Sky High Escape Room presents... "CASINO MORTALE ONLINE" (Remote Version) ✧ Mattster's Game #105 Overall; Game #10 for Remote ✧ (Played In: June 2020, With 6 Players, Success!) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Sky High Escape Room 🏘️ ADDRESS: Josephine Bakerstraat 2, 1311 GA Almere | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: Netherlands 💻 WEBSITE: Company [Dutch] | Virtual Rooms [Eng] 🕹️ GAME: Casino Mortale Online (Remote Version) 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: 4/5 Stars (Official) | Medium (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: 3 to 6 People 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: Device Number Dependent (See Details Here) ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Sky High): ​Soft jazz, secret whispering, the smell of gin-tonics and bad intentions: in the secret office of the Casino Mortale the battle is no longer limited to roulette, blackjack and poker. You are being dragged into a dangerous live video game full of intrigue, love, crime and murder. The stakes are high, but the potential reward is higher; but you have to beat the competition. ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Intrigue, love, crime, and murder; it's got everything! 👀 VISUAL: Decent, but no match for the plot's obvious starring role 🧩 PUZZLE: Enjoyable, organically embedded, central to storytelling 🧠 IMMERSION: Excellent, esp if fully committed to all pre-game emails 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: QR code scan, ehh... could be improved 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Avid married couple owners, undeniable love for their work 💭 OVERALL: Superb cinematic experience that's also an escape room! 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: I have a hard time imagining who wouldn't like this?! 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 4 to 6 (Be mindful of time limit for small size) took a gamble with Sky High and hit the Jackpot! "Casino Mortale Online" officially joins the "MUST DO!!!" rank! ► PUT IT ALL ON RED... BLOOD RED ◄ Let's start off with a quick disclaimer: in order to preserve the elements of surprise for their future customers, Sky High respectfully asks all their past patrons to limit spoilers to the minimum. No problem, Sky High, you got it. As such, this review may sound a little more abstract, a bit more cryptic--esoteric even--than my usual style. "Casino Mortale" is, by far, without a single doubt, the one remote escape room that offers that most developed story line in the plot department. There's an extensive amount of backstory that enriches your game play by magnitudes--though it came at a "price"--some reading was required. To fully immerse its audience in the midst of a crime filled drama, several emails will be sent to your inbox days before your actual Zoom experience. Some will be from your contact 1-Ω-1, and some will be from Alice, who will fulfill the avatar's role on game day. 1-Ω-1, an experienced hacker with a questionable past, will lay out your basic mission, the who, what, where, when, and why. And Alice, a recently terminated croupier, will--most likely unintentionally--be your comic relief and do her best Dory impression. (You'll see!) ...Psst, also watch out for potentially helpful clues in the emails! And here lies the potential divide: are you willing to commit some extra time to do some pre-game homework to maximize your escape game pleasure? Surely, even if you decide to blindly go in and just wing it without doing any extra email reading, I am fairly sure you can still complete your assignment. For me, however, I actually found my entire pre-game ritual rewarding. To start, these aren't long reading assignments. In addition, they are fairly well written and entertaining. But most importantly, these stories helped established various characters' past histories, personalities, and motivations. Came game day, I felt like I already knew everyone. Moreover, I learned of the origin of Casino Mortale, and caught a glimpse of the life of Freddy Martin, the casino's former owner. And more importantly so, I understood what's at stakes--and having that comprehension made the immersion factor all the more effective. Right off the bet, this live video escape room lived up to its promise of being a cinematic experience. A pre-recorded introduction video chronicled our successful infiltration into our target building, and smoothly transitioned to a live Zoom video feed. (And the game starts now!) Our field ally, Alice, who would act as our mute avatar, was ready for action. Though Alice stayed silent, 1-Ω-1 would continue to provide useful intel, tips, and advice throughout our quest. As we moved through the first 10 minutes of play, we quickly realized that all was not what it seemed. Something that we thought was true (from our emails) promptly decayed into something uglier. Something more sinister. Roulette, blackjack, and poker? Forget about it. Turned out, this was a case of less Casino and more Mortale. This is Sin City, baby. Hands are about to get downright dirty. Your movie like experience will continue through the various objects lying around. Don't underestimate that mediocre piece of semi-sensual poetry written by a lovesick fool. It, too, has a story to tell. Every piece of clue, and its corresponding solution, narrated part of this alluring tale, full of twist and turns, much like a Hollywood motion picture. The reward of solving a puzzle was not only the self assurance of being a smarty pants, but also further developments of this romantically tragic noir. There was love, passion, jealousy, betrayal, and of course, MURDER. And I'll leave you at that, so you can be the one who unravel every bit of delicious details as I had savored, from beginning to end. Actual puzzles wise, they were not particularly difficult. In fact, some were easier than I would've expected. However, because the owners did such an ace job on shrouding their players in an engaging cinematic universe, their carefully crafted and well themed puzzles became a blast to play. What I truly savored was how organically these challenges were embedded into the adventure, and how they ultimately functioned as keys to unlock more scenes to our crime film. Every enthralling reveal made me excitedly look forward to what came after. Production value was decent, though the casino setting was much more in tune with a semi-squalid underground gambling hot spot than a full blown headlining Las Vegas destination tourist spot. Perhaps it's intentional. Either way, ultimately, it didn't matter. Because frankly, everything I've discussed thus far will inevitably blow everything else out of the water. Behold the power of great screenplay! And a final note: Sky High used an unusual QR code inventory system. For every significant clue that warranted a closer look, Alice would present a QR code up close to the lens, and players could scan said code with a smart device. (Quick tip: iOS camera has a QR scanner embedded.) A bit unconventional, but we quickly acquainted ourselves with this routine. I would highly advise all to use a tablet to scan, because some resulting information required a large resolution for clearer viewing. And God knows, my teeny tiny iPhone 7 screen just didn't quite cut it. "Casino Mortale" is a not so hidden gem that sparkles brightly in a sea of seemingly never-ending offerings in today's European escape room market. And should you decide to take on 1-Ω-1's challenge, may the odds be ever in your favor. Whether you successfully complete your mission or not, I assure you, a heart-pounding conclusion is sure to follow. But if you intend to keep that heart's ability to pound, best to wager on finishing on time. Signing off, EscapeMattster ► DISCLAIMERS ◄ We at "Escape Mattster" appreciate this company's hospitality and the opportunity to publish an honest review. Though game access was complimentary, we aim to provide *only* genuine & unbiased opinions. All official media are provided by or credited to respective contents owners, and are used with proper permission for the purpose of this post.

Mystery Mansion Regina presents... "NIGHT TERRORS" (REMOTE VERSION) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Mystery Mansion Escape Rooms 🏘️ ADDRESS: 2333 Albert St, Regina, SK S4P 2V8 | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: Canada 💻 WEBSITE: Company | Virtual Rooms 🕹️ GAME: Night Terrors (Remote Version) 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 75 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: 8/10 (Official) | Medium (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: Minimum Of 2 Players 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: $26.25 Per Person (2 Players Minimum) ► SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE! ◄ Use code "VZTL8VR9" for 15% off any international booking. (Minimum of 3 tickets required.) ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Mystery Mansion): ​After finding one of his childhood drawings, Alex is suddenly plagued by nightmares of "The Sleepyman". Seeking to rid himself of his night terrors, Alex turns to a hypnotherapist. Playing the role of his subconscious, you will need to help Alex figure out what's causing his nightmares... before it's too late. ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: One of the best parts of this game was its plot! 👀 VISUAL: Moderately good; everything else outshines this, though 🧩 PUZZLE: Satisfying choices and an appropriate amount for the story 🧠 IMMERSION: As immersive as being someone's subconscious (Very!) 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: Google Drive based, worked well 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Mitch (the owner) was my avatar; he was one cool dude 💭 OVERALL: Unique story, able to toy with my emotion in a good way 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: If you like a bit of creepy, plus great plot & great puzzles 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 4 is probably a good size to ensure good pacing awoke from a beautiful nightmare... Mind, body, and soul still intact. Whew. "Night Terrors" officially joins the "MUST DO!!!" rank! ► A NIGHT(MARE) TO REMEMBER ◄ I wouldn't say I've done numerous remote escape rooms at this point, but I think I've done a good variety of themes. Creepy and scary has not been one of them yet, though. Then "Night Terrors" crept up to my back and was like, "What's up-" And I went, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" During my research for this game, I was very attracted to the premise of the story: Young man, disturbed, cannot shake off some dark and mysterious images from his childhood. Terrorized by nightmares of one "Sleepyman", Alex seeks help from a hypnotherapist. First off, "Sleepyman"? Very Slenderman like, very cool. He's also giving me some serious Babadook vibe. My attention, successfully ensnared. Then I found out the players will play as Alex's SUBCONSCIOUS and will help him navigate through his old bedroom, manifested by his repressed memories during a series of bad dreams?! FOR UP TO 75 MINUTES?!?! 100% sold. Night Terrors (Remote) | Mystery Mansion Regina Escape Rooms The concept itself is definitely not something I've heard of, and I am dying to do it. Understandably, I got really excited when I got my first game update email. Inside, I found some background music to accompany the game (nice touch), and a Google Drive full of "Hands Off!" materials. So to briefly explain the Google Drive business: these are files that you will access during the game. It could be audio files, reading materials, among other things. You are NOT to open these files or folders until clearly prompted during your mission. (In effect, this functions as your "inventory".) Besides the *obvious* self restraint issue, I actually really liked this creative solution of using a cloud drive to distribute key information and items. (Obvi, Mattster always plays by the rules, so nothing was spoiled ahead of time.) And since the Google Drive was very neatly organized, I was even able to open each folder in a different internet browser tab right before the game, fully in anticipation for easy and convenient access on my monitor. (And it worked EXACTLY as I intended them to. Me likey.) Google Drive as an inventory system | Mystery Mansion Regina Escape Rooms Now onto the actual game itself. The game took a very unique approach in introducing both the beginning of the story and your role for the next hour or so. To further consolidate the idea that you are now Alex's subconscious, you're given a task to do in a fashion that is consistent to your role, to officially start your countdown. Now inside Alex's mind, through his eyes, you take command to scan down the entire room and start exploring every corner, and he'll do as you please. Once again, the idea of playing someone's subconscious struck me as being very clever. Many great remote games give reasonable explanations to why you're playing through Zoom, most commonly crediting it to spy missions and gadgets. Plunging directly into one's mind--that's a first. The production value for Alex's bedroom was decent, not extravagant, but realistic enough to be a regular place for rest. I would probably suggest adding in a wardrobe dresser to really complete the look. Sweet dreams, Alex... | Mystery Mansion Regina Escape Rooms Maneuvering around the room was smooth with our Alex's (avatar's) movements, and any uncertainty was easily clarified since the Google Drive did provide a 360° view through a series of photographs. As we explored and encountered our first few puzzles, the story unfolded, and we came to our first cut scene. This was the host's cue for the players to open one more Google Drive folder, and to examine the materials inside. Meanwhile, the camera went black, giving us enough time to take it all in. Not really intending to spoil further than this, my point is to illustrate and compliment this peculiar segue. To the game's credit, I thought it worked really well. I mean, for us the subconscious to focus, and to recall and reflect, the body should rest temporarily, ie sleep. It makes very good sense! As we "woke up" and continued working through more puzzles, we got a pretty good rhythm going, and everybody absolutely started to enjoy themselves immensely. Except for Alex, he's still dealing with trauma. So much trauma. An immersive and engaging experience from start to finish | Mystery Mansion Regina Escape Rooms The puzzles were not excessively difficult, and most were gen 1 style that required us to translate cryptic (but well made) clues into numerical or alphabetical lock combos. Some flat out stumped us for a while. I also want to stress that no one answer was blatantly given. None. It often took us several steps, a good volume of active thinking, to fully realize the final conclusion. And that, my friends, makes a truly satisfying brainteaser. And "Night Terrors" got a good amount of them! Tech based puzzles were also in the mix, and they functioned just as well. Finally, I acknowledge that while some riddles felt a bit random, I am willing to give them a free pass since this entire sequence took place in a dream world. Nothing needs to make logical sense where people can fly. Night Terrors (Remote) | Mystery Mansion Regina Escape Rooms I am going to stop here because I love this escape room so much, I really want my readers to actually experience it for themselves for the first time. To receive the full impact of your uncovering the sinister twists and turns of the plot, as events got darker and darker, and onto the ambiguous ending... Trust me, "Sleepyman" will make an impression on you, too. Now, for my horror seeking fellow fans, though this virtual experience is not recommended for children under 14 years old, it is not that scary. I only screamed once, and a legit horrific room should make me scream at least 3 times. Yes, yes, I am now also your terror barometer. PG-13 is probably a great analogous indicator, and do be aware that some minor cursing was present. If that bothers you, contact the staff prior to game to see if possible modifications can be made. Finally, as suggested by the owner, the game becomes much more menacing if played in darkness, accompanied by the dreadfully creepy background music track (provided in the email). I chose to skip both so I could actually see and make notes on my notepaper clearly for my vision sake, but feel free to put atmosphere first, and puzzle solving lower on the priority list. And the Scream King/Queen Award goes to... | Mystery Mansion Regina Escape Rooms "Night Terrors" is like a self-contained episode of "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?", except you don't simply watch it happen--this time, you are literally the mastermind (get it?) that'll make it happen. In real time. Via Zoom. Yawning 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. MMERTerrors.

