Reaching the End of My 2022 Solo Advent Calendar Journey
Experience the conclusion of the daily puzzles and reveals in the Exit Advent Calendar and Advent-ure Dice Calendar.
As was to be expected, my fun adventures in the world of Advent calendars came to a close for 2022. I made it to the very end of the continuing puzzle in the Exit: Advent Calendar – The Golden Book! Then, it dawned on me that my 31-day Advent-ure Dice Calendar was designed for October and Halloween… No matter. I just had a very lucrative final day!
Spoiler Alert
No solutions are prsented below, although there are general ideas presented about the daily puzzles. There are major spoilers for the dice, though: They’re shown below in all their glory! If you’re someone who wants to save the surprises for yourself, stop right here and come back when you’ve opened up your own Advent calendar for all the fun!
Game Overview
Game Name: Exit: Advent Calendar – The Golden Book
Publication Year: 2021
Designers: Inka Brand and Markus Brand
Artist: Uncredited
Publisher: KOSMOS
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Daily puzzles provide an ongoing storyline with very different kinds of solutions. Working through a village, the hunt to find the Golden Book before Christmas adds a little mystery into the holiday season! After 24 days, the solution is revealed so that everyone can celebrate!
First Play
December 6, 2022
Complexity
2
Latest Play
December 24, 2022
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
24
Play Time
15 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
24" x 24"
Low Score
N/A
Merry Christmas!
I worked tirelessly each day, diligently setting aside around 10-20 minutes daily for the remaining puzzles.
Most days presented interesting experiences. I used the help book to double-check my answers, and had a lot of exciting moments when I figured things out on my own!
Time to celebrate! I reached the very end and saved the day, which brought out some very happy Calico Critters dressed up for the holiday. Such a lovely little scene!
I was somewhat sad to reach the end, although I preserved the puzzles enough to pass it along for my parents to try.
Just a Door Away…
As a little elf helper left the house, seemingly alone and without anyone around, he was about to be surprised!
In a fun little parallel of opening up the daily doors, these Calico Critters hid just out of sight. Friends are never far away, particularly in the board game hobby.
I know the holidays can be a very stressful or negative time for some, and I hope that little things like this photo help brighten things, if only for a few moments.
Now what to do?! I’m already thinking about how I can try to do something each day to keep the momentum going.
Ranking the Exit Advent Calendar Puzzles
It would be very difficult to pick my favorites from this bunch, mainly because all of the puzzles were so different! Instead, I decided to rate them all on a general enjoyment scale. Nearly half of them were excellent, with a low number turning out to be mediocre or just good. Definitely a success for me: Overall, this was simply a ton of fun!
Day 1
Excellent
Day 2
Great
Day 3
Excellent
Day 4
Great
Day 5
Great
Day 6
Excellent
Day 7
Excellent
Day 8
Good
Day 9
Excellent
Day 10
Excellent
Day 11
Great
Day 12
Mediocre
Day 13
Mediocre
Day 14
Excellent
Day 15
Great
Day 16
Mediocre
Day 17
Great
Day 18
Excellent
Day 19
Good
Day 20
Great
Day 21
Mediocre
Day 22
Excellent
Day 23
Great
Day 24
Excellent
Brewing Up the Dice
Never forget that I had another Advent calendar going in parallel to all of these puzzles! There were new dice to discover all the time, and I ended up with 34. Awesome!
There were 4 complete sets, 3 of which I loved and 1 that I liked. Not bad at all! The d2 potions were a nice little touch, too. Never saw those, and now I have them!
Since this was designed for Halloween with 31 doors, I slightly modified it… Day 24 was a very big day, indeed.
Although not themed for Christmas, I often like more generic dice. Cats, hats, spiders, and cauldrons?! Yes!
Different D6 Designs
To be absolutely clear, I only had an issue with 2 of these dice… Minor quibbles, that is. The huge d6s were lovely with clear numbers, even on the red spider die.
I expected the same on the green cauldron die. Instead, the sides show very small bubbles to indicate the values. Shown here is a roll of 5… Not exactly the easiest to see.
A special owl die used branches on its sides, which weren’t too difficult, but still deviated from those clear values.
For an unknown set of 34 dice, though, I’ll still use these and enjoy them. Everything else? Amazing and lovely!
Session Overview
Play Number: 13-24
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 12 Wins
Everything ended up sparkly and cheerful! The puzzle solution was a little on the quirky side with more humor than I was expecting, yet it wrapped up the mystery nicely. This was my first year ever doing Advent calendars, and I’m convinced that the tradition must continue! I expect to be solving little puzzles and discovering some more dice right around this time next year. Such a nice way to pass the time in the board gaming space. Merry Christmas!
%
20 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
8
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- Every puzzle offers something unique in the way it can be solved, leading to a lot of variety and unpredictability.
- The included help book can offer clues to get started, along with the final solution to double-check progress.
- All of the artwork is lovely and presents a wonderful display when opening up the door for each day.
- Play time is quite reasonable with the ability to look up clues, and most days take around 10-20 minutes total.
- There is a sense of Christmas wonder that the start of the story captures and maintains throughout the chapters.
- Most of the elements don’t absolutely need to be written on or destroyed so that the calendar can be passed on.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There are a lot of different puzzle styles, so this may make the whole experience better or worse based on likes.
- A handful of the puzzles can feel too simple or overly convoluted, decreasing the fun for those days.
- Most of the chapters feel very singular and disconnected, despite the overall mystery and ongoing narrative.
- While the experience is wonderful, the price point can be a little steep when purchasing around the holidays.
Victory Conditions
Complete the Puzzle
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Complete all 24 puzzles.
Continue the Conversation
What are your thoughts about the Exit: Advent Calendar – The Golden Book and Advent-ure Dice Calendar? Do you enjoy other sorts of holiday activities around solo board games? This was a dual experience I’m not likely to forget, and it’s simply wonderful to finally have Advent calendars in my life! I can’t wait to open more doors next December!
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