From "rain again" to "we're out" in one evening
Two formats, one philosophy: you should be playing within five minutes of deciding to. Here is what happens in each.
Browser games, step by step
Open the game page
One tab, on whichever device has the biggest screen in the room. No download, no account, no age gate. The page asks nothing of you but a click on Start.
Meet the room
A short scene sets the story, then the first puzzle appears. Everything you need is on screen; nothing needs a web search.
Solve, argue, type
Answers go in through keypads, word locks and tappable objects. Wrong answers cost nothing but time. The timer is visible so the competitive people stay honest.
Use a hint when it stops being fun
Three hints per puzzle, from nudge to near-answer. Press the Hint button; the game tells you how many you have left.
Get out
The finish screen shows your time and hints used. Screenshot it for the group chat, then start the next one.
Printable kits, step by step
Request the kit
Fill in the contact form, choose the kit, tell us roughly when you plan to play. We reply from a real inbox within one business day with the PDF attached.
Print 24 pages
Letter size, black and white, single-sided. A home printer, a library printer or a print shop all work.
Cut and seal
Two pages need scissors. One page goes into an envelope you seal and put on the mantel. Twenty minutes of prep.
Host it
Read the opener, split into teams, set a 90-minute timer on a phone. Hint cards go out when a team asks.
Playing across the country on a video call
Pick a host with a decent connection and have them share the game tab. Everyone else keeps their camera on and their notebook out. Read clues aloud, because the person on a phone in Moncton cannot read a tide table on a shared screen, and because saying a cipher out loud is how most of them get cracked.
On time zones: a 7:30 p.m. start in Victoria is 11:30 p.m. in Halifax. Our groups that span the country do Sunday afternoons, 2 p.m. Pacific, which lands at 5 p.m. Atlantic and leaves everyone time for supper.
The Cabin Fever Kit is not made for calls; it needs a shared table and an envelope somebody can guard. For remote groups, the two browser games are the ones to book.
Hints, in detail
Every hint is written by the person who designed the puzzle, so it points at the actual sticking point rather than restating the clue. Level one names where to look. Level two says what to do with it. Level three gives you the answer with one step left, so you still get to press the button. In the printable kit, hint cards are physical; the host hands them over face-down, which is more fun than it sounds.
Accessibility, briefly. Every lock, tile and keypad is a real button, so the games work with a keyboard, a switch or a screen reader. Status messages are announced as they change. Colour is never the only signal.
Text sizes are generous because we tested on a shared screen from across a living room. If something is hard to read or use, tell us; we would rather fix the game than explain it.
Questions people ask us
Which browsers work?
Any current version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge on a laptop, tablet or phone. We test on a five-year-old iPad and a very tired Windows laptop, and both are fine.
Do the games use my camera or microphone?
No. The games never ask for camera, microphone or location. Your video call app handles the talking; we only handle the puzzles.
What time zone are your hours in?
Pacific. We are in Vancouver, so 9:00 to 17:00 our time is noon to 8:00 p.m. in Halifax. Games themselves are available at any hour.