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The Arrow's Secret by Escape Camp Picton



This games was played April 2021.


Inspectors' Review:


  • Knobs are tasty but boss says no.

  • Lots of papers to lie on!

  • Box smells like it is filled with mystery!

  • Opposable thumbs are required for this.

  • Computer is only needed when I say so!

  • We deserve a raise after this!


 

Boss' Review:


I came across Escape Camp Picton’s game on our lovely Facebook Group, Puzzle People. It is a Canadian owned escape room company that has diversified from traditional escape rooms to provide a at home escape room experience called The Arrow’s Secret. I was immediately sold on the beautiful wooden box in the advertisement on top of it being a company that’s 3 hours from where I live. Now, let’s break down the game!


The premise of this experience follows an intriguing mystery in Canadian history surrounding a project for an aircraft called the Avro Arrow. It was mean to be an aircraft that would change the course of history for Canada and get the country a place in the world stage for engineering. When all seemed to be going well, suddenly the project was cancelled. For many historians, the cancellation, and subsequent destruction of all models of the craft, has been debated. You receive a letter from a woman who was part of the company, AVRO, who would like you to help solve the mystery after she hit a road block through a unique and puzzling box she acquired. As you dig into her research and the box itself, you unravel the mystery pertaining to why this innovative project was halted in its prime.


Personally, I found the narrative to be really interesting. It’s steeped in historical lore and I can see the company took extra care to create as authentic experience. Letters, telegrams, reports, news clippings, comics, postcards, and more all work together to give you a way to delve into the topic so that, even if you have no idea what the Arrow was, you will understand by the end. They aren’t throwing the information at you so much as offering you the opportunity to engage in the narrative as much or as little as you like. I also really enjoyed looking back at the components and seeing connections I hadn’t made before.


In terms of puzzles, this game a good selection with a lock, identification, ciphers, orientation, fill in the blanks, and more. The first puzzle takes the longest (the act of getting into the box) but the rest was incredible smooth and I loved that. There was so much content that I was worried I would be overwhelmed but once I began making connections and laying out items, it ended working really well. This game is a true escape room in a box as hidden clues dispersed amongst content help guide you when you are stuck. I only needed one hint for this game and that was for the first puzzle. I will also add this game is quite easy and easily playable with others because of its set up. I think, for me, this was the truest form of an escape room I have played (especially with the locked box). I really enjoyed the puzzles and loved the “aha” moments when we discovered how to unlock each compartment.


The company, Escape Camp Picton, was very kind. They reached out to me when they noticed I have three boxes heading to my address to make sure I hadn’t accidentally purchased multiple times. The games arrived really quickly. I love that the company really adheres to a historical theme in their work. In fact, they are located on a former WW2 air force training base. I hope I could do one of their in house games in the future as they combine their sets with games. One thing to note, this game is currently shipping only in Canada but the company does seem willing to ship abroad if there is enough interest but this game is on the pricy side of $150 CAD plus taxes (so closer to 200 CAD) and the game is quite heavy (10+ pounds).


Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. I think the narrative was well done, the puzzles (while easy) were well done with good sign posting and didn’t feel overdone. The box is amazing I cannot help but appreciate all its components. The selection of paper documents is varied and on good papers – I think if they would have aged them a little I would have been AMAZED). This game is pricy but if you are looking for a true to form escape room experience then this is an excellent option. It can easily be reset and you can pass it along to others to sell or share. I would say if you are puzzle focused, this will take about 2 hours but if you want to delve into the history and solve the whodunnit it would take about 3 hours. If you are planning to solve the whodunnit – do not open the last envelope until you are ready. Happy puzzling!


Note – a computer is needed for one component of the game. Spoiler will be written in background colour for those who want a heads up. Highlight to read text. USB connection is required.


Check out the company here!

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