What Escape from Kyoto House is
Escape from Kyoto House is a classic escape room game set in a Japanese-themed house. Your party wakes up trapped inside and has to work through puzzles, riddles and hidden secrets to get out. It is built to be played once, like a single escape room session: crafty players can finish in around 30 minutes, while the average run lands closer to 50 minutes. Expect a mystery-leaning adventure with puzzle solving rather than combat or open exploration.
Playing it with your friends
You can go through it solo or with up to 3 other friends, so a group of four covers the full co-op size. Everyone explores the same Kyoto House together, trading clues and splitting up the puzzles you find along the way. Before you start, you can each pick a character from a selection of over 20, which gives the group a bit of personality while you hunt for a way out. Online co-op is the way to play together, so you can spend an evening on it over a voice call without needing everyone in the same room.
Before you start
Plan for a single sitting. The game is designed as a one-shot escape room, so once you are out, the run is done. Going in with a group that likes reading carefully, comparing notes and thinking through riddles will serve you better than a group looking for action. There is also a Horror Mode on the way that remixes the puzzles, raises the difficulty considerably and adds new mechanics, possibly including evil spirits; it will be free for anyone who owns the game. If the escape room format suits your group, more escape experiences may follow from the same team.