Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Amsterdam, Netherlands OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room/Experience 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Host Led Experience 💪 Difficulty: Not specified, recommended for age 12 and up. ⏲️ Time duration: 80 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Accommodates 2-6 players. Private booking. 📝 Experience requires WhatsApp, telephone, web 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! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Infiltrate a well guarded vault building complex and steal "The Source" from a heavily protected safe. ➲ The original in-person "The Vault" is an immersion-heavy heist quest featuring a genuine basement play area. ➲ "The Vault Online" virtual play requires Whatsapp, telephone, email, but surprisingly, not Zoom. ➲ Best described as an avatar-led, half immersive experience, half escape game, hybrid entertainment. ➲ The first half of the experience is tech and communication heavy, focusing on infiltration and bypassing security. ➲ The second half is more in tune with a traditional escape room play, with actual puzzles to solve. ➲ At its current state, it's lighter on mental or thought-based puzzles, and highly suitable for beginner crowds. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 🙂 subjective rating: 💪 2 to 3/10 difficulty (team of 4), 🔢 ideal team size of 3 to 4. OFFICIAL PREMISE Form a team of highly skilled thieves to steal a mysterious object from a heavily protected safe. Don’t be fooled: while it’s a century old safe-complex: its security system is state of the art. Should you get caught, we will deny any knowledge of this operation. (You can now play our immersive heist adventure from home, from anywhere in the world! We’ve converted the award-winning escape room experience The Vault into a riveting online adventure and the reactions of the first players were amazing.) UNABRIDGED EDITION In the global escape room and immersive experience industry, Amsterdam is often regarded as the home to some of the world's best live escape entertainment. These games tend to heavily focus on immersion, often transporting players to a whole another world with their incredible "sets" (I'll explain why it's in quotes later). "The Vault" from Sherlocked Mystery Experiences is one such highly-rated options the city has to offer. "The Vault" has one mission: to retrieve a valuable object known as "The Source" from a highly secure vault complex. The Source is a classified project dated back to late 1890s, aimed to create an unending energy source, hence the code name. Pre-game email briefing, though technically optional reading, provides a rich background and primes participants to be furthermore immersed--there goes that key word again--from the very moment they check in. What sets "Vault" apart is its physical setting. When they say you are about to infiltrate a vault complex, they really mean it. This is not a vault set. It is not constructed for the purpose of the game. Rather, it's the opposite. The building, and the massive underground vault area--they already exist. It is the story, the puzzles, and the experience that are injected into the location. No wonder it looks and feels so immersive and real--because it literally is real. So that's "The Vault" in-person play in a nutshell; how would "The Vault Online" fare under remote circumstances? Gordon (and maybe Liz Too) stroking his (their) beard while the intro video clip plays ▪ Sherlocked Mystery Experiences First, some logistics: This remote escape game takes place not over Zoom, but instead broadcast live in a web browser through Whereby.com. However, it does require Whatsapp and telephone for live communication, both required for game play. I would highly recommend everyone to prepare ahead of time to ensure a smooth and enjoyable session. You need to: 1) be able to add new user, view user profile, and text on Whatsapp, and 2) be able to make a long-distance phone call to Amsterdam, if you live overseas. (It'd be a good idea to check your long-distance call rates, just in case.) "The Vault Online" starts off with your on-site agent, Alpha (aka your avatar), traversing across the streets of Amsterdam in a colorful, but pre-recorded cinematic opening video, which then leads the players directly in front of an entry gate. Logically, the first portion of the experience is targeted at infiltration; you'll need to either evade, overcome, or even neutralize layers of security surveillance before even attempting the main event. Continuing with the goal of immersing the patrons in the story universe, the game designers implement tasks like phone calls, Whatsapp messages, and even email hacking (all in real time) to maximize player interaction and to really showcase a players-driven experience. The security guard onscreen can be distracted by many possible distractions, however creative you want it to be. You want to tell him his pizza delivery is at the front door? Go on ahead! You have that power! With the above, the pro is a highly variable and memorable experience unique to each booking, but there are also cons: For instance, in each team, there is only one main Whatsapp communicator role, and since the exchange will only appear on that particular player's device, the immersion effect will not be shared among everyone. In addition, with my ridiculous incompetence, I actually got locked out the email account I was trying to hack into, thereby instilling a sense of failure in my whole being and granting me plenty of dead time to question my value as a team member and life choices in general. Overall, the first portion as fantastic in theory, great effort put in, but the finer details may need a bit ironing out. Mattster and TheHauntGirl looking surprisingly apathetic over Guard Sleepyhead ▪ Sherlocked Mystery Experiences The latter portion of the game consists of actually breaking into the vault area and locating the elusive Source, and is generally a more traditional escape room experience with exploration, finding items, and solving puzzles. Being an escape room enthusiast and an avid lover of conquering brainteasers, this is my preferred section of the experience. Nonetheless, because the original in-person "Vault" experience is designed to be exceptionally immersion-dominant, a large fraction of the challenges are more of the physical task variety, and less reliant on mental thought process--which makes sense in the context of pulling off an authentic heist in an authentic basement, though also tougher to translate effectively online. This manifests most apparently during the laser field sequence, which is understandably substituted by seamless but pre-recorded footage: still moderately fun to watch, but infinitely more fun had I been there myself. Of the remaining roster of puzzles, it leans on the easy side, and it mainly involves following lightly veiled directions and searching for keys and combo codes. And though the puzzles are not as strongly written as I usually prefer, they do look visually interesting, with one particular room making a lasting impression with what looks like a few hundreds hanging... *ahem*. (No spoiler here!) The mechanism of the solution reveal of this particular setup is also highly reminiscent of one certain Japanese arcade machine, making this my biased and favorite moment of the entire game. One major silver lining is that, the flow of the game is beautifully organized in its original form, and it naturally presents many points of opportunity to tweak and improve puzzle quality. If each existent challenge can correspondingly level up in difficulty, and perhaps add in 1 or 2 more new challenges to the mix, I imagine the end result would a welcoming upgrade fitting for an even wider audience, captivating the attention of both novice and advanced demographics. The Vault Online (Remote) ▪ Sherlocked Mystery Experiences It was never an easy feat to convert a well-received albeit meant-for-in-person adventure to a livestream remote equivalent; and "The Vault Online" will probably continue to fine tune and improve its operation due to this brand new web-based modality. Nevertheless, for those who have no immediate plans to visit Amsterdam in the near future, this limited engagement of virtual play offers a rare chance to experience something fascinating without leaving home. And for a homebody like me, that's always a plus. The Vault Online (Remote) ▪ Sherlocked Mystery Experiences READY FOR FUN? "The Vault Online" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. SLVault.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Kingston, ON, Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Escape rate is around 35% (family-friendly experience). ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Accommodates 3-7 players. Private booking. 📝 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! ;) 🛒 Psst! Use promo discount code "escapemattster" for one-time 10% off! (No commission involved.) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: As the last faction of human race not infected by the global zombie virus, find the cure and save the world. ➲ A respectable remote rendition of an escape room classic, "the zombie room", with useful inventory included. ➲ Beautiful production with gross body parts, quality comparable to theme park attractions or haunted mazes. ➲ Puzzles are mostly non-linear, team can divide and conquer, not very challenging for advanced players. ➲ Features some padlocks, but mostly gadget and tech based, several "follow instructions" type of puzzles. ➲ Entertainment value mainly comes from overall package of story, presentation, reveal, and smooth operation. ➲ Great choice for demographics with little experience, and those who enjoy zombies or a less Disney-esque theme. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😃 subjective rating: 💪 3 to 4/10 difficulty (team of 4), 🔢 ideal team size of 2 to 4. RECOMMENDED OFFICIAL PREMISE The zombie apocalypse moved surprisingly fast. It’s been months since a nuclear accident created a mutated strain of the common cold, unleashing an undead epidemic that spread like wildfire. Billions are undead, society as we know it is gone, and the last survivors huddle in colonies where every day, the living learn to envy the dead. One by one, the last bastions of humanity are being overrun. But there are rumours of a cure. Wandering madmen, insane with desperation spread word of a research facility that might be mankind’s last hope, hidden in the most frozen reaches of the deadliest place on earth. Canada. You and your team are the human race’s last chance. Infiltrate the polar outpost, find the cure, and release it to save humanity. But be quick. Zombies eat your brain in 60 minutes. …They’re reliable like that. UNABRIDGED EDITION "The Cure For Common Zombie" is an avatar-led remote escape room taking place in a world where a zombie virus runs so rampant, its prevalence is comparable to that of the common cold. (Hence the name!) Honestly, reality these days isn't that far off--I wouldn't be all that surprised if this becomes the plot for late 2021 if we aren't careful. Seriously, people, wear a mask, and keep a safe social distance of 6 feet or more. Luckily for us in this particular story universe from Improbable Escapes, a zombie cure is already available. We just have to go grab it, and we even know where it is: hidden away in a secret laboratory (not a surprise) in the most frozen reaches of the deadliest place on earth... CANADA! (Huh, kinda a surprise there.) Mattster, Alex, and the Review The Room folks virtually hovering over an E.M.P. ▪ Improbable Escapes HQ For those who are not familiar with Improbable Escapes, "Cure" is an existent physical escape room located at the company's headquarter in Kingston, ON, Canada, and along with "Mining Mission" and "Neverland", these three make up the present core roster of Zoom-based livestreaming options that have received the online translation treatment. In addition to being broadcast through an avatar's camera lens, these games also offer players access to close-up, good-quality photos of sets and props through an inventory webpage. The overall combined experience is pretty darn smooth. Whereas "Mining" and "Neverland" are undeniably Disney-esque and fairytale inspired, "Cure" is like a third child who's not quite into the same things. For one, he loves his science. He is also into radioactive green slime, and maybe a rat carcass or two thrown in for good measure. Though the stench of the (un)dead is in the air, this experience is no scarier than Party City during Halloween season, (particularly true for remote play), and is still 100% family appropriate. If you want some action with a side of potentially-end-of-the-human-race peril, "Cure" is a fun one to pick. Now, to be honest, yes, zombie is a well-known trope in the escape games industry, and yeah yeah, if you strip away the playful Canadian humor and clever pun, the premise does reveal the same old zombie-themed room skeleton: Find the cure and save us all. But the pervasive motif is only popular because it works! People love the living dead, and people love being heroes. And if you crave that adrenaline rush, too, you might as well do it with a game that does it well, and "Cure" is a fine example of a common formula reaching all its greatest potential. The Cure For The Common Zombie (Remote) ▪ Improbable Escapes HQ First, production. The set looks... Well, it's theme park attraction level kind of awesomeness of a set. Think Halloween Horror Night mazes. The frozen entrance to the hideout is shrouded in white and blue tints, emulating an icy climate. Inside the lab, overall color scheme switches to one of grimy, sewage-like green-yellow. It's gross, it's unwelcoming, and it's appropriate, especially when garnished with random body remains. I saw abundant attention to details, incredible construction and artistry, and a reflection of the talents, efforts, and dedication from the arts and effects team. Equally enjoyable are the puzzles hidden within the gorgeous set. While there is an overall linear progression of storyline, most puzzles found in the same area will be non-linear. With the inventory's help, teammates can efficiently work on different puzzles concurrently. This structure will be familiar for experts, where several parallel paths would converge to a final showdown, one of my personal favorite formats. (The organization just hits all the right spots for me!) The beginning parts of the game features padlocks more heavily (so look for those combo code clues), but game play gets progressively more tech-heavy as you advance towards the finale. In either case, challenges are more than aptly themed, with recurring motifs of chemistry experiments (my ever trusty table of elements, we meet again!), apocalyptic survival (gotta be your own handyman at the end of days), and random body parts (this one's pretty self-explanatory)--as they should be in a desolate dystopia overrun by Walkers. This metal cabinet and I have some things in common: cold to the touch and dead inside ▪ Improbable Escapes HQ The puzzles are entertaining, but it's also fair to say they lean on the easy end of the spectrum. While a handful of conundrums are smart, some are as simple as following the directions--though they do make good sense within the context of the narrative. The main appeal of "Cure" does not derive from extra difficult brainteasers to make you feel super brainy, though "ah-ha!" moments certainly still exist. Rather, it's the presentation, the reveal, and the overall excitement of seeing everything happen, and running around semi-frantically that makes the experience satisfying. And though I wasn't the one doing the actual running, and some hands-on puzzles will undoubtedly have more impact in-person, our avatar made sure to emote her sentiments of urgency clearly across the web, so we could live vicariously and technologically through her. It may not be as good as physically being there, but it'll do for now, considering me being 2000+ miles away, and the world still suffering from a raging pandemic and all. Hey, at least we cured one virus today. "The Cure For Common Zombie" is a respectable rendition of a classic, "the zombie room", and due to its beginners-friendly puzzles, it makes for a great recommendation for patrons with little to some experience. Seasoned players who are fans of the genre will still find it delightful, despite its being an easier mission. No matter the case, be sure to protect your delicious brains from the undead, because you may need them for more escape room puzzles in the future, yes? And to live. Yes, actually, that'd be the main reason. The Cure For The Common Zombie (Remote) ▪ Improbable Escapes HQ EXTRA TIPS ★ Severed body parts, human or otherwise, should always be examined carefully... no matter how gross. ★ Science nerds and BINGO/lottery lovers will get a HUGE kick out a particular machinery. (I just so happen to be both!) READY FOR FUN? "The Cure For The Common Zombie" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Psst! Use promo discount code "escapemattster" for one-time 10% off! (No commission involved.) 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. IEZombie.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » On Hand Items Required » Puzzle Mail Subscription Service 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game 💪 Difficulty: Available in 2 difficulties, starter and experienced. ⏲️ Time duration: Not specified. 🔢 Capacity: Not specified. 🛒 If you PURCHASE/SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: You received, by chance, a distress message that can prevent a world war--act fast and alert the authority. ➲ Game 3 is the most challenging Envelope so far, will certainly feed the appetite of advanced players. ➲ To match the setting of year 2220, most clues are presented online as opposed to being real-life items. ➲ Production value of reality-augmenting faux websites is high, with many details to appreciate. ➲ The overall plot is fascinating, not too hard to grasp, but includes minute details which boost complexity. ➲ Puzzles include some fresh ideas, a number of them require time and patience, and are very hands-on. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😃 subjective rating: 💪 7/10 difficulty (team of 1, experienced), 🔢 ideal team size of 1 to 3. OFFICIAL PREMISE The year is 2220, a century into the human colonization of Mars. Humans remain the same: two planets are in constant political conflict. Your spaceship picks up a distress call from a Martian spy who has discovered how to stop the war! Now encrypted Martian files are in your hands, along with the fate of both Earth and Mars. UNABRIDGED EDITION Just when I thought I knew what to expect from Scarlet Envelope, Game 3 "Distress Call From Outer Space" hits me with a galactic curve ball. With this installment, the clues, the game format, and the difficulty--everything changed. Whew. The Game Master takes his recruitments to the future, year of 2220, when planets and even large asteroids can now provide a place for residence and business--it's just another everyday norm. You, an employee of SHD&CO Spaceship Repair, unexpectedly intercept a distress call amidst an imminent crisis--people of Earth are about to declare war on its neighbor Mars. Your mission: use the intel encrypted inside the mysterious message to prevent mindless bloodshed. That's quite the stakes on hand and it's a lot to process--and that exactly sums up Game 3 for me--there's really a lot to handle! When I played through Game 1 and Game 2, sure, there were moments of bewilderment, but never a sense of feeling completely lost. In contrast, Game 3 ramps up the difficulty level so much, I got stumped more times than I'd like to admit. In fact, I used the hints page for guidance and nudges throughout to stay on track--a first time in quite a while. For advanced audience looking for a real humdinger of a challenge, "Distress Call" may just fit your bill. Chapter 1, Game 3: Distress Call From Outer Space ▪ Scarlet Envelope Now to explain why such the dramatic difference in experience, perhaps we need to start with the package: Envelope 3 includes only 4 physical items in the mail--an ID card, a two-sided map, a ruler, and a transparency film--a marked reduction in number of objects shipped compared to previous games. One item would quickly lead the player to a web portal to sign in as a SHD&C0 crew member, and upon logging in, the real bulk of contents is unleashed... all online! In a way, it does make good sense to employ mostly virtual, web elements for a game taking place in the future; and in this case, we have some reality-augmenting faux websites. Besides the SHD&CO work portal mentioned, where you would discover sensitive information that can alter the future of mankind, there is also a couple of other "hidden" webpages (an online newspaper, for instance) you need to explore and to collect substantial info to help avert unnecessary warfare. Production for these sites is impressive: the aforementioned newspaper page contains important key words and phrases, sprinkled here and there, cleverly hidden in plain sight under the guide of breaking news and related columns. Completing the authentic look of an online paper are funny in-jokes and parodies, like Twitter feed, banner ads, and cat gif. (Even in 2220, is the internet even the internet without kittens?) I spent quite some time perusing every little detail, and even though not everything I read is actually pertinent to game play, it was so amusing--I have not a single ounce of regret! An impressive looking "Earth Today homepage ▪ Scarlet Envelope These gorgeously produced websites are the main playground for Game 3, which emphasizes less on traditional or "obvious" puzzles, but more on overall aspect of detective work. Behind these flashy websites, there is a decently complex plot line for the player to discover. While I think getting the gist of the story is not terribly difficult, to pinpoint and locate every specific detail required to pass the game is significantly more challenging. Copious notetaking recommended. As for your on-hands objects, there will be obvious (enough) cues alerting you now it's time to use this, or that, so you can essentially put them aside until they're summoned. Expect to get really hands-on, and even a bit crafty, with these physical clues. Each puzzle may take up to 10 minutes to complete, demanding both concentration and patience. Hence, Game 3 seems less suitable for those who prefer a quick solve or a more mentally-inclined format. (Frustration did occur briefly due to transparency-related issues, though even then, I still found the overall concept enjoyable.) Expect to see challenges like cipher (but with an appropriate twist), codebreaking (another stable of the series), pencil marking, geometry, and other pretty cool ideas in "Distress Call". In general, these puzzles are satisfying; but more importantly, not many felt like the same, trite, overused tropes we see over and over, and that's often a telltale sign of a decently designed escape game entertainment. Side note: Voice acting throughout the series is justly a bit incomprehensible and awkward at times, but plans for upgrades are already in motion. Improvements are coming in the foreseeable future. "Distress Call From Outer Space" is barely the second storyline-based adventure from Scarlet Envelope, but it is already quite a departure from its previous entry. This just further solidifies the idea that every time the Game Master sends an agent to a different place and time point, one can never be cocksure on what will appear. With 9 (or 10) more games yet to come, I can only imagine the potential and variety the creators will bring by the end of the season. Chapter 1, Game 3: Distress Call From Outer Space ▪ Scarlet Envelope EXTRA TIPS ★ Every time you discover something new, jog it down. You may need that detail--you just don't know when yet. ★ Handle your transparency film with care and ensure to play on a smooth table surface. This will prevent film scratches. ★ When using the constellation map, focus on the blue & red stars first. The bottom clue will make more sense after. READY FOR FUN? "Chapter 1, Game 3 (Distress Call From Outer Space)" is available for purchase/subscription HERE. If you PURCHASE/SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. SESpace.