theory11 Box ONE Board Game Presented by Neil Patrick Harris 1 player

(This review is spoiler-free.) I found Box One when I was looking to purchase more of the Exit escape room games. I wasn't sure what to expect, since I took the advice of the first few reviews I read and didn't seek out any information about it; I've been a fan of Neil Patrick Harris for many years, and since I love puzzles and was seeking more physical games to purchase, I decided to give it a try. Box One may be a game, but it is also an experience--and one I THOROUGHLY enjoyed. I was grinning with giddiness every time I discovered something new, because it was all so clever and so... satisfying? It's hard to describe the feeling, but it's almost like the solutions to some of the puzzles were exactly what I wanted them to be, rather than what I expected them to be. There were a lot of really, really cool ideas packed into this box. I will say, though, that if you're looking for a challenge, Box One probably won't satisfy you. I'm no genius, but I never needed any hints, and never struggled on any one puzzle for more than a few minutes. Oddly enough, I didn't find this to be a downside. The puzzles don't feel like they're meant to stump you so much as they're there to guide you to the next step, and I was enjoying the feeling of being the smart person who figured it all out, haha. Just be aware that if you're experienced with escape room style games (or similar genres) this will feel pretty easy to you. And again, if you're at all experienced with puzzle games, Box One probably won't take you very long to finish. I went at a leisurely pace and still finished in maybe 3 hours split between two days. Nothing gets destroyed along the way, so you can technically replay it, but you'll probably want to wait a few years so everything is a surprise again. I still think it's worth the price for how much fun I had, but if you're on a tight budget and need the most bang for your buck, there are plenty of other board games or video games that will give you more playtime. Overall, I can tell that a LOT of time, effort, and passion went into designing Box One. I can't remember the last time I felt so much child-like excitement, and in this day and age, that kind of experience is priceless. I have already purchased Box Two and look forward to seeing what new surprises it brings!

I had so much fun with this! It has been in my cart for literally months while I decided if I wanted to spend almost $40 for it. I'm so mad I didn't buy it sooner. It was total immersion and amazing production value for a small box. There were so many high quality elements and fun clues throughout. Nothing so difficult it wasn't fun, but it also made me think outside the box (so to speak) I loved it and will recommend it to friends. And I can't wait to try #2 next

My partner and I played Box One, and it turned out to be an absolute delight. It starts off deceptively simple. As we kept going, the game unfolded layer by layer, becoming more surprising, clever, and engaging with every step.The puzzles get more inventive and more intriguing. We had great fun and were genuinely impressed by how it all came together. We are bought the game several time since to gift to friends.

Such a fun family game night option. The game is totally doable for adults and kids together. We had fun solving it. Very interactive.

Such a fun game!

Absolutely loved this!! I love escape rooms and just recently started doing escape room type boxes and this was an absolute gem of a find!! It did a great job of making you really think to piece together the puzzles without having any annoying/nonsensical/repetitive elements. I got more and more invested and excited about it as I got deeper into the puzzle! Cannot recommend this enough for people who enjoy these types of things!!

Good fun that will last you about 2 hours. In the style of an escape room. The game says to do it alone, but my husband and I completed it together. I would say any more people than that and it might not have enough for everyone to help. Some things we discovered ahead of time and others were unexpected and inspired joy. Overall an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. I like the fact that the story unfolded as we completed clues but felt that the storytelling component could have been a bit stronger and added more complexity and layers as you went. Would be awesome if Box Two does that a little bit better. We ordered both so I'm looking forward to trying the second one when it arrives. We reset everything and will pass it on to some friends who enjoy escape rooms.

This was a lot of fun. The puzzles are very simple for an adult, but I played with my 7 year old and she was able to figure out some things. Make sure you do things in order- don't jump ahead just because you realized you can. It can get a little confusing if you do that. One thing to note, there's a part that requires internet access. When you do that you will have to wait until a specific time/duration. Using a PC (rather than a phone) is recommended if you don't want to wait, as you can change the time.

Very well made and a lot of fun. Loved that this was made for 1 player as my hubby is not a games person - so this was a great option for me! I was able to play it carefully so I could send it on to another friend to play after me.

Love this. So much fun!

Just need a little knowledge and able to use the internet.

Very good "escape room" with option to play it again. So after you finish you can pass it to your friends. Good quality and smart puzzles!

I purchased for myself as I love puzzles and always enjoy a good mystery. This was certainly the most unique game I have ever played and would recommend it if you're looking for 1-2 evenings of fun. I played it alone, but feel with another person, i may have been disappointed with how quickly it could be completed. I feel the price point is a little high considering you can really only play it once (unless you have a TERRIBLE memory!). Thankfully, I played it very, very carefully and was able to pass along to a family member to try out for themselves. All in all, I really enjoyed this clever game from start to finish and should there ever be another edition, I would definitely purchase again. It's probably close to the price of admission to an escape room anyway...I just don't need to leave the house for it!!