EXIT: The Game – The Cemetery of the Knight
EXIT: The Game – The Cemetery of the Knight Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Before You Begin
IMPORTANT: Do not look closely at the game components before starting to play! Do not leaf through the notebook yet, and do not look at the front of the cards yet. Wait until "the game" tells you to.
Game Materials
- 85 Cards
- 25 Riddle Cards
- 30 Answer Cards
- 30 Help Cards
- 1 Notebook
- 1 Decoder disk
- 1 sheet made up of 3 transparent strange objects (to be cut out along the dotted lines)
Additional Materials Needed
In addition, you will need something to write with (ideally a pen, a pencil and an eraser), one or two sheets of paper, a pair of scissors, and a watch (ideally a stopwatch) to keep track of the time elapsed.
Dear player, please know that we take the greatest care in producing and assembling our games. If a component is ever missing, we apologize. Please let us know at [email protected].
Game Setup
Keep the notebook and the decoder disk within reach on the table. For now, leave the strange objects in the box. Sort the cards into 3 stacks according to what is written on their backs:
- Riddle Cards
- Answer Cards
- Help Cards
Be careful not to look at the front of these cards.
Check that the Answer Cards and the Riddle Cards are sorted in ascending order or alphabetically, following their numbers or letters.
Sort the Help Cards by placing cards that share the same symbol on top of one another, so that the "1st CLUE" card sits on top of the "2nd CLUE" card, and the latter sits on top of the "SOLUTION" card. Then set the 10 stacks of Help Cards aside.
Where Is the Game Board?
This game has no board! It is up to you to figure out what you need to do to progress through the game and discover new places. At the start of the game, you have only the decoder disk available to you. As the game continues, you will add Riddle Cards to that: either they will appear in the illustrations, or the text will invite you to take them. As soon as that happens, you can take the corresponding card and look at it. Likewise, you may not take the strange objects and the cardboard piece inside the box until it is clearly indicated that you have discovered them. Until then, leave them aside!
Example: In an illustration, you see Riddle Card O appear. You can then immediately take the corresponding card from the stack and look at it.
Course of Play
Your goal is to solve the mystery of the Cemetery of the Knight's artifact as quickly as possible. That would be a lot simpler if there weren't a whole set of riddles to solve before you get there.
As soon as the game begins, you may look at all the pages of the notebook. During the game, you will discover all kinds of objects locked with a three-digit code. To open them, you must find the matching codes and then enter them into the decoder disk. On the outer edge of the disk are 10 different symbols. Each symbol represents one of the codes to be found. It is up to you to work out which code belongs to which symbol.
Pay attention to every detail. When you find a code, enter it under the matching symbol on the decoder disk, from the outside in. You will then see a number appear in the window of the smallest wheel.
This number tells you the number of the Answer Card you are allowed to take from the stack and look at. If the code is incorrect, you must keep searching for the solution, or come back to this riddle later. If the code is correct, the Answer Card will tell you how to continue.
Example: For the riddle with a given symbol, you have identified 1-9-2 as the code. You enter this combination under that symbol on the decoder disk. In the small window, you see the number of the Answer Card that you are now allowed to retrieve from the stack and look at (here, card number 1).
Is the Code Incorrect?
If so, you will see an X on the Answer Card. Check that you entered the code you intended under the correct symbol on the decoder disk. If that isn't the issue, you may have missed a clue. Simply put the card back in its place in the stack and take another look at the riddle you failed to solve. It's also possible that you don't yet have all the clues you need to solve it. Then just try moving on to another riddle for the time being.
Example Answer Card: "If you listen closely, you can hear Sir Reginald mocking you from his grave... Unfortunately, the code is not correct. After reading this card, put it back immediately in the Answer Card stack!"
Is the Code Probably Correct?
If so, the Answer Card will look like this:
Example Answer Card: "The code might be right. Which card matches the picture in your riddle?" — showing a grid of small pictures, each paired with a different Answer Card number. After reading this card, put it back immediately in the Answer Card stack!
Where Can You See the Code Symbols?
Good question! Look closely at the illustrations on the Riddle Card and in the notebook. Many locked objects can be found there, and every one of them is associated with a symbol. In our example, it is the barred door whose symbol is shown.
Look on the Answer Card for the picture of this door. A second Answer Card number will be shown next to it — here, it is Answer Card 18. Look for this card in the stack. Only this second Answer Card, found by following this process, will reveal whether your code is really correct.
Caution: You must first have seen the object and its symbol on a Riddle Card or in the notebook before you can unlock it. You cannot unlock an object you have not yet discovered, just like in a real escape game.
Is the Code Really Correct?