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » On Hand Items Required » Puzzle Mail Subscription Service 💪 Difficulty: Available in 2 difficulties, starter and experienced. ⏲️ Time duration: Not specified. 🔢 Capacity: Not specified. 🛒 If you PURCHASE/SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Colette the cabaret dancer has missed her big performance night and gone missing all together. Where is she? ➲ "Cabaret in Lapin Blanc", unlike Game 1, is a true storyline-based mystery case. ➲ This enigma takes players to the city of Paris, France in the year 1899, through supernatural means. ➲ Game play has a couple of starting points, semi-nonlinear, and roughly broken into 2 parts. ➲ Puzzles feature good variety, do not use common tricks, offer some good moments and secrets. ➲ Production value maintains a consistent level as prior, with high point being a tarot card! ➲ The story with Colette is gratifying to piece together, may surprise players with its final direction. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😃 subjective rating: 💪 5/10 difficulty (team of 1, experienced), 🔢 ideal team size of 1 to 2. OFFICIAL PREMISE Paris, 1899. Colette, a gorgeous cabaret dancer, disappears. Her dressing room is full of confusing leads: among the jewelry and love notes, you find a threatening letter and some truly unexpected things from the past. Who is she..? Find Colette and reveal her dark secret! UNABRIDGED EDITION "Cabaret in Lapin Blanc" is officially Game 2 in Chapter 1 of the Scarlet Envelope series, though one may argue this is technically their first true game, complete with a traditional storyline. There is exposition, complications, climax, and resolution, and of course, puzzles! Fans who crave a more conventional mystery-solving session and a bunch of fun challenges along the way will have quite a handful to anticipate for. But first, one must clearly define the setting for both spatial and temporal dimensions, since players can now travel through space and time to resolve conflicts at any given point in history. (Yes, for those joining us midway, this superpower is established as the signature move and consequentially the norm of the Scarlet Envelope series.) For Game 2, we see ourselves landing in Paris, France, in 1899. And specifically, at the night cabaret nightclub Lapin Blanc. Bienvenue, mesdames et messieurs. Objective of case on hand: find Colette, gorgeous cabaret dancer, alluring as the night, and gone missing on the very evening of her big gala performance. Did she get cold feet? Was she kidnapped? Murdered? Or did she just baguette about her big night? (Haha, I am hilarious, I know.) Less joking, more doing; investigation starts in her empty dressing room! Chapter 1, Game 2: Cabaret in Lapin Blanc ▪ Scarlet Envelope Part of what I find the series appealing, and this may apply to other by-mail escape game as well, is the initial confusion I get when I unpack my package contents. Game 2 provides minimal explicit instruction to start, even less so than Game 1, (at least for the "experienced" version), and I actually appreciate this more than I realize. This early disorientation and the eventual first mental breakthrough is often one of my routinely cherished gaming moments. Therefore, much like an authentic inspection, I have to carefully explore and determine an appropriate starting point. However, as it turns out, "Cabaret" leans on the more forgiving side, as there are multiple possible entry points, with a semi-nonlinear game play that would eventually guide the player to a natural convergence spot. Structurally, the episode is roughly divided into two halves: Part 1 focuses on tangible on-hand objects, while Part 2 heavily incorporates online elements. (The latter does make sense, since the company can't really send everyone a working music box.) Whether the playing field be on my table at home or in the web browser, the quality of puzzles embedded is consistent throughout. While the difficulty level maintains to be fairly friendly to players of all experience level (ie not too hard) just like Game 1, the puzzle variety thankfully expands, and I no longer see many common tricks frequently used in the industry. Ciphers and codebreaking remain to be stable choices, but now dressed in more layers and coupled with less obvious solutions, a definite and pleasing improvement for the advanced demographics. (The final puzzle is intricate!) Two puzzles stand out, however, for utilization of outside knowledge. (One being a phrase, while another being a symbol.) With this company's being based in Canada, I am not certain if the phrase is something routinely taught or used in the US or other countries. A quick Google search will remedy any problem, really, so it isn't a huge issue. The symbol, however, is technically more difficult to input into a search engine, so I imagine it may present more of hurdle. Chapter 1, Game 2: Cabaret in Lapin Blanc ▪ Scarlet Envelope Production is still hugely remarkable especially given the relatively cheap price tag. For instance, an encyclopedia book page displays fantastic stylistic details. Even more impressive, an elegant, custom-designed tarot card steals the show in this envelope, for reasons well beyond just aesthetics, wink wink! Lastly, it would be amiss not to discuss the central plot line that drives the entire investigation, Colette's whereabout. The creators actually did a really fine job in distributing bits and pieces of the truth among various clues, rendering the reconstruction of the full picture not too easy or difficult. Finding this ideal balance made my successful detective work feel even more so rewarding, though a detailed (albeit even a bit too drawn-out) explanation video is available post-game for those who miss a detail or two. The narrative has gone in a direction I didn't entirely expect, so overall, fun time! "Cabaret in Lapin Blanc" is an enjoyable installment of a fresh new at-home adventure series, and it is reasonably strong on all fronts. The inclusion of a curious storyline arguably makes "Cabaret" a more powerful entry than its predecessor. Since each of Scarlet Envelope's cases is mostly a self-contained episode, every future delivery has an opportunity to enhance and shine in its own unique design, and the coming adventure(s) could be drastically different from the last. The intriguing uncertainty and eager anticipation are all the more reasons to look forward for the next cardinal mailing. Chapter 1, Game 2: Cabaret in Lapin Blanc ▪ Scarlet Envelope EXTRA TIPS ★ There may be puzzles or clues that won't directly help you complete the game; but they do round out the narrative. ★ Does the number 26 seem important or familiar to you? ★ Here is a little treat for ya if you are a fan of anime OR if you need a little help in later parts of the game. OR both! READY FOR FUN? "Chapter 1, Game 2 (Cabaret in Lapin Blanc)" is available for purchase/subscription HERE. If you PURCHASE/SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. SECabaret.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » On Hand Items Required » Puzzle Mail Subscription Service 💪 Difficulty: Available in 2 difficulties, starter and experienced. ⏲️ Time duration: Not specified. 🔢 Capacity: Not specified. 🛒 If you PURCHASE/SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: A strange newspaper and various seemingly unrelated items arrived in your mailbox. Could this be... a test? ➲ Chapter 1, Game 1 (Newspaper: Introduction To Mysteries) involves items originating from different times and worlds. ➲ Reasonably priced, with decently produced clue materials, including realistic newspaper, art exhibit ticket, etc. ➲ Game flow consists of multiple non-linear puzzles, culminating in one final meta-puzzle solution. ➲ Majority of puzzles are common tropes, therefore may seem a bit easy for more experienced players. ➲ Does not feature a conventional storyline, more of a teaser to future chapter(s) to come in Game 2 to 12. ➲ Game available in starter or experienced difficulties, the latter option locks hints page behind one bonus puzzle. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 🙂 subjective rating: 💪 4/10 difficulty (team of 1, experienced), 🔢 ideal team size of 1 to 2. OFFICIAL PREMISE Something confusing was delivered to your mailbox. The items in an envelope seem to be from different times...and worlds! Slowly you realize that a mysterious Secret Society is watching you as you try to pass this unusual test. Will you accept a challenge? (This is a special game that gets you familiar with codebreaking and mysteries. It also gives you teasers of the storyline-based games that are ahead of you!) UNABRIDGED EDITION To date, I've played quite a few by-mail, at-home puzzle game services, and most of them give me a pretty concrete idea of what to expect from the beginning. Whether it be a detective agency or a secret society, I more or less know I am assisting in solving mysterious cases in a pertinent field. Scarlet Envelope, however, is an exception. (Beside the fact that my envelope will be red, that is.) Even as I opened my literal scarlet mail for Chapter 1, Game 1, entitled "Newspaper: Introduction To Mysteries", and laid out all the contents on my table, I was a wee bit baffled. There's the obvious focal point, the titular newspaper. And then there were other seemingly random items. There was no one single (obvious) unifying theme, and my confusion was actually intended: as the official game website puts it, "Something confusing was delivered to your mailbox. The items in an envelope seem to be from different times...and worlds". Ah, now the nonsensical starts to make sense. And then there's a semi-ominous note that said someone's watching me... CLOSELY. Shoot, how close? And are you stalking me from my good side? Please catch me from my good side. Jk. I know I don't have a good side. Chapter 1, Game 1: Newspaper: Introduction To Mysteries ▪ Scarlet Envelope But you know who has a good side? Scarlet Envelope. For its very reasonable price tag, the components look pretty decent. For instance, the bold red envelope features artwork unique to each game, and it is stamped across the backside along with a big game number indicator "SE I". I find this feature simple yet effective. Imagine, each month, as a subscriber, looking forward to seeing a bright red envelope, an unmistakable indication of another crimson adventure waiting to unfold. And the game number system just makes good organization! My OCD-type personality approves! Inside, the mail materials are mostly paper based, but there's a clear effort in making sure everything looks situation appropriate. The newspaper, while a bit small, is printed on the appropriate paper stock, and reads in sections much like the real thing. (Amusing contents, too.) The worn-out art gallery ticket shows wear and tear that resembles actual result of crumbling and aging, and it's my favorite clue of the bunch. The Cabaret Lapin Blanc flyer is another that caught my eye. A few other items can be further tweaked to increase credibility, but overall a well-done and satisfactory package. Chapter 1, Game 1: Newspaper: Introduction To Mysteries ▪ Scarlet Envelope After examining everything once, I was candidly shocked to find the web address of the hints page was secured behind a puzzle. Though it only took me a few minutes to figure out the answer, a big what-if lingered on my mind: "What if I never managed to solve this puzzle? Wouldn't this defeat of purpose of a hints page?" A little talk with the creators later, it's come to my understanding that there're two difficult levels available: starter and experienced. Starter patrons will have the hints page URL provided plainly, while experienced users need to first conquer one easy, bonus challenge to obtain the same. A somewhat controversial decision; do keep this in mind when ordering! The main game flow, otherwise, isn't hard to pick up. There is a meta puzzle in the form of a crossword on the newspaper. By solving separate, non-linear puzzles elsewhere in the package, one would eventually collect enough information for the final reveal. As a whole, this roster of puzzles doesn't necessarily offer very many brand new brainteasers for expert players, since a fair amount are recycled ideas, but they are both welcoming and entertaining for novice. Examples include: various ciphers, word play, and a tiny bit of outside, albeit very basic, knowledge. Two tasks in particular were especially memorable, and both required my active interaction with the props. The key in both cases, however, is that you gotta think deep enough to figure out what is it that you have to do in the first place. But once epiphany hits, that "ah-ha" euphoric moment, it's really the best, isn't? Chapter 1, Game 1: Newspaper: Introduction To Mysteries ▪ Scarlet Envelope Something that you won't find in Game 1 is an encompassing plot line--but you also sorta do--depending on the perspective. This game, per official source, is one that "gets you familiar with codebreaking... It also gives you teasers of the storyline-based games that are ahead of you". Hence, on one hand, if you're expecting a story, there indeed leaves something more to be desired. On the other, as a teaser to what's to come, it actually worked quite well for me. Upon game completion, you will meet the "Game Master". A friend or a foe? It's too soon to tell, but his voice sure sounds foreboding. He informs those deemed worthy can now travel through space and time, and to help untangle some of history's toughest mysteries. In my mind, this strangely registers like a video game: NEXT LEVEL UNLOCKED! Moreover, the realization of how each prop I've touched lies a deeper story to be told--the anticipation made me excited and pumped. Overall, Scarlet Envelope took a gamble in making the entire first entry an introductory course on puzzle solving and a preview of their next episode(s). No matter the audience reception, the makers deserve credits for boldly trying something unusual. For me, personally, I felt more than enough intrigued to see where this would lead. So here I come, Paris 1899. EXTRA TIPS ★ In most cases, the solutions to these puzzles don't correlate to its contents. So focus on decoding techniques. ★ The moment when I realized there's a square piece of paper--very exciting and nostalgic. ❤️ ★ Collect hidden letters from Game 1 to 12 to access secret bonus 13th mission "Initiation". READY FOR FUN? "Chapter 1, Game 1 (Newspaper: Introduction To Mysteries)" is available for purchase/subscription HERE. If you PURCHASE/SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. SENewspaper.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 💪 Difficulty: Not specified, but for age 13+. ⏲️ Time duration: 75 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 2-8. Private booking. 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Your missions inside Dr. Levins's hideout: release current captives, find his cure, and halt more homicides! ➲ "Headcase" is an excellent immersive reincarnate sequel of "Patient 17", with improved production even. ➲ Overall layout and some props remain the same from before, but all serve brand new purpose. ➲ Plenty of new and improved elements and special effects to warrant a visit, for both new and returning players. ➲ Puzzles are clearly-written, well-executed, offer entertaining challenges, with few even perplexing experts. ➲ Ideal balance of gen-1 padlocks and gen-2 tech-powered brainteasers, loads of robust contents to finish in 75 minutes. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😍 subjective rating: 💪 5 to 6/10 difficulty (team of 2), 🔢 ideal team size of 3 to 4. MUST DO! OFFICIAL PREMISE Two years after the failed mission to save Patient 17, Dr. Levins continues to elude capture and experiment on unsuspecting women. New information suggests that Dr. Levins has developed a cure. Can you save the captured patients and retrieve the cure? Or will you lose your head? (Headcase is a continuation of the story of our previous game, Patient 17. The game remains in the same physical footprint of Patient 17, but the storyline, puzzles, and features in the game are 100% new. Players who have experienced Patient 17 should note that while some of the environment may feel familiar, all puzzles and props are entirely new, and there are plenty of very exciting upgrades and surprises to experience!) UNABRIDGED EDITION Breaking Point Escape Rooms is a well-polished diamond in the San Bernardino County escape room market, and I may even argue it's one of the best Southern California has to offer. My previous visits to play "Patient 17" and "The Secret At Whitmore Estate" still remain some of my most cherished memories--to date, I still can't completely shake off that one critical and unforgettable moment inside the Whitmore library! Good stuff. In a simultaneously joyous and sorrow manner, however, "Patient 17" is no more. While I am sure many fans will be sad to see its retirement, in its place now there lies "Headcase", a direct continuation of plot line that takes place 2 years after the original tragedies involving the deaths of many innocent female subjects. The sequel tasks players as officers that will once again venture into Dr Levins's experiment laboratory of torture, but this time, they are looking to rescue still-alive captives, if any, and to retrieve a valuable cure for a terminal disease. And to stay alive, as always recommended. In true Breaking Point fashion, production value is consistently through the roof. These creators are known for their incredible talents for... well, pretty much anything art related. My game started off with a professionally produced short movie, detailing the premise, and mentally preparing us for our imminent room entry. The actual play was then commenced by a genius mixture of pre-recorded video and well-timed physical effect. Simple in idea, but with spot-on execution, this impressive movie-magic opener was one of the more innovative instances I've seen in recent history. Official art for "Patient 17", the inspiration for the current sequel "Headcase" | Breaking Point Escape Rooms Stepping inside Dr Levins's operating room instantly brought back memories. The overall layout of the space remained the same, but noticeable changes were apparent. I reacquainted with the infamous surgical chair, familiar bottles of medications (my specialty), and other recognizable medical and murder-y props. However, as I advanced, I discovered while some physical items were recycled, none played the same purpose. They all came back with brand new identities, and required all new solutions. So peeps who succeeded in "17", stay humble, you will go in knowing less than you expect. In fact, the similarity to "17" virtually ends once you work past beginning stages. Significant, movie-set-quality upgrades were implemented to enhance an already great experience to boundaries beyond. Crawl space (mentioned here), state-of-the-art audio-visual effects, and a completely reimagined finale now await new brave participants. As such, previous customers should have even MORE compelling reasons to return: they're privileged enough to witness the original plot line and game play, and now also able to experience the designers' elevation of their eldest progeny to a new level. And to briefly address the aspect of immersion, due to all the aforementioned brilliant effort put in place, there's practically no question that you'll feel pleasurably trapped in the story's universe. The overall atmosphere is persistently creepy and unsettling, but never outright scary, and nope: no jump scare. There perhaps will be few instances of snapping back into reality when requesting for hint(s), but those are minor examples one can easily overlook. Otherwise, I felt a constant urgency to ensure the big bad's defeat, though even that may alter at a moment's notice with twisty surprises... Will there be patients alive behind those cell doors? | Breaking Point Escape Rooms As to the equally fabulous puzzles, there was A LOT in store to wade through. Objectively speaking, as a seasoned player, I can firmly assert Breaking Point caters to both mainstream audience and enthusiasts alike. Therefore, expect their puzzles to span across a wide spectrum over the difficulty scale. Some are simpler for newcomers to triumphantly conquer, while others can perplex even the most veteran. (Myself included, darn!) But in either case, the sheer amount of robust contents most definitely warrants a 75-minute time limit and its corresponding price tag. More importantly, the entire roster of challenges was well-written and of superb quality. A lot of thoughts were put into making sure instructions are clear, fair, and not unjustifiably confusing. There seemed to be a healthy (and may I dare to say... perfect?) balance of gen-1 padlocks and gen-2 tech-powered brainteasers to solve: There were combo locks that granted instant gratification, some simple decoding and bam! Done. There were harder challenges that required extraction of information from several resources, sometimes scattered all over the field for that extra satisfactory rush when they're finally solved. There were tasks that demanded prop manipulation; put this here, and put that there, then, oh yes--something magically unlocked. And then there were team work exercises, where solo effort would be mostly futile. It's a sampler of vastly different puzzles, likely to satisfy everyone on the team and more. Due to mature themes, implied violence, and well-anticipated (light) gore, "Headcase" may not be an all-family-friendly option. ("Whitmore" is a more suitable alternative for younger demographics.) However, for the core fans of escape adventures, teenaged and up, "Headcase" is a smooth yet intense thrill ride of excellent merit that has come to be a signature for Breaking Point. Exemplary production, intriguing story line, and satisfactory-for-all puzzles--this chilling serial murder case joins the coveted rank of sequels that are better than the original. Headcase | Breaking Point Escape Rooms EXTRA TIPS ★ Wise to turn your head to the left, to the right, and around (behind) to check for any changes at critical moments. ★ Some elements don't come into use until gaining access to later areas. So keep track of those unused items! ★ For patrons who've already played Patient 17 before, similar props aren't solved the same way. So don't assume... READY FOR FUN? "Headcase" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster 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. BPERHeadcase.