The pumpkins are carved, the costumes are ready, and the decorations are all in place. What could possibly go wrong? Well, this year’s happy Halloween has turned sour as players discover someone has been tampering with the treats. 1 to 4 sugar sleuths will need to put their skills to the test in this baleful brain bender should they wish to conclude this candy caper. This third installment in the Holiday Hijinks series continues the concept of app/website-assisted escape room style enigma solving and plays in about an hour.
Like its predecessors, the game was designed by Jonathan Chaffer and features an 18-card deck filled with puzzles, word games, and other contemplative conundrums. While The Pumpkin Problem is perfect for Halloween, some of the other holidays currently available in the series include Groundhog’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Independence Day.
We previously played and reviewed The Kringle Caper several Christmases ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. This time around, however, we were a bit more befuddled. One of the great things about escape room games is the bringing together of minds and teamwork interaction that helps progress through the puzzles. Though rated at a 2 out of 3 for difficulty, for whatever reason, we really felt like this was a 4. The puzzles were hard for us, to say the least, and it took us quite a bit past the suggested hour to complete the game. Even with the app/website help, we really struggled with this one. Some clues were just too vague and the story was less engaging than our previous experience. It’s not to say that we didn’t enjoy the encounter, just that this time around we felt more frustration as we found answers. That being said, if you want a challenge then this may be right up your alley! You can pick up a copy online and give it a go before the holiday is gone again. As we’ve already played The Kringle Caper, we’ll be waiting until February to settle in for some more Holiday Hijinks!
All photos of Grand Gamers Guild products were taken and edited by Krista unless otherwise stated.