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Mystery Mansion Escape Rooms presents...
"CUT-THROAT"
(Remote)
✧ Played In Jun 2020 • Team of 2 Players • Success! ✧
► VENUE & GAME FACT SHEET ◄
🏢 COMPANY: Mystery Mansion Escape Rooms
💻 WEBSITE: Company | Online Rooms
🏘️ ADDRESS: 2333 Albert St, Regina, SK S4P 2V8 | Google Map
🗾 COUNTRY: Canada
🕒 TIME ZONE: To Check Time Zone
🕹️ GAME: Cut-Throat (Remote)
💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | Remote Version No Longer Available
⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: 4/10 (Official) | Easy To Medium-ish (Mattster)
👨👩👧👦 CAPACITY: Up To 4 Zoom Connections
🔐 GAME TYPE: Private
💰 PRICING: Remote Version No Longer Available
► PREMISE & OBJECTIVES ◄
Official Premise (from Mystery Mansion): Your police captain has gone missing and you know this is the work of the notorious "Handcuff Killer". You received one final message from your captain, which included a strange address. Equipped with a live-streaming head-cam, you send the last able-bodied detective to the address to investigate. Can you save your captain?
CUT-THROAT'S BEEN CUT
Please note:
This room, experience, or game is currently not available for booking or purchase. The blog entry will remain on site for your reading enjoyment, and for Mattster's own personal bittersweet trip down memory lane. Please inquire with company if this will become available again in the future, or what other exciting options are currently available. Thank you.
Well, sorta.
The original space reserved for remote escape room "Cut-Throat" is currently undergoing dismembering and/or reconstruction for a future attraction experience. Thus, this *exact* remote version, the subject of this blog post, is no longer available for enjoyment.
However, an audio led rendition of a game by the same name is open for booking, and if interested, please visit Mystery Mansion's official website for details.
[Note: This review focuses on recounting the experience, game play analysis, and some minor critiques of the remote version, not the new audio led option.
Update: review for the audio led option is now up. Read it here.]
ahh, mr killer, we meet again
In all honesty, any serial killer themed escape game, no matter the title, is a familiar friend in the industry. I've made acquaintances with several psychotic physicians in the States, and it seems like sadistic murderer with a penchant for brainteasers is also prevalent in Canada.
When first introduced to the "sitch at hand" by our game master prior to game start, I actually smirked, hard, at the narrative.
Basically, a beloved police captain has been captured by the "Handcuff Killer" (HCK), and it's up to our last ambulatory officer to save his life on location, while the rest of us act as backup at command HQ since we all uniformly suffered from bedridden injuries.
...What?! We are ALL fallen soldiers except one?!
Ridiculous, but I don't mind a good laugh.
battle of the wits
The next hour of operation is a combination of the brawn and the brains. Namely, the one single able bodied member would provide the muscles, but the mind, that part's all you!
This particular style of game play features a very "dependent" avatar; the participants must be very specific in terms of vocal command to achieve results. For instance, if you don't tell them to lift up that metal box on the table, he probably won't--on purpose.
I am not discounting this as a game weakness, but rather, it's a true test to gamer's ability to articulate precisely what needs to be done. It's a little sneaky, but I kinda dig the challenge.
However, that notion, along with a lack of an inventory system, made the game more difficult than initially expected. Haughty Escape Mattster only brought a total of 2 for a game intended for at least 3. Oh man, trouble's a-brewing!
inside the killer's mind
Predictably, the HCK left a number of puzzles around the room as a potential offering to save a human life. Though quite unfortunately, we hit a snag right off the bet.
Feeling extremely anxious after being stuck for 10 to 15 minutes with no true progress, we opted for a hint. And gosh darn it, once the hint was provided, we realized we simply did not see the starting puzzle because the Zoom feed didn't clearly capture the clue the first time around, and we brushed it off casually without even knowing it.
So remote escape game developers out there, hint hint: an inventory system providing photos of all encountered key items is often beneficial and appreciated!
Indeed, once we got a feel of what the challenges were like in this room, things went rather smoothly. The basis of the linear room was definitely gen 1 oriented, with many common goals of finding lock combos, keys, and passwords.
I saw a lot of weird symbols, nonsensical alphabets, and casually misplaced body parts. You know the drill. There was a bit of "scavenging" thrown in as well, and I imagine I would've fared better in person. Majority of my subsequent hints were spent on finding well hidden clues.
A couple of puzzles really got me, but I am no novice! Having found all but one digit/letter of a combo padlock, I simply told my avatar to rotate through all possible options until successful unlocking. Ha! Take that, HCK! (Overall, I'd say this room is doable by even beginners.)
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENTS
My one gripe with this game is that, ironically, it is not cutthroat enough for me.
Cutthroat, by definition, means ruthless, a descriptor of a great magnitude. And in that sense, I did not feel Mystery Mansion brought its full monty.
I want more visuals, more gore, more dark humor, and more emotions! Gimme more!
While I commend my game host for being an exceptional game master, (especially at giving out delicate hints without giving away the answers blatantly,) I did wish he would push the envelope as an in-game avatar, and play his story's role with much more commitment.
Really channel and become that last member of the police team with working limbs, ya know?
CONVERSION TO AUDIO LED
Overall, even though I don't think "Cut-Throat" was as mind-blowing-ly impressive as "Night Terrors", I am happy that I got to do it before its planned demise, and it's always a pleasure to support a recently discovered business that I find personable.
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