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Kingston, ON, Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Easy/medium game play (family friendly experience). ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 2-12 players allowed (3-5 player recommended). Private booking. 📝 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! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Jingles the elf poured hot chocolate all over Santa's HQ control panel for his sleigh trip--FIX IT! ➲ "The Hot Chocolate Incident", though a seasonal special, is fun enough for play any time of the year. ➲ Meticulous, clever planning makes all elements of game play feel organic and natural. ➲ The set, even temporary, is constructed with attention to details, looks festively awesome. ➲ Puzzles aren't hard, meant for family, and in summary: crafty, slick, and happiness overload. ➲ Challenges are plentiful, have a wide variety, including logic, pattern, and even scavenger hunt. ➲ Avatar fulfills her role with expertise, is humorous, charming, and a theatrical gem. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😍 subjective rating: 💪 2 to 3/10 difficulty (team of 3), 🔢 ideal team size of 3 to 4. MUST DO! OFFICIAL PREMISE You are one of Santa’s magnificent elves. You’ve been working all year to prepare for this year’s glorious present delivery. There hasn’t been a workplace accident in 3000 years, and you’re determined to not let it happen tonight. Preparing for a smooth night ahead... You sit down at the control station to guide Santa along his flight with a hot cup of cocoa in hand, but then DISASTER STRIKES! There’s hot cocoa everywhere; on everything! The system is fried, things are smoky, and red lights are going off everywhere. It’s pure chaos! Santa checks in to see if everything is running right on schedule, and of course, you’re going to lie and tell him everything’s good! You have to hurry and fix everything because he’s about to take off! UNABRIDGED EDITION "The Hot Chocolate Incident" is an avatar-led remote escape room with theatrical elements, produced exclusively for the holiday seasons by Improbable Escapes. Yes, Christmas may be officially over, but there is nothing wrong with extending the cheerful spirits just a bit longer. In fact, the question shouldn't be, "Why would I book this after New Year's has passed?" Instead, the question should be, "Why WOULDN'T you?" This game is so absolutely lovely, wholesome, and hilarious in every aspect, I would recommend it any time of the year. Forget Christmas in July, I would welcome this noel celebration with a huge smile every month as long as I get to have a little "Hot Chocolate Incident"! Oopsie! "Incident" started off with Jingles the elf doing the titular deed. Spilling delicious hot beverage over the control panel responsible for Santa's safety during his annual sleigh ride could prove disastrous and detrimental to all our careers. (Oh yes, we are all his little helpers now. Yay, employment! But nay, potential termination!) After assuring to Santa over a video call that everything's a-okay--a blatant lie, of course--Jingles and we got some repairing to do. And fast. Always a great idea to have spill-able hot liquid around your electronics | Improbable Escapes HQ At this point, one of my teammates, the intelligent escape room veteran John, asked Jingles if there was an inventory system we could use to facilitate our mission. A valid question, since a supplemental interface is indeed an industry standard and usually super helpful. To our surprise, Jingles just (slightly slyly) replied in her high-pitched, panicky voice, "Well, then we better get looking for the repair manual!" As it turned out, every element in this experience is well thought out and meticulously planned. To even receive our inventory tool, we first needed to conquer the very first "puzzle", a task not only intuitive, but also so deliciously clever, the children in us three grown men (actual children alike would too) unanimously loved this unusual but delightful opener. Once our manual (aka inventory webpage) was unlocked, we gained access to room layout maps and close-up photos of all sets and props. With these high-quality pictures, along with a quick camera tour from our friend Jingles, I was finally able to fully absorb the level of details Improbable Escapes had put in for this seasonal, temporary-only escape room. The set is festive and full of secrets! Given, this wasn't on the same level as Improbable's other Disney-style permanent options (e.g. Seven Dwarfs), but it's never meant to be. This pop-up X'mas game was still reasonably gorgeous. The first room, the control room, had confectionery galore. Gumdrop, Life Savers, whipped cream everywhere. The second room, the workshop, was equally amusing and whimsical. Production receives a solid A, because I loved it from head to mistletoe. The Hot Chocolate Incident | Improbable Escapes HQ The main plot revolved around our fixing of a giant computer device by inputting various reset codes, a cunning way of asking players for a series of passwords to advance. For each objective needed to save the day, like tailoring the big guy's red suit, we would have corresponding puzzle(s) to solve. These puzzles' appeal were undeniable and easy to comprehend: 1) they tell a good story, 2) they're well themed, and 3) there's A LOT in both quantity and variety to do under one hour. In the beginning, it started off tutorial-easy. Here's a pass code, go input it, get yourselves accustomed to the process. Then it got slightly less obvious: here are some instructions and charts, do exactly as written, and viola! After that, difficulty gradually ramped up, with challenges basing on simple logic, pattern reading, and even a scavenger hunt! (The finale task was even a special first for me! Never did I ever do this in any escape game... or in my life, if I recall correctly!) The overall difficulty never exceeded what's suitable for family audience, and the linear game play provided a good flow and easy understanding for even novice crowds. My highly experienced team (featuring The Armchair Escapist) never felt it was particularly hard, but it still worked. In short, these puzzles were crafty, slick, and happiness overload. Last but certainly not least in any shape or form, the theatrics aspect of this wonderful experience would not have been possible without Jingles the avatar, played by Candice the actress/game master, who sleighed her double duty like a piece of yule log cake. As an actor, she aced comedic timing, jested with us, and emoted aptly as an incompetent (sorry!) elf. As a game master, she kept us moving at a desirable pace, ensuring our 100% completion. She'll surely be on Santa's good list! "The Hot Chocolate Incident" is, by far, one of my favorites, if not the favorite, of all Christmas inspired puzzle games I've enjoyed in the past month. This limited-run option should still run through early parts of 2021, but I wouldn't chance it. Good times don't last forever, and missing something this good? Oh deer. Yule be sorry. So treat yo'elf, and book now. It's fine | Improbable Escapes HQ EXTRA TIPS ★ Open your repair manual step by step as prompted--or else you'll be revealing spoilers too soon--and that's no fun! ★ The very last challenge is surprisingly "physical" or "tactile", and having 4 players total really grants an advantage. READY FOR FUN? "The Hot Chocolate Incident" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. IEChocolate.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Germany OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » On Hand Items Required » Puzzle Mail Subscription Service 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game 💪 Difficulty: 65% (6.5/10). ⏲️ Time duration: 120 minutes (average playing time). 🔢 Capacity: Not specified. 🛒 If you PURCHASE/SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Locate the missing archaeologist Professor McEwan and uncover his latest stealthy research. ➲ General product idea similar other "society based" subscription games. ➲ Game play consists of online portion complemented with by-mail, on-hand materials. ➲ Players follow a main story, then input puzzle solutions at plot breaks to advance, linear game play. ➲ Challenges are mostly based on familiar tropes, not difficult, and could use more innovation. ➲ Story told in both audio and text, appeal derives from research-based, cultural topics. ➲ Overall presentation and contents quality should be improved in future titles. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 🙂 subjective rating: 💪 3 to 4/10 difficulty (team of 1), 🔢 ideal team size of 1 to 2. OFFICIAL PREMISE Prof. McEwan, a renowned archaeologist, is missing. His research group thinks he may be in danger. He was searching for a lost artifact of great significance. The Enigma Fellowship has been engaged to locate him and help solve his quest. Solve brain twisting puzzles to find the professor and then solve challenges to gain trust of an ancient culture. Are you up to the task of finding the lost knowledge and solving this enigma? UNABRIDGED EDITION Though the company is named a fellowship, it is in no way religion affiliated. (Yeah, I was confused.) The fellowship in Engima Fellowship signifies one of "friendly association... people who share... interests." (Thanks, Google!) To enthusiasts of at-home puzzle entertainment, this new mail-based service is best categorized as a society-endorsed, mystery investigation adventure. The idea is not at all new, but I'm eager to see how it measures up to current on-market options. The Fellowship's first case, "The Lost Knowledge", describes the mystery of a missing archaeologist, Professor McEwan. His research group is concerned something untoward might've happened to their preceptor, so they enlist your help to find the truth... or his body, alive -or- dead. Nah, I'm kidding, the narrative never progresses into something dark; in fact, the story maintains its wholesomeness from start to finish. But more on that later. Game 01: The Lost Knowledge | Enigma Fellowship "Knowledge" has a balanced contents of story and puzzles, and the way you advance through the case is fairly standard. Basic setup includes two components: 1) the game website, responsible for plot exposition and development, and solution input, and 2) by-mail, on-hand, largely paper-based materials, which function as clues for puzzles. Fans of the genre should be able to pick up and go. The puzzle aspect of the game is strictly linear: As the detective, you follow your leads. First, you need to gain entry to McEwan's office, then his computer, then his safe, and so on. With every obstacle, there requires a password (numbers, letters, or combination of both) on the webpage to proceed your quest. Since most solutions are restricted to essentially a word-phrase format, puzzle variety mostly adheres to conventional tropes. Extracting numbers from 4 items in the same collection, for example, yields a number combo. Familiar ciphers are featured in several puzzles. While most puzzles are ones I've seen before, the final couple of challenges are uncommon enough to bring a refreshing breath of fresh air, which I look forward to see more of in future endeavors. Due the "common trope" reason above and general familiarity, these puzzles are not particularly difficult. I do, however, wish that some were more properly signposted. On several occasions, I found myself using the hints to only better understand what's being asked, or to confirm if I was doing something wrong that may lead to multiple plausible answers. (It turned out to be an arbitrary choice from the creators.) Once again, there is room for growth in this area, and I anticipate better puzzle-writing in Game 2. Game 01: The Lost Knowledge | Enigma Fellowship What struck me as the most impressive, instead, was the dedication of bringing a moderately fascinating story to keep the audience interested. This game is text-heavy, though the company does offer the verbose contents in both audio and written form. While I preferred to exclusively read my way through (the faster route), the audio clips are produced with care and offer a viable alternative. While I was disappointed that the professor was advertised to be in much more danger than he really was, and therefore I never got to witness any real drama, (and who doesn't love a good drama?), I appreciated the topics the game set out to share, albeit tamer than I was led to believe. A feel-good message was rewarded at conclusion, and the journey brought about awareness of foreign historical culture. The considerable amount of research conducted (spoiler alert!) for this game has earned my respect. Sadly, I found myself dissatisfied with the overall presentation, though I should note, my review copy is an early edition. In particular, a handful of real-life items felt superfluous, and could easily be replaced with web elements. As for tangible items that should be created and shipped for maximal immersion, quality needs improvement. For example, a crossword printed on newspaper material would strengthen authenticity. Such details can go a long way, especially when competitors have already achieved similar results. Incidentally, after a discussion with the designers, the aforementioned shortcomings have already been formally addressed, and the current version of Game 1 ("The Lost Knowledge") and future titles are accordingly and actively being tweaked and improved upon. Beginnings can be rocky, but greater things will come along with the right attitude and ample amount of hard work. And I am hopeful that this would the case with Enigma Fellowship. Game 01: The Lost Knowledge | Enigma Fellowship READY FOR FUN? "Game 01: The Lost Knowledge" is available for purchase/subscription HERE. If you PURCHASE/SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. EFKnowledge.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Seattle, WA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Medium to hard. ⏲️ Time duration: 90-120 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 4 connections (maximum). Private booking. 📝 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! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Discover magician Noxmillian's secret in his dressing room before another one of his assistants vanishes. ➲ Intro (and outro) video sequences gave the experience a cinematic vibe, a welcoming embellishment. ➲ Decent production and set design showcased the game makers' attention to details. ➲ Initial puzzles were non-linear and gen-1 dominant, these clever challenges leaned difficult. ➲ Complexity and sophistication derived from multiple steps infused in each puzzle. ➲ Narrative featured an unexpected and thrilling shift in tone, may not be suitable for children. ➲ Splitting of important info among four Zoom connections required proper teamwork for success. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😍 subjective rating: 💪 5 to 6/10 difficulty (team of 5), 🔢 ideal team *EXACTLY 4 DEVICES*. MUST DO! OFFICIAL PREMISE The Great Noximillian, world-renowned magician, is hiding more than just tricks up his sleeve. His past five assistants have mysteriously gone missing, each after their 13th performance with Noximillian. Now his latest assistant, Casey, is desperate to uncover the truth behind these disturbing disappearances. Casey’s roommate, Sam, plans to investigate The Great Noximillian’s private dressing room while Casey and the magician are busy on stage…but Sam needs your help. Find out what Noximillian has been hiding and solve the mystery before the show is over and Casey’s time is up! UNABRIDGED EDITION The reputation of "The Vanishing Act" from Locurio precedes itself, as I have heard years ago just how "crazily good"' this magician-themed escape room is. Residing in California, I haven't had a chance to try out this establishment located in Seattle, though the flourishing trend of Zoom-remote escapes has recently given me an opportunity otherwise. With anticipation filled to the brim and then some, I eagerly watched my livestream session unfold on my computer screen. Fully expecting for a game master to inform my team the usual spiel with rules and exposition indoors, I found myself surprised to witness instead a conversation between Sam (our avatar) and Casey outdoors in broad daylight. The location, Moore Theater, two blocks away from the famous Pike Place Market. The show currently playing, The Great Noximillian, world-renowned magician known for his great illusions and his five past, mysteriously disappeared assistants after their thirteenth shows. Casey, the current hire, led Sam from the street, through the main lobby, down the stairway, into the backstage area, and arrived at Nox's dressing room door. She begged Casey to unravel the secrecy behind her employer before she, too, vanishes into oblivion. Because she miscounted--today was HER THIRTEENTH SHOW! Oh, Casey. At this point, I was already impressed. Never mind the actual game that hadn't officially started; the prerecorded opening sequence, featuring actual streets of Seattle, was so seamlessly broadcast through Zoom, I had trouble distinguishing when the clip ended, and when the live feed picked up. But I needed to quickly put our amazement aside, because while Casey and Nox razzle-dazzled the audience on stage upstairs, our mystery gang of five had a dressing room to investigate. The Vanishing Act Remote (Remote) | Locurio Escape Rooms Most noticeably, Noximillian's dressing room features a large cabinet that's strangely secured by not one, not two, but five total padlocks. Hmm. Suspicion registered! As Sam continued our quick tour through his camera lens, I examined the 360° view through the supplemental online inventory interface (based on Mofang One), and I took note of Locurio's production: The set was saturated by bright hues, particularly of the three primary colors. The lively paint choices projected a sense of whimsy, fun, and probable safety... for now. (The bold chroma would pay off as the plot develops, sharply contrasting what's to come in the latter half.) I also appreciated how various fixtures were painted yellow to match the wall, clearly showcasing the owners' attention to details. We're a team of reasonably seasoned escape artists (featuring my favorite overseas blogger buddies and one at the opposite coastline), so of course we knew our main objective was to undo every padlock on the diamond-patterned cabinet. As such, game play was reasonably non-linear and gen-1 focused. Though the objectives sounded straightforward, the puzzles leading to solutions were multi-layered, clever, and challenging--even for expert players. On the simpler end of the spectrum, we did some light arithmetic to churn out a number combo. A more difficult challenge required us to sort items in order, then subsequently identify next logical step. And harder still, there were riddles that borderlined poetry interpretations... not my forte! Of note, physical tasks inadequately illustrated through a live feed were offered instead as interactive games on the inventory interface, further immersing players in the heart of the action. No matter what brainteaser, however, there emits a level of sophistication in puzzle engineering, and every step we succeeded felt like an achievement. And indeed, as we inched closer to the truth, we were shocked by a mid-game escalation--and things escalated FAST. Magic still filled the air--though the once radiant colors now turned pitch black. (Get it?) An exciting turn for adults, this delicious shift to darker tone could be too intense for younger demographics. The Vanishing Act Remote (Remote) | Locurio Escape Rooms This game is offered at one flat price no matter how many participates; however, the company does insist patrons to utilize all four available connections/devices if at all possible, and here's why: Throughout our adventure, various clue materials would appear in our inventory interface, and confusion quickly arose early on, when individual connection reported seemingly mismatching information. Tech blunder? Operation mishap? Nah, this was by design! In reality, we each had bits and pieces of different intel, and only by working together to combine parts to form a whole could we even begin to attempt solving certain puzzles. This is one of the few occasions I've seen something of this sort employed in a remote setting, and what a sneaky yet brilliant way to enforce teamwork. With clue hogging logistically impossible, participants of all levels are given equal opportunity and spotlight to contribute, a feature that made my partner, the relative novice of our bunch, rave this game as his most engaging and enjoyable one yet! So heed the company's advice. Experience this room through four separate devices, even if playing under the same roof. I have a handful of other things I could praise Locurio for, (the awesomely helpful avatar, for example,) but let's keep this somewhat concise. Perhaps, what's most outstanding about "The Vanishing Act Remote" was that it was not just a mere modification of an preexisting on-site option. Rather, it is a carefully calculated and thoughtfully planned reinterpretation, reimagined and realized specifically for an socially-distanced, online crowd. And what a perfect act it turned out to be. The Vanishing Act Remote (Remote) | Locurio Escape Rooms EXTRA TIPS ★ Things are long and colorful for a reason. ★ When things get poetic, treat it as story time, and visualize the scenario, step by step, in your mind. READY FOR FUN? "The Vanishing Act Remote" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster 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. LERVanish.