If so, the second Answer Card will tell you how to continue. You will see one or more new Riddle Cards on that card, which you are then allowed to take from the stack and look at right away.
Is the Code Finally Incorrect?
Well, in that case you will come across an Answer Card with an X on it. Check the order of the digits of the code on the decoder disk once more, and make sure you entered them under the right symbol. If the code is still wrong, you have probably made an error in your reasoning. Keep thinking about the riddle and try a different code!
IMPORTANT: Whether they are right or wrong, always put the Answer Cards back in their place in the stack. All codes must be worked out logically. The goal is not to try every possible combination on the decoder disk.
Need Some Help?
Of course, the game can help you if you get stuck. For each riddle, you can use 3 Help Cards to put you on the right track. You will recognize them by the symbol shown on their back.
In addition to giving you a useful first clue, the "1st CLUE" Help Cards tell you which game elements are needed to solve the corresponding riddle. The "2nd CLUE" Help Cards will help you a little more concretely in finding the solution. Finally, the "SOLUTION" Help Cards give the solution to the riddle.
IMPORTANT: Use the Help Cards only to solve the Riddle Card or the notebook riddle they are associated with. Each riddle is identified by a symbol (one of those on the decoder disk). Do not use a Help Card if you have not found the riddle matching the symbol shown on its back — it would be of no use.
Be patient: some riddles can only be solved with the help of several Riddle Cards. You won't have them all available from the start. Sometimes, you will first have to tackle other riddles to get cards you'll need for later. Don't hesitate to use Help Cards if you get stuck. Place used Help Cards face up in a discard pile.
Additional Playing Materials
IMPORTANT: To solve the riddles, you may write on the materials, fold them, or even cut them... All of this is allowed, and is sometimes even necessary. You may only play the game once: after that, you will know all the solutions to the riddles, and the materials will be of no further use to you! This allows for great variety among the riddles.
When Does the Game End?
The game ends when you have solved the last riddle and found the artifact. A card will let you know. At the start of the game, start the stopwatch so you know how much time you needed to succeed.
You can check the table below to assess how well you did. When counting Help Cards, only count the ones that gave you new leads or solutions. If a Help Card revealed something you already knew, do not include it in the count.
| Time | No Help Cards | 1–2 Help Cards | 3–5 Help Cards | 6–10 Help Cards | > 10 Help Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 60 min | 10 stars | 8 stars | 7 stars | 5 stars | 4 stars |
| < 75 min | 9 stars | 7 stars | 6 stars | 4 stars | 3 stars |
| ≤ 90 min | 8 stars | 6 stars | 5 stars | 3 stars | 2 stars |
| > 90 min | 7 stars | 5 stars | 4 stars | 2 stars | 1 star |
One Final Tip
Every game element you have successfully used to solve a riddle should be set aside. This way, you will be able to track your progress more easily, without getting things mixed up. Only the illustrations of the places you've visited will remain useful for several riddles.
The Game Begins
Well, what are you waiting for? Start the stopwatch and solve the mystery of the Cemetery of the Knight before it's too late! Now you are allowed to look at all the pages of the notebook and begin solving the riddles. If anything is unclear, don't hesitate to check the rulebook during the game.
Inka & Markus Brand and Kosmos thank everyone who tested the game and proofread the rules.
Certificate
The following players — 1, 2, 3, 4 — found the mysterious artifact of the Cemetery of the Knight on ______ at ______.
Nice work! Fortunately, they managed to get out of the crypt!
- To do it, they needed ______ minutes and ______ seconds.
- They used a total of ______ Help Cards.
- This earned them ______ stars!
- The funniest riddle was ______
- The trickiest riddle was ______
- The player who solved this riddle was ______
Credits
The Authors: Inka & Markus Brand live with their children Lukas and Emely in Gummersbach, Germany. Together they have published numerous games for children and for the whole family, and have won a great many awards.
- EXIT concept: KOSMOS (Ralph Querfurth, Sandra Dochtermann)
- Illustrations: Martin Hoffmann
- Title graphic design: Michaela Kienle
- Graphic design: Sensit Communication GmbH
- Technical development: Monika Schall
- Editing: Ralph Querfurth
- French edition: IELLO
- French translation: Laura Muller-Thoma
- French proofreading: Maëva Debieu Rosas, Marie-Laure Faurite
© 2020 Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG. © 2022 IELLO for the French edition. IELLO – 9, avenue des Érables, lot 341, 54180 Heillecourt, France. www.iello.com. All rights reserved. Printed in Germany. This game is recyclable: separate the plastic from the paper and cardboard. If you finish the game without damaging the materials, you can give it to someone who hasn't solved it yet.