UNLOCK!
Unlock! is a acclaimed cooperative escape-room board game franchise created by Cyril Demaegd and published by Space Cowboys. Known for combining non-destructive card decks with an interactive mobile companion app, the series has sold over 5 million copies globally.
Overview
Created by Cyril Demaegd and published by Space Cowboys (a studio under Asmodee), Unlock! is a major tabletop escape-room franchise that debuted in February 2017.
The series replaces physical room locks with card-based exploration, where players reveal items, combine red and blue card numbers, and solve physical and mental puzzles within a set time limit. A central component of the experience is its free companion application for iOS and Android devices.
The app functions as a timer, provides thematic soundtrack audio, delivers hints, confirms hidden codes, and incorporates augmented reality and machine puzzles into the gameplay. Over its lifespan, the franchise has expanded beyond its core numbered 3-adventure box sets to include single-deck Short Adventures, licensed crossovers, young player editions, and interactive escape books. Honored with major awards such as the 2017 As d'Or Game of the Year and the 2023 Spiel des Jahres Sonderpreis, the Unlock! franchise has achieved over 5 million copies sold worldwide.
Origins
The development of Unlock! began in France in late 2016 under the working title Project 59:59.
Game designer Cyril Demaegd partnered with publisher Space Cowboys to translate the popular real-life escape room phenomenon into a tabletop experience without destroying or altering physical components.
The franchise officially launched in February 2017 with the release of Unlock! 1: Escape Adventures. The initial box set showcased the system's core mechanics across three distinct scenarios: The Formula, Squeek & Sausage, and The Island of Doctor Goorse. By relying on a digital app for confirmation and timing rather than one-time-use materials, Unlock! established a hybrid digital-physical escape game format that allowed full replayability and sharing among players.
Characters
I PEZZI DI UNLOCK!
Collecting
For tabletop collectors, Unlock! offers an extensive ecosystem of multi-scenario boxes, standalone expansions, and crossover items. Because the game components are non-destructive and fully reusable, complete sets hold strong value on the secondary board game market compared to consumable legacy escape games. Key collectible categories include the flagship 3-adventure box sets (spanning from Unlock! 1 up to Unlock!
15), licensed collaborations such as the Unlock! Star Wars standalone box and Unlock! 10: Game Adventures (which features board game crossovers with Ticket to Ride, Mysterium, and Pandemic), and pocket-sized Short Adventures. Beyond card games, print collectors seek out the series of interactive Escape Books authored by Fabien Clavel. For younger audiences, Space Cowboys also produces dedicated lines including Unlock! Kids and My First Unlock!.
In 2023, the franchise received the prestigious Spiel des Jahres Sonderpreis for innovation in tabletop puzzle games.