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Costa Mesa, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 4-8 players. Private booking. 📝 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! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Magician's gone missing before showtime--you're exploring his backstage for clues. ➲ I've already played "The Return Of The Magician" in-person prior, good memories! ➲ The original on-site rendition is a gem: well-conceived, well-constructed, and well-executed. ➲ The livestream version successfully conveys much of the same emotions and wonders. ➲ Features impressive, custom-made magician props, and actual illusions and tricks mid-game. ➲ Mostly gen-1 puzzles (locks & combos), linear game play, with proficient avatar that has room to grow. ➲ Other beta-testers, who were playing this for the first time, enjoyed the game very much. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😃 subjective rating: 💪 4 to 5/10 difficulty (based on irl team of 4), 🔢 ideal team size of 4. RECOMMENDED OFFICIAL PREMISE After a long hiatus, The Magician has returned to the stage. Join us and book your tickets to find out just exactly why he was named Magician of the Year 3 times in a row! This comeback performance will be exclusively shown only at UNLOCKED Productions Theater. His magic and illusions will free your mind… UNABRIDGED EDITION Some years ago, I went to a modest looking escape room company in Orange County called UNLOCKED: Escape Room. Inside, not only did I experience an excellent magician-themed escape game, "The Return Of The Magician" , I also witnessed an actual illusion mid-game and a magic trick performed by a hobbyist magician post-game. Though this is definitely an overuse of the word "magic", it was indeed a fantastical afternoon filled with both literal and figurative magic, and a very fond memory I can still vividly recall today. ...Magic! That's the thing with a well-conceived, well-constructed, and well-executed escape room, it tends to leave a long-lasting impression, and the memory you make on that one occasion will stick around for ages to come. Every clever puzzle, every surprising scene transition, and the occasional ridiculous moments (52 pickup, anyone?), I remember them, I cherish them, and I want all my enthusiasts friends to experience them. Previously, this requires you to be physically in Southern California. This is no longer the case, because "Magician" has gone global remotely via Zoom livestreaming! Now reasonably, there is no way for me to un-play or un-see all that awesomeness that is this escape room. Regrettably but extremely truthfully, most escape rooms are one-and-done deals. So when offered to beta-test for the remote version by UNLOCKED, I decided to sit in mostly quietly and let the rest of my team play/struggle through a fresh play-through. And just to be extra sure, I tagged along one more beta group's game in silence to intently observe the guests' reactions. After two sessions, however, the result was clear: everyone unanimously loved the web-based interpretation. The Return Of The Magician (Livestream) | UNLOCKED: Escape Room I can't say I am surprised. The original in-person "Magician" is a gem. With a modest budget but vast amount of imagination and talents, the game makers created a set that features actual magician items and full-scale props. You have your magic hat, wand, playing cards, and even perhaps a box to saw someone in half. The puzzles are gen-1 style, mostly padlocked dominated. They are not terribly difficult, and are meticulously thought out, thoroughly clued, and appropriately themed with the narrative and the props. It was one of the most ideal, mentally focused escape games in nearby cities. And who can forget that one pivotal moment, when everyone of my team couldn't believe their eyes? It was legendary in its simplicity but also astonishingly effective. In fact, I was so utterly baffled that I couldn't take a step further, frozen in complete disbelief how the team managed to pull a fast one on us right under our noses--it was amazing. And all that mentioned, ALL OF THAT, has successfully translated across online on a livestreaming platform! Since most of the puzzles in this game is based on finding combo codes (aka generation 1 game play), it works reasonably well with an avatar-led format. Design flow has been slightly modified to become more linear, resulting in a smooth transition from on-site to online play. The handful of occasions where live-action tasks are required, the inventory system enables the customers to participate in similar mini-games to emulate a parallel experience, thereby increasing engagement. (Inventory also features 360° panoramic view, which is now considered an industry standard.) Web-based inventory system, featuring 360° view of room | UNLOCKED: Escape Room Avatar-wise, I think the performance was sufficient for initial runs, and will only get better and better in later shows. I've met the co-owners before in person, and their genuine attitude and friendly customer service undoubtedly traversed through the cyberspace and across our monitors just the same. I am technically "replaying", so my opinions this time may not be the most accurate reflection of this just-released online option. However, the rest of my team is composed of escape room, at-home puzzle game, and immersive experience creators, so it's reasonable to say, they all know a thing or two about what makes a wholesome and entertaining adventure. They all played this for the first time, and they all ended up really liking "Magician". So I'd listen to these pros. Truly, I think the UNLOCKED staff has worked tirelessly to recreate the magic that they have always envisioned their guests to enjoy in-person, and their effort has not gone wasted. While I don't think this can ever completely replace their original product, this remote translation more than reasonably extends a possibility for residents across state lines, or even the Pacific Ocean and beyond, to experience what I consider one of Southern California's best hidden treasures. (P.S. With the additions of camera tricks and special audio effects, some may even argue the Zoom virtual game play features more magical illusions than its conceptual parent!) The Return Of The Magician (Livestream) | UNLOCKED: Escape Room READY FOR FUN? "The Return Of The Magician (Livestream)" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. ULMagician.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Saint Paul, MN, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: 70 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Minimum of 3 players, and maximum of 8 players. Private booking. 📝 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! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Infiltrate an art gallery to steal a stolen artwork back. ➲ This company's known for audio-led games, this new avatar-led option also rocks! ➲ Online version very close to their original, in-person experience. ➲ The many pieces of art in the gallery are original, amusing, and beautiful to the eyes. ➲ The puzzles made clever use of art props, are well-themed, and a mix of gen 1 and 2 challenges. ➲ Avatar is affable, Telescape web interface offers online "mini puzzle" and complements nicely. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😍 subjective rating: 💪 3 to 4/10 difficulty (team of 3), 🔢 ideal team size of 3 to 4. ➲ Special note: game may lightly involve outside knowledge. MUST DO! OFFICIAL PREMISE The Heist takes you inside Stephen J. Pillager’s art gallery as you attempt to retrieve a precious piece of stolen artwork. Our infiltration specialist isn’t the brightest, so you will need to lead them through this tricky heist. (This experience is identical to our physical experience at our St. Paul location, except you and your team will play it online!) UNABRIDGED EDITION I have thoroughly enjoyed what Trapped Puzzle Rooms has done to adapt to the new landscape of escape room business. Early on this year, when physical visits to venues are discouraged in the face of the pandemic, the creators quickly rose to the occasion by providing their customers and fans a new option: audio-led virtual adventures, which turned out to be some of their best-received works in the industry. (In fact, I will be booking my next one fairly soon.) Now the same folks are venturing into a new territory of remote gaming: avatar-led, livestream escapes. While this is a new endeavor for this company, avatar-hosted remote games have been a buzzing trend for months now, and compared to when it first began, game play has been constantly refined, supporting technology has gradually improved, and competitions have become fierce. To enter the market now, relatively late in the game, a new player better be ready... And Trapped Puzzles Rooms is READY. In fact, way beyond ready. The Heist: Remote Avatar Experience (Remote) | Trapped Puzzle Rooms "The Heist: Remote Avatar Experience" is a direct online port of one of Trapped's physical rooms. For those who have already played this well-loved classic, you may want to skip this online version. (Don't worry; no one's offended.) But for those who have yet to visit the St. Paul branch, this faithfully translated virtualization is an excellent and affordable opportunity to experience something very darn close--with over 90% of the original puzzles retained, presented smoothly via the web. And because "The Heist" (the irl rendition) is such a well-run title to begin with, it came as no surprise that my team (featuring the folks from Review The Room) loved every second of its online counterpart. As mentioned, it was evident that a lot of work was done before the game's final public release. Every single component of the room was ready for action. The set, the avatar, the inventory system, everything went off without a hitch--wait no, more than that--everything lived up to the equivalent high quality that is signature of their audio-led adventures. The Heist: Remote Avatar Experience (Remote) | Trapped Puzzle Rooms First, the set. "The Heist" tasks you to steal a painting from a gallery, so look forward to seeing quite a collection of artworks. And even though the room setup may look a little sparse from the trailer, I did not feel this way when I was actually playing. In fact, when given the chance to examine the art pieces up close via Zoom, each individual item bore impressive details. The 5 lobby paintings, cute. The antique plates, remarkable. The social commentary piece, relatable. There's so much personality permeating throughout, I found myself zoning out from time to time to fully absorb the quirkiness from more than a dozen art displays--all exclusive and original works by Trapped's resident artist, no less. Moreover, these art stations were just as clever as they were aesthetically pleasing. Let's not forget, these were puzzles in disguise. Very early on, from the same 5 lobby paintings mentioned, my team learned that there are often layers of ingenuity embedded to discover. For instance, the lobby puzzle itself was not super obvious, but once you figured it out, you screamed in excitement at its "sorta obviousness". A "duh" moment, if you will. The solution, once revealed, related back to the painting style, completing a full circle. It was this exact intelligent approach of blending the art theme with puzzles that actually made sense that kept the game fun, unpredictable, and such a joy from beginning to end. I guess one could say, this is beauty and brains combined. There is a healthy mix of gen-1 challenges (locks) and gen-2 tasks (gadgets and tech) to keep the journey variable and interesting. Overall, game play leans linear, which suits the avatar-led format, and is fairly beginners friendly. The Heist: Remote Avatar Experience (Remote) | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Our avatar was Anna, who actually hosted my Super Squad audio-led game. She was charming then, and she was also charming as my Zoom surrogate. Because the "heist a painting" premise is fairly common, it puts a considerable amount of weight on the avatar to make the story engaging--Anna did exactly that. Though she wasn't exactly playing in character per se, her innate personality came through as naturally bubbly and amusing. She was responsive to playful banters, great with camera angles, and quick on her feet in prop manipulations. She's a delightful ingredient to a successful recipe. Finally, the Telescape-powered inventory system was easy to use, and the company employed its features to the fullest to supplement the full-package experience. The 360° panoramic views were diligently labeled, with every solvable lock clearly indicated for easy housekeeping. The one physical puzzle that did not fit online play well was replaced by an interactive mini game on the Telescape interface, so in a way, whether you play in-person or online, you get the full money's worth. Having previously witnessed first-hand what Trapped is capable of basing on their audio-led games, I've always had a certain level of confidence they will do a good job with their project expansion. And thankfully, my instinct was proven correct with "The Heist". The folks from Trapped are hardworking, passionate, and evidently, very good at their craft. If more avatar-led options are in the pipeline, the escape room community is in for quite the treat. The Heist: Remote Avatar Experience (Remote) | Trapped Puzzle Rooms EXTRA TIPS ★ In some situations, lending a small hand to a normal sized one is all the help one needs. ★ If given a large amount of text, you already know you don't need all that! Single out only the most important parts. ★ This isn't a tip, but... Was the wall sculpture an inspiration to a certain inter-dimensional portal in Super Squad? READY FOR FUN? "The Heist: Remote Avatar Experience" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. TPRHeist.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Denver, CO, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Host Led Experience » Audio-Led Escape Game 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes limit. (Should take about 60 minutes.) 🔢 Capacity: Booking page allows 1 to 20 players, but each individual game allows up to 8. Should be private booking. 📝 Experience requires Zoom, 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! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Must regain entry to your own office to submit a paper due soon. ➲ An audio-led escape game based heavily on good quality, complex gen-1 puzzles. ➲ Narrative is straightforward, very situational and reality based, with little frills. ➲ Multi-layered and satisfying puzzles, need several connections made to solve. Not ideal for beginners. ➲ Graphics are so-so in quality but plentiful, game host takes a by-the-book approach. ➲ Not very creativity-focused, therefore most fitting for pure puzzle fanatics or experienced players. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 🙂 subjective rating: 💪 5/10 difficulty (team of 3), 🔢 ideal team size of 3 to 5. OFFICIAL PREMISE In this online escape room, you’ve been locked out of your own office! Oh no! Solve puzzles to build a bobblehead to unlock your office and publish the academic paper that will earn you accolades and a huge promotion. (This game was custom-built in for some true bobblehead fans at Santa Clara University School of Law, High Tech Law Institute.) Teammates The Haunt Girl, David, and I are ready to EXPLORE | Paruzal Games UNABRIDGED EDITION Audio-led escape games are truly booming during a great year of Zoom-based gaming. If you're unfamiliar with the concept of an audio-led adventure, think Dungeons & Dragons meets escape room puzzles. Paruzal Games is probably the fourth or fifth audio-led options dominant company I have had the privilege to review. Having sampled more than a handful of titles from different makers, I gotta say, even within this sub-class of escape rooms, style varies across a wide spectrum. Some stick with tried-and-true gen-1 puzzles (like unlocking combo locks), while others go the other extreme and employ entirely imagination-based scenarios where solutions could be impossibilities in real life (such as climbing up a dinosaur). (Yes, that did happen!) "Publish Or Perish (Bobblehead Edition)" lands quite squarely in the first category. This sort of makes sense, since this game was originally custom-built for some true bobblehead fans at Santa Clara University School of Law. Deigned for the brainy types, it would explain both the density and the complexity of the puzzles--they can certainly handle the difficulty. This may also potentially explain the premise: a race against the deadline to submit a dissertation of sort, certainly a nightmare for any professional students. In fact, as the story unfolds, there really isn't much happening virtually onscreen that isn't possible in real life. Much of the contents is sturdily grounded in reality; while not the most creative, it certainly appeals to those who prefer a dose of relatability to their real-life careers (and passion for bobbleheads, incidentally.) Game 7: Publish Or Perish [Bobblehead Edition] | Paruzal Games There isn't much smoke and mirrors with "Publish"; objectives are straightforward and clear. You're locked out of your office, which houses the computer that contains your academic paper, yet to be submitted. You must gain entry to neighboring Room 103, ransack the space, and hopefully recover a key (or something) to return back in your office to complete the submission. Along the way are puzzles galore, with multiple starting points offering nonlinear game play. While technically true that you will only spend your entire session within Room 103, there is plenty to unpack, with contents that can easily occupy a team of seasoned escape room players for around one hour. As to beginners, you better keep on eye on the clock and move at a good pace. This will be fun, but it won't be a breeze. As mentioned, this is a heavily generation-1 puzzle room, meaning this is an absolute game of wits. Solving for padlock combos, finding metal keys, cracking passwords and number pad codes will be the bulk of your mission. However, a great majority of such puzzles are not as mind-numbingly trite as "reading the first letter of each line", for instance. The greatest beauty of "Publish" is its constant demand for players to connect the dots. Many scattered dots. Simply discovering a single piece of clue rarely does the trick; instead, having the acuity to combine 2 to 3 pieces of interrelated info is the true test. These often multi-layered puzzles baffled me for more than a couple of occasions! The journey is time-consuming with many potential roadblocks one can possibly get stuck on. Nonetheless, with a tad of teamwork, and much, much mental effort invested in reaching the final conclusion, it often feels extra rewarding when a conundrum is conquered. There is certainly no shortage of brow-furrowing and "ah-ha!" outbursts. Game 7: Publish Or Perish [Bobblehead Edition] | Paruzal Games Production-wise, the artwork featured isn't the best that I've seen, but it isn't bad. They wouldn't blow your mind, per se, but they did take the time and care to produce an upwards of 20 to 30 still images to always give you a clear visualization of what's happening audibly. In addition, Paruzal Games is the only company that I've seen thus far that would juxtapose related clues, side by side, for the participants once they themselves make the pertinent connection. Having everything necessary in one slide without flipping back and forth is both convenient, helpful, and thoughtful. My game master is an experienced Dungeons and Dragons host, so he leads with great confidence. His narration style isn't particularly engaging or animated, but he's able to command focus, and describe ideas with unambiguous clarity. His more matter-of-fact approach inherently lends the spotlight on the puzzles themselves, which undoubtedly are the stars. "Publish" is a title most suited for those who value systematic, critical thinking than letting their imaginations run amok. If you're looking for an audio-led escape game that sends you on an epic, crazy quest of time traveling, this may not be it. But if you're looking for a barometer to measure your puzzle mastery, this is a delightful candidate. And oh, look, the bobbleheads are nodding yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes... rapidly in agreement. Game 7: Publish Or Perish [Bobblehead Edition] | Paruzal Games EXTRA TIPS ★ Pen, paper, and actual note taking seems necessary, or at least most time-efficient, for at least 1 puzzle. ★ Never discount a potential solution just because it sounds too long. (A closed mind, in fact, was my downfall.) READY FOR FUN? "Game 7: Publish Or Perish (Bobblehead Edition)" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. PGPublish.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Gravesend, Kent, UK OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game 💪 Difficulty: 3/5, for age 8+. ⏲️ Time duration: 1 to 2 hours. 