Cube Escape: Case 23

*Minor spoilers* I started the Cube Escape series last week by randomly by searching for a puzzle game and found The Cave. I loved it so much that I downloaded all the free ones and have been playing them in order. This is the first review of these games for me. Case 23 came very easy to me to solve the puzzles (maybe because I’m getting the hang of it?) and the slider games were cake for me. Personally, it’s my favorite because I liked the build up with the suspense with the limited-time portion. I can see why some people are not a fan of that, especially those with disabilities. Still, overall, I think there’s ample time to complete for most people. I’ll play these games during the day, but I really enjoy playing at night, in the dark for optimum creep factor, and boy am I glad I was doing just that with this one! I’ll be moving on to The Mill tomorrow. I like that they developed the hint system in The Cave (maybe sooner, but remember, I’ve only played through Case 23 AND The Cave). Now I’m considering buying the Premium ones once I finish the free ones.

These cube escapes just keep getting better. Case 23, with its 4 chapters, combines several elements from the previous four games. Each scenario is so unique, I feel like I’ve actually played four games in one. I don’t always understand the exact logic of the storyline, but the characters and actions are so horrifically captivating that I find myself smiling as I wonder what bizarrely gross thing will be jumping out at me next. And the puzzles are simply fun to solve; not every item’s implementation always makes complete sense, but there always seems to be a strangely intuitive logic about their use. I was a little put off at first by the fourth chapter’s timer, but a few passes paying specific attention to individual parts and I managed to get it with a surprising level of satisfaction. These cube escape games are absolutely some of the uniquely best ones I’ve played, an even bigger feat considering how little space they take up. I can’t wait to see what weird twist comes in the next installment.😁

This is a great series. Challenging, smart, thoughtful, creepy, ironic, fun, intriguing-I could go on & on here. Get the entire series - it has a surreal story line yet it makes total sense. It is very immersive-once you start playing you really get sucked into this somewhat bizarre world. There is a stark quality of loneliness to this series yet, it too, works by creating this foreboding atmosphere where pretty much anything can happen. When I see developers like this, I want to shake their hands and say thank you. Games like these acknowledge that some of us have a brain in our head and actually want to use it. Puzzles require very out of the box (or should I say Cube!) thinking. They are definitely not the same old, tired puzzles that other developers hash out, over and over again. The story with it's creepy atmosphere and somewhat lost, lonely characters speak to our fears AND our hearts giving us a very nicely multilayered game series. THANK YOU and keep 'em coming!

I loved the first three rooms of this game. They were clever and extremely well-designed and creepy. Rusty Lake has become one of my favorite game series because of their intriguing atmospheric puzzles! This one was no different, but the fourth room was a bit disappointing. Granted, it’s only 1/4th of the game, but I felt too rushed by the timer to take in the atmosphere that Rusty Lake is so good at creating. I’m not too great at doing things fast either, so I had to watch the walkthrough to make it in time, which felt like a defeat. It would’ve been nice to go into the room and figure out all the puzzles first, then flip a switch to start the timer and finish the puzzles in that time in order to proceed to the cutscene. I very much hope that they continue making the games awesome and fun without the use of timers. Anyone who likes logic puzzles would love this game!

Case 23 is the fifth installment in the Cube Escape series. Seasons, the first installment, should be played first, but so far, the order for the others doesn't seem to matter much. Seasons transcended the usual you're-stuck-in-a-room-try-to-escape storyline, and although some of the other installments in the series added further hints about what might be going on, none of them have an actual narrative until Case 23. Case 23 has less sense of mystery and a less compelling narrative than the first game, but it held my interest. Then the fourth chapter of Case 23 began, and suddenly I was forced to collect all the items and solve all the puzzles within a very limited amount of time. Not being on a timer is one of the things I love most about adventure puzzle games, so that felt like a huge slap in the face. I didn't even wait to solve the final chapter before writing this review to express my disappointment. I'm not entirely sure I'll ever finish the game. Maybe I'll just watch the video walkthrough instead. Granted, Loyalty Games gave themselves a tough act to follow with Seasons, and there are some good puzzles in the later installments, but at the moment, it feels as though the series just jumped a shark. I hope it gets back on track with later installments.