Red Lantern Escape Rooms presents... "THE HARDIN HOUSE MYSTERY" ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Red Lantern Escape Rooms 🏘️ ADDRESS: 471 W Lambert Road, Ste 108, Brea, CA 92821 | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: United States 💻 WEBSITE: Company 🕹️ GAME: The Hardin House Mystery 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: 60% Escape Rate (Official) | Easy (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: Up To 8 Players 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: $60 For Up To 4, $15 For Each Additional Player ► STAY-AT-HOME GAME SPECIFICATIONS ◄ 🖱️ DISTRIBUTION ROUTE: Online, By Appointment 🎧 PRODUCT TYPE: Audio Led Escape Room ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Red Lantern): The year is 1988. You are high-schoolers trying to find out what happened to a classmate who’s gone missing at Hardin House—you know, the house with all the locks and puzzles? The house where a famous archaeologist disappeared without a trace a few years back? The house where people see strange lights and hear odd noises? What could go wrong!?! So grab your Members Only jacket, throw on some leg warmers and get Nancy Drew-ing! ► GAME ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Strong game element, satisfactory and lovely short story 👀 VISUAL: Not much to judge from, mostly stock images 🧩 PUZZLE: Would appreciate a little more variety and difficulty for experts 🧠 IMMERSION: More effective than I expected; was really into the plot! 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: Easy to use, a bit laggy when images transition 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Game host was an expert at hosting audio led games, props! 💭 OVERALL: Something new and of decent quality to try 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: For puzzle lovers with medium experience 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: Stick with company's admission of "up to 4", or less ► POINT & CLICK + "D & D" ◄ When I was first asked by our good friends at EscapeTheRoomers about joining in on an audio led escape room, my honest reaction was, "Ummm, what the [bleep] is that?" Is there only audio and nothing else? Like a podcast? Needless to say, I was completely foreign to this format of game play, and therefore was instantly intrigued. Having never done one before, I firmly assured that I wanted to be part of this. And oh boy, did I learn a lot! First of all, thankfully, it's extremely easy to pick up. There is no "special" skill needed to start, per se. If you know how to operate the Zoom app, and know how to follow along a PowerPoint presentation, you're good. Like, PowerPoint, you can also annotate to interact with your game host | Red Lantern Escape Rooms Now, it is true that you only get live audio from the game master. So yes, in comparison to a remote escape room, you do only get audio live feed, and not the video component. But it is not true if you assume you have nothing to see. Visually, you have plenty to feast on. In fact, you still rely on that to solve puzzles. However, you will not see any live footage from an actual escape room location. Instead, you're presented with many still images pre-organized and pre-arranged by your game host. You will then verbally instruct your game master on what you want to do. For example, say, you're standing at the front door. And you see there's an option of "Key Lock" on the door. You can then ask your host to try any found key on that lock by spoken command. The host then replies back on what happens next: Did the key work? If it did, do you choose to go inside? First step: find a way in | Red Lantern Escape Rooms This overall procedure will guide you through the many, many rooms as we as a team unravel the mystery behind the Hardin House. As you advance from one place to the next, you will be presented with new images, new clues, and new points of interests, in a PowerPoint slide like fashion. Living Room | Red Lantern Escape Rooms Speaking of the Hardin House, what exactly is "The Hardin House Mystery"? Well, people just keep on going missing after visiting the Hardin House! What we do know is the archaeologist who once owned the house loved puzzles. The house is full of 'em. What we don't know is exactly what happens to these disappearing residents. Your classmate, Heather, is the latest addition to the list. You, being her good friend, need to get to the bottom of this. Power of friendship, activate! Since the story took place in the late 1980s, the entire premise gave me a very strong "Stranger Things" vibe. They also shared another common point: a curiosity initiated by the vanishing of a beloved character. This particular angle, I found quite interesting pre game. Zelda! | Red Lantern Escape Rooms Post game, I can now say with certainty that the plot was, arguably, the best element of the whole product. Although I don't think there was any twist or turn that was especially shocking, I was not able to actually foresee the true ending--which is good. I don't like tales that are far too predictable. There was a fascinating introduction, various curious and gradual reveals, and a satisfying conclusion. It felt complete, like a heartwarming 80s movie. The other aspect that I found most valuable was the game host's storytelling capacity. He turned out to be quite the narrator! His vocal undulations painted quite a clear picture of what's happening. Along with some occasional sound effects, the story became alive effectively. In addition, since an audio led game is not confined to a pre-existing physical set, players are welcome to get creative and offer outrageous solutions, and the host can reply with equally great flexibility. Each experience will therefore be slightly different and unique to the group. The game host (Roy, I believe) later informed us he has much experience exercising his imaginative mind and expressive voice via years of training--a long history of hosting Dungeons & Dragons games. Oh! That's it! That makes perfect sense why he was able to lead such a great game. (So quick side note, if you want to try an audio led escape room, Red Lantern is probably one of your best options on the market.) And in many ways, "The Hardin House Mystery" is almost the exact hybrid of D&D and smart phone point-and-click escape room game apps. You're not at risk of injuring yourself in a virtual space, so you can touch/click on everything. The difference here is: you benefit from a lively storyteller. Seeing a doggo just made me all lit up--that smile doesn't lie! | Red Lantern Escape Rooms At the same time, this game does suffer the same way some of these game apps do. Sadly, the puzzles tend to be repetitive and monotonous. If you're an enthusiast, there won't be much of a challenge here. Although there is a total of 8 "rooms" to conquer before reaching the final climax, our team of 4 did not have to struggle much to advance. With the exception of one puzzle in the living room area--which I found sneakily difficult and therefore *loved* it for being slight tricky--it was too easy. There was a consensus that once we entered a new area, we pretty much knew exactly what we needed to do to solve for the solution. Since not much thinking was needed, there left something more to be desired. I would imagine this is much less of an issue for less experienced players. Of note, I did appreciate the "bonus puzzle". Always love these. A victory picture taken at where it started--the front lawn | Red Lantern Escape Rooms Overall, I don't think this was technically a typical escape room experience, since it didn't feature an actual set that we had to interact with. It was somewhere in the middle. That is, in fact, the reason why I have categorized it as an "At Home Game" on my website. I would suggest anyone interested to somewhat abandon the idea what an escape room should be like and enter the Hardin House with an open mind. Puzzles come in many forms, and this was, to me, novel and delightful. As an audio led escape room of its own class, this experience achieved what it set up to be, and though I have little past experience to compare with, EscapeTheRoomers think it's one of the most well executed audio rooms available. And you can trust 'em; they're pros. 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. RLERHardin.

Dubrovnik Escape Room/Puzzle Punks presents... "SECRET TREASURE OF DUBROVNIK" (REMOTE VERSION) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Dubrovnik Escape Room/Puzzle Punks 🏘️ ADDRESS: Josipa Kosora 22, Dubrovnik, Croatia | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: Croatia 💻 WEBSITE: Puzzle Punks (Remote) | Dubrovnik ER (In Person) 🕹️ GAME: Secret Treasure Of Dubrovnik 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: 4/5 (Official) | Easy (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: Up To 6 Devices 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: €60 Per Game (Combined Package Available) ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Secret Treasure Of Dubrovnik | Puzzle Punks (Dubrovnik Escape Room) Official Premise (from Puzzle Punks): ​In the medieval times, Dubrovnik was a small but powerful republic, which gathered a lot of wealth through trade and diplomacy. In 1667, after the Great Earthquake, a big part of the city’s treasure was buried under the ground. Though it was thought to be lost forever, a secret society found it and hid it inside the Rector’s Office, now open as a museum, but no one knows where. A young historian employed by the museum, who went rogue, asked for your help to crack the ancient mystery and agreed to be your eyes and hands inside the museum, as long as you share the treasure with him. Find out interesting things from the past while solving the mystery, put your brain to work and figure out how to get to the treasure. (Game designed with real history facts!) ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Standard "find the hidden treasure" story 👀 VISUAL: Adequate, improves as story advances 🧩 PUZZLE: Sufficient amount for the general audience, good variety 🧠 IMMERSION: Light, it's more of a learn while you play situation 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: Sufficient, though user management required 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Nothing but enthusiasm and positive attitude 💭 OVERALL: Casual, wholesome, and informative 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Families, children, history lovers, learn-a-holic 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 2 if experts, around 4 to 5 if inexperienced ► REAL TREASURE OF DUBROVNIK IS... ◄ Do you remember, as a kid in grade school, you would get activities from the teacher disguised as a game, but when in fact, you're having fun WHILE LEARNING?! Oh, the nerve of those educators. Well, add this one more to the list! It really isn't often that I can say you may learn a thing or two when it comes to playing escape rooms. Laughter, sure. Thrills, theme dependent, but yes. But historical facts about city of Dubrovnik in Croatia? "Secret Treasure of Dubrovnik"--a self purported "game designed with real history facts!"--has entered the chat! Secret Treasure Of Dubrovnik | Puzzle Punks (Dubrovnik Escape Room) Now, I must admit, I am not a history buff nor am I one who is super gung ho about learning while I play. I've been in school for a total of... whoa, at least 20 years, and I am ready to be away from it all. But objectively speaking, I don't think the informative aspect of this game hurts the product. Ultimately, you, as the player, have total control of how much you're willing to absorb. Much like on a museum tour, you can zone out, and come back in again when you want. I, knowing that I am probably not this company's target audience, focused most of my time at solving the puzzles. And even then, it wasn't bad to have either passively read or heard some historical facts here and there. If anything, I felt the passion in my avatar's voice. He seemed to really love sharing the beautiful history of Dubrovnik, and I am sure there will be players out there who resonate with his conviction. An intriguing box of crystals | Puzzle Punks (Dubrovnik Escape Room) With that discussion aside, let's focus on the "escape room" side of things. Plot wise, meh. When you incorporate actual history into your story, the game premise wouldn't deviate much from a real life scenario--Ivan, the young and eager historian, and his fiery urge to discover the truth behind lost hidden treasure--that sounds about adequate. The set, decent. I've played enough rooms that took on a scholarly coat of paint, and most of these rooms would feature a library like setting, and this one was no exception. As the story built up to the ending, the production value improved, and I was excited as my team made a certain discovery. Secret Treasure Of Dubrovnik | Puzzle Punks (Dubrovnik Escape Room) The most appealing factor of this room would be the puzzle themselves. There were quite a lot to do right from the beginning. I would say the room was fairly non-linear, opening with 3 or 4 puzzles, any of which could be the starting point of the game. Most are gen 1, lower tech, and mental work. Of course, solving one puzzle would lead to more clues to another. The flow was pretty standard, though the variety included was enough to keep me entertained. There were locks, some automated reveals via magnets and the likes, essentially things our team had seen before. One particular physical puzzle or mini game would've been the highlight for this room had I given the opportunity to perform it in person. I love those things ever since I was little! Darn! Due to my team's combined experience, we flew through everything. I would confidently rate this room as easy. We had roughly 18 minutes leftover, a good indication that this room was perfect for newcomers. Children and families would be another very suitable demographic. The overall remote experience interface wasn't bad, either. You have your one window for the Zoom live video feed. And you also have another window for displaying "Room View" and "Inventory". Secret Treasure Of Dubrovnik | Puzzle Punks (Dubrovnik Escape Room) Room view featured photographs of the actual room. I could rotate through the gallery to examine every one of the four walls. Point of interests were also clickable, showing the players more details when clicked on. Inventory was managed by the team's designated group leader. With each password given by our avatar, when entered to this section, new items would appear for closer looks. Used items can be removed by all users. I would've preferred an automatic process, but this wasn't a deal breaker. When combined with the Zoom feed, the interface worked efficiently. We did experience some slowness for items to show up in our inventory, but it could be due to incidental server issues. No big deal overall. As mentioned, every single puzzle seemed to have some tie to actual events that occurred in Dubrovnik's past. As Ivan the historian, aka our avatar, multitasked to unlock padlocks while delivering a series of mini history lessons, I started to appreciate how efficient he was at his job. There's something about his enthusiasm that I find admirable. Although I couldn't see his face during the game, he sounded very happy and positive. Perhaps he wasn't playing Ivan. On some level, he WAS Ivan. Learn about Dubrovnik's rich history (Pun intended) | Puzzle Punks (Dubrovnik Escape Room) And from that appreciation, I thought to myself, "Hey, maybe learning while playing isn't so bad after all." Thanks, Dubrovnik Escape Room/Puzzle Punks, for offering something respectable that's not usually on the table. Didactic escape room gaming, ah-check! P.S. ...It's freedom. 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. PPTreasure.

Agent November presents... "VIRTUAL X-CAPER" (REMOTE VERSION) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Agent November 🏘️ ADDRESS: Euston, London, NW1 2DU | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: United Kingdom 💻 WEBSITE: Company 🕹️ GAME: Virtual X-Caper (Remote Version) 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: N/A (Official) | Medium to Hard (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: Up to 6 Players 🔐 GAME TYPE: Public, But Can Buy Out Entire Game 💰 PRICING: £12 Per Ticket (Discount Options Available) ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Agent November): ​Agent November needs your help! Our best agent has been captured. Experimental Gadgets allow you to see through his eyes... But only for 60 minutes. can you solve the puzzles and help him escape? ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Plenty of background on each characters, well developed 👀 VISUAL: Intentionally built with lower budget, temporary set 🧩 PUZZLE: A great variety, unexpectedly challenging, A LOT to complete 🧠 IMMERSION: Great! Complete with pre-game and post-game briefings 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: Zoom and website based, simple & direct 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: One of the obvious standouts from all escape games I've played 💭 OVERALL: Just all around entertaining, especially given the price point 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Anyone! If you enjoy some comedy, you would love this! 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: Anywhere from 4-6 (You'll want to work fast) can now call himself a British super spy. Move over, 007. "Virtual X-Caper" officially joins the "MUST DO!!!" rank! ► LATE NIGHT ADVENTURE ◄ This is an interesting story that shows you, sometimes, even with a modest budget, you can create something wickedly special if you just put in wits, humor, passion, creativity, and a dash of wacky acting for good measure. Virtual X-caper (Remote) | Agent November First, I want to introduce you to Agent November, a company based in the UK that features 3 in-person experience, all of which can be played outdoor. From my understanding, they aren't an escape room company per se, but rather a venue that provides puzzles for customers to solve while they travel on foot to explore, investigate, and get some light exercise (We have similar services in the US, so the idea wasn't too foreign.) Due to recent events with COVID, however, these puzzle tours are suspended. But the show must go on! So Agent November specifically designed a virtual, remote, but temporary experience, "Virtual X-Caper", that functions as a prequel to the plot lines from the other 3 titles. Virtual X-caper (Remote) | Agent November Given the circumstances, it would explain why the showtimes could run as late as 10:00 pm local time. The game master, aka your avatar, is actually running this game out of a residential building. This also explains why the admission is quite low, and the production value seems modest--because it's intentional. This is a transition gig. Conservative budget, humble set, and affordable pricing. However, the one thing that isn't as easy to explain, the one thing that goes against all expectation, and the one thing that is not immediately apparent, but becomes clear as day in the end is... I FRIGGIN' LOVED THIS GAME. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED. ❤️ Looking back now, it isn't as surprising, considering how I've always been a sucker for an engaging narrative. I love an escape room adventure that can pull me from mundane reality into its alluring story world. "Virtual X-Caper" took great lengths to "prep" its customers. Days before actual mission, you'd receive an email, addressing you not as a patron, but as an agent, to brief you on the assignment you're about to take on. This isn't just your typical video intro briefing, either. Oh no, in addition, you've got a dossier full of top secrets documents to peruse. Awaiting transmission signal from our agent in need | Agent November Appointment time came, and our video feed went live. Agent November, who's captured by adversary Marty Orri, needed our help! Through his retinal transmission, we could see his every move. But we only had one hour until his gadgets gave out. Damn batteries. Immediately after game start, a slightly panicked and paranoid November asked, "Who sent you?!" "Agent Alpha," I proudly responded. He then requested a password to authenticate our identities, which strangely enough, I was able to immediately answered--correctly, even. I was so glad I did my homework. Agent Alpha tasked us to extract Agent November from Marty Orri's hideout | Agent November For the next hour, the constant exchange between our avatar and team never stopped. This was an extremely interactive experience; it's almost as if we didn't give him an explicit verbal command, he'd suddenly lose his spy training and forget what to do. This may sound frustrating, but it really wasn't! It actually worked well! The charm of "X-Caper" was that, the actor portraying November knew exactly what it took to engage his audience. His British accent made him sound ever so sophisticated, but his ludicrous behavior and seemingly lack of competence as an agent, really, made him a comedic star. Virtual X-caper (Remote) | Agent November While the holding area that kept November captive was frankly a tight space, the game designer packed a boatload for us to sort through in only 60 minutes. In that sense, it's sorta hard. Work fast, people, work fast. Although there was a few tech-y things involved, challenges were all gen 1 classic riddles, from start to finish. But this was what amazed me: even though these were classic style puzzles, and I had done 100 escape rooms, I still discovered things I never saw! Incredible. And a quick hint: be comfortable with using the internet browser, and type in the url accurately. Yours truly somehow ended up contacting real-life businesses for help; this is highly NOT recommended. Whoopsie! 🤷 In addition, these puzzles were *actually* interesting! Often, as an enthusiast, I've seen so many of the same old, day in and day out, it gets somewhat monotonous. Not the case here. The theme of the puzzles were rather random, but so was our avatar's personality, so I just went along with this loony ride. "Help me!" a handcuffed Agent November begs of you | Agent November Occasionally, when we got stuck, our sneaky agent friend would ever so slightly adjust his camera angle on purpose to focus on something of interest, nudging us to the right direction. Subtle yet effective. Finally, the same, somewhat sarcastic humor that I appreciated so much from him were also baked right into some of the clues--and the moment when you finally realized the jokes--priceless. A bonus game was actually included without explicitly stated to us prior to the game. While not critical in helping November escape, it was indeed chuckle inducing. Chortle. Try not to run into trouble again, Agent | Agent November With only mere minutes left on the clock, we remotely escorted our kidnapped colleague to safety, and this grand finale was particularity satisfying because... (But I don't want to spoil anything...) Let's just say, this game upholds the definition of a room escape. For completion's sake, let's briefly mention that this game does have a website based inventory system, only used briefly to display HD photos. Inventory system is built into the company's website | Agent November And to take you full circle, post-game, you'd receive a debriefing email, which may contain intel that would raise more questions than answers... In an industry where we're so used to paying an upwards of $30 to $40 for a visually extravagant immersive escape experience, this rather simple, low tech, low budget but also low priced, yet *fantastic* game brought me more joy than some other big name competitors. For that unbelievable feat, "Virtual X-Caper" is a must play. And don't sleep on it. Once quarantine is officially lifted locally, this may disappear for good. 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. ANXCaper.

