Unlock! is a series of cooperative board games inspired by escape rooms created by Cyril Demaegd.Entretien avec Cyril Demaegd sur Trictrac.net le 17 novembre 2016 La genèse de l'idée qui a conduit au jeu Unlock! par Cyril Demaegd sur Trictrac.net le 31 janvier 2017 published by Space Cowboys and distributed by Asmodee.
The first title was released in France in , and won the As d'Or – Game of the Year at the International Games Festival in Cannes on .Martin Vidberg, Un monde de Jeu, Blog d'un joueurnaliste, Unlock! récompensé par l’As d’or, article du 23 février 2017 The formula has since been adapted into numerous box sets, each offering three different scenarios of increasing difficulty, designed to last from 60 to 90 minutes each.
Gameplay The players' objective is to solve a scenario proposed by the game within a time limit (usually 60 minutes), typically requiring the resolution of riddles and the exploration of an imaginary world. The scenario is represented by numbered cards depicting locations, objects, or characters, which players must retrieve in a specific order; riddles or combinations of multiple cards allow players to obtain the number of the next card. Box sets may also contain specific accessories for each scenario.
The game utilizes a mandatory smartphone application, with which players must regularly interact to enter codes, operate mechanisms, listen to audio clues, etc. It also serves as a timer and can be used to obtain hints if players are stuck. Finally, the application calculates the final score at the end of the game based on the time taken and the number of hints used.
The game is designed to be played solo or cooperatively with multiple players. Unlike some competitors in the genre, the scenarios are reusable by other players afterward, as the game components are not destroyed or altered during play.
Development The game was designed by Cyril Demaegd, a co-founder of Ystari and Space Cowboys. During development, the game was known under the working title "Project 59:59". Demaegd was inspired to create the game after participating in real-life escape rooms, specifically citing "Fox in a Box" in Paris as an influence. His goal was to recreate the adrenaline rush and tension experienced during the final minutes of a live escape room within a card game format.Entretien avec Cyril Demaegd sur Trictrac.net le 17 novembre 2016
Board Game Series Original Series (10+) - 3-Adventure Box Sets 2017 - Escape Adventures - Cyril Demaegd, Alice Carroll, Thomas Cauet 2017 - Mystery Adventures - Cyril Demaegd, Fabrice Mazza, Arnaud Ladagnous, Sébastien Pauchon, Billy Stevenson 2017 - Secret Adventures - Thomas Cauet, Arch Stanton, Lewis Cheshire 2018 - Exotic Adventures - Cyril Demaegd, Germain Winzenschtark 2019 - Heroic Adventures - Vincent Goyat, Dave Neale, Thomas Cauet, Cyril Demaegd, Mathieu Casnin 2019 - Timeless Adventures - Guillaume Montiage, Aristide Bruyant, Yohan Servais 2019 - Epic Adventures - Mathieu Casnin, Luna Marie, Guilaine Didiern, Gabriel Dumerin, Théo Rivière 2020 - Mythic Adventures - Jérémy Fraile, Yohan Servais, Cyril Demaegd, Vincent Goyat 2020 - Star Wars - Cyril Demaegd, Jay Little, Mercedes Opheim, Ariel Brooks 2021 - Game Adventures - Thomas Cauet, Mathieu Casnin, Jeremy Koch 2021 - Legendary Adventures - Dave Neale, Marion du Faouët, Cyril Demaegd, Mathieu Casnin 2022 - Extraordinary Adventures - Thomas Cauet, Mathieu Casnin, Jeremy Koch 2023 - Supernatural Adventures - Renaud Chaillat, Mathieu Casnin, Jack Gitz 2024 - Risky Adventures - Lewis Trondheim, Pierre Chabosy, Cyril Demaegd, Julien Jovis, Romain Pujol, Mathieu Casnin 2025 - Enchanted Adventures 2026 - New Game Adventures
Unlock! Short Adventures (10+) - 1 Deck = 1 Adventure 2022 - Secret Recipes of Yore 2022 - The Secrets of the Octopus 2022 - The Flight of the Angel 2022 - The Awakening of the Mummy 2022 - Doo-Arann's Dungeon 2022 - In Pursuit of Cabrakan 2023 - Red Mask 2023 - The Birmingham Murder 2023 - Schrödinger's Cat 2024 - Inside the Mind of Sherlock Holmes 2025 - The Song of the Sea Spray 2025 - The Heart of the Ocean 2026 - The Ascent 2026 - The Path of the Katana
Kids Version (6+) - Unlock! Kids (3-Adventure Box Sets) 2021 - Detective Stories 2022 - Stories from the Past 2023 - Legendary Stories 2024 - Irish Folklore Trilogy
Young Kids Version (4+) - My First Unlock! (3-Adventure Box Sets) 2025 - Duck Stories
Derivative Products Game Books 2022 - Escape from the Eiffel Tower 2024 - Escape from Prison! 2024 - Mission Pyramid 2023 - Noside's Vacation
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