Disclosure: Meeple Mountain received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review is not intended to be an endorsement.
Settlers of EXIT
You’ve heard of Catan, you’ve probably heard of EXIT. Could this be a mashup of epic proportions? Maybe—it depends who you ask.
EXIT games are always an easy sell with my family during holidays or get-togethers. I simply describe them as “an escape room in a box,” and the buy-in is there. I’ve completed a handful of Exit games in my gaming career, most notably my annual deep dive into the EXIT advent calendar during the holiday season. My brother-in-law buys one for every couple in the family each year, and we always have a fun time in the group chat discussing the daily challenge.
EXIT: Adventures on Catan coincides with the 30-year anniversary of the legendary game from Klaus Teuber. Whether you love it or hate it, Catan has had a huge influence on the gaming community and remains one of the most popular gateway games that hook people in.
EXIT has dabbled in other IPs before—back in 2022 with Lord of the Rings—but the theming ranges from sci-fi to horror to kid-focused puzzles. A quick look at BGG shows that the EXIT series is creeping up to nearly fifty titles!
Paper Hexes
This will be a spoiler-free take on the puzzle. Players are new settlers on Catan, building out the game board with unfoldable paper hexes that replicate the board game’s familiar tiles. You’ll manipulate all parts of the game, including tearing and folding everything from cards to the manual to the game box itself. Answers are checked with a dial to match three codes and (hopefully) reveal the correct answer card. There’s a narrative story about the land of Catan, drip-fed through various puzzles. There’s also a hard ending with a nice surprise for Catan fans.
Here’s a Clue
Overall, the game was a decent time. Much like the others in the series, some puzzles are easy, while others require some extra thinking. I don’t claim to be an escape room master, but I used a few hints here and there (which is great to help scale the game to your audience). As usual, some puzzles are creative, while others might have you rolling your eyes. There’s even a crucial typo on the moon puzzle (here’s your hint), which had me tearing my hair out trying to solve it. Thankfully, a good Samaritan pointed it out on BGG, and I was able to regain some sanity.
It’s also tough to finish over multiple sittings, as the paper hexes are so flimsy that if someone bumps the table, it messes up the map arrangement. (Don’t forget to take a photo of the map—lest you have to backtrack the entire build like I did.)
The story isn’t anything to write home about, but it was interesting to see what Catan might look like with narrative elements. Do I smell a legacy Catan game down the road?
I think fans of Catan will really enjoy this edition, as there are lots of references to core elements like resource trading, the robber, road building, etc. But for me, it stays in the “mildly fun” range, which is how I normally feel about most of the EXIT games I’ve played. Some puzzles have those fun “a-ha!” moments, and others are just a slog. It felt like the puzzles were a bit easier here, likely garnering broader appeal.
If you like EXIT or Catan, this will make for a nice evening with a partner—or even solo. The quality is consistent, and the puzzles always feel fresh. I’m just happy to throw away the game when I’m done—not from a lack of enjoyment, but to make room on the shelf for something new.
EXIT: The Game – Adventures on Catan details
- Designer: Inka Brand, Markus Brand
- Artists: Claus Stephan, Martin Hoffmann
- Publishers: 999 Games, KOSMOS
- Release Date: 2025
- Player count : 1 - 4
- Age range : 10+
- Time range : 45 - 90 minutes
- Mechanism(s): Cooperative Game
- BGG Geek Rating: 7.49455 - converted to Meeple Mountain scale: 3.5.
- More articles about EXIT: The Game – Adventures on Catan.
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