The Escape Game presents... "THE HEIST" (REMOTE VERSION) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: The Escape Game 🏘️ ADDRESS: Various | More Info 🗾 COUNTRY: United States 💻 WEBSITE: Company 🕹️ GAME: The Heist (Remote Version) 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | More Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: 8/10 (Official) | Medium to Hard (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: 3-7 Players 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: $25 Per Person ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from The Escape Game): ​There's an art to crime... Your world-class espionage outfit has landed you inside a prestigious art museum. A recently stolen masterpiece is presumed hidden within the office of the museum’s egotistical curator, Vincent Hahn. With the help of your intelligence agent on the outside, you have one hour to find your way into Hahn’s office, recover the painting, and slip away before Hahn returns. ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: An exciting opening chapter of an art theft saga 👀 VISUAL: Absolutely grade A materials, gorgeous, gorgeous set 🧩 PUZZLE: Large variety, mix of obvious to hard ones that stumped me 🧠 IMMERSION: Decent, if avatar's acting can turn up a notch, even better! 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: Professional, but should rid of vertical scrolling 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Again very professional, unique avatar/game master combo 💭 OVERALL: Quality that one would expect from TEG, love it 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Fans of TEG brand, Hahn story line, mental puzzles 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 4 was good, probably even 6 if novice had a great time at The Barclay Museum of Historical Art. "The Heist" officially joins the "Recommended" rank! ► THE VINCENT HAHN SAGA BEGINS ◄ A short while back, I did reviews for The Escape Game's two at-home experiences, titled "TEG Unlocked, The Heist" Volume 1 and Volume 2. In these 2 chapters of the same story universe, we chased art thief Vincent Hahn around the globe, hoping for an eventual successful arrest. Vincent Hahn, brooding art curator and mustache model | The Escape Game (Nashville) Now, the Unlocked series state explicitly that you don't need any prior knowledge of the plot to start playing, even though they are the direct continuations of the narrative from TEG's physical room "The Heist". Even then, I wanted to. Something's amiss if you don't know the whole story. But, it wasn't like I had any other choice anyway, since presently, there isn't a close by branch in Southern California. In fact, back in 2019, I remember thinking, "Lucky enthusiasts out of state, they get to experience all the TEG offerings. They sure look awesome." Fast forward to 2020, at the moment I was invited to try TEG's newly launched remote escape rooms... My jaw dropped. MY. MOMENT. IS. NOW. Cue the Kelly Clarkson music. A Moment Like This | Kelly Clarkson On Youtube HOLY CRAP, IT'S REALLY HAPPENING. There are 3 choices currently available for remote gaming, but it took me no time at all to decide on "The Heist". I want to know how it all began. I want to witness the critical moment when Hahn becomes a runaway fugitive. This "prequel", if you will, or technically the origin chapter, tells the tale of how the world suspects the handsome curator of committing robbery, but has not yet found any proof. So we are tasked to break in and investigate. Came game day, I was pumped. I got my Zoom live feed window on one screen, their exclusive inventory system screen on another, pencil and paper in front of me. Let's find some missing artwork! Right away, I took note of the exceptional professionalism TEG displayed, which set it apart from competing businesses. Let me break this down: First, you have your avatar, who is your hand and feet in the physical room in Nashville, at your service upon command. Next, you got a separate game master, which is usually absent or not visibly present during game play. He stayed with us the entire time to monitor and provide hints upon requests. Whether this broke immersion is up for debate, but I kind of saw him as our 5th, backup team member. Finally, you're given a truly all-access portal to everything helpful for your adventure. This supplemental screen is exclusively designed to TEG, I believe, complete with specially made, game specific graphics. Cute! This extra portal panel did everything. Intro video, true 360° view of every room you enter, inventory list. Everything is there! Side screen has many functions: intro video, 360° panoramic view, etc | The Escape Game (Nashville) Any item that you cannot make out due to camera quality issue, a duplicate can be seen on the list. Conveniently, items found and used will be added and removed automatically as well. Plus, a friendly "ding!" will alert you every time something's added. My one gripe with this system, though, is that it ran too big. Everything is super HD and super big on the screen. Vertical scrolling was often needed and it got tiresome after a short while. Otherwise, close to perfect. With logistics out of the way, it's game time. And we solved our first two puzzles rather quickly! As one would expect in an art gallery, these puzzles involved artwork, and I fell in love with one of the first challenges almost immediately. It wasn't because the puzzle itself was particularly novel or difficult, but the presentation and execution was smart. Simple, but smart. The Barclay Museum of Historical Art | The Escape Game (Nashville) As we cracked open a few more padlocks and security keypads, we soon found ourselves inside the curator's office. At this point, I must stop and commend the high production value that TEG insists on for its patron. The set and the props, incredible. Even without being there in person, I could tell from the feed they were stunning. The color coordination, in this case, brown, bronze, and black merged to form a harmonious backdrop to an exciting heist game. And even more importantly, the design made good sense. Every piece of decor felt hand picked; and nothing, at all, seemed out of place. Wow. Visually stunning curator's office | The Escape Game (Nashville) As we continued to poke our noses around to find more clues, it did become more obvious that this room relied a little heavier on gen 1 puzzle logic. Whenever possible, a tech piece was implemented to avoid excessive use of locks, but classic puzzle lovers will be highly entertained. As far as puzzle style goes, this was definitely a happy medium between using all locks, which could be boring, and using all tech, which honestly, may not translate all that well for a remote escape room experience. I mean, how much fun is truly derived from having your avatar do all the work for you? If an escape room is more brawl than brain, I'd rather save it for later as an in-person game. For instance, two particular steps involved physical actions to trigger solutions, and while the sequences were technically perfectly captured on the live video feed, it just didn't feel as cool having your avatar do it for you. But then again, if I could, I would've done all their rooms onsite. On a related note, our avatar did a decent job, though I would prefer an even more dramatic performance to increase immersion. She did, however, got the gaming aspect down to an art. She was extremely efficient at searching and ambulating, not losing a second of our time limit. I was personally a bit flustered with keeping track of my avatar's video feed and the inventory screen, due to the fact that, as mentioned, I often had to endure a lot of browser scrolling. The Heist (Remote) | The Escape Game (Nashville) There were more things to explore and more riddles to solve than expected for a 60 minute game, as such, it's my educated guess that "The Heist" was not modified at all from its original in-person copy. Surely a "best bang for you buck" value, but you've been warned! Move fast to finish on time! Though at one point I panicked that we might fail this room, we actually beat it with 8 minutes remaining. Whew. We found that missing Monet piece, but Vincent Hahn... He's one step ahead. He's gone. The narrative continues with the "Unlocked" series, bringing me full circle by my reviewing all of the currently available "The Heist" products. My OCD like personality couldn't be prouder: I did it. I checked off all the chapters. The Heist (Remote) | The Escape Game (Nashville) "The Heist" is a highly polished product with concrete examples of what's done right in an escape room, both in the traditional sense and in the online, remote rendition. I am ever so happy I got to relish one of the best in the US industry for MY 100TH ESCAPE ROOM. Oh yeah... I forgot to mention... This was MY BIG 100TH!!! A little round of applause for your silly Escape Mattster. Heh. And may I do another 100 more with my friends and great smiles on our faces. 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. TEGHeist.

Escape 60 presents... "SHAGADELIC SUPER SPY" (REMOTE VERSION) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Escape 60 🏘️ ADDRESS: 931 North Sheridan Road, Peoria, IL 61606 | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: United States 💻 WEBSITE: Company 🕹️ GAME: Shagadelic Super Spy (Remote Version) 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: N/A (Official) | Easy to Medium (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: Up to 4 Connections (2-6 Players) 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: $60 Per Game ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Escape 60): ​Your groovy British spy friend has again thwarted Doctor E’s sinister plan to hold the world ransom for one million, scratch that, one hundred million dollars. He has recovered the nuclear missile that the Doctor had stolen and has hidden it in his very "shagadelic" London pad. Now Doctor E has captured your British friend and is going to set the missile off remotely in 60 minutes. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to find and disarm the missile and get out of our hero’s high security pad before the Doctor sets it off in exactly one hour. Good Luck! ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Borrows from certain Austin movies, plus a missile 👀 VISUAL: Adequate, could gradually jazz it up more 🧩 PUZZLE: Tons and tons to do, classic gen 1 puzzle galore 🧠 IMMERSION: Light (it's puzzle and brain work prominent) 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: N/A, strictly avatar led only 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Down to earth, appreciative, avatar moves fast! 💭 OVERALL: Standard, but enjoyable and useful for "skills check" 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Lovers of, and/or experts at, puzzle solving 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 4-5 with prior experience, *lots* to do under 1 hour ► OH, BEHAVE... YOU GOTTA FIND THAT MISSILE ◄ "Shagadelic Super Spy" is Escape 60's response to recent pandemic. Now they offer a remote escape room option that patrons can safely enjoy from the comfort of their own homes. Speaking of home, this 60-minute adventure takes place in one. Ahem, sorry, scratch that. This isn't just any home. It's a stylish London *pad*, as the Brits call it, belonging to none other than your groovy British spy friend whose nemesis is the despicable Dr E. Sounds familiar? Yeahhhhh, babyyyyy!! Shagadelic Super Spy | Escape 60 Peoria Quite obvious to the comedy lovers, this escape room's theme borrows elements from a movie franchise that features a super spy who likes to shag and is somehow also psychedelic. My money's on Austin. The spy, Austin or otherwise, let his guard down and got captured. A destructive missile that had been secured in Austin's pad is now under Dr E's remote control. We have one hour to guide our onsite agent--we are offsite backup--to disarm the missile and cancel launch sequence. Plot wise, it wouldn't be our team's first time at intervening a weapon of mass destruction, now would it? This is a common trope. I've just done that last July. Ahhh, fond memories. But one that got tangled in the drama of the British spy scene? That's a first. The game play mostly took place in the aforementioned bachelor's pad, though as you advance, a couple of surprises await, as it rightfully should in any decent escape room. Any sharp eyed or experienced player would probably already have a hunch after an initial scan of the room, but the time came, I was still quite giggly. First person perspective from our onsite avatar | Escape 60 Peoria The journey to our final objectives, however, was a lengthy one, as there were loads and loads AND loads of things to do! Whoa! And we enthusiasts do love a game jam packed with puzzles! Available puzzles attempted to stay relevant to the given theme, though the latter ones were noticeably better suited than some earlier, more random choices. If memories serve me right, the game in its entirety consisted of gen 1 puzzles. They were definitely instances in which special tools and tech input were involved, but at the heart of it, this was a roster of fundamental escape room challenges. As such, I wouldn't necessarily say they were difficult. However, as said before, the sheer volume was quite challenging even for a team with 4 highly experienced players. (We had about 3 and a half minutes leftover--cutting it close!) Beginners, you've been warned! And though we were almost instantaneous at turning in our solutions for most cases, some steps still stumped us. One in particular even resulted in asking for a hint. I distinctively remember and appreciate moments of intense conversation among us four due to having so many things to finish in a relatively short amount of time. We shared moments of laughter, panic, and triumph. In other words, a good time. For me personally, I also see this type game as a periodic, helpful "self-check", to make sure those escape room brain gears don't get rusty. If I may suggest a few things to make this game even better, I would probably consider elimination of certain minor red herrings. There's plenty to keep everyone busy, and really no need to them. Shagadelic Super Spy | Escape 60 Peoria Production wise, since "Super Spy" features a large space, I firmly believe they should up their visual factor another level--give it a little more oomph. For example, even though the overhead disco lighting provided a myriad of colors, I would still love to see more colors, as in for furniture and decor, and maybe even more reference to the motion pictures that inspired this game. Perhaps a flamboyant, sparkly orange suit? Some flirtatious disco dancers posters displayed on the wall? A HOT PINK FUZZY RUG?!?! Yes yes yes! Commit and embrace to the zany, campy humor. Push that potential. We've enjoyed our time with our avatar, who was speedy at moving around the room, and very diligent at organizing our collected items neatly in groups. Because of this, even if there's only a Zoom live feed, and no inventory screen given, the game still ran relatively smoothly. HD photos of one or two key items would've surely made things easier, however. Thanks for a groovy, fantastic time, our watermelon shirt wearing avatar lad! | Escape 60 Peoria A genuine attempt at a good, clean, and fun escape room best aimed at players with medium experience, "Shagadelic Super Spy" will remain available for online play for quite some time, according to the staff. They believe in the potential for this new form of entertainment, and I am so glad to see I am not the only one who thinks so. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. E60Spy.

