Quest Factory: Cannibal Island

The word ‘Cannibal’ is one I associate more with grim serial killer rooms, but this game is about as cheerful and upbeat as any game I remember that involves severed body parts. The cannibals here are tribesmen on an obscure island; don’t expect nuanced and sympathetic portrayals of indigenous culture, this is the Indiana Jones style of archaeology.

The bright, energetic action-movie feel encompasses the story, the style of decor, and the puzzles. Right from the start you’re thrown into the story, and it maintains its pace through to the end.

There was an early-ish puzzle we struggled with somewhat, which partially relied on players having the same intuition about shapes as the designers. But in general it’s not attempting to give you an intense intellectual workout, it’s taking you on an adventure, and it does it well, through an elaborate multi-stage environment. Amongst plentiful cool moments, there’s a particular stand-out that was easily my favourite interaction of the room.

Cannibal Island is an older game than Druid, the other one we played at Quest Factory, and it’s true that the best moments of that game surpass this one. But for a consistently excellent good time, Cannibal Island arguably comes out ahead. It’s not the most difficult room, but it’s rollicking good fun.