Escape Game: Hanoi 4+

I’ve played the majority of their games and this is one of my favorites. The mini games aren't complicated, the puzzles aren’t hard and you don’t have to click the hint button a lot. It also doesn’t close out every couple minutes, unlike a few others. Great game.

I think, after years of enjoying Jammsworks games, this is my first review that is less than five stars, and it saddens me. “Hanoi” IS a beautiful game to look at, and the overall tone is certainly up to par. But: There’s an odd juxtaposition between repetitive puzzle types (color after color after color), and those that are so outside the box they just seem nonsensical. This latter means sacrificing much of the intuitive game play to just random tapping, moving in and out of scenes, and resorting to hints for the silly and obscure. The magnifying glass puzzle was the last straw for me, as I use a stylus for game play and NEVER would have figured out the necessary step (which barely worked anyway). Moderation in all things; too much innovation does not enhance enjoyment.

Two four-screen levels and a bonus level make the world of Hanoi smaller than the last few Jammsworks games. There’s still a good amount here, though too much of it is tied up in near-identical boxes on poles and variations on counting red, green, blue, and yellow things. Despite the scuffle to remember which utility box or scooter is which, a lot of the game relies on picking up objects in random places.

On the plus side, the traffic light mechanics are super cool, and the mini-games are much improved. Starting out with Towers of Hanoi is so perfect, it’s worth a star on its own.

I miss our friends the pianist and the soul singer, who appear to be checking into the hotel, then are replaced by other musicians. But Auntie is for once enjoying herself, so there’s that.

Jammsworks remains in the top tier of escape game developers. It’s not a bad game; I just don’t think it measures up to the rest of the travel series or to Cinderella. That said, I’ll be eagerly back for the next release.