Adventure Games: The Grand Hotel Abaddon

I really enjoyed this. This reminds me a bit of Unlock! in that you are combining cards to solve the puzzles. The puzzles are certainly easier here than in either Exit or Unlock!. The focus is much more on the story, than the puzzles. The story is better articulated here than in Unlock or Exit games that I've played. The story was pretty light, family friendly. I really liked the three chapter structure. The game had more content compared to Unlock! or Exit, with nice clear stopping points along the way. The help index in this made sure I was never stuck, without wasting too much in terms of component space. I liked that the characters have the run of the whole map (as much as you've revealed at that point) rather than limiting you to a specific puzzle at that moment. I often struggle with games that have a locative component (my primary experience being in some collectible card games). I often find it limiting, where full turns are wasted just moving one spot, for example. In this, you can move to wherever you've already revealed, which keeps the game moving along, and you are moving around a full map of cards, with clear connections between them, so no theme disconnect. After the first chapter, abandoned the turn order, allowing a character to take multiple turns in a row to solve some puzzle. The art is good, and suits the game well. I liked that this had more art than Exit, with so many of the cards in Exit devoted to clue helpers. The art isn't quite as good as Unlock! though, which I really enjoy. I think this game would really suffer without the app. Having the passages read out kept me from seeing something I shouldn't from an adjacent passage. I also thought the narrator did a really good job. I played this solo with two characters, and I feel like I saw a lot of what there was to see in the game, but not all of it. I'm curious to see how the other two characters play, for one. For two, there were some puzzles that I saw but didn't figure out in time. I could see myself playing this game two or three more times, once more with the characters I've already played, trying to wrap up those puzzles I didn't complete the first time around, and another two times to do the same for the other two characters. I've ordered the other three games currently out in English. Unless those end up sucking, I think I'm on board for the whole series for this game. I hope there are many more to come.

My wife and I enjoyed playing this game with our two older kids. Enough intrigue and suspense throughout each chapter.

I always enjoy these Adventure Games! They definitely emulate that play style of classic adventure game from the 80’s/90’s, (e.g. Kings Quest). This one was great too! Your turn consists of moving & the interacting with something in the room (or combining items). It does offer a lot of reading but you may use the Komso App to narrate it for you. You find items, talk to people & progress the story. It does offer some puzzles and/or riddles & Some of the puzzles can be tricky but once you see the solution (they offer a solution guide in the back if you get stuck!) it immediately makes sense! Each Adventure Game thus far always has 3 chapters, which each run about an hour. You could play the game in ONE sitting or pack it up & play another time, but prepared to be playing for minimum of 3 hours if you want to do it in one sitting. I highly recommend these over the Exit the Game (also from Kosmo) as these are highly more interactive with a strong story element bundle in each of them.

This is a great cooperative game of thought. We really enjoy the challenge. It is a puzzle that comes to life!