the simplest is “Smiley Riddles,” where kids match three emojis to the monsters’ expressions. The “Snail Trail Riddle” involves tracing a trail from an object to a monster—it’s a blast! The jigsaw puzzle riddle challenges kids to arrange 4 puzzle pieces to complete three monsters - which surprisingly, is not as easy as it seems! 

(3) Challenge Yourself With Lasso Riddle, Favourite Food Riddle & Outline Riddle

Now for the more challenging tasks! The Lasso Riddle involves wrapping a string between semi-circles to identify three monsters not caught by the cord. This puzzle tests fine motor skills as little hands wrap the twine around a card (which turns out to be pretty difficult to manage!). The Favorite Food Riddle demands deduction and elimination to find three monsters that enjoy the foods at each table setting, using four food cards for guidance. The Outline Riddle is the toughest for us —players must identify three disguised monsters based solely on their outlines, with subtle differences from their normal forms.

(4) Great Replay Value - Tackle Each Puzzle Multiple Times 

I LOVE the replayability! You can tackle each puzzle multiple times, as there are six cards for each puzzle type with various combinations. No reading is required—everything is image-based, making it accessible for younger players to join in on the fun!

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.gameology.com.au/products/exit-the-game-kids-riddles-in-monsterville (Australia) 

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/exit-the-game-kids-riddles-in-monsterville-board-game/p/9900411557 (Australia)

https://vaultgames.com.au/products/exit-the-game-kids-riddles-in-monsterville (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Escape From The Aquarium, By Professor Puzzle - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:           Escape Room for kids 

Rating:                      ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   8-12 year-old 

Who would love this: Kids that enjoy logical puzzles, mystery-solving, mathematics. 

I LOVE Escape Room! I love that sense of achievement of clues-hunting, piecing jigsaws together, and deciphering the unknowns. I’m so glad that Professor Puzzle created a kid-version of that. Thank you Jedko Games for providing this “Escape From The Aquarium”! 

Why I love ❤️ this game:

(1) 11 Exciting Puzzles To Solve

The set contains 11 puzzles hidden within 4 aquarium-theme envelopes (“The Coral Zone”, “The Abyss”, “The Ice Zone”, “The Ocean Tunnel”). Our mission: to solve the 11 puzzles, uncover sets of 3 unique numbers, scratch off the relevant portions from the “Answers Booklet”, identify the secret ingredients, and break a nasty spell using a mysterious potion. Like a real Escape Room, the clues can come in all shapes and forms, and are “jumbled up”and scattered around different places. Players need to connect the dots and make sense of the clues with some serious analysing. For example, in one puzzle, we were asked to identify and “shade off” all exact sea creatures that we can find in the aquarium (ie from all the bits and pieces in the 4 envelopes) to uncover the 3 numbers. My personal favourite was the puzzle where we need to decipher a secret message by first “translating” the symbols into English letters, re-assemble a message, and look for the number hints in a separate folder.

(2) Logic, Maths, Observational Challenges 

I love that the puzzles cover a range of logic, mathematics, and observational skills. For example, in one puzzle, players need to add up two numbers at a time to form a pyramid of numbers; in another puzzle, players need to follow a series of directions and navigate around a map to uncover the numeral clues. And in another puzzle, we were asked to total-up the sum of tickets and souvenir purchases. 

(3) A First Taste Of "Escape Room" Adventure 

I love the interesting features included in the set; the “Puzzle Wheel” helps to “break the code” and provides a final key number for each puzzle. There is an instruction booklet and a separate guide for grown-up. I also really love the scratch-able “hint & solutions booklet” and “Answer Booklet”. This set provides an engaging and awesome way for our budding puzzler to have a first taste of the thrilling adventure of Escape Room! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.gamesworldsa.com.au/products/escape-from-the-aquarium (Australia) 

https://toyworldbendigo.com.au/products/game-escape-from-the-aquarium (Australia) 

https://www.gamesmen.com.au/escape-from-the-aquarium-escape-room-game-for-kids-board-game (Australia) 

Enjoy the video!