EXIT: The Game – The Return to the Abandoned Cabin Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Helper App
• Game Materials
• Game Setup
• Assembling the Cabin
• Where Is the Game Board?
• Course of Play
  • Is the Code Incorrect?
  • Is the Code Possibly Correct?
  • Where Can You See the Code Symbol?
  • 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

Helper App

Would you prefer to have the game explained to you instead of reading the rulebook? If so, download the free Helper App. It offers a game tutorial, an atmospheric soundtrack, and a digital timer. Check the app stores for details.

Game Materials

• 83 Cards
  • 23 Riddle cards
  • 30 Answer cards
  • 30 Help cards
• 1 Decoder disk
• 5 Strange items
• 2 Furniture items (cabinet, slot machine)
• 3 Folded sheets
• 1 Cabin wall
• 1 Cabin floor

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) to keep time. 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 placing the strange items and the three folded sheets at the edge of the table. Sort the cards according to what is written on their backs:

• Riddle cards
• Answer cards
• Help cards

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

Check to make sure that the riddle cards and answer cards are arranged in ascending order according to their letters or numbers.

Sort the help cards according to their symbols. Place cards with the same symbol one on top of 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.

Every copy of this game is packaged with the greatest care. Unfortunately, mistakes can happen from time to time. Before playing, please check to make sure that all the materials are present. If anything is missing, do not start playing and contact us. See contact info on page 8.

Assembling the Cabin

A Remove the blue cardboard insert from the game box. Position the cabin wall inside the box bottom. Make sure the front door is on the outside and positioned above the stairs, which are on the side wall of the box bottom.

B Now turn over the blue cardboard insert and put it back in the box bottom upside down.

C Position the cabin floor on top of the cardboard insert in such a way that the doormat is in front of the door. Place the cabinet and slot machine furniture items onto their marked locations.

Keep all other game materials within reach at the edge of the table.

Important: Do not open the cabinet or slot machine before the game tells you to. Do not examine the other game materials either.

At the start of the game, you will be standing outside of the cabin.

Where Is the Game Board?

This game has no game board! You must figure out for yourselves what you need to find in the game and what the rooms look like. At the beginning of the game, you have only the model of the cabin seen from the outside and the decoder disk available to you. As the game continues, you will add riddle cards and folded sheets — either to be found in illustrations, or referred to in written instructions. Whenever this happens, you can take the corresponding items and look at them. You are also only allowed to use the strange items when explicitly instructed that you have found them. Until then, leave them at the edge of the table!

Example: When you see an illustration like this, you may immediately take that riddle card (riddle card F in this case) and look at it.

Course of Play

Your goal is to uncover the secret of the abandoned cabin as quickly as you can.

That would definitely be easier if every lock were not assigned a riddle. As soon as the game begins, you are allowed to look at the model of the cabin seen from the outside. As the game continues, you will keep finding objects that are locked with three-digit codes. To open them, you will have to find the proper 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. But which symbol belongs to which code? You will have to figure that out for yourselves. So it's advisable to pay 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 in the smallest wheel of the disk.

This will indicate the number of the answer card that you are then allowed to look at. If the code was wrong, you will have to keep looking for the answer or try a different riddle for now. If the code was right, the answer card will tell you how to continue.

Example: You have found the code 3 2 1 as the solution to the riddle with the black-square symbol. Now enter this combination of numbers under the black-square symbol on the decoder disk. In the little window, you will see the number of the answer card that you are allowed to take from the stack and look at.

Is the Code Incorrect?

If so, the answer card will tell you. In that case, simply return the card to the pile and take another look at the riddle that you failed to solve. Maybe there's something that you overlooked. Or it may be that you simply don't yet have the information that you need to solve it. Then you will just have to continue someplace else.

Is the Code Possibly Correct?

If so, the answer card will look something like this:

Where Can You See the Code Symbol?

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, there is a front door with the black-square symbol on it.

So look at the answer card next to the front door and you will see that you are now supposed to take answer card 4 from the pile. Note: You must see the object with the symbol on a riddle card or in the cabin 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. You will be allowed, for example, to open a sheet where you will find one or more riddle cards, which you may 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 pile.
• All codes can be solved logically. You shouldn't just try all possible combinations on the 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 need to 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 on a sheet. 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 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 game 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 secret of the abandoned cabin. 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 that 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. The only thing you will need for several of the riddles are the illustrations of the locations.

The Game Begins

What are you waiting for? Start the stopwatch and solve the secret of the abandoned cabin before it's too late! Starting now, you are allowed to look at the cabin from the outside and begin solving riddles. If anything is unclear, don't be shy about looking something up in the rulebook during the game.

Certificate

The following players ______, ______, ______, ______, ______, ______ on ______ (date) in ______ (place) uncovered the secret of the abandoned cabin.

What an outstanding achievement, and how fortunate that they will not be locked in the cabin forever!

• To do it they required ______ minutes and ______ seconds.
• They used a total of ______ help cards.
• This earned them ______ stars in assessment!
• The coolest riddle was ______
• The trickiest riddle was ______
• The one who solved this riddle was ______

Credits

The authors: Inka & Markus Brand

"EXIT – The Game®" idea and concept: Ralph Querfurth (Kosmos), Sandra Dochtermann (Kosmos)

Thames & Kosmos thanks all those who took part in the development, design, production, sales, marketing, distribution, and support of the EXIT: The Game series since its start in 2016. Many thanks to all the game testers as well! And thanks to you, the EXIT game players!

• Cover illustration: Silvia Christoph
• Illustration: Franz Vohwinkel, Adobe Stock/Yevhenii
• Title graphics: Michaela Kienle
• Graphic design: Sensit Communication GmbH
• Story text: Lena Ollefs
• Technical product development: Monika Schall
• Editing: Ralph Querfurth
• English text editing: Hannah Mintz and Ted McGuire

© 2021 Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG. Pfizerstr. 5–7, 70184 Stuttgart, Germany. Printed in Germany.

© 2021 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.

This game is recyclable. Separate the plastic from the paper/cardboard.