This has become an annual tradition for our family on Christmas morning. We've used a MysteryLocks Christmas escape for the past 5 years, I believe. It has held the interest of our children when they were teens on our first escape and now as young adults. It provides a great team work opportunity for us on Christmas day and extends the holiday family time.
We enjoyed this one. Definitely a challenge on the last envelope (still not sure how to solve the very last puzzle) but still enjoyed ourselves. We love that paper escape rooms give us something to do in the cold and rainy weather.
I had so many question about the right game to pick to play with my 12 and 15 year old (who are really good at Escape Games). The seller walked me through each of the games I was wondering about and helped me land on this one. It was so much fun! Watching my 12-year-old’s eyes light up with the baking puzzle and the nutcracker puzzle was priceless! There were some incredibly unique puzzles in this set, and the artwork is gorgeous! After finding so many AI-run escape the room games on Etsy and becoming disenchanted, I was so excited when I found this seller. It was a bit pricey, but I printed it all at the library with my weekly color-print allotment, which helped save on cost. I made sure to start cutting things out a few days in advance, because the assembly is time consuming, bus so much fun with a cup of coffee and music!
This was so much fun and super easy to set up!
We have purchased multiple escape room games from Mystery Locks. Our adult kids literally run downstairs on Christmas morning to play the game. The graphics are amazing!
Can’t wait to play with the kids on Xmas Eve
I must have seriously underestimated my group of teens, we used every. single. hint on this one. It was still fun, and took up a decent chunk of time at our Christmas Party. The graphics and storyline were top notch!
Very cute- doing it long distance with the family
Ran this with a group of teenagers, they loved it. Took me about 45 minutes to prepare - lots of cutting out. But it looked really professional when done. Will definitely be doing this again.
It was a fun escape room and everyone had fun with it!
High quality game. I am looking forward to playing this with the whole family Christmas Eve.
The graphics don’t print up as vibrant as they show. While it is a fun game, the clues don’t fit inside the envelopes you are supposed to make. I would recommend NOT sealing the DIY envelopes and stapling the edges instead. If you seal the edges, it makes it too difficult to open the envelope since you have to stuff the clues/contents of each envelope inside. The game finishes on a flat note…..nothing exciting happens (no QR code to scan on your phone to “unlock” the lock, etc), you simply open another envelope and if you got it right, there is a small unassuming certificate that says, “yeah, you did it (per say)”……kind of a downer for all of the work. It’s a LOT of cutting & game pieces (clues) are all different sizes, shapes, etc. I would also recommend printing out on a heavier paper or card-stock so your clues don’t curl.
Hi Julia,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a detailed review and for sharing your experience.
I’d like to clarify a few important points for future customers who might read this.
Print quality:
The graphics in our product photos are not digital mockups or enhanced renders. They are printed on a real home printer using the exact files customers receive. Thousands of customers have printed and played this same game with excellent results. Print vibrancy depends heavily on printer settings, ink levels, paper type, and printer model. For consistently perfect results, many customers choose to use a local or online printing service, which we always recommend as an option.
Envelopes & contents:
The envelopes are designed to be folded paper envelopes, not sealed shut permanently. Folding the contents (as they are paper clues) is completely normal and intended. That said, customers are always free to use regular envelopes instead. This flexibility is part of the DIY nature of printable escape rooms.
No internet / QR code ending:
This game is intentionally 100% offline and self-guided. While we do have many games that use the internet and QR codes (including several Christmas titles), the overwhelming feedback (especially for holiday and family gatherings) is that people do not want to be on their phones. They want to sit together at the table and play. That design choice is very deliberate, and it’s one reason this game has been enjoyed by tens of thousands of players worldwide.
The ending:
Every puzzle and physical element in the game is tied to the story, which concludes with a narrative resolution and a personalized detective certificate. Many families enjoy adding a photo and keeping it as a souvenir. Whether that style of ending resonates is, of course, subjective. But the story does have a clear resolution where the players become the heroes.
Cutting & assembly:
Printable escape rooms do require cutting and assembly. What you see in the product photos is exactly what the game contains—no more, no less. The materials don’t assemble themselves, and we’re very transparent about that so customers can make an informed choice before purchasing.
We genuinely appreciate feedback, even when opinions differ, and we’re glad you still found the game fun overall. Thank you again for playing and for sharing your thoughts.
Robert & Gabriel @MysteryLocks
I cannot speak highly enough of this escape room. I planned a very last-minute birthday party and was scrambling for ideas to make it fun; since it was too late to order any escape room kits, I found MysteryLocks on Google and decided it was worth a shot. I didn't have very high expectations but it genuinely made my party the happiest birthday I've ever had. Me and my friends had so much fun solving the clues, imitating the audios in funny voices, cheering each other on, etc. I will absolutely be a returning customer and am so grateful for the lifelong memories this escape room gave us!! 1000% worth it for the price, accessibility, and especially the enjoyment!!
The game is highly immersive and beautifully put together! Can’t wait to make my adult kids solve it to find their presents!!
Great transaction! Shipping was quick and item as promised.
There was a slight mistake in the provided documents, but when I contacted the seller, they responded promptly and quickly resolved the issue. They might even have the root cause fixed now. As for the quality, I love MysteryLocks escape rooms, and so does my team.