Bluefish Games: The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks

By | May 17, 2020
0 Comment

by Bluefish Games (website)

1-4 players

£29.00 $35.00

📦play at home
An eccentric at-home puzzle game for room escapers, board gamers, and the curious-minded.
show full description

Overall rating

Rated between 40 and 50 out of 5

based on ratings from 9 users
combined with 6 pro reviews

Your review

Player reviews

jakea256 expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
value for moneyoriginalclever
PuzzleParrot expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5

Classic game.  The clever twists on familiar puzzles, quirky tone, inventive uses of paper, and startling affordability make it a must-play.  (Fun fact: NPH was one of the first 100 to finish and make it onto the leaderboard.)

kristaj rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
We had an awesome time working on the Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks. There is a huge variety of items (mostly paper-based) and puzzle types in this box, as you work your way through 9 different floors of the building. If you're like us and value puzzles over story, you will love all the a-ha moments and one really cool component unlike anything we've seen before... Most of the puzzles were not super difficult, and it was all family-friendly, making it a great set to play with the 11-year-old. However, we definitely would have loved the humor, whimsy, and surprises even if we had just played as adults. It probably took us about 2 1/2 hours altogether, spread over two nights. It also comes with a free "refill" for the one thing that you MUST "destroy/alter" during play, so you can pass it on to a friend when you're done. At $37, we felt that this was good value for the quality and volume of components, smooth online interface (you will need internet access), and sheer joy of puzzling. Highly recommended!
Anonymous rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 3/20/2020 Team size: 1

Solid beginner puzzling experience with a delightfully whimsical design aesthetic. The puzzles were all fairly easy and fun, but the game fell flat for me on the rather uninspired meta.

Anonymous rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 8 Aug 2020 Team size: 3 Time taken: 1:15 Outcome: Successful escape!
Mike S expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Anonymous rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: March 2020 Team size: 2 Time taken: 2
Darren Miller expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Anonymous rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5

Reviews by escape room review sites

Curious Elevator is a combination of an online game with a physical box of puzzles delivered through the post. Each in the linear sequence of puzzles requires information from the website in addition to at least one of the items from the box. Each stage has the same format: an elevator illustration with a wrapped box on a table, which you click to receive the clues for the puzzle; plus a screen to click to enter your answer, and a link below for hints. While the online half of the game gives you...
The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks was structurally innovative and filled with strong, crafty puzzles with a robust hint system. Bluefish Games had been working for years to develop a product that they were happy with… and I know for a fact that they threw away at least one idea that they had gone deep into development on.
Outstanding!

Rest assured I’m looking forward to returning to the incredible world of Hincksland in some of Bluefish Games’s other puzzles in the future, for example the Hincks Gazette. But until then, The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks is a game well deserving of all it’s praise and accolades and a great price to boot.

9 / 10
see full review
Ⓜ️

Read the full, detailed review at EscapeMattster.com ⬊

(...) That being said, let me be clear on this: if you were to buy one of those slightly-expensive, order-by-mail boxed games, I think it should be this one.

5.9 / 10.0
There are few contraptions as well known and as convenient as the elevator – but what if we added the element of whimsy and imagination to them? Keeping this premise in mind, Bluefish Games takes you and your team through various, curious levels of at-home fun!
Highest Recommendation
I had heard nothing but great things about Bluefish Games and their line of whimsical puzzles, so I ordered a copy of The Curious Elevator of Mr. Hincks with high expectations. I played through the issue of the Hinck's Gazette last week and found it to be delightful, so I was really excited to give this a go…

See also