SOMETHING OF ITS OWN CLASS My usual focus is on all things escape rooms, and I am very doubtful that I can label "Project AVATAR" an escape game at all, because it's truly its own breed of chimeric animal. If I had to describe it, it's a cross between video games, immersive experience, and a dash of escape room puzzling thrown in. And oh, it's all happening in real, in real life. Yes, that's correct. From the YouTube promo video above, (which I highly encourage you to watch, since production value is quite great), it says, "Real-time game in real life, 90 to 120 minutes of game play, 1-8 players, real locations, use brute force, manage your avatar in real life, extreme transitions, solve puzzles, it's more than an escape room, become a hero right now!" Intriguing, yes? THIS IS NOT A REVIEW, PER SE I cannot call this a review because there is a limit to what I am allowed to reveal due to my being bound to a nondisclosure agreement. This is an active project still in testing and possible more development phases, and reviewing the experience at this stage wouldn't be fair anyway. This feature is more to introduce and inform those who are interested in the community that, "hey, something cool is in the making", or more accurately for me, "hey, did you know this exists at all?!" I am, however, explicitly permitted to talk about my feelings and emotions evoked by what I saw, heard, and otherwise during testing. And here are what I liked about "Project AVATAR" presented by Legendary Quests. NOTABLE THINGS I WANT TO SHARE ◘ Note: I will be referring to things that you can see from this project's official website, Facebook account, and YouTube channel. This info is open to public, therefore fair to discuss. But in any case, no spoiler intent here. ◘ I've never seen something like this before, though I am not totally surprised someone has thought of it, and finally attempting to make it a reality. Remote escape rooms, after all, are very popular right now. ◘ The production value is awesome. The unusual outdoor setting really brings something novel to the table. ◘ Similarly, the introduction of brute force looks awesome on screen, and I can't help admiring the dedication the team makes for each game reset since things that are destroyed in the process are actually destroyed! ◘ Some of the most cherished moments came from humor. There's a slight cultural discord on what's considered funny vs weird, but I am all for that. I hope to see more that materials' making into the final build. ◘ Characters designs are intriguing. Very Slender Man x Assassin Creed. And you know what, now that I review the media, KYLO REN. ◘ The actor or stuntman playing the avatar is a good sport. He imitated the feel of video game character well, and performed a wide variety of action to very good execution. As always, I commend good commitments. ◘ I think there is a market emphasis difference between their usual audience and the regular escape room community, which is reflected in our feedback of more additions of puzzles. Love me some more puzzles. ◘ I have a good feeling about this project since it's backed by Legendary Quests. I've been following their Instagram for a while, and they create and manufacture very magnificent escape room props and sets. MORE PUBLIC MEDIA Project Avatar | Legendary Quests FUTURE DIRECTIONS Me And The Gang Playing "Project Avatar" | Legendary Quests & EscapeTheRoomers I'm not sure in what ways the game developers will be taking this project after all the feedback, but I can't wait for the moment when they make the public release announcement. I hope all parties involved the best of luck. All in all, I am so glad to have the privilege to witness and be part of something unusual for its time; it's quite the rare opportunity, indeed! 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. LQAvatar..

Trapped! Escape Room presents... "OPERATION X-13 ONLINE" (REMOTE VERSION) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Trapped! Escape Room 🏘️ ADDRESS: 4760 Polaris Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103 | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: United States 💻 WEBSITE: Company | Las Vegas | Upland | San Dimas 🕹️ GAME: Operation X-13 (Online) (Remote Version) 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: N/A (Official) | Medium to High-ish (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: 2 Connections to 6 Participants (Recommended Max) 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: $59 For 2 Connections, $15 For Each Additional Connection ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Trapped!): You have discovered the president of the evil Cybortek corporation has secret formula X-13 hidden in his office. Can you guide the Resistance’s newest recruit to sneak into the high security headquarters, to steal the formula while there is still time? ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Enticing heist quest in the "Sector 13" universe 👀 VISUAL: Clean, slick, practical/realistic type for Cybortek corp 🧩 PUZZLE: Gen 1 logic but presented beautifully with tech based input 🧠 IMMERSION: Very engaging; screamed-out-loud excitements! 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: Professionally designed, intuitive 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: I'm a fan of the company, warm and welcoming 💭 OVERALL: Excellent with good pricing, not simply a remote port! 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: At least medium experience, theatrics/humor lovers 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 3-4 experts, up to 6 beginners actually LOL'd IRL in X-13 for many, many times. "Operation X-13 (Online)" officially joins the "MUST DO!!!" rank! ► HELP NEEDED: BUMBLING RECRUIT AWAITS ◄ I am a big fan of the Trapped! Escape Room brand. Early on, in my initial exploration of this hobby, I discovered a Disney-esque, family friendly gem of an escape game called "Down The Rabbit Hole". The quality of "Rabbit Hole" hooked me, and I've played every single game located in Southern California from Trapped! in person since. (If interested, you can find the older reviews for these games at the bottom of this page.) I was quite curious when Trapped! announced its release of "Operation X-13" (remote version). Having already played the physical one, I am now in this unique position of reviewing something that I've already seen. Or so I thought. Operation: X-13 | Trapped! Escape Room (Las Vegas) X-13 tells the story of Cybortek's evil plan of creating a synthetic substance that can turn anyone ordinary into a ruthless, mindless killing machine. We gotta sneak in HQ, steal the recipe, titled "Formula 13", and get out. So, of course, for a mission with such significance and wager on the table, we send in the new guy on his first day. But luckily, you're far from being a novice at stopping villainous plans. You, at the central command, will guide this bumbling, fumbling, clumsy agent through visual and audio feeds, along with an inventory and supplementary info screen, all via the courtesy of the latest spy gadgets. In my second attempt at "Operation: X-13", though the pre-game premise was exactly the same, the story played out much differently than I expected. For one, I wasn't the inadequate trainee that tripped the security sensor. Damn it, recruit, now we only have 1 hour before everything goes to itsh. Perspective of our avatar, a first-time recruit | Trapped! Escape Room (Las Vegas) Having to rely on someone so green at his job seemed frustrating at first, but as time passed by, I couldn't help falling in love with this wonderful character that Trapped! had newly implemented! Not every protagonist needs to be a Kim Possible, all right? Sometimes, we love ourselves a Ron Stoppable. Much like your little brother who's trying his best but just not yet quite there, the constant exchange from command to agent was nothing short of humorous delight. And here lies the main charm of X-13 online--giving the avatar a real persona that your players can actually enjoy talking to, relate to, and invest emotions for. He made silly remarks, displayed physical/action comedy, and expressed an array of emotions through voice acting. Never once did I feel like he's going off a script, though he was probably given one, something that I much appreciated. I lol'd on many occasions! This avatar not only exists for the logistics for remote escape room-ing, he is very much part of the plot, and he draws you into his world. Even if my entire team was physically behind computer screens, I felt immersed! Operation: X-13 | Trapped! Escape Room (Las Vegas) But of course, his brilliant acting wasn't the only thing that made this game come together. Besides our live feed, we were also given a command central interface. On this screen, we had access to a 3-D 360° panoramic view of the location, an inventory of all key items we found, and other useful options. (Information is unlocked via password given by the recruit, in the guise of "intel transmission".) The interface control was one of the most professional looking and easiest to learn so far. Key items collected were added via passwords, but automatically removed when used. I dunno what's going on behind the scene, but on the consumers' front, everything ran as smooth as butter. Interface (Recommended for Chrome, not Safari or Internet Explorer) | Trapped! Escape Room (Las Vegas) When combining the two aspects mentioned, I pretty much felt like this was up to 90% of actually being there. Bravo. Puzzles were more or less identical to what I've experienced in person, though now with a second run-through, I no longer felt like I missed out on things that I didn't get to participate during the in-person game. An added benefit of using the inventory screen was that, everyone teammate had equal reach to every piece of information. Thus, we could solve multiple puzzles at the same time, or we could all look at the same riddle together without obscuring each other's view with our big heads. Enthusiasts, you know that happens. Sample of the panoramic view and sneak peek of inventory | Trapped! Escape Room (Las Vegas) And to say I could beat the game because I already knew all the solutions would be inaccurate also. Per owner Richard, multiple changes had been made since the last time I visited, and truly, there were noticeable missing components and additional new puzzles in my virtual experience. Treat this online version a much more refined edit of the original game, if you will. Any flaws that I could once criticize are now gone. Note: certain parts of the original game were modified to better fit an online setting, Some physical actions that are otherwise fun to execute on site, would not quite make sense through Zoom. This compacted the experience and made the game play more fluid. Furthermore, there were a couple brand new, online exclusive elements that caught me by surprise. It was at these moments that the players got to really, and I mean really, interact right in the heart of the action. Obviously, spoiling any of this would be a huge disservice to both my readers and Trapped!'s potential customers, but I will tell you, it was these moments that rallied up my team to the greatest magnitude! Emotions ran high, and as a result, this conclusively made me decide my online adventure was actually superb--yes, you read that right--to my past irl game. Say whattt?! And that's really saying something. Operation: X-13 | Trapped! Escape Room (Las Vegas) To quickly touch on every topic, surely, I have to discuss the puzzles. The game was set up in an overall linear narrative, but if you were to divide the story up, to an intro, a middle body, and a conclusion, each subsection had puzzles that could be tackled simultaneously. Difficulty varied across the board, but prior experience is recommended for the harder brainteasers. Much like most other remote escape rooms, these challenges involve brain work, some more intensely than others. These was also a little bit of "follow directions" and a little bit of easy searching. The hardest puzzles are somewhat "gen 1 logic" based, but the process of solving and solution input are often tech based. Overall, this is the perfect marriage of actual puzzles and "tasking", something even more impressive now that I see it achieved remotely. In the current market of remote escape rooms that often rely on solving gen 1 puzzles then opening combo padlocks--because that's perhaps the easiest route to go within the confines of Zoom--I am happy to witness, and also to highly recommend, something that stands out from the crowd. Operation: X-13 Online | Trapped! Escape Room (Las Vegas) "Operation X-13" (Online) ranks very high on my list of remote games, and though I haven't done many to date, I predict X-13 would remain on good standing for a good while. To those who have never done X-13, do it now! And to those who have played X-13 in person before, it's still fair to say it's a different enough experience to revisit, though ideally, grab some new teammates. 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. TERX13Online.

Amaze Escape Events presents... "KGB" (REMOTE VERESION) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Amaze Escape Events 🏘️ ADDRESS: Binckhorstlaan 135, The Hague, 2516BA | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: Netherlands 💻 WEBSITE: Company | Company (English) 🕹️ GAME: KGB (Remote Version) 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: N/A (Official) | Medium (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: 2 to 6 People 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: €49 Per Game ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Amaze): The year is 1962… You and your team of undercover CIA agents are on a mission in the Soviet Union. You are looking for documents which prove that the KGB is keeping classified information away from the rest of the world. One of your fellow agents got captured and she is now locked in the headquarters of the KGB. Luckily, she still has her spy equipment with her! You need to help her escape from the grasp of the KGB. Along the way you will hopefully find the information you need, so you can complete your mission! ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Russian/Cold War spy theme... An oldie but a goodie 👀 VISUAL: Not bad, some areas are barer but theme appropriate 🧩 PUZZLE: Quite enjoyable challenges that flow well 🧠 IMMERSION: Surprisingly effective due to decent actor 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: Simple, functional, minimalistic design 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Dedicated, in character, lovely 💭 OVERALL: A solid gen 1 room, common theme but well done! 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Medium experience, fans of jail breakouts 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 3-4 experts, up to 6 beginners enjoyed this KGB rescue mission. And did not get captured! "KGB" officially joins the "Recommended" rank! ► YET ANOTHER CAPTIVE RESCUED ◄ It was 8:15 am in the US; I barely woke up. Half awake, I logged into Zoom 15 minutes prior to game start. The meeting pop-up showed "pending". 10 more minutes passed by, it's almost 8:30 am, my scheduled game session. Still no sign of the game master. What gives? She woke up in a dark prison cell, lights out | Amaze Escape Events And then, on the dot of half past eight, the video feed was connecting, finally! As I was wondering why my host was later than expected... "HELLO? IS ANYTHING BODY THERE? HELP..." Holy crap. "OH NO, I'M IN HAND CUFFS. AGENTS, I'M IN HAND CUFFS, AND LOCKED IN A CELL. AGENTS, I NEED BACK UP." "KGB" from Amaze Escape Events was not messing around. From the first ticking of the clock, my team of 3 was thrust right in the middle of action. There was no introduction; there was no friendly hello. In fact, I never found out her name until the trouble was all over. What I visually saw was that she was in trouble. And we had 1 hour to get her out of the KGB headquarters before God knows what would happen. The excellent choice of abandoning all formality of an escape room check-in set a wonderful tone to the rest of the game. It's hard to achieve immersion in a remote escape room, but this was clearly very effective. The prison cell, which was dimly lit, added on to that grand illusion. As we verbally commanded our captured CIA ally to hurriedly search her surroundings, she quickly uncovered keys to release herself from both the hand restraints and from behind bars. Gosh, don't you just love it when jails just keep things laying around? Well, she got the jail gate open. Now what? | Amaze Escape Events Subsequent investigation resulted in more key items hidden in interesting places, and we employed them in ways that I had not personally seen done before. I was impressed! Still learning new things after almost 100 rooms. Then we hit our first major puzzle that required some invested thinking and discussion, especially time wise. This also presented our first instance in which the camera lens could no longer broadcast an image clear enough for us to make out, especially under the prison's less than ideal lighting. That was when our resourceful friend sent us her intel over the net for the first time during this mission. On a separate monitor, in an internet browser, on "the vault" webpage, I inputted a password provided by our agent, and voila, a crystal clear schematic photo. This made the puzzle solving many folds easier. Her visual data transmission via spy equipment was well within the confines of the story universe, so I still felt fully immersed in our rescue adventure. Referred as "the vault", this screen displayed important information after password input | Amaze Escape Events So far, still feeling pumped and good vibes. After struggling with my (minor spoiler) calculator briefly, we finally passed this first significant head scratcher. Yes, some math was involved, but once I systematically analyzed the setup, I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle. One advantage of playing remote escape room, as this just showed, is that no one will heckle you for "breaking the rules" with a calculator. In fact, this made it all the more enjoyable. The rest of the quest continued to be interesting, filled with mostly gen 1 style puzzles that were not necessarily new, but definitely not overly done. The variety kept my attention effortlessly. Seemingly no way out, but at least hydration is readily available | Amaze Escape Events Throughout game play, we were given several more passwords for the online portal ("the vault") to access more important information that we cannot clearly discern otherwise due to various remote factors. Overall, this simple "one password to one clue" reveal system worked well. It's simple, clean, direct, and most importantly, it wasn't distracting. It wasn't the fanciest supplementary interface, but it functioned reasonably well. The avatar's decent acting performance also undoubtedly contributed to my satisfaction. Her subtle guidance also kept us under the time limit. Needless to say, she eventually escaped with a cash bonus, which I didn't fully comprehend, but whatever, right? Can't say no to free money! With our game entirely complete, I've concluded that the playing field appeared quite spacious over the camera, and production value was just right. It might look a bit bare at times, but the circumstances fit. Also, for the first time after the game, our avatar finally showed her face and formally introduced herself as Anna, and I thanked Anna for a job well done. Having her first person perspective and only that perspective actually enhanced my urgent need (for her) to escape. KGB (Remote) | Amaze Escape Events She explained in a short post-game discussion that there were some elements from the original game that either got modified or simplified due to remote format or time constraint. Wisely so, because our experienced team of 3 barely made it out with about 2 minutes left on the clock. This usually never happens. If you team is composed of mostly beginners, more brains may be advantageous. At this point, I was pretty convinced that the conventional 60 minute time mark would cut it close for most existing physical games, if no altering is done. Having only 1 team member (your avatar) do all the searching, who's also bound to your directive, is intrinsically more time consuming. "KGB", although Russian themed, which is common in the escape room market, was a well executed product. I don't think anything was in particular groundbreaking per se, but they knew what they were going for, and they gave it their 100%, and it worked. Impressed with a solidly puzzle led "KGB", I will be booking this company's current other remote escape room option, "Crazy Doctor" in the near future. These artworks, btw, look pretty amazing | Amaze Escape Events And if you think I am going to review that room also, then believe you me, you're absolutely correct. See you again soon via Zoom, Amaze Escape. 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. AEEKGB.

Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms presents... "ALCHEMY AT HOME" (REMOTE VERSION) ► VENUE AND GAME INFORMATION ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms 🏘️ ADDRESS: 377 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: Australia 💻 WEBSITE: Company 🕹️ GAME: Alchemy At Home (Remote Version) 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: Easier (Official) | Easy (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: 1 to 6 Zoom Connections 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: $80 For 1-2 Connections, $20 For Every 2 Additional ► PREMISE AND OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Trapt): Calling all aspiring alchemists - this one is for you. Let the magic come home to you! Practice spells and enchantments and test your magical skills in Alchemy. As time slips away, with the help of one of our mages, will you all be able to discover the legendary substance that is the Philosopher’s Stone before time runs out? ► ROOM ESSENCE AT A GLANCE ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Classic wizardry and magic related objective 👀 VISUAL: Decent, at times slightly aged, but works 🧩 PUZZLE: Gen 1, mostly era appropriate, some unusual gadgets 🧠 IMMERSION: Average, room for improvement 🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: A bit convoluted, but easy to load 🏪 VENUE: N/A 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Friendly, cordial, quick to respond 💭 OVERALL: Excellent introductory game for general audience 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Casual players for a fun hangout 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 2 experts, up to 4 beginners ► REMOTE MAGIC AT WORK ◄ This is my very first remote escape room game play and review, and also my first time interacting with an escape business in a foreign country. It is, in some ways, all kinds of special to me. Today's guest of honor, or rather, the host of honor is Australia's Trapt Bar and Escape Rooms. On a normal day, it's a combined offering of booze and games. Today, just a lesson for "Alchemy". Upon logging into Zoom 15 minutes prior to game start, I was greeted by our game master or avatar for the day, Michael, who is polite and warm. We chatted a bit, and he told me a brief history about Trapt: Alchemy is their most popular game, and it is one of Australia's earliest games made! Trapt from Australia: escape room and bar, all in one | Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms Feeling honored to see a piece of escape room history in action. When all teammates arrived, we were prompted to have both the Zoom conference and the online "almanac" accessible at all times. The almanac offers the option to play some wizardry related sound track for mood, read an intro letter to get us into the story, and most importantly, to access a supplementary hub of information, multimedia that is not readily available through the video broadcast. Examples included map of the room, photographs of the room overall, and photos of certain key items up close. A quick look through Michael's "eyes", who had now magically transformed into our mage, showed a study with red painted walls. I see strange symbols, rune stones, a vacant bird cage, and is that... a dragon egg? Dragon egg: when you combine alchemy with culinary arts | Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms Production, overall, was adequate and decent. There was an assortment of items that were magic and alchemy related. Color schemes, font choices, and grammar were all assumably realm appropriate. Some items did look a bit worn out or aged through the HQ photos from the almanac. I also took note of Michael's deliberate effort to speak as one would as a mage in ancient times, though I would have preferred just a little more passion to bring his character even more alive. Alchemy, wizardry, witchcraft, and apothecary essential starter pack | Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms The puzzle solving quickly began among a team of experienced enthusiasts. The clue for the first puzzle was well executed; it was very clear on how to put the required clues together. I commend the good design. The second, more physical puzzle, was quite interesting in theory. Unfortunately, it would be much better seen, felt, and experienced in person, though I empathize with the company's intention. Having opened one of the first padlocks in the room, we were instructed to enter a corresponding password in our online almanac to access previously restricted information. This general procedure will continue until the end. And pause. Something to ponder: 1) I was slightly disappointed with the inclusion of combo lock based puzzles. Though I understand this was probably preserved since the inception of the game, it didn't seem to make much sense with the time period. A key lock, on the other hand, appeared more logical. 2) The passwords for advancement, if numerical, almost always offered a little story behind. I have played close to 100 rooms, and this was the first time I was explicitly informed the conscious choice of certain pass codes. These little tidbits even made sense with the game's time setting! Cute! 3) The almanac, basically an inventory list, loaded fast in the internet browser, and worked reasonably well up until a point, but more on this later. Not wanting to spoil more contents, I would summarize the rest of the exploration yielded somewhat standard discovery, both in terms of the narrative and the subsequent puzzles. Some peculiar looking stones and a familiar looking lock | Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms Majority of the puzzles were gen 1, as one would recognize soon enough, is the best format of puzzles for remote escape rooms. Anything with extravagant technology and special effects may not translate well. The gen 1 puzzles were mostly tropes I have seen before, interspersed with special moments in between, for instance, certain gadgets required steps. I enjoyed every puzzle presented. Even though they weren't anything new, they stuck to the theme, which helped the adventure be more cohesive. At this point, I was again not sure what time period this game took place, because some aforementioned gadgets and tools were historically conflicting, but it's best to let go and just have fun. The final puzzle was a toughie. Only one of us figured it out! One of six should ascend to Head Wizard In Charge for solving the final challenge | Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms Having completed the mission in its entirety, for we were excellent masters of elements, chemicals, and magic, I leave with you some more analyses: Story was most definitely linear, going one step to the next. We found the Philosopher's Stone as prompted, though I wish the story inserted more urgency on why we were seeking this legendary substance. Immersion would work better in person, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. This game leaned towards being more of a puzzle room than a themed adventure. It's more of a mental exercise with a dash of magic added. Completely family friendly, though adult supervision most likely required to smoothly operate the online almanac. About half way through, it became apparent to us that we needed to enter many, many passwords. At one point, it was chaotic for me to look for the browser tab that I needed for key info. (I had almost 10 tabs open!) I later also discovered I had missed a code early on, thereby explaining why I was somewhat lost. A virtual celebratory drink from the Trapt Bar after a magical victory | Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms Everyone on my team had extensive history of escape room gaming, so we finished early, and the game felt a bit short. For the general public, I felt it could be just right. "Alchemy" is an excellent introduction to an escape novice that also doubles as a semi laid back hangout activity. And you know what, when Trapt opens again, and alcohol starts flowing, this may end up to be just the right amount of challenge for the bar patrons. Cheers! 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. TBERAlchemy.

📺 WATCH YOUR "FRIENDS" ESCAPE There's something very addicting about escape room shows. Often times, because there is a higher budget involved, the room(s) featured are extravagantly built. The puzzles, because they are actively monitored by a huge crew of behind-the-scene folks, and not necessarily automation needed, can get quite creative. (But please take note, I said creative, not difficult. They are built for celebrities after all, who are not obsessed like us escape room junkies!) The NBC Red Nose Day special episode of "Celebrity Escape Room" featured some big names celebs indeed. Jack Black, the devious game master ▪ NBC Hosted by the mischievous and delightfully evil Jack Black, this nostalgia packed escape game saw familiar faces like Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow of "Friends" fame (love 'em!), Ben Wyatt from "Parks & Rec" (the charming Adam Scott), and of course, BEN STILLER! How did they fare? Let's just say, I yelled hard at my screen, and with the exception for de facto leader Monica Geller and her slight OCD personality, everyone else needed more practice. As entertainers, however, they all aced it. 📺 THE VERY BEST PRODUCTION It's a friggin' NBC prime time special; of course no expanse was spared. John Hammond would've been proud. I wasn't surprised at how good the set and the many rooms looked. But the overall theme, design, and execution were all impeccable. (Knowing this was partnered with the people behind 60Out, I guess it's well expected!) Super neato 80s room ▪ NBC Arguably, most of these celebs rose to their fame in the 80s, and appropriately so, they started off in a bedroom just completely littered, I mean, splattered, with this decade's reference. I can still hear Madonna's voice singing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-un" in my head for some reason. I am not even sure they played that song during the special... I don't think so. But it fits! From there on, they would advance onto the school's locker room, then the gymnasium where their prom was taking place, and finally taking the stage as karaoke-ing Prom Royalties. It's back to the high school locker room for these four ▪ NBC A very satisfying narrative. Again, one word: nostalgia. And each transition from one room to the next was every bit delicious as the sets themselves. One particular segue involving balloons was EXPLOSIVE! It caught me by surprise. Them four, too. I am so jelly. I want that in a room I can play in! WHOA! ▪ NBC And I was so glad that all 4 participants were able to discover the many, many Easter eggs sprinkled throughout, all inspired by their personal lives and careers in the industry. My personal favorite was the yellow decorative frame from "Friends", aka the peep hole frame from Monica's apartment. You can hear it from Courteney Cox's voice, too. She misses her alter ego, I am sure. I wonder if there were more that didn't make it on air? And all this topped with Jack Black's signature devious game proctoring? The package is, *chef's kiss*, complete to perfection. 📺 PUZZLES RANKING By my count, there were 11 "puzzles" in these four actors' escape journey. Some resemble the ones we see in escape rooms typically, some are flat out made for TV only. None of them is particularly difficult, one should note. Here's how I would rank them, from "worst" to best: 11: Photo Bulletin Board It wasn't that it was bad, just that it was too simple. Arranging 4 photos on a bulletin board in a certain order was basic escape room 101. It was the first puzzle after all. Just a warm up for the players. 10: Rubik's Cube Table Another intro filler. It wasn't particularly challenging nor was it fun to watch for the audience. Was Rubik's Cube huge in the 80s? If so, brownie points for an era appropriate game. Can you tell who's a big Beastie Boys fan? ▪ NBC 09: Beastie Boys Karaoke A great ending note for the show. Awesome to watch, awesome to ''play", awesome for fans of the band, not that special as a "puzzle". But fighting for your right to party is indeed crucial for all high schoolers. 08: Floor Tile Jigsaw The discovery of the puzzle itself was interesting. I love how you see a checker pattern on the floor in an escape room, it usually means "Puzzle Time!" The jigsaw itself was a bit trite. Jack Black's face was a treat. I do enjoy how the solution leads to the next puzzle as a clue, though. 07: Picture Time The solution was literally taking a picture. It, however, ranks this high because of the subsequent trigger for the room transition. The next room was right there the whole time?! Smart, game dev, smart. A little bit of (or a lot of) Monica came out ▪ NBC 06: Janitor's Office One of those "tasking" action based puzzle that we would actually get to do in a physical escape room. I thought it was done just right. Its simplicity was enjoyable, though unable to help it climb higher on this list. 05: Time For Prom Another action based puzzle, but this one took a little bit of observation and analysis before reaching the conclusion. A solid contender for future implementation in a new 60Out rooms, I'd hope. The scene from the trailer ▪ NBC 04: Simon, DDR Style This wasn't so much brain work but pure memorization, embellished by eye catching colors and adrenaline inducing physicality. I am sure this would be a clear winner if we enthusiasts were given a chance to play in real life. 03: M&M's Champagne Finally, the top 3 are actually very respectable puzzles that I can easily see being done in escape rooms across the world, if not already in existence! The multiple steps in this M&M sponsored challenge exposed how celebs have difficulties mixing colors. Priceless! 02: Trophies & Jackets This is an actual puzzle that I can see very easily translated into a physical room setting. A little bit of video broadcast, some trophies to examine, then distribute jackets in the correct pre-determined order (perhaps by weight in design terms). Very thoroughly thought out and realized. Very nice! Mascot Bulldog looks angry! ▪ NBC 01: Mascot & Lockers Honestly, number 1 and 2 spots could switch, and it'd still make sense. But this first place holder took it home for me with mandatory mascot costume wearing and the resulting black light activation. (Do people not know what this is called?) Personal connections in the clues also made it very precious. Can you imagine, one day, you walk into an escape room, and the clues are tailored to your own personal life? If that isn't #goals, I dunno what is. 📺 OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS ◘ I have to say, Adam Scott, who always struck me as some type of nerdy genius, did not perform as well as I thought he would. It's a shame. ◘ Conversely, never had I been so proud to identify the most with Monica Geller all my life. Courteney Cox really showed everyone who's boss in this challenge. She was, by a great lead, the fastest at solving several puzzles. ◘ Was Ben Stiller holding back? He should do better than that... ◘ Lisa Kudrow embraced her Phoebe Buffay's kookiness to the max. Once a Phoebe, always a Phoebe. Not much help at escaping the rooms, though. Plugging his new fragrance, "Billionaire's Ponytail" ▪ NBC ◘ Other celebrity cameos on Jack Black's monitor screens were cute, but the best went to talk show queen and true American Idol Kelly Clarkson. She was charismatic and was actually part of a puzzle herself! ◘ I CRAVE FOR MORE! NBC, do more of this! Ratings will go through the roof, I bet! (What a great way to raise funds for a worthy cause--I might have watched the show late, but I definitely donated now, too! DONATE HERE.) ◘ If you haven't seen this yet, currently, I could find the entire special available on YouTube. Catch it while you can, before it gets taken down! Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted images from "Celebrity Escape Room" from NBC. We are making such materials available under fair use doctrine of copyright law, in an effort to advance interests for the program, the escape room industry, and donations for the Red Nose Day cause.

