I’ve been really enjoying the various escape boxes that we’ve gotten from EscapeWelt and decided it was time to take things to the next level and try to build one of their boxes myself.
To that end, I got them to send us a copy of The Orbital Box X2 a two part wooden puzzle where you first build and then get to solve a wooden puzzle box.
Disclosure: Thanks to EscapeWelt for sending us a review copy of the Orbital Box and a number of their other puzzle boxes. Also, thanks for our 10% discount code BELLHOP for use in their webstore. We are an Escape Welt affiliate and the links in this post are affiliate links.
My history with EscapeWelt
I reviewed my first ever EscapeWelt product back in January of this year. At the time I took a look at both the House of the Dragon and the Fort Knox Box puzzle boxes.
I had never tried one of these wooden 3D puzzles before and found myself rather captivated. I just couldn’t help but fiddle with these boxes and eventually figure out how to get them open.
It seems the review was well received by EscapeWelt as they kept sending us more puzzles to check out. Throughout the past year, I also reviewed the Quest Pyramid and the Space Box. I even got a chance to play around with a prototype copy of The Quest Tower.
They also offered me a chance to check out The Orbital Box X2, which is what I’m looking at today. This puzzle takes things a step further as you actually have to build it first before you can solve it.
Building the Orbital Box X2
I think the best way to show off just how well the Orbital Box X2 went together is to share the video Sean was able to create based on the Twitch live stream I did when building the box.
Overall I thought the build went pretty well, that was until I was done putting the box together and passed it on to Deanna to let her try to get it open.
The thing is that by building the box I had a really good idea of how to open the box. While I didn’t know the reason things had to be in certain places or turned certain ways I knew what the final position was meant to look like, so I was able to get the box first closed and then re-opened.
Deanna didn’t have that information and had to try to figure out things logically based on the information presented on the box itself and that’s where things fell apart.
After her being stuck for quite some time, and with me also not being able to figure out how you were supposed to solve this puzzle, I looked for a solution online and that’s when I realized there were two parts of the puzzle I assembled incorrectly.
One was totally my fault. I managed to put one wall of the puzzle on upside down. Thankfully due to the fact that you don’t use any glue to build this puzzle box, it was a pretty quick fix.
However, the second problem was on EscapeWelt. There is a thin square piece that they tell you to put in rotated 90 degrees from where it should be. Thankfully this was also a pretty easy fix, but did involve taking one side of the puzzle apart and then putting it back together.
On a positive note, taking things apart and putting them back together didn’t seem to harm the puzzle in any way and it’s still nice and sturdy.
I had Sean call these bits out when editing the build video so you don’t run into the same problem I did. So if you do end up picking up an Orbital box, I suggest you watch at least those parts of my build video.
Oh, and there’s the thing with the wax. You don’t need to provide your own wax, that’s included in the box. I was totally confused by the wax in our Orbital Box X2 Unboxing Video.
Who should pick up the Orbital Box X2?
I have to say I had a lot of fun building the Orbital Box X2 even though I did make a few mistakes. This was one of the better cut wooden sets I’ve had the pleasure of building and everything fit together extremely well.
You really don’t need any glue when building the Orbital Box X2 which is an impressive feat. It was also a joy to get to see what goes on behind the scenes in one of these 3D Escape Boxes.
One of my big concerns with the Orbital Box X2 was that building it was going to ruin the puzzle part. In a way, this is true. By the time I was done building the box, I had a really good idea of what state it had to be in to get it open. What I didn’t expect was a bonus puzzle where I had to figure out how to get it locked shut in the first place.
What this means is that the person building the Orbital Box X2 does indeed get two different puzzles in one, and that second puzzle is actually getting the box closed not getting it open.
My only complaint with this puzzle box is the fact that I was able to build the box incorrectly. There’s no reason that the one side I flipped couldn’t have been designed so that the tabs only fit one way and it’s a real shame that there’s a mistake in the instructions that has you place a piece wrong. Lucky for you, you now know about those two issues so can easily avoid them.
I think the Orbital Box X2 is a great box for anyone who enjoys these kinds of 3D wooden puzzles.
It’s a straightforward build and the end result makes for a great gift box. This box also features the largest prize space out of any of EscapeWelt’s boxes we’ve built so far, so that’s an added bonus.
I think this box would be a great gift for someone either as is, new and unassembled as something for them to build on their own, or as a completed item to be used as a gift box with something even cooler inside.
Don’t forget: If you do pick up an Orbital Box X2 of your own, or anything else from EscapeWelt, be sure to use our exclusive code BELLHOP to save 10% on your order. The code stacks with any existing discounts.
I’ve really been enjoying working my way through EscapeWelt’s catalogue so far. They have been great to work with and they helped me discover a love for wooden puzzle boxes I didn’t know I had.
We’ll have more EscapeWelt content coming up in the future as well, as I’ve already got another package from them sitting here that I’ve yet to open.
What could it be? I would love to see your guesses in the comments below!
