I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a sucker for a party game. Today, I’m sharing our most recent discovery: ThinkFun’s Escape the Room: Mystery at the Stargazer Manor.

* Disclosure: I received a copy of ThinkFun’s Escape the Room: Mystery at the Stargazer Manor at no cost. I was not required to write a positive review and, as always, I only share resources that I would use with my own family and those that I believe other families will enjoy.

ThinkFun’s ‘Escape the Room: Mystery at the Stargazer Manor’

When I heard that ThinkFun had come out with a tabletop version of the Escape the Room movement, I had to try it out. We are huge ThinkFun fans over here and this seemed like an exciting opportunity and a nice change of pace from our usual board games.

What are Escape the Room games?

Escape the Room games originally started as digital adventures. More recently, Escape the Room games have turned into physical adventures for small groups. Players are locked in a room and in order to escape, they must work together to find clues and solve puzzles. These in-person games have become widely popular across the globe. Now, ThinkFun has developed a tabletop Escape the Room game.

Now you can enjoy the Escape the Room experience from your own living room.

ThinkFun’s Escape the Room: Mystery at the Stargazer Manor is an interactive party game, perfect for gatherings, holidays, or a family game night.

Set in 1869, Mystery at the Stargazer Manor tells the story of an astronomer who has not been seen nor heard from since his wife’s passing. However, strange things have been happening over at his manor: smoke, sounds, and an odd odor.

The game begins with a letter from the caretaker of Stargazer Manor. In the letter, the caretaker asks for help investigating the astronomer’s disappearance and recent strange events at the manor.

The party host reads the letter aloud and, when everyone is ready, the host sets a timer.

I don’t want to share much more from here, for fear of spoiling your experience. And it is an experience! ThinkFun includes suggestions for mood music and also recommends dressing in costume. With a little creativity, this game can help you to have a party your guests will remember for years to come.

If you are a fan of logic games and puzzles, this is the game for you. My family had a blast playing Escape the Room. In fact, my oldest son cried when it was over. It was that much fun.

The game comes with a clever solution wheel. It is an easy way to determine whether your group has the correct answer to any given puzzle. Also, if you find yourselves stuck, there are online clues available to help you out.

I have oodles of adorable photos from the afternoon we played. Unfortunately, these photos contain spoilers and I do not want to ruin your family’s experience.

My children were immersed in the story and mystery, and they were cooperative! It was fantastic to see them work as a team to solve a mystery. We hope that ThinkFun releases more games in this genre.

Do you want to try ThinkFun’s Escape the Room: Mystery at the Stargazer Manor?

ThinkFun’s Escape the Room: Mystery at the Stargazer Manor is available for $21.99 and is recommended for two or more players, ages 10 and up. We played the game with our 8-, 6-, and almost 5-year-old and my kids enjoyed it immensely. We took our time and finished the game in just over an hour.

The only negative about this game is that you can only play it with the same group one time. The game includes instructions to repackage the pieces for future play. After the game is repackaged, you can host another group or share with a friend. We passed ours along to another game-lovin’ family. Still, the game costs less than the prices of taking your family to a movie theater and it was far more engaging and memorable!