Holiday Hijinks #14: The Dreidel Dilemma
Holiday Hijinks #14: The Dreidel Dilemma Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
The Dreidel Dilemma, title #14 in the Holiday Hijinks line, is an 18-card escape-room experience for 1 or more players. As a group, players solve a series of puzzles to unravel a mystery. Puzzles test perception, wordplay, and lateral thinking; English language fluency is required.
A typical group takes about an hour to solve the game. The Dreidel Dilemma is rated 1 out of 3 in difficulty.
The system is non-destructible: some groups may choose to write on the cards, but this is not required. A group cannot re-play the same copy of the game, but can pass it on to another group afterward.
Components
- 18 numbered cards.
- Access to the companion website, on a smartphone or computer (one device is enough for the whole group).
Setup
- Stack the 18 cards in numerical order, face down, with card 1 on top.
- Open the companion website on a phone or computer and keep the device within easy reach of the whole group.
- Read the instructions on the website, then flip over card 1 to begin.
How to Play
Work together as a group to examine the current card or cards and solve the puzzle they present. When you believe you have found an answer, enter it into the companion website:
- If the answer is correct, the website confirms it, gives a short story update, and tells you which card or cards to take (or reveal) next.
- If the answer is incorrect, the website responds that the answer could not be verified. Incorrect answers may affect your final score, so guessing at random is discouraged.
Play continues, card by card, until the group enters the answer that solves the mystery and wins the game.
The Companion Website
The companion website is divided into panels for looking up background information, entering answers, and taking hints:
- Information — reference facts you might not have memorized, available at any time without penalty.
- Enter Answer — type an answer into the text box and submit it to check whether it is correct.
- Hints — a graduated hint system: a small nudge is offered first, with the option to reveal a fuller explanation if needed. Each hint you open may cost points off your final score (see Scoring, below).
- Game History — a running log of every answer you have entered and every hint you have taken during the session, each with its result or response.
A running game clock is shown at the top of the screen and can be paused and resumed. Progress autosaves; if you close and reopen the website mid-game, you are offered the choice to Resume the game in progress or Start Over.
Scoring
Solving the game earns a rating of up to five stars, shown in half-star increments and made up of three parts:
- Story points: full marks unless the group has taken certain wrong turns along the way, each of which docks a fixed amount from this portion of the score.
- Time points: full marks for finishing within the game's expected ("par") time; points are lost for each extra minute taken beyond that, down to a minimum of zero.
- Hint points: full marks for taking no hints; each hint taken has a point cost that is deducted from this portion of the score, down to a minimum of zero.
The three parts are added together and rounded to the nearest half star for the final rating, shown alongside your total elapsed time and the number of hints taken.
End of Game
Entering the answer that solves the mystery ends the game immediately: the clock stops, the final score is calculated and displayed, and the group may optionally submit their name, time, and rating through a short online form for a chance to win a future Holiday Hijinks game.