🔢 Capacity: 1 to 6 players. 💬 Hints: Hints & solution available below each puzzle. Click to reveal as needed. 🛒 If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 🙂 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 3 or 4/10 (team of 1). This family-oriented title isn't meant to be super difficult. 🔢 Ideal team size: 1 to 2 enthusiasts for quality puzzle-solving time. 4 or so for a Christmas celebration or just havin' fun! OFFICIAL PREMISE A festive fun-filled online escape room for all the family to enjoy! It’s just before Christmas and one of the elves has stolen the Naughty and Nice list. You, as Saint Nick’s special detective task force, must follow the trail of gingerbread crumbs to solve the clues and work out which mischievous little elf took it before Santa leaves for Christmas Eve! Whoever did it is certainly going to end up on The Naughty List! The question is… who? OVERALL IMPRESSIONS The Panic Room has published so many online escape game titles to date, it's super likely that they are the one company with the most available options you can readily purchase. Now, this holiday special game, titled "CSI: Christmas Scene Investigation", does indeed share its name with the CSI series the company has been running. But don't be mistaken--this noel installment is most definitely not related, as the C in CSI stands for Christmas this time! There is no murder, no blood, no gore. Just some stolen naughty-or-nice lists. As such, don't expect the game play, whether it be theme, style, artwork, or puzzle to be similar to the members of the CSI series. The closest example would probably be Mansion: Impossible, another offering aimed primarily at younger kids, family, and wholesome fun seekers. Difficulty is also understandably and intentionally lower. Carol the Elf Queen | The Panic Room The main objective of this online escape game isn't to escape at all. Rather, you aim to determine, through the process of deduction, who among the elves is the sneaky thief. Carol, an elf whose innocence is already in the clear due to a strong alibi, will assist your investigation by giving you testimonials she collects from other eyewitnesses. Carol is perhaps the best part of this game. The actress dons a full Christmas helper costume, wears an extra voluminous orange wig, and speaks in an at times ridiculously dramatic voice--as an elf often does. Her over-the-top performance, composed of constantly changing facial expressions and her seemingly countless gestures, makes her the absolute star of the show. I therefore dedicate all of this review page's images to display the many, many, many faces of Carol. In between your Carol encounters are, of course, the puzzles. Ciphers seem to be prominent; a rational choice, considering this puzzle variety is relatively easy to present through web media, and also commonly solvable for younger audience. There's also some logic stuff and code-breaking materials thrown in to round out the roster. It's pretty standard brainteaser contents, hence reasonably suitable casual customers. I did find it amusing how elves of the 21st century now all communicate with each other through group text, and to incorporate such text screenshots as puzzle clues would probably relate with and delight the younger crowd effectively. Each puzzle is also very purposefully and generally well themed to Christmas spirits and/or the elves' duties around the holidays. They don't necessarily interconnect with one another all the time, but since the overall narrative is mainly told through Carol's theatrics, the puzzles are more just fun activities to do in between to unlock her video clips. Ahhhh! You steal the scene, Carol! | The Panic Room The solution input system is the same as previous games: there is a text field input at the bottom, you type in an answer, hit submit, then you proceed to the next webpage if you're correct. However, one big improvement was made. The password no longer appears as asterisks, and with the input actually visible, players won't accidentally submit typos. Formatting of solutions is also standardized (e.g. ALL CAPS), thereby reducing error rate even further. After you solving roughly 10 puzzles, you would've collected enough intel from Carol's cut-scenes to weed out all innocent bystanders from the suspect list: information such as hair, hat, and shoes color would tell you who's the culprit. Again, pretty standard stuff, though well-catered to the children who might be playing this game on Christmas day. Visual-wise, I'm disappointed, unfortunately. The font face chosen is obviously intended to look fun, whimsical, and most importantly, festive. It does do all those things, but it's also harder to read. So between attractiveness and functionality, I prefer the latter. I also thought most of the clip art lacks a consistent style, therefore the game overall looks like a collection of random parts, rather than one coherent sum. However, like mentioned, the puzzles do at least have a consistent and converging theme, and dependable Carol will appear every now and then to remind you that you're still playing the same game. Carol's game. In fact, I think we should just rename the game to "CSI: Carol Scene Investigation". Yeah, that's it! CSI: Christmas Scene Investigation | The Panic Room EXTRA TIPS ★ If the word "purple" doesn't seem to be a correct solution, try "violet". I know, they mean almost the same thing. ★ If you arrive at a roadBLOCK and get stuck at this particular puzzle, just spell it out. It's literally as simple as that! READY FOR FUN? "CSI: Christmas Scene Investigation" is available for purchase HERE. If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. TPRChristmas.

Game Website | Company Website | Company Website | Based In: United Kingdom OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game » Point & Click Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: Approximately 60 to 90 minutes. 🔢 Capacity: 2 to 6 players per team. 💬 Hints: Hints available by hitting that big light bulb button! ALL team members must agree to use hints, however. 🛒 If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 😃 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 4 to 5/10 (team of 1). Really should be playing with team of 2, at least, however... 🔢 Ideal team size: 2 min is a must for co-op objectives. 4 max seems ideal, or everything may be solved too quickly. OFFICIAL PREMISE A Christmas themed multiplayer online escape room adventure! (From Trailer: Are you ready to save Christmas? Assemble your team of up to 6 pals. Solve and sleuth your way through Lapland. Someone's gone and kidnapped the big man--that's right, none other than Santa Claus himself! If we don't get him back, Christmas is in the bin. Save Christmas! Find out who kidnapped Santa! Everyone is depending on you and B.R.U.C.E. And yes, Christmas jumpers mandatory.) OVERALL IMPRESSIONS "B.R.U.C.E. Saves Christmas" is the third online title from a collaboration between Bewilder Box & Eltham Escape Rooms, with the others being the "B.R.U.C.E. Project" series. While the other two were respectable play-at-home game options, this new self-proclaimed "very festive" entry really, really impressed me--it's definitely my favorite of the three. The narrative and objective of this holiday special installment is not as out there or sci-fi as its predecessors. In fact, it follows the tradition of Christmas being potentially ruined, and we gotta save it! The trouble this time? Someone on the naughty list has abducted the jolly old fellow, and has hidden him somewhere in Lapland. Our job is to explore the crime scenes, follow the leads, eliminates suspects and of course, recover the St. Nick himself. Getting the game started, however, presented a little problem for me. Unlike the previous two titles, I had a hard time actually loading this particular online game in my internet browser. Thankfully, after multiple attempts, the game start screen finally graced my monitor! Unfortunately, while the game loaded, all the associated video clips did not. (Side note: I did get to review all the missing video contents post-game through the developer's help, and I enjoyed watching them overall. They were not essential since I was able to figure out the plot relatively easily through the trailer, though they would've added a little something extra. The acting and production were also quite decent.) B.R.U.C.E. Saves Christmas | Bewilder Box & Eltham Escape Rooms The game began in a wooden cabin, possibly Santa's abode, with a locked desk drawer, a locked treasure chest, and other furniture and decorations that begged to be fiddled with. (That Rudolph painting looked way too thick and protruded way off the wall. Fishy!) Although only presented by graphics, this really did give off the vibe of a real, in-person escape room, which was something the "B.R.U.C.E. Project" series did not quite accomplish with its previous interface. Speaking of graphics, this game looked GOOOOOD. (Yes, capitalized, with five Os level of good.) I don't think this is a product of simple mash-ups of available stock arts, and most likely a custom creation. Art style leaned towards cutesy cartoonish, which is fitting for the target demo. Colorful, nicely shaded to give illusions of depth, good quality stuff. Puzzles were not difficult in the first cabin room. There was the classic "find a 4-number combo through patterns" puzzle. There was a slightly more confusing "follow instructions on a map" brainteaser. And then there was a big red button that didn't seem to do anything. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed. No progress and I was stuck. One quick clue later revealed "B.R.U.C.E. Saves Christmas" is a true cooperative game. The button bit required two users to proceed. When gaming in a team of 2 to 6, every action from every user is 100% synced across devices, a feature I find very appealing and useful for remote holiday gatherings, which is certainly very common amidst a raging pandemic. Solo play is therefore not technically possible or recommended. (I think the lesson here is, Bewilder Box is telling me to make some friends. In the mean time, I made an instant imaginary friend with a second browser. Crisis diverted.) B.R.U.C.E. Saves Christmas | Bewilder Box & Eltham Escape Rooms There were also tiny tokens just randomly lying around for me to collect. Turns out those were the world's smallest mince pies, bonus items to collect as a side quest. They served absolutely no real purpose at all, but I often relish these surprise supplemental challenges designed purely for fun and bragging rights. Hence, good job, game designers! The cabin scenario concluded with pieces of evidence left behind by the kidnapper, and they in turn helped me, through logic of deduction, to eliminate unlikely suspects from a long list of 14, aka "The Naughty List". I must do so correctly before being permitted to leave the premise, so that's basically the key to each exit. Essentially a mini game of "Guess Who", it was an interesting and delightful way to advance game play. (I loved this as a kid, I recall fondly!) This overall process would repeat a couple more times through the next two scenes, with more puzzles to solve, more mince pies to collect, and more suspects to cross off the list. I was truly impressed at the various types of challenges included, with all of them being different from one another. Among them, there was jigsaw puzzle, logic puzzle, cipher, and more combo code breaking. My personal favorites are musical recital and one certain arcade machine showdown! B.R.U.C.E. Saves Christmas | Bewilder Box & Eltham Escape Rooms Game control did become rather frustrating at certain instances: when I needed to rotate hands on a clock or a certain delicacy on a plate, my mouse cursor just wouldn't respond properly, causing problem for correct solution input. And finally, this game is named after B.R.U.C.E. the android, so how come there is no mentioning of him thus far? Well, truth be told, that's because he really doesn't serve a significant role in this game! Like... at all. He simply and solely stands somewhere in the foreground, available to crack a bad Dad/great pun joke (depends on what camp you're in) should you choose to click on him. I requested his service liberally for old time's sake, but let's face it, 'twas I that saved Christmas. Overall, this was a very entertaining Christmas game even for an adult audience of one, and I imagine this would be quite the happiness and laughter-inducing attraction for the entire family at any holiday celebration. So cheers to B.R.U.C.E.! We saved Santa and Christmas! Happy ending! | Bewilder Box & Eltham Escape Rooms READY FOR FUN? "B.R.U.C.E. Saves Christmas" is available for purchase HERE. If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. BBChristmas.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Toronto, ON, Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: 90 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Maximum of 8 players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: Most likely through avatar Hilda the witch. However, my team did not use any hint. 📝 Experience requires Zoom, 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): Around 3 to 4/10 (team of 6), but up to 5/10 with the hardest puzzle. 🔢 Ideal team size: Would recommend capping at 4 max; or else you may find teammates talking over each other often. OFFICIAL PREMISE Like many of us this Christmas, Hilda is in her cabin all alone. It has been so long since she has seen a human in her forest, that she decided to visit the human realm to see what they were up to. She saw that everyone was wearing strange masks, but even stranger was that their towns were decorated with lights and garland. She heard whispers of something called “Christmas” and wished to know more, so she took a few things from the human realm and brought them back to her cabin to learn more about this Christmas. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS Last time this same team hung out with Hilda the eccentric witch, we were kindred spirits who helped her avenge a human trickster who trashed her sacred and enchanted woodland sanctuary. But it looks like, since then, Hilda has taken up some new interests about the culture of mankind--she's about to learn all about the festivity of Christmas time! Although this brand new, seasonal remote adventure takes place in the identical set as last time, "A Witchy Christmas" is indeed a distinct experience, with minimal commonality confining to set pieces that are permanently affixed on location. Otherwise, there is an entire new set of puzzles to solve, interesting and different props to interact with, and of course, a fresh story line to follow. I must admit, however, the plot sounds very closely inspired by a certain Jack's obsession with the December holiday, though Hilda's unique journey to understanding the Christmas spirit turned out different enough to call it her own: Looking to quench her curiosity, Hilda has stolen some signature yuletide items from the human realm, and that kicked off our roughly-an-hour-long interactive puzzle-story show-experience. Yup, this is a multi-element hybrid. Much like "The Witch's Forest", the greatest appeal of Daydream Adventures' virtual escape rooms is not the puzzles, but Hilda the starlet herself. You'll chat with her, laugh with her, and explore the world through her ever-so-slightly wicked perspective. Yes, you'll still be solving puzzles, but there is plenty to watch, listen, and be mesmerized with. I once again found myself engrossed in her universe. A Witchy Christmas | Daydream Adventures There is one huge improvement worth mentioning, however, and it's the way the show is presented. Originally, players are instructed to bounce back and forth between the Zoom livestream window to see Hilda at the actual location, and a web browser every now and then to watch "visions", which are essentially video cut-scene breaks in between puzzle-solving to further the storytelling. That system worked fine, but not the most convenient for the customers. That is no longer the case! Any video breaks in "A Witchy Christmas" is completely automated and 100% seamlessly incorporated into Zoom. This makes a vast difference--the players now only need to focus their undivided attention on one single app, and this thereby allows them to dedicate all their energy to enjoy the experience, and that's pretty sweet! The basic format of the game therefore goes like: puzzle, video clip, puzzle, video clip, and so on so forth. Game play naturally remains to be strictly linear, with the entire team only able to solve one puzzle at at time. Since the game uses the same exact set, I won't rehash about the incredible production value. It was, however, refreshing for the company to start the participants inside Hilda's cabin and work their way out to her garden, which is the exact opposite of the first game. I applause this simple yet clever way to utilize the same space and yet still give returning customers a new perspective. A Witchy Christmas | Daydream Adventures The initial puzzles kicking off the beginning were pretty standard: there is a combo lock code hidden in one puzzle, then there is another involving some simple math, and of course, a demonic sacrificial ritual to round it out... WAIT, THE WHAT? I am only jesting, but there was truly one segment that I felt out of place for Hilda's brand. As I mentioned in my last review, Hilda is an antihero. She's reasonably kindhearted and is someone to root for. Therefore, comical violence used in this particular segment, albeit obviously employed for humor, did not land well. Perhaps, it isn't so much that damage is inflicted upon another character, it's just strange for me to witness Hilda's showing her more sinister side. However, the mood is quickly lightened, and there are many instances I found delectable. The presents that Hilda ended up making looked adorable. There was a couple of challenging puzzles that were especially to my liking due to their complexity. (The overall quality of puzzle improved, but most remained to be somewhat "standard".) And best of all, there was a muscular "GILF", as one of us naughtily put it. And really, think hard, when was the last time you get to enjoy a "GILF" moment in an escape room? Uh huh. That's what I thought. (Note: "A Witchy Christmas" is absolutely family friendly, and comedy used during the show is actively and constantly adjusted according to team demographic makeup. Suggestive humor not applicable to younger audience.) Is this Santa Claus?! Book "A Witchy Christmas" to find out. | Daydream Adventures Concluding the experience was a lovely surprise, which was incidentally a callback to the very beginning when the game first started at the top of the hour. I won't reveal any spoiler by spilling the details, but let's just say Hilda will treat all her spirit guests with some very personal touches. I honestly don't know how accurately Hilda has come to learn about our winter holiday traditions, but I had a pleasant time witnessing her progress. As far as holiday special production goes, some companies may rush out a half-arsed title meant for a quick cash grab, and this is NOT the case. Daydream Adventures has spent significant effort in conceiving a quality option for their fans to celebrate the end of a horrible year, and I think they've largely succeeded. A Witchy Christmas | Daydream Adventures READY FOR FUN? "A Witchy Christmas" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) A boy who's on the nice list 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. DAWitchy.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Il-Fgura, Malta OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game » Point & Click Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: 90 to 120 minutes. 🔢 Capacity: 1 to 6 players. 💬 Hints: Hints and answers can be accessed through "?" icons, located near designated puzzles. 🛒 If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 🙂 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 4/10 (team of 1). Quite doable if you take notes and organize them calmly. 