Remote Escape Game "Gold Rush" ▪ The Escape Game PART OF A SERIES There are understandably many curious questions about remote escape rooms as they are relatively new, especially for the US market. On many occasions, it is NOT just a simple video transmission of what otherwise would be a normal game play for an already existent room. Join me on this journey by reading previously published posts in order: ⤻ Part 1: Introduction And Preparation ⤻ Part 2: Avatar And Navigation ⤻ Part 3: Visuals And Production ⤻ Part 4: Puzzles And Adjustments THIS IS THE END I've enjoyed writing not 1, not 2, but a total of 5 articles (including this one) on this new format of escape entertainment, but this piece will probably be my favorite. After having to discuss some of the drawbacks of running a room online, it's super refreshing to pen this piece, ALL THINGS POSITIVE! WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED What most people can agree on about remote escape game is that, it's new, we probably didn't know what to expect prior to playing, and it's most likely vastly different from a traditional physical room. What I personally didn't anticipate is that I've come to *really* enjoy some of their surprisingly perks, ones that I may not have ever realized without given the opportunities to try them. Remote Escape Game "Ruins: Forbidden Treasure" ▪ The Escape Game To the companies that hosted some of my earliest remote games, in no particular order--Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms, Amaze Escape Events, Trapped! Escape Rooms, Escape 60, and The Escape Game--I sincerely thank you for helping me shape my early opinions on this subgenre. Without further ado, these are the reasons why I've become a fan: ❤ THEY ARE FUN. DUH. I think this particular topic is both apparent and best reserved for individual escape room review posts. But without a doubt, they are entertaining. ❤ A CHANCE TO CONNECT I have been connecting with some escape room community friends through the benefit of remote escape room. Respected escape games bloggers, EscapeTheRoomers, are based in NY, and I really thought the next time we could hang out again in another escape adventure would either be their traveling to California once more, or my finally making a trip to the Big Apple. It could be a while until then! Modern technology fixed the problem, all the while abiding social distancing guidelines and lifting our worries of communicable diseases. ❤ VIRTUAL TRAVEL This is perhaps the most glaring advantage that I missed in the beginning but quickly rise to the top of my list of pros. Without remote options, I would not have been able to explore and discover so many great options across the country and beyond! Not only had I ventured out of my home state's border multiple times, countries' even! Where to next, adventurers? Having been mostly stationed in California in my escape room playing "career", I, unintentionally or not, limited myself to a roster of games geographically close to me. Though fortunately the nearby LA market is full of gems, broadening the horizon was an eye-opening experience. Not only do I NOT have to extensively plan for an expensive foreign country visit, I also get to skip an international flight, which in of itself could already be a drag without coronavirus concern, this is a priceless advantage. I would've waited ages, if ever, to experience what Australia, Netherlands, and many of other European countries have to offer otherwise. ❤ BEING ON TIME IS EASY No longer do I have to wake up, shower, feed myself, get into my car, and drive through what's often nightmare of a traffic, hope to find decent parking, all that jazz to get to a business location. The only commute I need is to my computer room. (Saves me gas, too.) And I've never been so punctual to all my games. Check in 15 minutes before the game start? Not a problem! Calm down, Karen. It's remote. ▪ VectorStock ❤ GROOMING OPTIONAL While I still somewhat vainly care about how I look like with my hair, that's roughly all that's required of me to attend a remote escape game session. You could be wearing days old clothing that smell, and none will be wiser. Except you, you'll still smell the stink. In fact, pants are optional. Just don't stand up. I mean, of course, I wear pants. I do. All of the time. Yes. ...Just gonna leave it at that. ❤ BASIC NEEDS COVERED Yup, I am going there. All of us need sustenance to survive, and we all gotta go, whether number 1, 2, or both. And these thing still happen whether we happen to schedule a game of room escaping or not. I cannot begin to count the times when I had to explicitly ensure that I am well fed, breakfast or otherwise, before an escape game for tip-top brain performance. And the meal time usually factors into my time budgeting. I also always have the irrational fear that I'd somehow have diarrhea--yes, told you I'm going there--during my visit in a haunted orphanage. Not that it ever happened, but I imagine it's quite the inconvenience. Plus, some companies somewhat frown upon your leaving in the middle of a game. You know what? No longer an issue for both. Grab a cup of coffee, some light snacks, munch on while you play. Need a quick bathroom break? Pop out and back in in a jiff. You don't have to explain to nobody! Drinking coffee, salvaging what's left of his energy, during an early morning session ▪ Amaze Escape Events ❤ NO RULES! ...KINDA This is a gray area, but now you get to use all your smart devices, and even the internet (!), while you game. You're already using these tools to run the game, after all. Not that I am encouraging you to, I'm just saying, you could. Games that require you to organize a handful of information without giving you any writing utensils? Screw that, now you can use your pen and paper. Puzzles that test your mathematical skills but somehow forbid you to use a calculator in game? Total BS. I have long been an opponent against banning of calculators for the pure sake of making a puzzle "harder". (Really, how is that any more fun?) You go ahead and key those numbers in. ❤ DISCOUNTED PRICING This is one that is not certain across the board, but still could be something customers can potentially hunt for. Because many owners acknowledge the fact that remote escape rooms often do not offer the full-on impact physical escape rooms are designed to do, they adjust their admission down voluntarily, and in some cases, quite generously so. Consumers, embrace this advantage! To be clear, this isn't an indication that remote games are inferior--they can be loads of fun--but it is also fair to say they are, at least, different. FINAL WORDS Although circumstances that gave rise to remote escape rooms are far from ideal, the end result, the compelled development of online escape games, brought forth some benefits after all. If there's one way to stay positive in a world of chaos, this could be one. While we wait patiently for the world to settle and inch towards normalcy gradually, escape room venues will slowly begin to reopen very soon (at this article's time of publication). To everyone in this community, especially business owners, you continue to be in my prayers. Since the outbreak hasn't actually resolved, there're still escape enthusiasts that may be more vulnerable to COVID-19. Therefore, I hope remote options stick around, maybe for good, providing a great alternative to those who need (or otherwise prefer) to social distance for any foreseeable future. In all cases, stay alert, informed, healthy, safe, and of course, escape on. Congratulations! You have read all 5 posts in this series! (But you can always go back to Part 4, if you wish.) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

PART OF A SERIES There are understandably many curious questions about remote escape rooms as they are relatively new, especially for the US market. On many occasions, it is NOT just a simple video transmission of what otherwise would be a normal game play for an already existent room. Join me on this journey by reading previously published posts in order: ⤻ Part 1: Introduction And Preparation ⤻ Part 2: Avatar And Navigation ⤻ Part 3: Visuals And Production HERE'S A SUMMARY Here's a concise version of what happened in Part 1, 2, and 3. You'll need the Zoom app to play remote escape rooms. Make sure your devices can run the game smoothly. During a game, you'll control a live staff member known as the "avatar". Because of various limitation factors, visual components of an escape room may not be as awe-inspiring or as immersive when compared to irl. In fact, production value isn't the only thing affected, the meat of the game, the *puzzles*, need undergoing adjustments as well--shall we begin? A NEW DIRECTION Naturally, as the escape room industry expanded its market and began receiving widespread attention from the general public, the focus of this genre of entertainment started to shift. What was once a puzzle-solving and mental-exercise dominant activity gradually evolved into more of an immersive sensory experience. This isn't surprising. Not everyone in the mainstream market enjoys figuring out 4 digit codes from cryptic clues. But almost everyone loves a good fantastical adventure. "Houdini", one of the best live action, physical escape rooms LA has to offer ▪ 60Out Escape Rooms (Silver Lake) Thus, in the past few years, escape venues started to saturate their games with the latest gen of escape game sets, props, and equipment. Puzzle steps became less about code deciphering, but leaned more heavily on performing physical actions, and be stunned by subsequent special effects. THE OG MAKES A RETURN However, the problem with the above is, when running a room remotely, these otherwise super fun and engaging tasks simply do not translate well when played out in front of a camera. For example, scavenger hunt in a colorful ball pit may be fun when done physically; watching your avatar do it for you miles away... not so much. That's why most escape rooms I've played so far decided to revisit the roots: good ol' gen 1 puzzles. They are making a huge comeback! Gen 1 elements, like numerical combo locks are back, beeches! GEN 1 WORKS THE BEST Why is gen 1 the best choice? Well, it's more of why the other candidates are not. As explained, actions aren't as satisfying if you are NOT the doer. Puzzles that you complete on your own--you ARE the doer--are way more engaging. You're the one paying to have fun after all. So your own participation and interaction is integral in generating that euphoria. Having to struggle through a tough puzzle challenge, and finally arriving at a solution, fits that bill. And that is why Gen 1 works best. In a nutshell, Gen 1 challenges usually can be boiled down to riddles that can be shown on printed media; and thus, presenting them through a video broadcast is easy. The same can't be easily said for other forms of puzzles. Common gen 1 steps I've encountered in recent escape history include collecting 4 items that would grant the 4 numbers on a numerical lock, solving a word riddle that would open a 5 letters lock, and converting a sequence of images into a 4 directions lock. Classic. WOULD GEN 2 WORK? Technically, yes. It isn't so much that they are completely physically impossible, it's more of their not being able to bring joy to the customers. Recently, I've seen a laser puzzle in action. Shooting the laser beam through a series of mirror reflections opened a hidden compartment. The idea worked, but without my actually fiddling with the mirrors, it was not nearly as fun. The reveal also packed less punch for the same reason. Plus, the laser was practically invisible on the video feed. Awww. So imagine if an existing escape room was full of these design choices; converting them into a remote experience doesn't make the most sense. Therefore, of the currently available remote adventures across the globe, many conform to using mostly gen 1 elements. WHAT DOESN'T WORK And then there are things that would flat out not work. Puzzles that require smelling, tasting, and touching (as in, you need to feel the texture of the clue) are out. Obvi. Situations that are meant to be done in close to or pitch black darkness are also axed. If you can't see it through your avatar, you can't play it. Some of my favorite and most daunting tasks that I love taking on in a physical escape room, the split room challenges, are also goners: In a remote setting, no matter how big your team, it will always be reduced to one solo player, the avatar. Any game that employs communication barrier by splitting the team into smaller groups is now impermissible. LINEAR PROGRESSION Since the team now controls only one single avatar's perspective, the game play will organically become more linear. Rooms that are not already designed as such will usually have its contents modified for fit this "criteria". This is the almost inevitable results of having just one individual (avatar) in the game. Non-linear style is hard to realize. In fact, even if everyone in your Zoom conference wants to split up and explore a different part of the room, you'll still each have to wait for your turn to command control... ...But! It is indeed possible to bypass this limitation. Essential to have when remotely escape room-ing To streamline working on several objectives at once, copy down the contents of the first puzzle on a sheet of paper, then pass on your avatar to the next teammate, so they can start working on the next. Additionally, linear progression has the advantage of keeping everyone on the exact same page. It could be a nice change of pace for once! (Does anyone recall ever having miscommunication due to having too many things going on at the same time? Anyone?) IMPLICATIONS After actually processing all this information, it's dawned on me that everything described thus far will become the "new standard", at least for the time being. For better or for worse, depending on what you prefer best in an escape game, some expectation adjustment may be required. GAME DESIGNERS' REACTIONS However, I've already begun to see many companies coming up with different methods to enhance their games to make an online experience more ergonomic, personable, and unique. Some strategies include: 1) Inventory list carrying multiple items: not only super helpful in keeping tracking of key items, but also serves as a way for team members to work on different puzzles all at once. (Basically the same idea I've suggested above, except now no transcribing needed.) 2) 360° 3-D panoramic room view: this somewhat eliminates the problem of having one single camera's perspective. This makes any type of action based steps more feasible, since having a clear, unobstructed wide vision decreases the risk of missing anything from the live feed. Excellent usage of 360° panoramic view in a remote escape room ▪ The Escape Game 3) Avatar casting: give them interesting characters. Have them fully committed to their acting role. Encourage them to engage often with the customers. When done right, they pull us into the story, effecting immersion without our ever stepping out of our homes. STILL EMERGING AND EVOLVING As different companies experiment with various approaches on how to run their visions of remote escape games, I am sure, in due time, all the obstacles I've discussed in this series of feature will be overcome. Until then, I've come to really enjoy playing a remote escape room almost every single day of this week! While I really don't see their popularity ever surpassing their live action siblings, I do see potential for this nascent subcategory to be a sustainable alternative. Escape Mattster & friends genuinely having a great time ▪ The Escape Game In fact, as long as the escape room community doesn't expect remote versions to be exact equivalents, and instead, treat them as a specialty online spin-off, I think they're here to stay. And I, for one, welcome them! You may now continue to Part 5, or go back to Part 3, if you wish. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

