Review: Shagadelic Super Spy (Remote) | Escape 60 Peoria

Escape 60 presents...

"SHAGADELIC SUPER SPY" (REMOTE VERSION)

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► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄

🏢 COMPANY: Escape 60

🏘️ ADDRESS: 931 North Sheridan Road, Peoria, IL 61606 | Google Map

🗾 COUNTRY: United States

💻 WEBSITE: Company

🕹️ GAME: Shagadelic Super Spy (Remote Version)

💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game

⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: N/A (Official) | Easy to Medium (Mattster)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: Up to 4 Connections (2-6 Players)

🔐 GAME TYPE: Private

💰 PRICING: $60 Per Game

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► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄

Official Premise (from Escape 60): ​Your groovy British spy friend has again thwarted Doctor E’s sinister plan to hold the world ransom for one million, scratch that, one hundred million dollars. He has recovered the nuclear missile that the Doctor had stolen and has hidden it in his very "shagadelic" London pad. Now Doctor E has captured your British friend and is going to set the missile off remotely in 60 minutes. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to find and disarm the missile and get out of our hero’s high security pad before the Doctor sets it off in exactly one hour. Good Luck!

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► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄

📚 NARRATIVE: Borrows from certain Austin movies, plus a missile

👀 VISUAL: Adequate, could gradually jazz it up more

🧩 PUZZLE: Tons and tons to do, classic gen 1 puzzle galore

🧠 IMMERSION: Light (it's puzzle and brain work prominent)

🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: N/A, strictly avatar led only

🏪 VENUE: N/A

💁‍♂️ STAFF: Down to earth, appreciative, avatar moves fast!

💭 OVERALL: Standard, but enjoyable and useful for "skills check"

🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Lovers of, and/or experts at, puzzle solving

🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 4-5 with prior experience, *lots* to do under 1 hour

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► OH, BEHAVE... YOU GOTTA FIND THAT MISSILE ◄

"Shagadelic Super Spy" is Escape 60's response to recent pandemic. Now they offer a remote escape room option that patrons can safely enjoy from the comfort of their own homes.

Speaking of home, this 60-minute adventure takes place in one. Ahem, sorry, scratch that. This isn't just any home. It's a stylish London *pad*, as the Brits call it, belonging to none other than your groovy British spy friend whose nemesis is the despicable Dr E.

Sounds familiar?

Yeahhhhh, babyyyyy!!

Shagadelic Super Spy | Escape 60 Peoria

Quite obvious to the comedy lovers, this escape room's theme borrows elements from a movie franchise that features a super spy who likes to shag and is somehow also psychedelic. My money's on Austin.

The spy, Austin or otherwise, let his guard down and got captured. A destructive missile that had been secured in Austin's pad is now under Dr E's remote control. We have one hour to guide our onsite agent--we are offsite backup--to disarm the missile and cancel launch sequence.

Plot wise, it wouldn't be our team's first time at intervening a weapon of mass destruction, now would it?

This is a common trope. I've just done that last July. Ahhh, fond memories. But one that got tangled in the drama of the British spy scene? That's a first.

The game play mostly took place in the aforementioned bachelor's pad, though as you advance, a couple of surprises await, as it rightfully should in any decent escape room.

Any sharp eyed or experienced player would probably already have a hunch after an initial scan of the room, but the time came, I was still quite giggly.

First person perspective from our onsite avatar | Escape 60 Peoria

The journey to our final objectives, however, was a lengthy one, as there were loads and loads AND loads of things to do! Whoa!

And we enthusiasts do love a game jam packed with puzzles!

Available puzzles attempted to stay relevant to the given theme, though the latter ones were noticeably better suited than some earlier, more random choices.

If memories serve me right, the game in its entirety consisted of gen 1 puzzles. They were definitely instances in which special tools and tech input were involved, but at the heart of it, this was a roster of fundamental escape room challenges.

As such, I wouldn't necessarily say they were difficult. However, as said before, the sheer volume was quite challenging even for a team with 4 highly experienced players. (We had about 3 and a half minutes leftover--cutting it close!) Beginners, you've been warned!

And though we were almost instantaneous at turning in our solutions for most cases, some steps still stumped us. One in particular even resulted in asking for a hint.

I distinctively remember and appreciate moments of intense conversation among us four due to having so many things to finish in a relatively short amount of time. We shared moments of laughter, panic, and triumph. In other words, a good time.

For me personally, I also see this type game as a periodic, helpful "self-check", to make sure those escape room brain gears don't get rusty.

If I may suggest a few things to make this game even better, I would probably consider elimination of certain minor red herrings. There's plenty to keep everyone busy, and really no need to them.

Shagadelic Super Spy | Escape 60 Peoria

Production wise, since "Super Spy" features a large space, I firmly believe they should up their visual factor another level--give it a little more oomph.

For example, even though the overhead disco lighting provided a myriad of colors, I would still love to see more colors, as in for furniture and decor, and maybe even more reference to the motion pictures that inspired this game.

Perhaps a flamboyant, sparkly orange suit? Some flirtatious disco dancers posters displayed on the wall? A HOT PINK FUZZY RUG?!?!

Yes yes yes!

Commit and embrace to the zany, campy humor. Push that potential.

We've enjoyed our time with our avatar, who was speedy at moving around the room, and very diligent at organizing our collected items neatly in groups. Because of this, even if there's only a Zoom live feed, and no inventory screen given, the game still ran relatively smoothly.

HD photos of one or two key items would've surely made things easier, however.

Thanks for a groovy, fantastic time, our watermelon shirt wearing avatar lad! | Escape 60 Peoria

A genuine attempt at a good, clean, and fun escape room best aimed at players with medium experience, "Shagadelic Super Spy" will remain available for online play for quite some time, according to the staff.

They believe in the potential for this new form of entertainment, and I am so glad to see I am not the only one who thinks so.

Signing off,

ESCAPE MATTSTER

Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. E60Spy.