🔢 Ideal team size: 4 to 6 for beginners and casual players. Can reduce to 2 to 3 for experts. OFFICIAL PREMISE It is Christmas Eve. Santa and his elves have been working for months to prepare all presents and schedule the best route to deliver all the parcels around the world. Everything is packed and ready for delivery, the sleigh is parked outside, the reindeers are ready to start traveling, all parcels are securely stored in the storage compartment of the sleigh. / Upon collecting his GPS device, Santa realizes that there seems to be a problem with the Hard Disk and all addresses for the delivery seem to be inaccessible. Santa goes in complete panic. He remembers that he had installed a Hard Disk Recovery Software in his laptop that would fix this issue. He had designed many layers of puzzles and security measures to ensure that nobody would have access to this system. / Crucial information for the accessing of this system had been placed both in his laptop but also all over his office desk. He is in so much panic that he cannot remember anything of what he, himself had created. / He commissions you, as his security officer to find a way to access this Hard Disk Recovery Software in order to restore all addresses and save Christmas. This is an urgent matter! You need to access the Software as quickly as possible! Not succeeding would mean no Christmas presents for anyone this year! It’s already been a pretty bad year, you cannot let this happen! OVERALL IMPRESSIONS "Santa's Hard Disk Broke!" is a Christmas-themed online virtual escape game designed by the puzzle makers from Can You Escape? Malta. However, before going further, I just want to extend my most sincere gratitude to this company for enlightening about the existence of Malta, a small country in Europe. That in itself made me ecstatic that there are people who are passionate about escape rooms on every inch of this Earth. Our invasion shall be complete one day! Now back to your previously scheduled review programming. As I was saying, "Hard Disk" is a Christmas special title that describes what would happen if Santa loses his sleigh route information just moments before his annual trip around the globe. There will be no Christmas for anyone, people! This is a Class One Emergency! I have heard plenty of TV shows, movies, and games delineating various disasters on how Christmas would be cancelled. It could be Grinch stealing all the presents. It could be reindeers calling out sick. But a jolly but senior citizen having computer problems? Creative, humorous, and a little too close to home. Whew. But I am here for it! Santa's Hard Disk Broke! | Can You Escape? Malta Hosted entirely by popular escape room supplemental interface Telescape, this virtual adventure is fully automated. Players can purchase and begin playing any time they want; there is no need for a host. Hints and solutions are included in case of getting stuck, hence it's ideal for folks who might want a little bit of holiday puzzling fun, but just can't work out a decent schedule to book a live-hosted game, or would like a lower-tier priced alternative. The overall setup of "Hard Disk" is clean and simple. Everything takes place within the same work space. Essentially, there is a desk, the titular laptop, and a whole lot of other miscellaneous items to explore. In fact, I would go as far as calling this Santa quite the random guy. I mean, I could kind of see all the items' relevance to the holidays if you really try, but at its core, this could be of any theme really, and it'd still make sense. I see this setup potentially being converted for mobile tabletop rental play for live company events or parties--once the viral pandemic subsides, of course. The utmost game goal is to retrieve Santa's password, gain access to his computer, run a recovery program, and obtain backup files of the ever-so-important travel information for Santa's gifts distribution on Christmas's Eve. It may sound easy enough, but the creators managed to pull out all the stops and came up with close to a dozen or more puzzles to stop you from making any progress--and that's a good thing! You'll have plenty to enjoy long before it's over. Santa's Hard Disk Broke! | Can You Escape? Malta There are a lot of security locks to undo. Combo locks. Key locks. And of course, the password to St Nick's hard drive. This is gen-1 puzzle galore. Some riddles are simple and fast to solve, others may involve multiple steps before landing on the final concluding answer. Due to the sheer amount, your team may feel a little overwhelmed in the beginning--but don't fret. As long as you take good notes, and calmly put like elements together in groups, everything will fall into place. It could prove to be a bit too challenging or even frustrating for beginners, so I recommend at least 4 players, who can complete puzzles in a non-linear fashion. Expert players, if you're up for it, solo play is possible. Solving each security measure would prompt a short video clip of someone actually undoing the device (a lock, for instance), and this marginally increases the immersion of actually being on site--overall, a decent embellishment. While I have seen majority of these puzzles before, I do appreciate the wide variety to always keep my brain running constantly. While I don't think there is anything extraordinary, nothing felt repetitive. There is deciphering, sudoku-adjacent activity, a listening-based problem, and my personal favorite, a soccer team inspired conundrum. It isn't holidays related, but it's the first of its kind that I've seen, and it really forced me to think. And thinking is highly rewarding, kids. Santa's Hard Disk Broke! | Can You Escape? Malta One possible point for improvement would be the navigation. At times, it became impossible to exit a certain area without backtracking pages of information, which wastes time. Moreover, solution-input method is not the most intuitive, and could be improved through better programming choices. None of this is make-or-break, though the strive for perfection is always appreciated. Comprehensively speaking, this is a neat package and a nifty online present for classic puzzle lovers. Because it is in fact so puzzle-dense, it may not be everybody's ideal choice; but if you're a veteran fan of the genre, like me, then it's a respectable option for your brain to feast on. Santa's Hard Disk Broke! | Can You Escape? Malta EXTRA TIPS ★ Translucent color Post-its may be a little hard to see, but look hard, for Post-its are known to mark important places. ★ Once you gain access to Santa's PC, don't forget what else you haven't solved in your inventory! READY FOR FUN? "Santa's Hard Disk Broke!" is available for purchase HERE. If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. CYEMDisk.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Los Angeles, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Host Led Experience » Audio-Led Escape Game 💪 Difficulty: 5/10. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 2 to 7 players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: Given by game host when requested, presumably. (Note: My team did not use any hint.) 📝 Experience requires Zoom, 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): 1 to 2/10 (team of 5). Game is meant for families, therefore understandably easy. 🔢 Ideal team size: Most escape room lovers can clear the game easily with 2. Up to 4 for holidays celebration purpose. OFFICIAL PREMISE This all-new holiday game will be fun for the whole family as well as for experienced players. Your summoned to the wintery Elf Village, where you’ve got just one hour to complete the elves’ tricky challenges and prove that you’ve got what it takes to be a real elf! You’ll solve many different types of puzzles – using your brain, your wits, and your friends – while you uncover and complete all the fun, tricky challenges – proving that you’ve got what it takes to be a real elf! OVERALL IMPRESSIONS "Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf?" is a fun little holiday special, 5-week limited-run game from the minds of Escape Room LA. Like its previous other online options, such as The Curse Of The Dark Raven, Escape From Planet X, and The Lost Pyramid, this is an audio-led escape game accompanied by a game master (or more accurately, just their voice), who's there to narrate the story, present puzzles, and provide hints when needed. But you know, make it Christmas! Because it's December, baby! "Elf" indeed offers a premise that most other online holiday games are not going for this year. While other competitors seem to be obsessed with the "Save Christmas from being ruined" theme, Escape Room LA just wants you to audition to be a minion for the jolly Santa Claus. Oh! I am sorry, I mean elves, not minions! It's an honor to be part of the team that brings joy to millions of children at the of each year. ("Now get back to work!" yells the big red one.) Jk! Jk! Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf? | Escape Room LA I was initially confused on how the game would go about. Is this like "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" Because the title sure sounds like it. Is this a competition to see who's the best elf candidate? As it turned out, the plot is pretty straightforward: your team of 2 to 7 can ALL become part of the crew, you just have to prove your abilities by passing 8 challenges ahead at various locations of the North Pole Village. So not exactly a groundbreaking narrative, but for the target demographics of families and young children, it's easily digestible, and therefore a decent choice. Say... why is the map of Elf Village so strikingly similar to a pentagram...?! (Is he... umm... Is he actually recruiting possibly demonic minions? So was my initial hunch actually correct?!) Jk! Jk! ...I think. The selection of puzzles around the 8 objectives are more or less standard, though the wintery noel theming is pretty spot-on for every mini game. In the Village, you can earn gumdrops at the candy factory by answering a slew of holidays-related trivia question, which despite involving outside knowledge, is one of my favorite sections of the game. (Gumdrops are currency, hint hint, you may need some to complete the game.) Next, there are some classic Christmas songs challenges, which is almost unavoidable since singing is such a big part of our celebration culture. And then there are some classic "escape room vibe" brainteasers that would satisfy those who want a more traditional puzzle fix. Nothing too out of the ordinary here, but there's enough variety to keep my entire team busy thinking, chatting, and laughing--and that's precisely how this game should be played. Grab your dear family, or a close-knitted group of friends, and just act silly and run with it. The puzzles, honestly, may not be the strongest, but approaching them with a carefree and silly attitude (while being a little buzzed if you're legal) could make this an ideal holiday game night. Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf? | Escape Room LA If I were to make some suggestions, it would be for the company to enhance the images to higher resolution and better quality, since they were a little too small to read, and the art style a little too scattered, and previous games did not have such issues. The game host could possibly sound more energetic and hyped to get their customers into a festive mood. My game host was super polite, but I don't mind him loosening up a bit! It's an elf party, after all. The finale, by far, is most unintentionally funny because some very suspiciously demonic-looking elves actually showed up with what looks like alcoholic beverages to celebrate our graduation as the newest members of the pack. I guess my pentagram theory is holding some weight, after all...? And with that note, have a safe and merry Christmas, everyone! Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf? | Escape Room LA EXTRA TIPS ★ Googling may be needed for puzzles requiring outside knowledge. (If you don't know it, then you really don't.) ★ Avoid "cheating" by self-prohibiting screenshots during gaming. Or else some parts may become super easy. ;-[ READY FOR FUN? "Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf?" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. ERLAElf.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: United Kingdom OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game » Interactive Story Puzzle Game 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. Recommended for age 8+. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 to 90 minutes. 🔢 Capacity: Up to 6 devices. 💬 Hints: Wrong answers would automatically prompt helpful nudges from a Santa's helper. 🛒 If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 😃 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): Maybe 3/10 or so (team of 1). I did skip one puzzle due to illegibility, however. 🔢 Ideal team size: Would work anywhere from 1 to 6--it's more of a festive story to enjoy than a true puzzle experience. RECOMMENDED OFFICIAL PREMISE Gather your family or friends and go on a holly jolly journey that will have you laughing all the way! National Elf Service is a puzzle game for anyone who feels low low low on the ‘ho ho ho’... A Christmas like no other. Festive spirit is at an all time low. The toy factory has ground to a halt, the sleigh’s gathering dust in the garage, and everyone’s looking glum. Can you help Holly and the other elves save the day? Escape reality to a winter wonderland which needs your puzzle-solving, code-cracking skills. Join the Elite Elf Force -Merry, Berry and Sherry- on a mission to make this the most wonderful time of the year. (National Elf Service is a cross between a puzzle game, an online escape room, and an interactive audio book.) OVERALL IMPRESSIONS "National Elf Service" is a Christmas special online activity designed for the whole family by a UK company named Fast Familiar. Unlike its name suggests, I am actually unfamiliar with this brand, so I did a little quick digging: Fast Familiar designs audience-centric experiences utilizing digital technology, producing participatory, playful, and political artworks. Well, that does about sum up "Service" nicely as a product. (It isn't exactly "political", though it does contain some powerful and affectionate messages, but more on that later.) The rest, however, is true! This interactive story puzzle game is engaging, cheerful, and it's got a lot of hearts--it's the very representation of Christmas spirit from the inside to out. The web browser-based game interface includes: illustration, caption, and chat window | Fast Familiar "Service" does not completely reinvent the wheel for its narrative, with its main theme being "Save Christmas"! One must wonder... Again? What's wrong with Christmas this time? Well, everyone's feeling a little down--a little *too* sad for the holidays, in fact. The official Christmas spirit-o-meter is at unprecedentedly low level! Considering how they don't have a raging pandemic going on in their universe, something's definitely off. Perhaps evil's afoot? The story then unfolds gradually and organically in one of the most well designed game interface I've seen in recent online game history: In the web browser, the biggest subsection displays the illustrations. These still pictures are shown along with audio accompaniments, and paired with a live caption marquee immediately below. Though no actual video clips are used, the great voice acting coupled with the uniquely styled, lively colored artworks bring the story to life with ease. The captioning, per company, is a deliberate feature meant for deaf audience. This dedication for inclusivity is an active principle for Fast Familiar, and it will remain apparent throughout the experience. On the left side is a chat window, which has double functions: it, of course, allows you and your teammates to converse remotely from different households, a useful feature during lockdowns; but it also acts a channel where you "communicate" with in-game character(s) and submit puzzle solutions. It's a seamless and immersive input device, creating the perfect portal to connect the players with the story world--it's pretty clever, really. An eclectic cast of characters | Fast Familiar For the next hour or so, I calmly assured the anxious Santa elf leader, Holly, that everything would be just fine--we would find out the root cause for everyone's depressed mood, send our best task force out in the field to locate the problem source, right all the wrongs, and save Christmas! The plot was surprisingly captivating, holding my attention throughout. However, the story line was not the only thing that caught my mind, because I noticed very readily the conspicuous characters designs that shattered all common expectations. The main cast included people of various skin and hair colors, with eccentric personalities and quirks, and even featuring a lad with disability. There is an instance of androgynous fashion choices, and a couple of references to LGBTQ culture. This is bold and unusual--and yet so needed and welcome--because expanding representations of all audience members will send a clear message to our future generations: Coexistence is important. Respect for each other is important. Christmas spirits, the fuzzy feelings of the holidays, is impossible without our being kind--and in harmony--with one another. If I took anything away from this product, it's that somebody out there got the essence of the holidays right. National Elf Service | Fast Familiar As much as I have relished "Service", the puzzle portion of the experience definitely took a backseat, or maybe they're just simply overshadowed by the attractive story aspect. In any case, there were about 10 puzzles to solve to complete the game, and they popped up between scenes as gaming checkpoints that punctuated the story. Some fit well in the plot line, while a small selection felt a bit contrived, though none was a bad puzzle per se, and I had a good time. I enjoyed the wide range of variety in both topics and difficulties. Some puzzles were as simple as reading comprehension, some required a little bit of arithmetic, and still some other demanded your inner Mariah Carey. Do take note, many puzzles materials were presented as PDF files, a bit unusual, so be prepared accordingly. There was one logic puzzle in particular that I chose to skip, mostly because it's illegible. On account that it's supposed to be someone's handwritten note, aesthetically, it looked the part and was convincing. Practically, however, it prevented me from even starting the puzzle without extra effort; though might as well, as I am personally not the biggest fan of overly convoluted logic deduction brainteasers--everyone's preference varies. But thank goodness for the answer cheat sheet! Overall, while these puzzles won't solely carry the title, there is more than enough charm and fun from all aspects of this wholesome entertainment to bolster and finish the job right, so I unequivocally recommend this! Speaking of finish, naturally, it's unavoidable for the ending to be extra jolly and saccharine. But hey, it's Christmas! Why would you even wish otherwise? Happy holidays, and may you and your family keep your Christmas spirit-o-meter blissfully full. National Elf Service | Fast Familiar READY FOR FUN? "National Elf Service" is available for purchase HERE. If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. FFElf.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: United Kingdom OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » On Hand Items Required » Print & Play (PDF File Based) Puzzle Game 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: Not specified. 🔢 Capacity: Not specified. 💬 Hints: Automated nudges and hints can be requested via Facebook Messenger. (A bot will answer instantly.) 🛒 If you DOWNLOAD due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 😃 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 4/10 (team of 1), sans one puzzle that I chose to skip. More on that below. 🔢 Ideal team size: 1 or 2. For me, it works best with 1, but 2 may decrease solve time. OFFICIAL PREMISE "Thanks for agreeing to look into this case for me. It appears that my long-term adversary, Cryptic, is hellbent on ruining Christmas for everyone. In typical style, he's using puzzles to hold things up. It seems he didn't enjoy the most bountiful of Christmases as a child and has decided to take it out on everyone else! We've intercepted these communications, on their way to Lapland... Send me the final keyword at the end of your sleuthing." - Stan Dioblos, CSI Bristol. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS The last time I've interacted with anything from the Cryptic brand, it was for a free print-and-play game dedicated to healthcare workers battling against the then only beginning pandemic in the United Kingdom. Though I reside on the other side of the globe, as an essential worker myself, I appreciated the effort, and the company made an impression. Since then, the company has really evolved and even branched off. So, there's the original events planning company. And now there is a whole new puzzle-focused subsidiary, better known as the "Enigmas" faction. It's better left for you to explore further than to listen to me explain, so I will just pertinent links here: [Events: official website, Facebook page, Instagram; Enigmas: official website, Facebook page, Facebook group, Instagram.] In any given case, the creative minds behind Cryptic has churned out quite an impressive holiday special puzzle package named "Letters To Santa", and just like the previous NHS game, it's free to play. While technically still adapted to a print-and-play format, this Christmas activity doesn't demand any printing from the PDF game file. You can very much get by with a combination of viewing on your computer, doing some screenshots, and taking notes on an image-editing program. However, having everything printed out does facilitate the solving process, so up to you! Letters To Santa | Cryptic Enigmas There are two noticeable difference between "Letters" and "NHS" entries. First, the visual aspect has drastically improved. While I didn't find the graphics for the previous horrible, it didn't strike me as impressive--but impressive is the exact sentiment I felt when I saw the various colorful illustrations found in "Letters"! Perhaps I'm not being fair, since one is clearly meant for printing and used ample amount of white on purpose, and the other is a rainbow spectrum festivity, but hey! It is what it is, and this game looks fantastic! The deliberate choice of formatting every page in square configuration not only resulted in an Instagram-friendly product, which is convenient for the company's marketing, it also made the entire project look extra snazzy. Identical length and height dimensions also made reading on a PC a lot easier and clearer. Quite a few benefits reaped here, really. Second, "Letters", as its title implies, has a simple but cute narrative revolving around the story's villain and their many questionable communications addressed to the jolly red guy. And because it's the 21st century, these correspondence came in a variety of forms--typewriter document, text message, threatening notice composed by magazine alphabets--so you know, all the classics! Along with the occasional "advertisements", the overall tongue-in-cheek humorous theme really ties the otherwise not-so-related puzzles together into one single coherent entity. Letters To Santa | Cryptic Enigmas As far as the puzzle contents go, there is a lot of decoding-based riddles. At least two are outright ciphers, albeit decorated with a wintery coat of holiday cheers. I am not a fan of deciphering since it's time consuming, but with this minor complain aside, the overall collection of puzzles is very entertaining. Enthusiasts would probably have seen it all before, though little entertainment is reduced since they are well executed and beautifully presented. The occasional humor, if you catch it, is like fantastic, hidden winks from the creator. Flipping back and forth among the many pages is absolutely required, so be sure to take good notes. There is a very strong tendency for puzzles to draw reference to outside knowledge. If you can work out every single answer without even Googling once, I tip my plushy Christmas hat to you, great sir or madam. Otherwise, expect a little bit of online research, though every topic touched on feels general enough that the average high school student should be able to comfortably tackle. (I myself absolutely geeked out in glee at the Christmas Tree postcard challenge, anyone else?) There is one particular puzzle inspired by the popular board game Scrabble, and the challenge infused general geography facts. Well, as someone who happens to have low interests in both, I arbitrarily decided to skip this brainteaser entirely--and it's perfectly all right! The game maker designed "Letters" with this kind of scenario in mind; even if a player completely botched a puzzle or even two, they can still finish the final meta puzzle with a bit of common sense. And isn't that what's Christmas is all about, folks? A warm, fuzzy, happy ending to the year and to all of us. Letters To Santa | Cryptic Enigmas The game is free to download, and if you complete it and also submit the correct keyword by Christmas Eve, you'll be entered in a raffle for another online Christmas escape game. So do hurry! As great as that sounds, the reason why I found this so enjoyable is not at all due to the opportunity for a prize, but rather, purely due to the quality contents. For what it is, this is a good-looking, cleanly executed, solid pack of Christmas themed puzzles, and I just find it to be super neat. It's clever, humorous, and perfect for lifting up some holiday spirits. EXTRA TIPS ★ Don't overthink it. Examine images carefully before jumping into a strategy. It should be obvious what you need to do. ★ Though printing is optional, screenshots prove to be super handy! They help prevent jumping back and forth constantly. READY FOR FUN? "Letters To Santa" is available for download HERE. If you DOWNLOAD due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster 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. CELetters.