The Pendulum of the Dead is a tabletop escape room that plays out in the style of a thriller. In it you are looking to escape an asylum and, from there, save the world from some sort of evil being, which isn’t quite explained at first. It’s worth noting this tabletop game is part one of three, ending on quite the cliff hanger, and we will be reviewing the next two soon, as we were so captivated by this first chapter.
The Pendulum of the Dead is a deck of cards, which work as an escape room type game, sort of similar to the Scooby-Doo: Escape From The Haunted Mansion we had reviewed earlier in the year, but with more adult themes and imagery. This game also has a companion app, that you need to use in order to figure out if your ideas are correct or what to do when you try to combine items.
The cards themselves are placed out like locations. There are different numbers on the cards that you need to pay attention to. Large numbers in the circles showcase what number the card specifically is, which is used when placing out the appropriate cards you need for that area. The black numbers on the cards showcase locations that you can attempt to go too, and the red numbers showcase items you can use.
When you want to combine items so that they can be used, you will enter the numbers into the webpage on our phone. Same with codes for specific areas, or for areas you want to move to. The webpage will then tell you if it’s possible, or the resolution of what you are doing. If you have picked a route you can follow then you are then told what cards to remove from the table and what ones to place out. It’s really easy to follow and the webpage does a good job of being straight forward, and sometimes even has a timer that then ensures you do things quickly.
The Pendulum of the Dead follows a story that is pretty creepy and strange. You’ll end up kidnapping, performing rituals, and digging up some things that probably would be best left buried. It’s a game you can play with a lot of different players, taking the time to investigate the cards in front of you and try to solve some really well designed puzzles, as well as combine objects in unique ways.
The game is also split into sort of chapters that let you know how well you did in that area, as well as a final percentage that lets you know how well you did overall. It’s not a game that has any sort of replay value, but is an interesting way to hang out with your friends or young adult family members, and try out an escape room that’s beyond something you could do in real life. Our entire group is very excited to take on the next chapter.
You can find Pendulum of the Dead on Amazon.
Love board games? Check out our list of the top board games we’ve reviewed.
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