EXIT: The Game – The Venice Conspiracy Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Materials
• Game Setup
• Where Is the Game Board?
• Course of Play
  • Is the Code Incorrect?
  • Is the Code Possibly Correct?
  • Where Can the Code Symbol Be Seen?
  • Is the Code Really Correct?
  • Is the Code Actually Incorrect?
• Need Help?
• Additional Game Materials
• When Does the Game End?
• One Final Tip
• The Game Begins
• Certificate
• Credits

Game Materials

• 93 Cards
  • 24 Riddle cards
  • 30 Answer cards
  • 30 Help cards
  • 9 Cell phone cards
• 1 Decoder disk
• 1 Mask strip
• 9 Strange items
• 1 File
• 8 Broken pieces

In addition, you will need writing implements (ideally a ball-point pen, a pencil, and an eraser), one or more sheets of paper, a pair of scissors, and a watch (ideally, a stopwatch). As an alternative, you can use the digital timer with the atmospheric soundtrack. Just select the game in the Kosmos Helper App and click on the hourglass.

Game Setup

Start by getting the strange items and the file ready at the edge of the table. Sort the cards into three piles in accordance with what is written on their back sides:

• Riddle cards (A to X)
• Answer cards (1 to 30)
• Help cards

Be sure not to look at the front sides of any of the cards yet.

Sort the help cards according to their symbols. Place cards with the same symbol on top of one another, with the "1st Clue" card on top of the "2nd Clue" card, and the latter on top of the "Solution" card. Then place them at the edge of the table.

New: Place the nine cell phone cards face down next to each other in the middle of the table. During the game, pay close attention to the materials you uncover. Whenever there's a clock, or some other way to tell what time it is in the game, take the corresponding cell phone card and look at it. But be careful — only take cards whose time you can clearly make out!

Example: If you see an illustration of a clock reading 06:00, you can take the "06:00" card. (This card doesn't appear in the game.)

Where Is the Game Board?

This game has no game board! You will have to figure out for yourselves what you need to find in the game and what the locations look like. At the beginning of the game, you will only have the file and the decoder disk available to you. As the game continues, you will add riddle cards and other items — either to be found in illustrations or referred to in the text. Whenever this happens, you can take the corresponding items and look at them. Likewise, you may not use the strange items until you have been explicitly told that you have found them. Until then, leave them at the edge of the table!

Example: If you see an illustration referring to a riddle card, you may immediately take the corresponding riddle card and look at it.

Course of Play

Your goal is to uncover a mysterious conspiracy in Venice as quickly as possible. That would definitely be easier if every lock weren't sealed with a riddle. As soon as the game begins, read the file and study it carefully. You are allowed to look at any page of the file at any time. During the course of the game, you will keep finding objects that are locked with a three-digit code. To open them, you will have to find the correct code and enter it on the decoder disk. On the outer edge of the disk, there are ten different symbols pictured. Each symbol stands for one of the codes to be solved. So pay close attention to every detail. If you think you have cracked one of the codes, enter it under the corresponding symbol on the decoder disk. A number will then appear in the viewing window of the smallest wheel of the disk.

This number indicates the number of the answer card that you are then allowed to look at. If the code is wrong, you will have to keep looking for the solution or switch to another riddle for the time being. If the code is correct, the answer card will tell you how to continue.

Example: You believe that a certain combination of numbers is the solution to a riddle with a given symbol. Enter the combination of numbers under that symbol on the decoder disk. In the little window, you will see the number of the answer card that you are then allowed to take from the stack and look at.

Is the Code Incorrect?

If so, the answer card will tell you that. In that case, place the card back in the stack and take another look at the incorrectly-solved riddle. Maybe there's something that you overlooked. Sometimes you won't even have all the clues you need to solve the riddle. In that case, you will have to continue someplace else.

Is the Code Possibly Correct?

If so, the answer card will look something like this: it shows a grid of small pictures of locked objects, each one paired with the number of a different answer card. When you are done reading it, place this card right back in the stack of answer cards.

Where Can the Code Symbol Be Seen?

Good question! To answer it, you will have to take a close look at the pictures on the riddle cards or the sheets. There, you will find all sorts of locked objects. All of these objects are marked with a symbol. In our example, you have a door with a symbol on it.

So look at the answer card next to the door, and you will see that you are now supposed to take that specific answer card from the stack.

Note: You must see the object with the symbol on a riddle card or in the file in order to open it. You cannot open what you have not yet found — just like in an actual escape room.

Is the Code Really Correct?

If so, the answer card will tell you how to continue. For example, it might give you one or more riddle cards that you may then retrieve from the stack and look at right away.

