Deckscape: Escape from Alcatraz

You wake up to find yourself in a prison cell. You look out the window to find and recognise the coastline. This is not any prison, this is Alcatraz, it is 1950, you have no idea why you are here and you need to escape.

Do you free your fellow inmates in exchange for help, can you trust them, are they who they say they are and who can you trust? Nothing is as it seems and you need to puzzle your way out of the situation.

Deckscape is a series of cooperative escape room style games made up, for the most part, of a deck of cards. The game features a selection of puzzles and items that need to be solved and collected to work your way through the deck and complete the game. Observation, logic and deduction will be needed as you work your way through the puzzles and unravel the mystery of the plot. Oh, did I mention you have 60 minutes to do this in?

Final Thoughts

Escape room games in a box have become a massive hit of late. Ranging from one shot games where you chop, cut and ultimately destroy components to games like Deckscape which are mainly a deck of cards. So, without giving away spoilers, what did I think of Escape from Alcatraz and how did I do? Read on to find out more.

Upon opening the box, you are directed with clear instructions on how to proceed and how to “operate” the game. Each card is in sequential number and must be read and played in this order. There are very few rules needed as everything is included on the cards. It makes the game very accessible and you can simply pick it up and play it straight out of the box.

The Puzzles And Story

The puzzles and the way the story plays out are very good. There is a certain logic to them that if you think through them, they all make sense. There are some “other” components in the game (not going to mention what as it is a minor spoiler) which, at first glance, appear seemingly innocent.

But as the game unfolds and progresses provide a very useful and interesting way to interact with the puzzle. Some of the puzzles are based on observations from previous cards and some are straight up logic puzzles. Although I found them challenging, I didn’t find them impossible.

They seemed to pitch at just the right level. There is a helpful hints card which I looked at a few times just to confirm my thoughts and on the whole, it was a very useful aid.

One of the things I don’t like in these types of games is the odd and strange leaps of logic that are difficult to understand even when you know the answer. I am pleased to say that I did not find this in Escape from Alcatraz and I had a great time with the game. On the few instances where I did make a wrong choice, the game told me what I had done (by flipping the card usually) and it was obvious that I had made the error.

Escape from Alcatraz was a really good fun puzzle. I love how the designers have managed to cram so much of a fun, interesting and very compelling game into what is essentially a deck of cards. I am very much looking forward to delving into more of the Deckscape series.