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: United Kingdom OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Host Led Experience » Mobile Tabletop Escape Game 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Not specified, but 1 connection only usually. Private booking. 💬 Hints: Hints given by host at user's request. Unlimited hints, but 0.5 point deducted from final score for each. 📝 Experience requires Zoom for live feed, and PDF reader for puzzles. 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): 4 or 5/10 (team of 2), becomes much easier once hints are provided, though! 🔢 Ideal team size: 1-2 players. Puzzles are more complex this time, but also less in number, so best enjoyed by a few. OFFICIAL PREMISE AIRLOCK - a space-themed escape room over Zoom. "Mission... Mission Control. Come in. Come in, Mission Control... I've just awaken from what seems to be long period of unconsciousness. I am in the escape compartment of the ship... Looks like the oxygen supply fell everywhere else but here. I think everyone else is dead. I need your help... The mechanism is locked... Help me escape." OVERALL IMPRESSIONS "Airlock" is my second escape game experience with British hobbyist Russell, and though there are similar and different things this time around, my verdict remains the same: it's puzzle-focused, fun, and totally justified why his popularity has steadily and relatively quickly risen within the community. At the core, Russ didn't alter what makes his games signature and successful. "Airlock" retains the same format as his previous title "Endgame". The session revolves around players' challenging and solving compartmentalized puzzles laid out on a desk, and once every "gadget-y box" is conquered, you hit a intuitively big red button and the game ends. I categorize this as a mobile tabletop escape game; and since it's played via Zoom, a remote one, specifically. Now, both his previous and most recent offerings are not immersion-heavy. There are storyline and theme for each game that would roughly guide the appearance and the presentation of puzzles, but I would say they are more light suggestions than strong motifs. However, with "Airlock", there is one big, immediate discernable difference, an improvement really, and it's a premise audio file included in the pre-game email. Airlock | @RussBuilds On Instagram This short but effective sound clip informs the players of an astronaut in trouble--his spaceship dysfunctional, his crewmates all dead, and he's the sole survivor--if he can escape and outlive the urgent ordeal that is! You play Mission Control, so guide him to his salvation that is the big red button... remember, his life is in your hands! I was especially impressed by the audio file because it is all voiced by Russell the man himself. His voice's got some commendable acting chops, and I truly believe more of this dramatic flair should be featured in future publications. It adds even more personal flavor to his creation, and it's another step in the right direction. Also included in the email is the PDF file with all the puzzle materials to be solved on game day. Locked away by a password, my team was only able to read its contents for the very first time once the clock started counting down. In the first minute, after a quick but careful examination, I discovered that though the PDF file had roughly the same amount of pages as the last one, there were only five total apparatus visible, sharply contrasting the padlocks galore with "Endgame". So obviously, something dissimilar was at play here. Early on, I was sensing danger; time was slipping away, and I hadn't gotten the slightest idea on how to start. There were bits and pieces of information I was able to work through, but my partner and I never managed to arrive at the final conclusion to make any significant impact or progress. So I took a hint in exchange for a time point penalty (same points system from previous game remains), and it moved things along quite nicely! All it took was a little mental catalyst! Airlock | @RussBuilds On Instagram Once the first collection of brainteasers were completed, I was overcome with how much growth Russ has displayed in puzzle writing. Whereas his last title mostly stuck with a one puzzle to one lock convention, the solutions in "Airlock" all require a multi-step analysis approach. You start with Puzzle A, solve it, arriving at Solution A. Then you take Solution A, implement that information to the next (Puzzle B), and the process repeats. After 2 or 3 steps, THEN you'll arrive at a final conclusion that unlocks one of the tabletop machineries. It even culminated to become a little... meta in the end! ;) Such a puzzle-solving journey takes longer, but it's less monotonous than opening many locks over and over, and it's most definitely more rewarding when you finally reach your destination--so I was living for it! In addition, most puzzles contain elements that I either have not seen before, or have not seen enough, so the added challenge is extra satisfying. Finally, the "trick" the game design used to designate and signify which clues correspond to which puzzle box is quite clever in its simplicity, once again showcasing a maturation in puzzle writing. My partner and I emerged victorious in our outer space rescue mission with roughly 13 minutes remaining, and even though we failed to reach the top 3 on the current leaderboard with 10 points, it was a blast. Russell, man, how'd you get that awesome haircut during lockdown? | @RussBuilds On Instagram Airlock | @RussBuilds On Instagram EXTRA TIPS ★ If you want the best score, it may be worth it to sacrifice some points for hints to quickly move things along. ★ However, points aren't everything. If you don't mind your ranking, 60 minutes is plenty of time to pace yourself with. ★ A huge hint was hidden in plain sight, visible when you first signed up... I barely noticed it now. Wow. READY FOR FUN? "Airlock" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster 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. RBAirlock.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Germany OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game » Point & Click Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: 90 minutes. 🔢 Capacity: 1 to 4 players. 💬 Hints: Every unsolved puzzle will have clues (and solution) available on the top left corner section of the game. 🛒 If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 🙂 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): Ranging from 2/10 all the way to 8/10 (team of 1). When it gets tough, it's tough. 🔢 Ideal team size: For the overall experience, I recommend 1. (A few puzzles, however, may benefit from more brains.) OFFICIAL PREMISE The Carnival is coming and you're definitely going! Rumour has it that a secret society is hiding there, luring potential members with puzzles spread over the fair grounds. Come; show your mettle; beat the carnies at their own games. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS Roughly a decade ago, before real-life escape rooms became a common mainstream topic, their early emergence were mostly confined to online, point-and-click counterparts. If you were not part of the fad then, you can explore a list of such games right here. Ever since then, they never really went away, (and boy am I glad for that). Of course, their eventual evolution into live games is the whole reason why this blog exists in the first place. Now, "Carnival" by Edaqa's Room falls squarely into the the first category. At its very essence, it is a fair themed point-and-click puzzle adventure, designed and executed well within the confines of its historical predecessors. To say it has broken out of the comfort zone of its mostly conserved web game format would be an overstatement--because it does not--but it indeed does demonstrate what an exemplary model of its kind can be. In short, the maker of "Carnival" is well aware of the strengths and shortcomings of this sub-genre of escape game, and he maximizes the former while also simultaneously minimizing the latter. Let's break it down: For the most part, this vibrantly colored online escape experience looks pretty good. Carnival is inherently a paradise for young children, characterized by fun rides and delicious junk food; hence, the cartoonish art style choice reflects perfectly that happy and carefree sentiment. However, while the ticket operator, the hot dog vendor, and the silly clown designs blend well together, all the customer images employ a different stock art type, most noticeable by their eye appearances. I may be a minority that is bothered by this inconsistency, but it does in fact ever so slightly disturb the overall visuals. Don't touch his wiener! | Edaqa's Room Puzzles, on the other hand, are plentiful and absolutely consistent throughout. Because of the natural limitation of a point-and-click setup, there is a good chunk of the materials that I have already seen before, though fortunately, the designer has also included as much variety as he possibly can, while implementing them organically in various carnival structures. Every part of the fairground was utilized, the rides, the resting areas, even the trash cans. There is a lot to explore, tons of puzzles to discover and solve, and "Carnival" easily entertains a player for an hour or two. There'll be a lot of changing elements into the correct colors, clicking on objects in the right sequence, a bit of scavenger hunt, and other familiar territories. I am personally partial to the few that require multiple analysis steps, or the adorable ones that infuse comedy--I mean, who doesn't love wieners jokes? There should always be more delicious wieners jokes. Also noteworthy is that the game never once tries to trick the players. Everything you need to accomplish is presented in plain sight, except a selected few objects' being a little more well-hidden than others, though this game still always remains fair. This is opposed to the handful of point-and-click escape rooms in the past that purposely put key items in the most obscure places possible, a feature that I do not miss one bit, and graciously not found in "Carnival". Challenges difficulty ranges from easy-peasy and intuitive (such as ordering items by size), to "are you kidding me, this is SO frustrating!" hard (like a logic puzzle that involves more variables that I could handle). The clue system may become a lifesaver for those one or two pesky puzzles that you just rather not. Nonetheless, overall, it's a solidly competent puzzle variety pack that functions as a healthy and delightful brain workout. Carnival | Edaqa's Room Bonus system of Easter eggs is a nice touch, (especially when once again coupled with "looks so good but utterly useless" humor), though I highly doubt if anyone would not be able to collect the majority, if not all, of the eggs simply by the natural progression of game play. And they're right--the emerald one is really, really pretty. Somewhat disappointingly, the story introduced in the beginning turned out to be just as meaningless as the Easter eggs--the entire notion of a secret society behind all the random puzzles found at the carnival turned out to be a moot point, as there is neither a satisfying explanation or proper closure at the finale... You mean, after all this hard work, I am not getting inducted into a prestigious, exclusive society after all?! This is preposterous! Well, at least I got to have fun in a carnival... something not so feasible in the dismal 2020. Make sure to collect all 4 Easter eggs before exiting the game! | Edaqa's Room EXTRA TIPS ★ There're a lot of "alternating patterns" puzzles. So if you see stripes, lights, banners, and such, pay close attention. ★ Though Mr. Delicious may contest a bit, in this game, you should touch on every wiener you see. No, You MUST. ★ Once you exit at the end screen, you won't be able to access the game anymore. So finish everything before doing so! READY FOR FUN? "Carnival" is available for purchase HERE. If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. ERCarnival.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: London, UK OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game » Puzzle Email Subscription Service 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: About 10-40 minutes long for each game. 🔢 Capacity: Not specified. 💬 Hints: You can reply the word "Clue" to the email server to get multiple hints. They go to vague to explicit. 🛒 If you SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 🙂 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): Varies depending on topic (team of 1). Seems to hover around 1 to 3/10. 🔢 Ideal team size: 1. It's a "play this when you're bored by yourself" type of game. OFFICIAL PREMISE Sign up now to our Escape the mailbox series and each month you will receive one free escape room, each months game will be a different length between 10 to 40 minutes play... depending if you have your thinking cap on that day. (Did we mention it is free! What are you waiting for, lets play!) OVERALL IMPRESSIONS Access Escape is a self-proclaimed "London's first escape room in complete darkness". It is blind and partially sighted accessible, and it sounds like an intriguing idea for both those who can see and those who can't. A couple of my UK blogger friends have tried this out before, and they seem to find it unique. It sure sounds like it! However, no country is immune to the pandemic, and Access Escape is currently not taking any booking. To keep its audience well entertained safely at home, the creators have created a free game delivered right to your mailbox--well, e-mailbox--every month. Each game is designed to keep you busy for roughly half an hour. Key word: FREE! You really can't lose with free. C'mon. Having played their October, November, and now their December games, I have a pretty solid idea of just what kind of animal this email subscription is. To call this an online escape room would probably be a hyperbole, but it is a string of 4 interconnected puzzles surrounding a common theme. For example, in October, you'll try to catch a jewelry robber. In November, potion making. In December, you're helping an underprepared Saint Nick... "No no no!" he exclaims as he looks for help. You start with one puzzle in an email; you then solve it. You reply to the said email with the correct answer, then the next will be delivered to you within minutes. Everything's automated, from puzzles, to solution verification, to clue system. It's a simple, sweet, cute package to pass the time when you're bored, and easily accessible from anywhere on a smart device. I enjoyed each month's dedicated themes, adored the cute emojis used in all the email titles, and found it entertaining enough to stay a subscriber. Overall, there's nothing to lose by signing up, and you can even leave the email sitting for months and then come back later to solve it when you're ready... as I did. To me, the flexibility is actually a perceived perk. So go me, a champion at capturing diamond robbers after a whopping 1038 hours, 48 minutes and 29 seconds. You're welcome, police headquarters. Below are my specific thoughts on each monthly game published so far... Escape The Mailbox | Access Escape October, 2020: The Diamond Detective 💎 "You sip your morning coffee, you need it, it's 4:30AM! You were happily asleep in bed just 90 minutes ago when you were rudely awoken by a phone call. There had been a robbery at the local jewelers, a total of ten million pounds of jewelry stolen. Being chief detective means that when a robbery of this scale happens you can be sure of a phone call, though you do wish that criminals could commit crimes at a reasonable hour. At the scene of the crime there is no physical evidence of who committed the crime. However the criminal made one key mistake, they connected to the Wi-Fi to check their email. In their outbox there are emails they sent to their accomplice. The issue is, only the first email is in plain text, all the others are encrypted. Your task, working alone or with a team if you have one assembled is to crack the encrypted emails." This was my get-to-know-you phase, as I was still getting a feel of just exactly what kind of puzzles, riddles, and challenges they're throwing at me in this email service. This detective chase took place in Europe, and involved various tricks on geography, language, and some pretty UK-specific trivia. Just so it happened, that very day, I wasn't in the mood for Googling UK factoids, so I put off the game and forgot about it until 1 or 2 months later. Needless to say, this wasn't one that hooked me, though everything was fair, and I'd imagine an English audience would've finished and enjoyed this mini game much, much sooner. Like more than 1000 hours sooner. Escape The Mailbox | Access Escape November, 2020: A Peculiar Potion ⚗️🧙 "It's 12:30pm, your friend Luna was supposed to visit at 10am and she's uncharacteristically late. Worried, you email Luna's neighbor Merlin to ask him to check if she's at home. He emails back saying he knocked on the door and got no answer. However he was able to gain access to Luna's lab through an open window at the top of a trellis. Inside he found no sign of Luna but he did find a burnt potion book opened to a recipe, the burning and poor handwriting has left parts illegible. Merlin suggests that perhaps together you can reconstruct the recipe and maybe that will help you find Luna. He will send you what he can read but it's up to you to fill in the blanks!" This one! This one I liked! Merlin tried to repeat a potion recipe in hopes of locating the still missing Luna, and all the puzzles seemed a little more academia-related. There's math (though at first, I interpreted it as botany), chemistry, and more math. Because I am so familiar with the subjects used to write these challenges, I got through them rather quickly and cheerfully. These short mental workouts just happened to hit my spot! The ending was also humorous, though I gotta ask, "Merlin, what the heck did you expect?!" And of course, the story implies that I'm next. Dun dun dun! Escape The Mailbox | Access Escape December, 2020: A Christmas Conundrum 🎅 "Hello friend, I wonder if you can help me. I have a job to do on the morning of December 25th and I'm woefully unprepared this year. I'm supposed to deliver a series of packages all over the globe but as it stands I don't have all the gifts ready or a route figured out! I can't tell you who I am but you can call me S. Klaus... No that's too obvious, just call me Santa K. I don't want to put too much pressure on you but if you can't help it won't be a very merry Christmas for a lot of people." December is bound to give us a Christmas special, and my feelings was largely positive on my remote assistance for jolly Santa Claus. I liked the final math problem. It was fairly difficult, felt like homework, but made me very proud after I performed some algebra magic. I smiled when I see a little bit of USA cameo. I, however, did not agree with one of the puzzles. There seemed to be multiple possible answer with open interpretations, and getting through that one step seemed like a brute-force, process of elimination chore. So mostly pros and one con. But anything for the big fella! READY FOR FUN? "Escape The Mailbox" is available for subscription HERE. If you SUBSCRIBE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster 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. AEMailbox.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Minnesota, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Host Led Experience » Audio-Led Escape Game 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: 90 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 3 minimum, to 6 maximum players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: Game master narrating and hosting can provide helpful nudges when requested by guests. 📝 Experience requires Discord, 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): 3/10 (team of 4). Easy breezy and oh so family friendly. Young ones encouraged! 