Is the Code Actually Incorrect?

Well, in that case you must have made a mistake, and you will just have to think again and come up with a different code.

IMPORTANT: Whether wrong or right, return all answer cards to the answer card stack. All codes can be solved logically. You shouldn't just try all possible combinations on the decoder disk.

Need Help?

The game can provide you with assistance if you get stuck. For each code, there are three help cards that can be recognized by the symbol on their back sides.

In addition to giving you an initial useful clue, each "1st Clue" help card also tells you which game materials you must have found in order to be able to solve the corresponding riddle. The "2nd Clue" help cards will give you more concrete assistance in finding a solution to the corresponding riddle. The "Solution" help cards will give you the solution to the riddle.

IMPORTANT: Always take the help cards for a specific riddle card or a specific riddle in the file. These riddles are usually identified with a symbol (just like on the decoder disk). It won't help you to use help cards if you have not found a riddle with the corresponding symbol.

So have a little patience — some of the riddles can only be solved with the help of several riddle cards. You won't always have all of them available to you right away. Sometimes, you will first have to grapple with other riddles to get new game materials. But don't be shy about using help cards if you get stuck. Once you have used them, place them face up on a discard pile.

Additional Game Materials

In addition to the materials contained in the box, you will need paper and a pen for taking notes, and a pair of scissors. You will also need a watch or stopwatch.

IMPORTANT: You can write on, fold, or tear the materials … All of this is allowed, and sometimes even required. You can only play the game once — after which you will know all the riddles, and you won't need the game materials any longer! This enables the game to contain the most interesting variety of riddles.

When Does the Game End?

The game ends when you have solved the last riddle and uncovered the Venice conspiracy. A card will tell you that. At the beginning of the game, start a stopwatch so that you will know how much time you required to finish the game.

You can look at the table below to see how well you did. When calculating the number of help cards used, of course, count only the ones that gave you new hints or solutions. If a help card gave you information you already knew, do not include it in the calculation.

Time	No Help Cards	1–2 Help Cards	3–5 Help Cards	6–10 Help Cards	> 10 Help Cards
≤ 60 Min.	10 stars	8 stars	7 stars	5 stars	4 stars
≤ 90 Min.	9 stars	7 stars	6 stars	4 stars	3 stars
≤ 120 Min.	8 stars	6 stars	5 stars	3 stars	2 stars
> 120 Min.	7 stars	5 stars	4 stars	2 stars	1 star

One Final Tip

Any game materials that you successfully used to help solve a riddle should be set aside. That way, you will be able to keep track of the materials more easily and won't get them mixed up. You will only need the pictures of locations for several riddles.

The Game Begins

What are you waiting for? Start the stopwatch to solve the mystery and save the city of Venice. You may now open the file, look at it, and start solving riddles. If anything is unclear, don't be shy about looking something up in the rulebook during the game.

The authors and Kosmos thank all the test players and rule reviewers.

Certificate

The following players — on ______ (date), in ______ (place) — successfully uncovered the conspiracy in Venice.

What an outstanding achievement, and what good fortune that Venice could be saved.

• To do it they required ______ minutes and ______ seconds.
• They used a total of ______ help cards.
• This earned them ______ stars in the assessment!
• The coolest riddle was ______
• The best moment during the game was ______

Credits

The Authors: Inka & Markus Brand live with their children Lukas and Emely in Gummersbach, Germany. They have published many children's and family games together and won numerous prizes.

• EXIT concept: Ralph Querfurth (Kosmos), Sandra Dochtermann (Kosmos)
• Cover illustration: Martin Hoffmann
• Illustration: Claus Stephan
• Title graphic: Michaela Kienle
• Graphics: Sensit Communication GmbH
• Technical product development: Monika Schall
• Editing: Ralph Querfurth, Alexandra Kunz
• English translation/localization: Ava Tessitore
• English text editing: Hannah Mintz, Ted McGuire
• "City Map" image license: KOSMOS Cartography, Stuttgart

© 2024 Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizerstr. 5 – 7, 70184 Stuttgart, Germany. Web: kosmos.de. Printed in Germany. © 2024 Thames & Kosmos, LLC, Providence, RI, USA. Thames & Kosmos® is a registered trademark of Thames & Kosmos, LLC. All rights reserved. Distributed in North America by Thames & Kosmos, LLC, Providence, RI 02903. Phone: 800-587-2872. Web: thamesandkosmos.com. Distributed in United Kingdom by Thames & Kosmos UK LP, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HE. Phone: 01580 713000. Web: www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk.