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About EXIT: The Game – The Abandoned Cabin
The Abandoned Cabin is one of the first three boxes in Inka and Markus Brand's EXIT series for KOSMOS, which together won the Kennerspiel des Jahres in 2017. You are locked in a cabin and work through a chain of riddles using a booklet, a deck of cards and a code wheel. Its reputation comes from what it lets you do with the components: fold, cut, write on and tear them. You play it once, and that is the point.
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Is EXIT: The Game – The Abandoned Cabin Right for You?
Best for
The Abandoned Cabin is for groups who enjoy real escape rooms and want one at the kitchen table, and for puzzle lovers who like a single, carefully built evening. Two or three players is best, so everyone can see the components and contribute. It is also a strong first EXIT box because the puzzles are fair and the component tricks are memorable.
Maybe skip it if…
It can be played once, and some of the components are destroyed along the way, so anyone who wants replay value should pass. Larger groups will find people idle because only a few can handle the cards at once.
How to Play EXIT: The Game – The Abandoned Cabin
Setup
Lay out the decoder disc, the booklet and the three card decks: riddles, answers and help. Start a timer and read the opening card.
On Your Turn
- Search the booklet and any cards you have been told to take for a riddle you can solve.
- Work out the three-symbol code and set it on the decoder disc to find an answer card number.
- Check the answer card. A wrong code sends you back; a right one tells you which new cards to take.
- Use the help cards whenever you are stuck, at the cost of a lower score.
How to Win
Escape the cabin by solving the final riddle. Your rating depends on the time taken and the help cards used.
💡 Strategy Tips
Nothing is sacred. If a component looks like it could be folded, cut or held up to the light, try it before reaching for a hint.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating the components as precious. The game expects you to fold, cut and write on them, and some puzzles cannot be solved otherwise.
- Guessing codes on the decoder disc. A lucky guess still requires the right answer card, and wrong guesses waste time.
- Refusing hints out of pride. Stalling for twenty minutes on one riddle is less fun than taking a help card and moving on.
- Letting one person hold everything. Split the cards around the table so several puzzles are being worked at once.
Advanced Strategy
- Read every card and booklet page for numbers, symbols and odd shapes. Almost nothing in the box is decoration.
- Keep solved cards in a separate pile. Mixing them back in causes confusion when you are looking for a missing clue.
- When a puzzle seems impossible, look for a physical action you have not taken. The box rewards lateral thinking about objects.
- Take the first help card early. It only nudges you, and it often saves a much bigger hint later.
Variants & House Rules
No-timer play
Ignore the clock and the score and just play for the story. Many groups enjoy EXIT more without the pressure.
Return to the Abandoned Cabin
A later, separate EXIT box set in the same cabin. It is a different set of puzzles, not a replacement for this one.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
The Abandoned Cabin is still one of the best boxes in the EXIT line, and it is easy to see why the series won the Kennerspiel des Jahres. The puzzles are varied, the component tricks are genuinely surprising, and it fits comfortably into one evening. Play it once, then pass it on after writing down the spoiler warning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play it more than once?
No. Once you know the solutions the game is spent, and some components are destroyed during play.
How hard is it?
It is not the gentlest box in the series. First-timers often need a few help cards, and the game expects that.
Can I play it solo?
Yes. It works alone, though the puzzles are more enjoyable when someone else is there to spot what you miss.