Review: Truth Seekers Remote Adventure | The Escape Game & Amazon Prime Video

Game Website | Company Site | Company Site | Based In: Nashville, TN, USA

OFFICIAL SPEC

🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room

💪 Difficulty: Not specified.

⏲️ Time duration: 45 minutes limit.

🔢 Capacity: Up to 8 players. Private booking.

💬 Hints: Requested verbally to game master. 3 maximum hints recommended, but unlimited available.

📝 Experience requires Zoom, internet browser, or more. Check for details.

📝 Careful--note potential time difference between your location and the host's when booking.

🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;)

MATTSTER'S REC 🙂

💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 2/10 (team of 4), but I've played "The Heist" from TEG before.

🔢 Ideal team size: 3-5. It's important not to overcrowd a 45-minute game, so everyone has something to contribute.

Truth Seekers Remote Adventure | The Escape Game & Amazon Prime Video

OFFICIAL PREMISE

GO DEEP INTO THE HEART OF DARKNESS (well, a mysterious exhibit in an old museum) to find a powerful and ancient book of magic to reverse a spell and save the day! Solve your way into the mysterious curator’s office and get outta there before it’s too late. Oh, and it’s also haunted.

IN A NUTSHELL

Infiltrate into an old museum (strikingly similar to The Barclay Museum of Historical Art), find the spell book of interest, and leave undetected. And never mind of the haunting spirits residing within, they will be neither bothersome nor useful.

Truth Seekers Remote Adventure | The Escape Game & Amazon Prime Video

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

This isn't the first time The Escape Game has partnered with Amazon Prime Video before. Previously, they've promoted "Hanna" via their Unlocked online game series, and this time, it's going full throttle with "Truth Seekers". This promotion features a 100% live, real-time, avatar-led remote escape room, livestreamed from Nashville, TN to your home.

While TEG hasn't built a completely new room set from scratch, they have reskinned one of their classic options "The Heist" with new props, puzzles, and theme befitting for the show. Since I haven't watched the Prime Video program yet, I don't have an accurate standard to gauge to what extent TEG has succeeded in bringing forth the spirits of the show. However, finding the correct incantation to separate a poor soul stuck in an electronic device sounds about right.

Repurposing the already existing museum escape room seems clever enough, though as expected, those who have already enjoyed "The Heist" before will already know certain solutions even prior to logging on. (I mean, they can't just willy-nilly rid of any pieces that are hard-wired and bolted down, so yeah, we'll be toying with the Apollo and Hermes busts once more.) If you're a returning patron, be respectful, and hold back for teammates who are playing for the first time.

In addition to a livestream powered by Zoom, the signature TEG dashboard makes a welcoming returning, giving the players access to a 360° panoramic room scan, along with clue items inventory, and locks to be opened check list. Relevant objects and information will appear and disappear automatically, rendering the escape gaming experience buttery smooth.

Truth Seekers Remote Adventure | The Escape Game & Amazon Prime Video

Even putting aside the fact that several puzzles are understandable repeats from "The Heist", the bulk balance of the remaining challenges tend to lean on the easier end of the spectrum. This makes great marketing sense since, let's not forget, this is as much of an advertisement, if not more, as it is an escape game. They want as much as the lay public to sign up, have fun, and hopefully become part of the "Truth Seekers" fandom. So no insane mental acrobatics required here.

Expect a lot of number and letters collecting, putting them into the right device, lock or otherwise, and advance on.

Alas, it is a bit disappointing to see the haunting aspect of the premise never truly coming the fruition. Sure, there are some ominous paintings stamped with demonic symbols, news articles of paranormal activity, and a voodoo doll with the cutest, most spoopy pigtails hanging around, but scary? Hardly. Dare I say, I felt nothing but peaceful joy the entire time.

