Overview

Exit: The Game – The Abandoned Cabin is a cooperative puzzle/escape-room game. Your car has broken down on a lonely road and you take shelter in an abandoned cabin. The next morning the door is locked with a combination lock and the windows are barred. Players work together to solve riddles, crack codes, and escape the cabin before the mysterious host returns. The game is played once — materials are written on, folded, and torn during play.

Difficulty level: Advanced (3.5 out of 5)

Components

• 1 Decoder disk
• 86 Cards:
  • 23 Riddle Cards
  • 30 Answer Cards
  • 33 Help Cards
• 3 Strange items (red, green, blue)
• 1 Book
• 1 Rulebook

Additional required materials (not included): Pencils/eraser, paper, stopwatch/watch, scissors (optional).

Setup

1. Place the book and decoder disk on the table.
2. Leave the three strange items in the box.
3. Sort cards into three face-down piles by back sides: Riddle Cards, Answer Cards, Help Cards.
4. Arrange Riddle Cards and Answer Cards in ascending order by letter/number.
5. Sort Help Cards by symbol; stack each set so “1st CLUE” is on top of “2nd CLUE,” which is on top of “SOLUTION.”
6. Do NOT look at the front of any card until the game tells you to.

Turn Structure

There are no individual turns. All players collaborate simultaneously in real time:

1. Explore — Examine the book and any revealed Riddle Cards for clues and symbols.
2. Discover — When an illustration or text references a Riddle Card, pull it from the pile.
3. Solve — When you think you have a three-digit code for a specific symbol, enter it on the decoder disk.
4. Verify — Read the number in the viewing window; pull the corresponding Answer Card.
5. Progress or Retry — Correct answers unlock new cards/instructions. Incorrect answers mean keep searching.

Actions

Solving a Riddle

• Identify a locked object marked with a symbol (in the book or on Riddle Cards).
• Determine the three-digit number or color code through logical deduction.
• Enter the code under the matching symbol on the decoder disk.
• Check the viewing window for an Answer Card number.
• Pull and read that Answer Card.

Using Help Cards

For each riddle symbol, three Help Cards are available:

• 1st Clue — Tells you which Riddle Cards are needed and gives an initial hint.
• 2nd Clue — More concrete guidance.
• Solution — Reveals the answer.

Discard used Help Cards. Only count cards that provided genuinely new information when scoring.

Manipulating Materials

You may write on, fold, tear, or cut any game materials. This is sometimes required.

Using Strange Items

Only retrieve these from the box when explicitly instructed. Do not open them prematurely.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when you solve the final riddle and escape the cabin. A card will announce this. Start a stopwatch at the beginning.

Time	0 Help Cards	1-2 Help Cards	3-5 Help Cards	6-10 Help Cards	>10 Help Cards
< 60 min	10 stars	8 stars	—	—	—
< 90 min	9 stars	6 stars	3 stars	—	—
< 120 min	8 stars	6 stars	3 stars	2 stars	—
> 120 min	—	2 stars	—	1 star	—

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• One-time play: Materials are permanently altered during the game.
• Logical solutions only: Do not brute-force combinations on the decoder disk.
• Card management: Always return Answer Cards to the pile after checking, whether correct or not.
• Progressive discovery: Some riddles require cards not yet revealed. Work on other riddles first.
• Set aside used materials for reference but do not mix with unsolved puzzles.
• Cabin illustrations may be needed for multiple riddles.
• You must find an object before opening it — no entering codes for symbols you have not yet seen.

Player Reference

Item	Details
Players	1-6
Age	12+
Difficulty	Advanced
Code format	Three-digit number or color code
Decoder disk symbols	10 total
Help Cards per riddle	3 (1st Clue, 2nd Clue, Solution)
Required extras	Pencil, paper, stopwatch, scissors (optional)

Quick Flow:

1. Read book / examine Riddle Cards
2. Find symbol on locked object
3. Deduce three-digit code
4. Enter on decoder disk under matching symbol
5. Pull Answer Card shown in viewing window
6. Follow instructions or retry
7. Use Help Cards if stuck