An Arthurian Adventure is a family-friendly play-at-home escape room set in the mythical Kingdom of Camelot. The game is handmade in the UK by Cyanide Mysteries, who also create murder mystery games for adults. You can read our review of one of their murder mysteries here: The Curse of Little Witchell.
Players: 1+ // Age: 7+ // Playtime: 30-60mins // Difficulty: Easy-Medium
What you need: A pencil and paper. Internet is only required for entering the final answer and the rest of the game can be played completely offline.
Story
King Arthur has been kidnapped. The Kingdom of Camelot has been thrown into turmoil. Legendary wizard Merlin believes you are King Arthur’s only hope, telling you that the Knights of the Round Table hold the key to revealing his location. Can you work out where King Arthur is being held, and which mythical beast is keeping guard?
The story will be a familiar one for most adults, but it is a great introduction to the legend of Camelot and King Arthur for children. It incorporates the characters you know and love into the puzzles, along with some real-world trivia. And what medieval game would be complete without a quest?
First impressions
The game is nicely packaged in an envelope with a beautiful wax seal. It contains a letter from Merlin with the game components wrapped in gold tissue paper. Among these are a map of Camelot, playing cards, a cipher wheel and a selection of puzzle cards. The artwork is lovely and in keeping with the theme.
Note: I had planned to play this with my eleven-year-old niece, but sadly there wasn’t time during my most recent visit. I have no doubt that she would have loved the game, which I will be posting to her!
Gameplay
The gameplay is split across eight puzzle cards that can easily be shared between multiple players. These can be solved in isolation, or together as a group; whichever works best for your party. The puzzles will challenge your maths and logic skills, as well as attention to detail. Mordred’s riddle contains all of the information you need to piece together the answers and find the location of King Arthur.
The game components are nicely designed. I particularly loved that the cipher wheel was modelled on the Round Table; it is so satisfying when puzzles and puzzle-solving mechanics work seamlessly with the story and setting of the game. One of the cards features the legend of King Arthur which adds to the educational aspect of the piece.
Even the best heroes can run into the odd roadblock from time to time, but fear not! If you get stuck, there are handy hints to help you on your way. These are located on a website and the link can be found in Merlin’s letter. While I didn’t use any during my play-through, I did use the answer checker to confirm that all of my answers were correct. (In theory, it is possible to complete the game with some incorrect answers!)
Once you have located the name of the mythical creature guarding King Arthur it is time to submit the final answer. If correct, this will unlock the ‘Success’ screen showing the story’s conclusion. It also includes an ‘Untangle the fact from fiction’ section which explains some more history around the legend the game is based on.
The game is 100% recyclable and it is also possible to play without destroying anything so the game can be regifted or sold.
Verdict
An Arthurian Adventure
Summary
An Arthurian Adventure is a magical introduction to puzzle games for the whole family. Children will love exploring the legend of King Arthur and taking up the quest to save him, although the game is also very accessible for adults new to puzzle solving.
The game is well-designed with fun puzzles, some of which will be more challenging for some children but ultimately very satisfying. No components need to be written on or destroyed, so provided you take good care when playing you can pass the game on to others.
It is good value for money and will make for a fun family game-night activity!
About Cyanide Mysteries
Cyanide Mysteries also creates murder mystery games for adults. You can check out my review of one of these: The Curse of Little Witchell.
The next family-friendly game is in early development, aiming to release in 2025. Watch this space for more information when it becomes available!
Disclaimer: Cyanide Mysteries kindly provided me with a review copy of this game in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences the content of my review.
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