Hamburg, Feb 2025
Each of the three rooms we played at Big Break were thoroughly enjoyable, but The Toymaker was the one we’d come for, and it was indeed in a class of its own.
The premise is that you’re in the store and workshop of a legendary toymaker, who has devoted years to creating one specific toy. And that sets up the first delight of the game, which is an environment so packed with interesting things that I could have spent quarter or an hour or more just looking round and appreciating the decorations. In a space so busy with objects it ought to be difficult to tell what is and what is not part of the game, but in practice we didn’t find that to be a problem at all.
The setup and premise appear deceptively straightforward, but this is a game that evolves in interesting and unexpected ways, including some shifts of tone and setting. (Note that this involves some physical movement from players in the transitions.) The way in which the different sections are linked are a large part of what makes The Toymaker so magical and satisfying, though I can’t give details without spoilers. But that led to at least two moments where I gasped in genuine delight at the realisation of what the room was doing – it takes an idea and runs with it, and then doubles down on that in a way that I have to describe as genius.
Some of the puzzles are quite traditional in style, though none the worse for that; the logic throughout is consistently solid and creative. One step we probably never would have spotted without a hint, though that speaks to our bad observation skills rather than any weakness in the puzzle.
The toy shop in the game evokes nostalgia for an older era of toys made with expert craftsmanship and care, and those are exactly the qualities that the game itself exemplifies. Like a precision clockwork mechanism, it’s a joy to watch its logic unfurl and reveal its secrets. Amongst Europe’s top-rated escape rooms, there are plenty that are larger-scale or more spectacular, but The Toymaker is irresistibly clever – I defy you to play it and not be charmed. 
