73

Escape the Dark Castle is a cooperative, atmospheric fantasy adventure game with a retro, black-and-white art style inspired by classic game books. Players work together as prisoners trying to escape a dark castle, overcoming various horrors, traps, and challenges represented by large chapter cards using custom dice and item cards.

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73

The Verdict

based on 19 reviews

Positive 0%
Mixed 0%
Negative 0%
Striking retro black-and-white art and atmosphere
Simple, quick to teach and play
Tense, challenging co-op with strong storytelling
Highly replayable, portable light filler
Heavily luck-driven dice rolling
Few meaningful decisions
Repetitive encounters, especially in solo play
Very difficult, with frequent losses
92
StatedThis reviewer gave their own score. We only converted it to our 0–100 scale.
EH Gaming, EH GamingArticle

“It is far and away the best game I have played in 2018 and I don't see that changing between now and the end of the year.”

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
GeekDad, Andrew TerranovaArticle

“On the whole, I'd recommend this game quite broadly, and I bring it out to play as often as I can.”

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
The Giant Brain, Iain McAllisterArticle

“It is these elegant mechanics, with simple but significant decisions that really make "Escape the Dark Castle" sing. Every choice feels important, right down to who should turn over the next card, for you don't know what is lurking around the next corner!”

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
TheGamingReview.comArticle

“We keep going back, and we'll continue to keep going back, because it's such an awesome game. Easy to learn, almost impossible to win, but also incredibly easy to love. It comes highly recommended from us at TGR.”

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
ProZD, ProZDVideo

“I highly recommend the game. It works for me because it is extremely simple and yet wrapped in that cool horror package.”(13:32)

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
The Opinionated Gamers, View all posts by Dale Yu →Article

“I like this game a lot. It is so easy to play and enjoy. The characters are different so choosing a good mix is important and the player interaction is relevant as you decide who should reveal the next chapter.”

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
The Dungeon Dive, The Dungeon DiveVideo

“This is just a fantastic game it's it's super fun it's a breezy um it's it's a great way to end an evening of game playing and it's it's just always a hit”(19:37)

89
StatedThis reviewer gave their own score. We only converted it to our 0–100 scale.
Zatu GamesArticle

“Escape the Dark Castle is brilliant, I can't emphasize enough how tense the game can get as you go through those cards, sometimes you'll get to face off with the boss, but a lot of the time you may just come up short.”

85
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Unfiltered Gamer, Unfiltered GamerVideo

“But it's small and it's portable and it's easy to teach. I taught you in like probably three or four minutes. That's pretty much all you need to know about the game. And it comes with everything you need to play the game. Very, very simple, elegant, a very, very fun experience. I liked it.”(8:52)

85
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
MarcoOmnigamer, MarcoOmnigamerVideo

“Escape the dark castle an engrossing story driven experience in a dark fantasy world it's an experience that i like very much and i recommend to solo and cooperative players who are in debt looking for a game that tells you a good story with simple mechanics and yet still engage in strategy”(13:37)

80
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Behind the Box, Behind the BoxVideo

“I think it's greater than the sum of its parts considering it is kind of just a dice rolling game, and for a lot of people that will be a negative.”(8:40)

80
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Co-op Board Games, https://www.facebook.com/CoopBoardGames/Article

“Escape the Dark Castle is a very solid gateway game and I even think most experienced gamers would love to have it on their shelves as a quick and light filler game.”

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