Adventure Escape Mysteries

Haiku games are some of the only escape games in the App Store worth playing. Compelling stories, user friendly, fun puzzles and interaction, and aesthetically pleasing. I’ve been a long time fan. Despite that, I’ve never left a review. I’m leaving a review now because I think it’s important to advocate for a product I enjoy, as well as contextualize this new game format. I know it’s received a lot of (I believe) unfair criticism. Normally I take issue with app models that require you to wait to play, but Haiku escape games are so high quality that I can’t really begrudge them. Most escape games in the App Store are depressingly low quality. Haiku games are the exception and take time, energy and skill to produce and we are lucky enough to play them FOR FREE. Most games like this would require payment upon purchase. Each chapter is long enough that I think that so long as the ads only play after COMPLETING the chapter I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the producers to use this model. This is a quality product that the game designers deserve to be compensated for. A potential solution might be a pricier in-app purchase that gives unlimited keys, or however many keys are needed to complete a story without needing to purchase more. That way users who take issue with the new format can buy out a story and play freely, but game producers are still compensated fairly.

Haiku games are the best escape games I’ve found and they are free! I’ve played every game so far, and always anticipate the next one. The stories are great, the puzzles are challenging but not unsolvable and the clues are always there (unlike some escape games with puzzles that seem to have no solution but to use a hint or google search). Yes, the new key system makes you wait or pay, but the wait is worth it and the Haiku team deserves payment for their hard work! Besides, the keys return before I need them because I don’t like to rush through the game. That’s another reason I love Haiku games so much; they have substance and length instead of a hurried story and easy puzzles that are over in a couple of hours. Don’t listen to the haters! Play these games and pay these people if you can, they deserve it! Keep up the good work Haiku team! You rock!

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I love these games, and this release stays true to the series, but also this release is kind of crappy, and spits in the face of loyal fans. These games used to be completely free, now you have to wait 3 hours to play 1 chapter? I understand it is a business, and it is about making money, but 5$ for 10 keys/chapters seems like a ripoff, especially when after you buy keys the countdown stops until you use all but one key, so you cannot even gain the extra free 2 keys while your playing with the keys you paid for, this is a complete “screw you” to paying fans, that stupid timer should always be counting at least to give you those 2 free keys. Not only that but if you don’t pay you have to wait through ads, so the developers are making money off the players who pay, and the devs are STILL selling ad space, that’s a bit greedy imo, it shouldn’t hurt your pocketbook that much to let me earn those 2 free keys. These games are usually between 7-10 chapters so that’s 5$ a game, or what 15-20$ for all 4(2 have not released)I can buy a PS4, or steam game for that, with zero ads, and full unlock, not just buying keys, or waiting 3 hrs to play 1 chapter, reduce(or remove) the timer to an hr, and definitely always keep the timer going for up to the 2 free keys. That is a huge rip off, I paid why can’t I build up free keys while I play, I shouldn’t have to wait till I use all but 1 key to earn free keys again!

I’m currently playing Trapmaker, and, so far, the gameplay is great. I’ve always been surprised that your games are free, and I certainly have no problem with you charging for such quality work. However, I would much rather have the option to pay to download, and forgo the keys altogether. Also, if you’re making it a paid app with the keys, there shouldn’t be ads. When I pay to download games, they’re ad-free. Maybe offer a lite version, with keys or limited play, for people to check out the quality, with option to unlock full version? I know I prefer to a) know how much a game is going to cost me upfront, b) have uninterrupted gameplay. And the constant sign-up pop-ups are super annoying. In this age of constant security breaches and spamming, I am very judicious with who I give my information. It’s good to have a sign-up option, but not with a constant pop-up. Great work on another great game!

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When I first saw this new app, I was dubious because it was different than previous Haiku/Adventure Escape games. There were multiple games in one, keys to buy in order to play multiple chapters, a registration screen after every chapter, and even ads after every chapter. I was afraid you had sold out the integrity of your well-made games! Surprisingly, the first one, "Trapmaker", was really fun and probably one of my favorites! But the stuff I previously mentioned was a bit much. If I didn't have patience and waited each day for a new key, I would not have continued playing if I would've had to pay for the next scene. Just my honest opinion! EDIT: I am now on the fourth game, Trapmaker 3, and it just will not let me play. After loading it many times, I might get lucky and get to play for 5 minutes before it crashes again. It started doing this on the last chapter of Cursed Crown. I wonder if it's because there are many games bundled together, instead of one game per app like it used to be??