🔢 Ideal team size: The distribution of superpowers works best with 4, so I'd go with 4. RECOMMENDED OFFICIAL PREMISE One dark evening, you see a flash out of the city museum in the sky above. The museum seems to vanish for just a second… then reappear. Can you and your squad figure out what happened and save the world in time? OVERALL IMPRESSIONS Audio-led escape games have risen in popularity due to an increased demand for at-home entertainment due to, you know, a certain nasty virus. From a production standpoint, it makes sense for companies to pursue such a route. While one can certainly livestream and provide remote escape room experience through an avatar, it may prove costly due to equipment and human resources needs. That also requires a physical set in existence. Audio-led games, in contrast, are much more flexible and cost-effective to create and operate. Supplemented mostly with still images and sounds, they are much cheaper to produce and publish, and new titles can be brought to life under relatively short timeframe. As such, there lies the potential for companies to gravitate towards this option purely due to a financial advantage, and churn out less-than-ideal and sometimes uninspired products. Trapped Puzzle Rooms Audio Escape Adventures, thankfully, do not at all fall into this category. What the creative folks behind Trapped have done during the early days of pandemic is to actually revitalize and popularize this sub-genre of escape games; and today, these games enjoy mainstream public recognition and even critical acclaims. You see, what Trapped has realized and banked on is the advantage of having no physical set at all, but not just from a production standpoint, but from the customers' as well. In a live game, one must always handle all room sets and props with utmost care to prevent damages, and climbing above head's height is almost always certainly a cardinal sin. But in an audio-led, imagination-led room? Punch, kick, roundhouse your way through a greenhouse--there's no consequence. Super Squad | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Audio Escape Adventures And with that ambition and somewhat mischievous mentality in mind, "Super Squad" was born. "Squad" was one of three early publications (the other two being this and this) from Trapped that gained traction within the community for being innovative, different, and just plain wholesome fun. Their motto is, "Always aim to do something crazy that you can't do otherwise!" And that, they indeed do. "Super Squad", in particular, explores the realm of superheroes, and what can transpire if players were given a chance to solve puzzles using a special kind of props--or the lack thereof--because what's needed to complete these challenges are themselves! The story goes: On a fateful night, a local museum is turned into a hub of mad science experiments, possibly resulting in the end of reality as we know it. Four ordinary citizens, through mistakes and good fortune, gain superpowers to stop the imminent crisis. So yeah. Brand new problems, brand new tools, and perhaps even multiple solutions. As long as your solution makes sense, that is! Aside from each of my team members' gaining their unique superpowers, there are a few tradition puzzles that one would otherwise encounter in an actual in-person escape room. You'll open a keypad, enter a password, and whatnot. One involves some well-known outside knowledge, and since 4 out of 4 of us all knew that info easily, I guess that's fair game? Overall, these puzzles are well done, and the mental puzzles lover in me is satiated. But of course, the meat of the fun doesn't really start until everybody starts to flex their newly acquired superheroes muscles. And here comes my admiration for Trapped--they do not conform to the common, first ideas when one thinks of superheroes. You probably half-expect there to be someone with super strength, someone that flies, and of course, a resident laser-vision guy. NONE of that happened. Our powers were all pretty atypical and I applaud that creativity. Super Squad | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Audio Escape Adventures There are roughly eight or so tasks the participants have to complete in order to save the day. And due to the unfamiliarity of the situation, which is what makes "Squad" all the more unique and enjoyable, it may take a while to get the ball rolling. Once everyone's powers became a second nature, though, we were on a roll. We were able to divert crisis after crisis with ease, and everyone had their moments to shine as most "puzzles" are designed to be solved with everyone's all pitching in. Some may even be solved in a multitude of ways--hey, as long as your powers get the job done, right? By the last few tasks, however, it did start to become a bit repetitive, though the smiles on our faces never left. Sometimes, the chance to bond and to team build is already rewarding enough. A flashy climax with everyone showing off their unique skills once more, then it's all over. We struck our cool posse poses against the opportune lighting coming from the inside of the museum (see below, above "Extra Tips"), the squad has saved the world! And not a moment too dull. Super Squad | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Audio Escape Adventures Before signing off this blog entry, let's also make a quick shout-out to our host of the day, Anna, who is part of a long list of talented audio-led escape room game masters who seem to have gotten hosting these formats of games down to an art. All 3 staff I've met, Kaylene, Brian, and Anna are all lovely folks, and will take good care of their players. Graphics of "Squad" takes on a comic book motif (therefore the colorful pixel dots) to suit the superheroes theme, reflecting the source where these characters come from. Quality is decent, though it has also immensely improved since then in recent titles. (See Pirate's Plunder.) I am sure I will continue to be blown away by the artist's latest endeavors. All in all, $15 a person for up to 90 minutes of unconventional puzzle-escape fun? "Super Squad" is a super deal. Super Squad | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Audio Escape Adventures EXTRA TIPS ★ Jog down, in bullet points, what special abilities everyone has. When all else fails, use everything on you list! ★ There is PLENTY of time to finish the entire narrative comfortably in 90 minutes. Don't rush; enjoy every moment. READY FOR FUN? "Super Squad" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. TPRSquad.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Regina, SK, Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: To be determined. ⏲️ Time duration: 75 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 3+ players, up to 10. Private booking. 💬 Hints: Requested by a specific command built into the narrative, in-character avatar will then assist you. 📝 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): 3 to 4/10 (team of 4). A little bit of scavenging is involved. 🔢 Ideal team size: 3 to 4. Having 4 aids in faster set exploration, and there's still plenty to keep everyone busy! MUST DO! OFFICIAL PREMISE The devious Ruby Hymen has betrayed the Drag Task Force and has stolen all of their powers. The leader of the DTF, Flo Mingo, has selected you and your team to help the DTF infiltrate Ruby's secret lair. You must find a way to stop Ruby and help the members of the DTF get their powers back! [1) A portion of each ticket will be donated to the Regina non-profit organization, Lulu's Lodge. 2) All content of this room has been reviewed and approved by the Drag Community and is not intended to offend any parties.] IN A NUTSHELL Through the eyes of a drag robot (previously known as Flo-bot, now mechanically modified and converted to Hy-borg, a weapon of mass seduction), you aim to retrieve back the superpowers that once belonged to the original Drag Task Force (a team of drag superheroes), and stop drag supervillain Ruby Hymen from an evildoings. This shouldn't be too hard, since the Flo-bot has been equipped with many fabulous features after all! OVERALL IMPRESSIONS "DTF: Drag Task Force And The Fabulous Flo Mingo" is a perfect gem bestowed upon us near the end of a less-than-perfect year. Officially partnered up with local Canadian drag queen The Fabulous Flo Mingo, Mystery Mansion showed us what it's like to blend elements of a theme that is rarely, if ever, employed, (first that I've personally seen), and craft out a delight that not only exemplifies drag culture, but also simply, a masterpiece that shows what great lengths an awesome remote escape room can reach. I am not surprised that this company is capable of creating wonderful entertainment (see proof here & here), but there are many things surprising about this escape room in particular. What caught me most off guard was ironically just the (true) premise! Per website blurb, I thought the story would mainly revolve around task force members, though had I listened to the intro audio included in my pre-game email, I would've gotten significant clues on what's really to come next. With minutes of starting, it became known that, (much to all of our surprise), our avatar would play the role of a drag android. (A+ performance no less--the voice, the demeanor, the everything!) And it was through her robotic visual recording system (or "eyes") and her scrumptious body of super features that you would try to stop supervillain, Ruby, from her secret lair within. Except yet again, within minutes, we found out it was all a trap! The mission focus then quickly pivoted to disarming a glittery but explosive device. From task force to bomb squad, just like that. It was just one curve ball after another. Minds continually blown. DTF: Drag Task Force And The Fabulous Flo Mingo | Mystery Mansion Regina To be fair, the superhero aspect of the task force did still interweave into gameplay in a significant sense that, you must properly understand each individual queen's unique abilities to successfully solve all puzzles. Furthermore, it was done cautiously that, even if you have zero knowledge of anything drag, you'll still fare just fine. Utilization of their superpowers was, in the end, a test of your ability to draw connections between specific problems to specific solutions. And there lies one of the beauties of this title. Whether you're a hardcore drag devotee, or a causal follower of Marvel or DC comics, as long as you're comfortable with the game's omnipresent queer motifs, this is a fantastic room choice for either case. "DTF" didn't pigeonhole itself into being just a "drag escape room"--it is an imaginative and refreshing take on an escape game first and foremost, and then further elevated and embellished by pink galore. What's also so genius about "DTF" perhaps stems from its being designed and released exclusively as an online-only game from the get-go, a decision that helped shape many ridiculously funny and memorable scenarios that wouldn't have otherwise been remotely sensible in a live in-person game. For one, having a bionic protagonist is possibly only realistically achievable through the web medium and a well-acted avatar, (I mean, would any on-site customers roleplay as Flo-bots with such meticulous impeccability?), and that in itself gives rise to free rein and greater flexibility for the creator to devise puzzles tailored for a machine-oriented universe... ...One that prompts a certain other world-famous A.I. cameo, showcasing a side of her that you've never seen before! It all started with coming out of the closet | Mystery Mansion Regina Now, with a name like "DTF", which stands for "Drag Task Force" and not a solicitation for one certain other intimate gathering of sort, you already know this age 14+ game is littered with suggestive innuendos. (And I love it!) Truly, there is no separating sexual reference and saucy humor from drag culture, for the embrace of one's freedom of sexual expression is integral to its core messages. While Mystery Mansion and its avatar are no strangers to whipping out their dick... jokes at any given opportune moment, they sometimes go overboard and may come across a bit crass. Fortunately, that is NOT the case with "DTF", in which its bold one-liners and brazen gags are carefully written into the scripts. In a much more controlled setting, coupled with some occasional well-timed improvisations, they've scored their money shot and hit it right on the eye... Bull's eye, mind you. The comedy, this time, is perfection. Do take note, genitalia will still be mentioned, (it being one of the queen's drag name and all,) just that you'll gladly accept it in all its glory. In the end, if Mystery Mansion's "Night Terrors" is the horror flagship attraction, "DTF" would be the adult-oriented, tongue-in-cheek humor rendition of the same caliber. Not only did "DTF" prove to be a powerhouse player of a remote escape room, it in itself was the weapon of mass seduction--there's no resisting its undeniable and glamorous appeal. Not to mention, admission pricing is extremely competitive, and part of it will be donated to a good cause for the LGBTQ community, so the Force is strong--rock hard, even--on this one. The DTF Task Force, that is. Below are some more key points you may wanna know... DTF: Drag Task Force And The Fabulous Flo Mingo | Mystery Mansion Regina STORY ➤ The story of DTF--how the queen superheroes came to be, how an argument broke out, and how the players now factor into this mission--is one of the best and most original narratives in all of the remote escape games I've participated thus far. Mystery Mansion's signature eccentric humor feels right at home with the playful nature of drag culture. ➤ However, the main storyline does not directly come into play much during the actual game. Mostly limited as an exposition in a pre-game intro, the plot sets up nicely some key elements, then dissolves quietly into the background--and yet, while "DTF" does ultimately become less story-driven than I expected, it still exudes fabulousness galore. PRODUCTION ➤ I've covered all online features available at this company, and I am fairly familiar with its M.O. and style. While I don't think production value is Mystery Mansion's strongest pursuit, this set provides a cute playground more than adequate for Flo-bot to strut her stuff and for the players to have a great time. And there is absolutely no shortage of feather boa here! ➤ Online play is again nicely complemented by the Telescape Live inventory interface, this time even supporting a couple of interactive mini games. One such game enables the customers to maneuver virtual version of prop pieces seen from the avatar's video feed, granting the players an opportunity to engage in direct control and a more hands-on experience. DTF: Drag Task Force And The Fabulous Flo Mingo | Mystery Mansion Regina IMMERSION ➤ "DTF" boils down to controlling a robot machinery to divert an imminent glittery explosion, and as unrealistic as it sounds, the avatar's full-on committed acting and well-executed banters effectively help sell this scenario. Much like a live drag show, this is so unapologetically frivolous and ludicrous, you volunteer yourself to become part of the fun. PUZZLES ➤ Strictly speaking, the portion of readily reorganizable or "actual" puzzles featured in "DTF" are pretty standard. Those familiar with gen-1 classics will easily pass the tests: putting letters in the correct order to undo combo locks, for instance. ➤ However, these locks function more like pitstops along your journey to eventual success, and much of the real joy derives and happens during the "in-betweens". The challenges presented between padlocks focus on learning and applying various queens' superpowers; and they are far from being formulaic, often lead to lol-funny scenarios, and require creative logic and even "outside the box" thinking to conquer. Best of all, they're all drag-tastically themed! DTF: Drag Task Force And The Fabulous Flo Mingo | Mystery Mansion Regina EXTRA TIPS ★ A pre-game email sent will contain more than just your game logistics. Make sure to peruse it with care! ★ If Flo-bot seems to stumble without a clear solution, you probably haven't gotten the "upgrade" to advance yet. ★ Similarly, once you acquire a brand new (super)power, don't forget to actually utilize it! READY FOR FUN? "DTF: Drag Task Force And The Fabulous Flo Mingo" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. MMERDTF.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Los Angeles, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game » Point & Click Escape Room 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Host Led Experience 💪 Difficulty: 8/10. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 4-10 players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: The game master monitoring may give hints when requested. (Otherwise, they are a silent overseer.) 📝 Experience requires Zoom, internet browser (Chrome NOT recommended), 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): 5/10 (team of 4). Difficulty is mainly due to the relatively short time limit. 🔢 Ideal team size: 4 to 5 sounds about right. Keep in mind, though, that group coordination is essential. MUST DO! The Haunted Theatre (360° Virtual Experience) | Escape Room LA OFFICIAL PREMISE You’ll explore the backstage and dressing rooms of an old haunted theatre in a quest to free the theatre’s ghost before the next performance begins – or be trapped inside forever! Solve challenging puzzles and clues as you explore The Haunted Theatre – a large, intricate game that will give all members of your group plenty to do. The Haunted Theatre (360° Virtual Experience) | Escape Room LA OVERALL IMPRESSIONS "The Haunted Theatre" (spelled with -tre because it's classy) is one of the two newly available 360° virtual experiences from Escape Room LA, and they are both just absolute treats in the genre of online escape rooms. What makes both titles work so well as at-home entertainment is just how closely they imitate an actual escape room experience, albeit operated completely within your internet browser. I've already gone into extreme specifics how virtual experiences compare and contrast with an in-person game, in the Atlantis review post; please refer to details there. Instead, I am going to concentrate on features mostly exclusively to "Theatre", starting off with its story: the show must go on in the titular theatre, but a ghostly presence is sure to interfere a flawless performance. Free the trapped spirit backstage, so both the living and the dead can move on with their night. It's Shakespearean Ghosthunter, essentially. I don't think the plot is especially novel, though the setting of a local theatre does make for an uncommon location for an escape quest. It isn't every day that I see drama masks, play posters, fancy costumes, script pages, and stage rigging ropes in general, and to know there are hidden puzzles in them waiting for me to solve already gets me full of anticipation. Production value is fairly impressive. Not super extravagant like Atlantis, but a believable representation of its subjects grounded in realism. Great choices on gray brick wall, aged wooden pillars and crates, and old-timey dressing table. It's got just the right amount of wear-and-tear and dread to reflect a dated building haunted by an unrelenting apparition. Short video clips make a return (discussed here), and these were filmed in low lighting and scored by unsettling, creepy music. There are also several unexpected instances where players can trigger paranormal, maniacal laughter that's anything but comforting. Escape Room LA may say this isn't a horror-themed room, but it isn't totally devoid of scares, either--and who doesn't love a well-produced, immersive creepy online experience? The Haunted Theatre (360° Virtual Experience) | Escape Room LA Because it makes good sense given the setting, a lot of padlocks are incorporated into the game play. There are a few automated exceptions, but for the most part, this is a gen-1 puzzle fest. Expect to rummage through well-themed, cleverly-written, and all-around fun drama clues, and find keys and combos (numbers, letters, directions) to advance. Gen-1 challenges tend to work extremely well in an online setting, and "Theatre" is a prime example. All the locks are actually presented onscreen, and you'd manually unlock them like in real life. For instance, if the solution is 2314, you won't type in 2314 anywhere. You will go to the lock, rotate the wheels to 2314, and undo the lock with sound effects. This certainly gives my team much satisfaction, very close to what we would otherwise gain from an on-site session. The Telescape-powered interface enables all of my teammates to move about the panoramic map independently, so we were able to concurrently work on different puzzles at the same time. There are also many instances when we yelled out to each other over Zoom, with one of us providing the clue and/or combo code, and the another one actually undoing the padlock. Not only does this save time, it also imitates so perfectly the authenticity of an actual escape room. In this sense, the lack of avatar is actually an advantage. From start to finish, this is your game and no one else's. No one is doing anything on your behalf--you do all the work, you solve all the puzzles, and you ultimately get all the glory and contentment at your own pace. (Frustrated with a slow avatar? Won't happen here!) The Haunted Theatre (360° Virtual Experience) | Escape Room LA Though I have not done the in-person version, "Theatre" seems to use the same puzzles found in the original with little modifications. I suspect at least 1 activity has been nixed, but there's still plenty to do. The 60-minute time limit will be barely enough to complete them all. While this is an extremely good value for your money, do work smart and fast! Furthermore, since a lot can happen simultaneously on Telescape, remember to effectively communicate so the entire team can stay on the same page. I actually missed a good chunk of inventory items and some puzzles because other members were working at lightning speed; so if there's a downside, this would be one. After a climatic spirit-releasing ritual, which was translated and executed surprisingly well even through a Telescape/Zoom platform, "The Haunted Theatre" found its peace, and we found it to be a clear award-worthy winner. There's no question that the game maker meant for this experience to be enjoyed to its fullest potential live in person, but this 360° virtual experience stands so exceptional well in its own right that, I honestly feel like this turned out just as lovely. Standing ovation from 4 delighted audience. The Haunted Theatre (360° Virtual Experience) | Escape Room LA EXTRA TIPS ★ The game lagged BIG TIME on a slow desktop while running in Chrome. DO NOT use Chrome. (Firefox has no problem.) ★ Always check your inventory, especially when you get stuck. Items used will disappear, while items unused will remain. READY FOR FUN? "The Haunted Theatre" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) 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. ERLATheatre360.