PART OF A SERIES There are understandably many curious questions about remote escape rooms as they are relatively new, especially for the US market. I, too, initially thought it's a simple video transmission of what otherwise would be a normal game play for already existent rooms, but that's only the partial truth, and even an inaccurate description in some sense. Join me on this journey by reading previously published posts in order: ⤻ Part 1: Introduction And Preparation ⤻ Part 2: Avatar And Navigation NEED A CRASH COURSE? Here's a very concise version of what happened in Part 1 and Part 2. You'll need to install Zoom or other conference app to play remote escape rooms. Make sure your devices can run the game smoothly without issues. During an actual game, you'll control a live staff member known as the "avatar" via verbal commands. You can see their every action and hear their surroundings via a live feed. Sometimes, you'll also have a supplementary screen or menu to help you along the quest. Now onto today's topic... FIRST, I MUST DECLARE... While Part 1 and Part 2 are more factually based, this Part 3 is most definitely more of an opinion piece. This is my own observation and analysis, and you absolutely do not have to agree with it. WHAT HITS YOUR EYES FIRST In a remote escape room, the first thing that strikes your eyes (or your Zoom window) would be one single view of the room. You may also hear some sounds, but in general, the background accompanying music (that would otherwise be included irl) would be turned off for clarity sake. Depending on the theme of your room, the lighting may vary. There are, in fact, many other possible variables involved. The live feed camera's model, the recording quality, the internet transmission rate, your device's CPU power--all these things affect what you can see. Compounded by the fact that you're only viewing through usually just one camera's lens, this potentially severely limits a player's ability to evaluate the production value of the set. For better or for worse, visually, both the players AND the owners have to adjust to this new situation. (Note: A supplemental 3D model, or extra photos, will sometimes attempt to compensate for this shortcoming. Results vary and depend on execution.) For most cases, you'll get a single camera view. It's the new normal. ▪ Escape 60 Peoria THE IMPLICATIONS From the participant's point of view, which is the role that I take the most often, this means I lose that "Wow!" moment when you first get escorted through the entrance door into the heart of the story world. Any escape room enthusiast can fondly recall that feeling. The sudden rush of experiencing, for the very first time, the impact of many visual stimuli presented all at once. Like stepping into a fairy tale land. I witnessed how hard work transformed ordinary buildings into works of art. In the remote option, without the set and props surrounding you on all sides, enveloping you into their domain, it'll most likely evoke a... different feeling. Meanwhile, from the owner's perspective, now you can only offer your assets through a limited portal. This is even more unfair to the business than to the customers. Imagine, being capable of offering your 100%, but the delivery vehicle is only operating at half capacity, how would you feel? Zoom offers only "a window view", a snap shot, and the visuals may not be at its fullest potential. OTHER DISABLED SENSES Although sounds are technically available, it'll be limited to conversations usage most of the time. Sense of smell is not applicable, along with sense of touch. Tactility is integral to a live escape game, one that separates it from digital ancestors. Ironically, with the current escape room trend of moving everything towards being visually focused and immersion dominant, this spells bad news. Big budget production, special effects for sensory overload, and everything that makes the contemporary rooms stand out rely heavily on immersing the patron into a physical world of excitement, something hard to achieve when they are sitting in their home, separated by a monitor screen. BUT THERE IS HOPE Just because certain things that we've taken for granted are now missing from our favorite escape games, it doesn't mean remote version is not fun. To discount them without trying is a misjudgment. Because, no, not only are they not not fun, they can be incredible! In fact, I can tell ya, remote versions of even already existent rooms can be just as gratifying when executed with care, creativity, and expertise! I can personally attest to this, because I've seen it, heard it, lived it! Did you know, I actually found an online version of an escape game I've already played surprisingly more engaging than its in-real-life counterpart? I myself did not expect to come to this conclusion. Though not an easy feat to pull off, when there's a will, there's a way. SOME POSITIVES Do we abandon the endeavors for a good looking set? No, not necessarily, because a nice set will, regardless, be a nice set, players will still appreciate something that looks good, just not to the same degree of amazement. Well! No "two finger force" rule in remote, at least! This actually gives the businesses a bit of an advantage. Any imperfection can be hidden with ease. There is no up close inspection, and the avatar can now actively avoid minor imperfections by a simple shift of the camera. Moreover, budget for upkeep will be low, since as long as something looks passable on camera, it'll work. And no one can use excessive force and break stuff now. Owners, rejoice! SHIFTING FOCUS In addition, there are many ideas the developers can infuse to make things more interesting and worthwhile. While the visuals take a backseat, other cast members can rise up to become the main stars. To game designers, what other elements should now receive the most spotlight? Some unique puzzles? An entertaining avatar? A more interactive story? To patrons, what's the next best thing for you? For instance, now participants have no choice but to communicate with a real, live human being. Exchanges not only happen among teammates, but with the avatar as well. So seize this opportunity, and make your avatar charming, for awesomeness can be felt, need not to be seen. (Pssst, one company that does this well is Trapped! Escape Room. Their Operation X-13 mission is captivating both on and offline! And so funny! My avatar's impeccable character acting won me over from start to finish.) "Operation X-13 (Online)" fills the game with charisma and humor ▪ Trapped! Escape Room Another obvious choice would be let the puzzles speak for themselves. Puzzles are the heart of any self-respecting escape game, and will the topic of discussion Part 4 of this remote escape room series. NORM WILL RETURN ONE DAY A global pandemic, though life changing, will be over one day. Soon, hopefully, everyone can once again enjoy the amazing production value we've come to expect and cherish. Until then, even as visuals temporarily become less significant as before, as long as certain adaptations are made, remote escape games is a not simply a replacement. It can become a new form of entertainment. Surely not exactly the same, but thus far, it's proving to be quite as addicting. You may now continue to Part 4, or go back to Part 2, if you wish. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Stay home AND experience escape games across the globe at the same time PART OF A SERIES There are understandably many curious questions about remote escape rooms as they are relatively new, especially for the US market. This term hasn't even come into existence until the early part of 2020. I, too, initially thought it's a simple video transmission of what otherwise would be a normal game play for already existent rooms, but that's only the partial truth, and even an inaccurate description in some sense. I am also learning along as I go. Join me on this journey by first reading these previously published posts in order: ⤻ Part 1: Introduction And Preparation GET YOU UP TO SPEED I covered what to expect and what to prepare prior to game start in Part 1. You will need smart devices or computers to play remote escape rooms. A virtual conference app like Zoom should be installed for live video & sound. You will communicate with your "game master", but now more appropriately called your "avatar", over the net, and you will control their action by various commands. What they see is what you see. In addition, you will likely receive extra assistance or other important info on another screen, or on your "supplementary panel". (More on this later.) YOUR ONE LIFELINE, SORTA Your very first remote escape game (how exciting!) will probably consist of first meeting your one human connection, dubbed the "avatar", who will absolutely essential to your game play. Your avatar would either give you a brief intro, or they could just jump right into character. While the former is more reminiscent of your traditional escape experience, the other jump starts on immersion. Per my previous post, your avatar-led experience will include a live feed of the room, and everything that's happening in it, in real time. This is achieved by your avatar, who is carrying a camera of sort, strapped onto their body in some form, and broadcasting that feed to you via high speed internet. It's kinda like this. Except your avatar is a live person, and you can talk to them ▪ The Sims & Youtube YOU'RE IN CONTROL Named after its video game inspiration, the avatar represents you in the game. You need to learn how to "control" them efficiently. Since your "vision" is limited to what the camera points to at any given point in time, verbally communicate clearly and effectively on shifting the perspective. Command lines like "Look directly ahead. Turn to your left, walk closer to the wall, and now look up" may become a second nature. Be specific, be descriptive, and when appropriate, have teammates talk one at a time to avoid commotion and confusion. Occasionally, your avatar may facilitate the game narrative and flow by "purposely" walking towards a certain direction, or by searching a designated area for much needed clues. It's a judgement call, but if you get that feel, LET THEM. It could work towards your advantage, time wise. (I imagine that at some point, other rooms would one day possibly include live footage from multiple angles, but that isn't the convention thus far.) Our avatar picked up a piece of key item after our verbal request ▪ Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms REMEMBER YOUR ETIQUETTE For participants who otherwise rarely interact with your game master during a physical escape game, you're now effectively "forced" to talk to another person. It's a bit of an adjustment, especially for the shy, asocial ones. Customers, be nice! Be watchful of your tone. Be sure to speak clearly, not too fast, and enunciate. Don't be too commanding, and always be mindful that customer service isn't always easy! Owners, effective hiring becomes ever so important. Avatars are critical in not just running of the game, but also setting the entire vibe of the session! Make sure to find the right fit for this essential role. Someone who is great with people, multitasks well, and has charisma would be ideal. THE OTHER COMPONENT As pointed out earlier, due to the limitation of the often one single camera lens, intrinsically, that is not enough to provide a reasonable and smooth game play to complete the numerous objectives under 60 minutes. Having only one pair of "eyes" to the physical room is naturally going to cost you time: As opposed to fanning out to cover a broad area among several teammates, and having full 360° rotation of your head, you instead need to use spoken commands and wait for response. That is a shortcoming. Room designers, who are probably escape room enthusiasts themselves, feel the exact same, and correspondingly offer a reasonable solution: supplementary panel interface on another screen to help you along. THE SUPPLEMENTAL HELP SCREEN This "side panel screen" can function as a number of things, from what I've seen and experienced personally so far, it could be: Example of inventory list ▪ The Escape Game 1) Inventory list of items collected thus far, helping you keep track of what clues or props to use next. Objects used could also disappear from this same list for easy bookkeeping. 2) Clarification of sets, props, and other items that are otherwise hard to see through the camera lens. Depending on many variables, for instance, you may not have a crystal clear view of the handwritten notes in the notebook you just found. Your avatar can present a better photo for you. Extended room view ▪ The Escape Game 3) An overview of the room in map form, or in some cases, a 360° rotatable 3D model of the physical room. This is to compensate for the camera's inability to pan to exactly where you want to see, or at a rate that you find satisfactory. (The 3D replica, in particular, is impressive.) 4) Extra dialogues that help fill out the story line with more details. Note: All aforementioned can be selectively distributed to players via a password protected access portal. You would input passwords found during your quest, or provided by your avatar, to receive related hints, clues, and other useful info as the narrative advances at the correct time. Obviously, this list is by no means all inclusive, and your miles may vary. Also, this really is better shown or experienced than explained. It all makes good sense when you start playing. DEJA VU Honestly, this "extra" screen isn't something completely new. Jog your memory, and go back to the last computer or digital escape room you've played--you've always had that inventory side menu bar, right? This is similar, except with some ingenious creativity and innovation mixed in, this section can evolve into something more integral--something that we're already seeing with certain forward-thinking companies. Indeed, the line between reality and virtual is being blurred more than ever! Excellent setup for remote escaping SEEING DOUBLE Double screens, that is. It is widely recommended, but honestly more realistically required, that you have a minimal of two screens or devices open to fully enjoy a well executed remote adventures. Any other way is a true compromise. It is best to dedicate one monitor for the Zoom conference, and another for your supplementary info screen. I myself run my PC on two monitors, but you can feel free to mix and match. Your iPad, laptop, and desktop can all combine to create what's the most ideal setup for you. Placing the devices in proximity of each other is also wise, as this would reduce eye strain from rapid eye movements (not the sleep cycle kind). There's a possibility that you'll move your eyes swiftly across multiple focal points to fully take in, appreciate, and to champion at your remote game. AVATAR IN A NUTSHELL And that's how you navigate your game avatar in a remote escape room. In the next few parts, I'll talk about puzzles adjustments and visuals impact on this specific format of escape entertainment. See you then. You may now continue to Part 3, or go back to Part 1, if you wish. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Stay safe at home BIRTH OF A NEW CREATION Playing an escape room on a computer or smart device was never new. In fact, that's how real life escape games got started--they were inspired by early "point and click" exploration games available online: Back then, on a computer screen in a Flash interface (remember those?), you click on a box, open it, find a key, so on so forth, you escape the locked room! In more recent times, things got real--literally--and you get to do the same actions, except live in person, in the real world. That is until recently, COVID-19 pandemic hit, and many, if not all, of our favorite escape room entertainment venues were forced to close indefinitely due to safety reasons. Resilient business owners, determined to combat the misfortune, went back to the basics, and provided a viable alternative... Playing an escape room remotely back on the computer! LIFE CAME FULL CIRCLE It's interesting to note that, what started out on a computer monitor, has now found its way back to its root. While it's grossly inaccurate to say digital escape games and remote escape rooms are the same--they are definitely NOT--it's hard not to notice the resemblance. But just as there are recognizable similarities (play onscreen), there are also striking differences (eg, live video feed). Having done a select few remote escape rooms by now, I feel as though different businesses are approaching this "remote" idea with varying formats. While not all companies are conforming in the same fashion or "interface" per se, it does seem to boil down to two main elements: The 1) live video feed, and 2) a supplementary panel for additional info, clues, hints, and whatnot. THE VIDEO FEED This is what makes remote escape room the essence of what it is. You are still enjoying an actual brick and mortar room, somewhere out there at a location, you're just not physically there. Through the marvels of technology, we can now see and hear across the city, the country, or even the globe via high speed internet. You're already familiar with this, hello, Facetime. What is essentially happening is, your once "game master" will now be your "avatar". They will now act as your eyes, your ears, your hands, and your body. They've probably donned on one or even several cameras on them, on their head, on their torso, in their hands, streaming live. You tell them to turn right, they turn right. You tell them to look up, they look up. Get it? (But command with respect!) An instance of actual remote game footage ▪ Amaze Escape Events THE SUPPLEMENTARY PANEL Not physically being there though, presents several fundamental problems. Possibly, you won't be able to see things up close, hear with full clarity, and colors could be distorted. Hey, these are just realistic limitations of modern equipment. They are good, but at times, they just fall a bit short. Thus, many remote escape games opt to show the players additional information on another "panel", or screen, in another browser. This extra panel can achieve a variety of purpose, all depending on how it's utilized: Your avatar can show you a detailed look of a map, broadcast a sound file that he's listening to, or even help you keep track of an inventory of items you've collected or used thus far. Our friends at The Escape Game made a pretty informative video: Example of inventory panel used in a remote game ▪ The Escape Game MORE TO COME And that's the basic idea. I haven't quite played enough remote escape rooms to form a solid opinion for this new form of entertainment, and what it can truly offer, but as days go by, it's becoming more and more evident to me that this is a sustainable alternative if a healthy dose of creativity is mixed in. But I shall elaborate on this more later. Expect to see future Part 2, Part 3, or even beyond. Zoom, often a requirement to play ▪ Zoom READY TO JOIN THE PARTY? If you're ready for your first remote escape room, then you gotta download the conference app of choice. Check with your venue or its website to see which one they are using. I'd say a majority of the time, it's Zoom. Zoom is an application that specializes for enterprise video conferencing with real-time messaging and content sharing. It's available on a variety of platforms; I use mine with Windows on a PC. You can learn more about Zoom on its official site. FIDDLE WITH ZOOM Don't just download Zoom and let it sit though. It's extremely important and highly recommended that you familiarize yourself with the app. First, verify that your system has all the requirements to run the program. Namely, you should have reliable, high speed internet, and your computing system should have proper processing power. Next, run it, and check to see if all necessary components are working. Can you receive video feed? Can you hear audio cues? Can you transmit your own video and sound to another party? Some escape room companies offer a test page prior to launching the game, so do so way ahead of game time. Also, fiddle with the setting, both in app and out. Is the video setting ideal for smooth running? Is the sound loud enough, or too loud? Do you want to set a customized virtual background? (In that case, set up a green screen behind you in real life.) Do you want to tidy up your house a bit before broadcasting to your team? You decide. Don't get caught off guard, know what to expect PRACTICE NOW Finally, for those of us who are a little slow on using all things tech-y, let's be honest: there's a learning curve. Practice using Zoom with your friends and family, run a mock conference or two. Get accustomed to moving your mouse cursors quickly, and darting your eyes back and forth between the video feed and your supplementary panel. (Or just be comfortable with the idea on the day of.) For best results, use two monitors, screens, or devices. It may be a little daunting at first for some, but wasn't that also true when first stepping into a physical escape room? Just have a little "rehearsal" before the game day, do your best the day of, and gradually master the newfound skills of remote escape gaming. OPTIMIZE YOUR SETTINGS Lastly, I would highly recommend that you just do an assessment on your PC if that's what you're using. Remove any extraneous programs that you no longer need, or at least disable them during actual session. Restarting your idle devices 1-2 hours prior to start may be clever, too. Any kind of lag can only ruin your experience! And trust me, you don't want any technical difficulty or operation interference. The typical 60 minutes time frame is *a lot* shorter than you'd think for remote game play. (But I shall elaborate on this in later blog posts.) BE READY AND ON TIME I think you're pretty much set. "Arrive" or sign in to your Zoom meeting on time. Don't keep your fellow teammates or the host waiting. Respect is still important, quarantine times or not. Please understand that many small businesses are still struggling. Do your part, be on time, so they can run all their scheduled sessions without delay. And oh, have pen, pencil, eraser, paper, and a calculator in front of you. Those will often help. And no, I don't care if you think using calculator is cheating. I need it. Desperately. You may now continue to Part 2, if you wish. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