Once again, not having seen the tv series before, I do not yet understand the significance of all the references sprinkled throughout the experience. What's the story behind the doll? What's up with all the cassette tapes? This is an unlikely first, but I gotta hand a win to Amazon Prime Video: This has intrigued me just enough. I'll be tuning in for "Truth Seekers".

Fun fact: a wireless router fell from the ceiling during a reveal mid-game. I initially thought it's all part of the pretend fun, since my avatar happened to be an internet service technician (hah!), but it appeared to be just an amusing coincidence? I may never find out for sure... Perhaps the museum was really haunted...

Below are some more key points you may wanna know...

Truth Seekers Remote Adventure | The Escape Game & Amazon Prime Video

STORY

➤ It's always a bit challenging to curate a story with an existing pool of resources for a specific client, and the tie-in tale for this Prime Video game comes across as functional. It isn't super groundbreaking, and in fact, it's the same essential plot line from "The Heist", but sometimes simplicity works well enough. Besides, actor Samson Kayo delivers the narrative with such conviction and well-timed comedy in the short intro, I'd say my team's all on board.

➤ Again, for a show that is all about the supernatural (assumingly), this promotion never really quite hit it home that there are entities among us that we should be fearful or a least wary of. From a storytelling standpoint, this stands to be improved, and I fathom some moderate but sudden lighting or sound special effects would've made all the difference.

PRODUCTION

➤ Because this game is hosted by an industry veteran, The Escape Game, great quality is to be expected. This is especially true when the room is already well in existence prior, but even all the additional overlay is done with expertise. Some mention-worthy additions include satanic animal paintings and red string crime board, because, who doesn't like these?

➤ As alluded to before, the remote experience wouldn't be half as successful if it weren't for the supplementary inventory webpage, let alone one that looks as fantastic as this one, so let's give the tech team a shoutout, too. Whoo!

A modified set from "The Heist" | The Escape Game & Amazon Prime Video

IMMERSION

➤ For the same reasons above, I don't think I necessarily felt "immersed" per se, due to a not particularly strong storyline, the lack of special effects, and the staff carrying out their duties without truly acting our their characters. Let's be clear, however, this is NOT a complaint. I had fun. I just wouldn't call this "immersive". But hey, it's free. And free is nice.

PUZZLES

➤ Majority of puzzles will come in the form of familiar gen-1 territory. Most will come very natural for even first-time players. If you see a key hole, look for a key. If you see a keypad, watch out for number combinations. An alphabet padlock... Oh ok, you get the idea. The clues themselves are also classic tropes, but at least, they've chosen ones that are cute. One stands out in particular for being just gibberish... but it's got a good ring to it if you listen carefully ;)

➤ While it is true that the game includes other more physical tasks that pushes the experience into being a little more diverse and less one-note, I've already seen everything in my first visit with "The Heist". While it's still somewhat enjoyable to witness one certain earthenware in action, and [censored] is always cool (pew pew pew!), the impact of novelty is lost. Such is a woeful nature of one-and-done entertainment. My teammates, however, were having a ball.

➤ Finally, the puzzles can be considered well-themed enough, I guess? It's certainly not not-themed. From someone who's done this room prior, but haven't watched the show yet, I still felt the room was overwhelming more "Heist" than "Truth Seekers". Possibly my mind will change after a viewing of the show, but either way, the fun factor stands.

Truth Seekers Remote Adventure | The Escape Game & Amazon Prime Video

BEST FIT FOR...

★ Beginners, novice, first-timers! This game is easy and great for anyone to join.

★ If you're already a fan of the show, do this. Looking to see what the show is about (kinda)? Do this.

★ It's free entertainment powered by none other than THE Escape Game! It's great for any time, any day!

EXTRA TIPS

★ One particular "lock" will not show up in your lock checklist, because it isn't a true lock. But don't forget to solve it!

READY FOR FUN?

"Truth Seekers Remote Experience" is available for booking HERE.

If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;)

Signing off,

ESCAPE MATTSTER

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