Solve Our Shirts: Escape from the Maze of the Minotaur

Review

Game Description

“Escape from the Maze of the Minotaur!

Solve the challenges of the labyrinth and face down the mighty minotaur in this full-length puzzle game T-shirt!

This double-sided shirt is filled with hidden details, secret information, and other surprises. These clues help you solve a series of puzzles and challenges themed around navigating the legendary labyrinth.”

Personal Experience

Let me start by saying this was maybe the most novel escape room experience I’ve ever done! CU Adventures full name is actually CU Adventures in Time and Space, so I’m pretty confident that they used Time Lord technology to make this game, as there were somehow more surprises in this experience than there should have been room for in, well, a shirt.

The shirt comes in more plus sizes than most sites offer and is made of a very soft cotton. The design is bold, and while it might be a little busy for some for everyday wear, it will make for a great conversation starter when we’re allowed to be around strangers again.

I played this by myself and it took me nearly twice as long as the suggested playtime. (That tends to be the norm for me when I’m playing a game solo, as I am easily distracted when I’m not accountable to other players.) However, I came out victorious in the end and now have a wearable trophy of my success!

Narrative

As one might expect for an experience that is primarily on a shirt, there isn’t a huge story integrated into this game, though there is a clever framing device for the experience. In the game, you have just returned from a visit to Greece and fall into a slumber while thinking about your visit to the Maze of Theseus. Everything that follows, it suggests, is part of a dream.

The props that come with the game and help complement the puzzles are all thematically appropriate and written with the author’s tongue-firmly-in cheek. My favorite was a cheeky pamphlet that offers a bit of direction and some minor hints to the puzzles without managing to break the fourth wall in the process. (For an extra challenge, try playing without it.)

The deluxe edition comes with a couple of additional puzzles that are also in the greek theme, but don’t offer any additional story elements. They were fun and challenging, but don’t tie back to the original game at all. They are just fun bonus puzzles. In addition to the extra puzzles, it also offers a very unique souvenir that will make for a fun addition to any puzzle-game trophy shelf.

Puzzle Play

Several of the puzzles for this shirt were pretty tough, and since they can be solved in any order, there isn’t a difficulty ramp to get to those puzzles. Enthusiasts will appreciate the challenge, and the puzzles were all fair and lead to several great a-ha moments. The puzzles are integrated with the shirt cleverly, managing to delight and surprise as you make your way through the experience.

As usual for CU Adventures’ at-home games, there’s an excellent online hint system in place if you get stuck. While the game is meant to be a challenge, the creators want you to have a fun time with it.

Recommendation

This game was one of my favorite puzzle games experiences of 2020 and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, challenging way to spend an afternoon. If you’re playing it with a partner, I’d recommend getting a shirt for each player, so you can each focus on different areas of the shirt at the same time. Smartly, CU Adventures has a discounted couples option on their site.