The Escape Game presents... "TEG UNLOCKED [DIGITAL], THE HEIST" "VOLUME 2: THE SILK ROAD" ✧ Part of a play-at home series. Play whenever, wherever, in your underpants. ✧ UNFINISHED BUSINESS Last we left of it, our thorough investigation led us to a successful warrant issuance for infamous art curator (or more accurately, robber) Vincent Hahn. Your hard work gave the Interpol enough evidence to charge the guy... but... WHERE is the guy? Not so sure what's going on? Not a problem; you might not have played the "TEG: Unlocked" at-home adventure series, specifically "The Heist, Volume 1: Catching Hahn". Check out the official trailer for the Vol. 1 below: The Heist ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked In fact, why don't we catch you up to speed with my previous review? Go ahead, click here. (Agree with my review? You can purchase Volume 1 to experience for yourself, directly from The Escape Game at their e-store, located right here.) A NEW MISSION IN A FOREIGN LAND Looks like our master thief stayed one step ahead and fled--and he fled really, really far: "Vincent Hahn just barely escaped, but Intel has noticed some suspicious activity in Hong Kong. According to reports, Hahn is dealing with artifacts related to the Silk Road. Your mission is to go there, find Hahn, and capture him before he can get away." Well well, good thing your agent dashboard is equipped with the latest technology, enabling you to lend a helping hand across the globe remotely. Let's roll, Volume 2: The Silk Road. Incoming. Looks like you're needed once again. ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked YOU'RE A PRO BY NOW Although there was a bit of a learning curve, albeit a low one, when players are first introduced to the game interface, everything remains preserved, more or less the same, from Volume 1 to Volume 2. If you've played Vol. 1 before, which you should have, you're good to go. BUT THERE'S MARKED DIFFERENCE Nevertheless, because Vol. 2 is, if I'm not mistaken, entirely designed for a digital release, (whereas Vol. 1 was a convert or "port" for online play), the developers now get to selectively reveal evidence files as they see fit. Instead of bombarding everything you'll need right from the get go, you're given bits and pieces of information in a narrative driven fashion, subsequently creating several effects: 1) This intensifies immersion and realism. In Vol. 1, you're basically digging up dirt on the guy, so having all info given point blank is still logical, assuming someone else already did the research for ya. However, in Vol. 2, we are in active pursuit, and each step of the way gives you a clue leading to the next. It makes you feel like a real detective, an authentic Intel agent. Having all access from other side of Earth is handy ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked 2) Incidentally, this simulates the joy of solution input and next-step reveal in a real-life escape room. Now, yes, this at-home adventure is a very different breed from your familiar brick and mortar counterpart. Yet, given the flow and this very style of Vol. 2, I've enjoyed part 2 more, among other reasons. 3) Finally, imitation of a real-time cat and mouse chase certain implies a linear game play. While some people appreciate the guided focus on each puzzle in their intended order, this may again, come off as rigid or too much hand-holding for experts. (It also means it's very novice friendly!) BEAUTY REMAINS Besides the same blue and cyan agent dash board, another similarity is the constantly impressive art direction TEG has consistently treated its customers. Every single piece of evidence file is gorgeous and realistic looking. Sure, sure, the game at its core can still achieve the same puzzle solving fulfillment even with less impressive graphics, but when done right, like this, it elevates the experience so much more. (If any aspiring designers out there are reading this, do not skim on the visuals!) One of my favorites in early stage was a simple receipt! The authenticity lends it elegance. MULTIMEDIA GALORE Since "Volume 2: The Silk Road" is no longer restricted to largely printed and physical items as clues, TEG provided more variety in terms of items or communications that appear during the game. In particular, though your field agent will still mainly communicate to you via (pre-recorded) video clips, now they are presented in a much more believable and realistic fashion. (Remember, he's in Hong Kong, and you're in the USA still!) Little details littered throughout transmission of said videos were cute and appreciated. Without outright spoiling much, there were two instances of (minor spoilers!) in-game ("fake") websites for vital investigation. They're outstandingly constructed with the perfect blend of realism, humor, and internet culture; it made them so dang deliciously enjoyable and memorable. I almost liked them more than the actual puzzles! AHHH, YES, THEM PUZZLES Speaking of which, just like its predecessor, Vol. 2 is still designed for all ages, recommended for 12 and up, so don't expect any puzzle to be mindbogglingly challenging or difficult. It's definitely more about the ride than the satisfaction of knowing you're the smartest of the bunch. Reminds me of Fa Mulan ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked Some puzzles are instant no brainers, others may make you stumble temporarily; but none is excessively complicated. I only got stumped once due to carelessness, which remedied itself in a brief moment. Rating wise, this leans toward easy, even more so than Vol. 1. In fact, interestingly, since the game sets in Hong Kong, China, those with a background of the Chinese language may inadvertently gain an edge! No worry, even if you are not bilingual, you CAN solve everything. However, if you ARE at all literate in this second language, it almost feel like cheating! But hey, at least I can confirm to you The Escape Game's dedication of subject accuracy. Much respect for the due diligence. A MEMORY THROWBACK I must admit, my being partial to part 2 absolutely has to do with its geographical setting. Hong Kong holds a dear place in my heart, and just witnessing a game incorporating this location, along with some real Chinese history, brings a smile to my face. Some games just gets you better, you know? Hahn journeyed far and wide to evade arrest ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked FINAL THOUGHTS The distinct flavor of international theming made this chapter more interesting, despite its overall offering what seemed like a smaller roster of total puzzles, and therefore a shorter play duration. For whatever reason, Vol. 2 felt short, or maybe simply, I craved for more. All things considered, I think TEG: Unlocked [Digital] is a series best for 1-2 players in most cases. If you have family that is not familiar to puzzles, board games, and the likes, host a party up to 4. Finally, I thank The Escape Game for reaching out for this review opportunity. Prior to publication, I knew of their Monthly Mystery games, but didn't know they have since evolved and matured into even better products. I am grateful for the trials, and am happy to recommend fellow puzzle lovers to help capture Hahn. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster We at "Escape Mattster" appreciate this company's hospitality and the opportunity to publish an honest review. Though game access was complimentary, we aim to provide *only* genuine & unbiased opinions. All official media are provided by or credited to respective contents owners, and are used with proper permission for the purpose of this post.

The Escape Game presents... "TEG UNLOCKED [DIGITAL], THE HEIST" "VOLUME 1: CHASING HAHN" ✧ Part of a play-at home series. Play whenever, wherever, in your underpants. ✧ A FAMILIAR FRIEND Though I have never physically been to one of The Escape Game's many locations, mainly due to their not having branched out to Southern California just yet, I am not at all a stranger to this company's reputation. The company's best tool to reach faraway patrons like me, its website, is beautifully constructed and easy to navigate. I've watched their games' trailers numerous times, each time fueling my desire to play even more. MORE THAN JUST ESCAPE ROOMS What really got me hooked to this brand is The Escape Game's clever mindset to expand beyond their physical escape room offerings. Just because you don't live in Atlanta, Dallas, or Las Vegas, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll miss out on the fun. For a limited time in 2019, TEG published online puzzle adventures that anyone can play, free of charge, all within a web browser. Dubbed "Monthly Mystery", these variously themed games tested the wits of kids and adults alike. These self-contained online experience eventually evolved into "TEG Unlocked", an actual game merchandise customers could obtain physically in real life. Puzzles are printed, manufactured, and packaged into a tangible parcel, then shipped out for convenient in-home fun. THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED Due to recent events related to COVID-19, virtually all escape room companies in the US were forced to temporarily shut their doors under stay-at-home orders and social distancing recommendations. With much resilience, The Escape Game continued its operations with its auxiliary alternatives: play a live escape game via conference app Zoom, enjoy an actual board game named "Escape From Iron Gate", or... TRY OUT THE DIGITAL VERSION OF "TEG UNLOCKED"! UNLOCKED: ALL DIGITAL, ALL AWESOME TEG Unlocked [Digital] is basically paperless, virtual versions of their parcel counterparts, but these are arguably better--online transaction, no-wait delivery, and instant gratification. At $10 for each volume, pricing is fair. Unlock "The Heist". Choose from Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked A QUEST TO CAPTURE HAHN The currently available selection is divided into 2 separate volumes, with each providing anywhere from 45 minutes to a handful of hours of puzzle solving fun, depending on your expertise level. "The Heist, Volume 1: Chasing Hahn." - Work as a secret agent to thwart the infamous art curator and suspected art thief, Vincent Hahn. You’ll need to uncover his true identity, connect him to a crime, and work with the International Police to stop Hahn before another masterpiece goes missing. "The Heist, Volume 2: The Silk Road." - Vincent Hahn just barely escaped, but Intel has noticed some suspicious activity in Hong Kong. According to reports, Hahn is dealing with artifacts related to the Silk Road. Your mission is to go there, find Hahn, and capture him before he can get away. We're gonna focus on Volume 1 today, folks. (Volume 2, no fret, you'll get your own post soon.) STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS PACKAGE Even with just the digital contents available, there's no denying just how beautiful the original parcel of materials would've looked. Part of me wishes to marvel at just how dazzling that package would appear in real life. A glimpse of the virtual files and items ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked Every piece of evidence--a stack of photos or postcards, a realistic looking passport complete with customs stamps, or an unassuming Post-It note--is an excellent display of TEG's strongest suit, the incredible visuals. (My personal favorite is a certain gazette's publication!) The talented people in charge of art direction at TEG, whether it be for the actual escape rooms, the company website, or associated merchandise like "Unlocked", you guys never cease to wow me. Complementing the aforementioned files is, of course, the game interface, or your secret agent dashboard. Clean and slick in design, it's intuitive and easy to navigate, a decent work space for the next hour(s) to come. AN INTERNATIONAL ART MASTER THIEF Though these two volumes are advertised as a continuation of TEG's resident escape game of the same title ("The Heist") in their physical locations, one need not to be familiar to join the adventure. Dive right in, the plot line is not at all complicated. This is a classic game of cat and mouse chase with little explanation needed. Expert escape artists may even find the art museum theft theme a common encounter. What I appreciated about "Unlocked" is that the creative forces behind the tale now have a chance to fully flesh out this universe--Hahn's character, his background, his motives, and his ongoing run-in with the law--now I am much more invested to find out what's next. After all, time and time again, I've found that a good storytelling best engages its audience, and perhaps one day this could turn into a saga that inspires a sequel escape room option to be built in their stores! I guess agents use Macs in this game ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked REMINISCENCE OF "MONTHLY MYSTERY" The game format for "The Heist" is deeply rooted in the foundation of "Monthly Mystery" mentioned above, sharing much of the base DNA. If you've played any of the mysteries before, you'll pick this up with ease. The game developers did, however, improve and streamline the experience with an even more focused approach. The dashboard interface zooms in your focus with one step at a time, forcing participants to only progress in a mostly linear fashion. Such high level of systematic organization brought on a minor ambivalence: my OCD personality was highly satisfied, and in fact, attracted to, the appeal of routine and structure. Conversely, extreme hand-holding may limit a freer approach to detective sleuthing should one prefer. At one point, submitting several pieces of evidence as proof for Hahn's crime felt strangely familiar, evoking and emulating a similar vibe of placing several key items in a meta puzzle to unlock a door during an actual, physical escape game adventure. Agent's dashboard ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked Not only did this give me a quick jolt of escape junkie "fix" for being away from escape rooms for so long, it reminded me just how much I long to once again be able to experience the thrill of a hobby so dear to my heart. Finally, it's worthy to note that puzzles are also more narrative focused, more tailored to the overarching theme, and consequently none felt "random", which some of the past Monthly Mysteries had suffered from. PETTY THEFT? OR GRAND LARCENY? ...That's my lame metaphor attempt to illustrate that "Unlocked" could prove to be both a little (petty) or a lot (grand) challenging, depending on your past escape room or puzzle solving experience. Heh. This series is officially listed as suitable for ages 12 and up. From start to finish, none of the riddles were excessively challenging. Playing solo was no problem for me, though the game may support up to 4 (novices). In addition, when stuck, players always have the choice to consult the built-in game guide, or even the answers if one should give up (though I insist you not to!). I personally rate this game easy to medium, at most. Funnily enough, there're a couple of moments when I completely missed the intended logic behind certain puzzles, but I still managed to "brute force" my way through with little resistance. Aw well. TIPS, TRICKS, AND THOUGHTS If you are like me, also *obsessed* with systematic organization, go ahead and download all your pertinent files available before even lifting one single brain muscle. Perusing all evidence as a whole collectively prior to start was my key to a speedy success. The entire Volume 1 also conforms to common escape room convention of "one and done", so that means once you have utilized a piece of clue, and successfully moved on to the next step, toss it aside! There was a bit of a hiccup with the dashboard interface, though it never impacted game play to a significant degree. For example, Vincent's Hahn's true identity (a solution) was revealed right from the get-go, ever so slightly creating some confusion at game initiation. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED I did it. I am a proven valuable asset. ▪ The Escape Game: Unlocked It was never a question in my mind that the mission will be successfully completed--I am not only referring to my successful warrant issuance for Hahn, but also The Escape Game's intention to entertain. "Chasing Hahn" was not birthed under the pressure of quarantine, but instead has always been a slickly produced and smartly executed puzzle product. This was such a nifty little bundle of joy made of such high quality, I recommend everyone to give it a tackle, home isolation status or otherwise! Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster We at "Escape Mattster" appreciate this company's hospitality and the opportunity to publish an honest review. Though game access was complimentary, we aim to provide *only* genuine & unbiased opinions. All official media are provided by or credited to respective contents owners, and are used with proper permission for the purpose of this post.

60Out Escape Rooms presents... "TIME MACHINE" ► VENUE & GAME FACT SHEET ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: 60Out Escape Rooms 💻 WEBSITE: Company | Branch 🏘️ ADDRESS: 135 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004 | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: United States 🕹️ GAME: Time Machine 🚶 TYPE: In-Person Escape Room 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME DURATION: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: Medium (Official) | Easy (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: 2-5 Players 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: Varies By Number Of Players, See Website ► PREMISE & OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from 60Out Escape Rooms): You have been invited inside of one of the most brilliant minds of our time. Nikola Tesla has welcomes you inside his workspace -- a place where sparks fly and time stops. Just know that the clock is ticking as you search for one of his most secret, prized inventions. ► "GAME AT A GLANCE" SUMMARY ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Travel back in time via Tesla's "Time Machine" to retrieve missing component 👀 VISUAL: Out of this world, sci-fi movie set grade set; this room's ace card 🧩 PUZZLE: Light on actual puzzling challenges, more about carefully following instructions 🧠 IMMERSION: Extremely immersive, as you're ACTUALLY performing experiments at times 🏪 VENUE: My favorite branch of all the Los Angeles 60Out franchise stores 👍 💁‍♂️ STAFF: Again, my favorite team of all the Los Angeles 60Out franchise stores 👍👍 💭 OVERALL: Get ready to be wowed; more of an amazing show than an escape room 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: All ages, science buffs and/or nerds (Must comply safety precautions) 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 2 to 3, and ensure everyone has a clear view of all happenings! discovered that mixing actual science in an escape room can yield incredible results. "Time Machine" officially joins the "Recommended" rank! ► ♫ IF I COULD TURN BACK TIMEEE ♪ ◄ Special Note: This game play took place pre-pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. (Please contact business venue for further inquiry.) Update (July 2020): "Time Machine" (Online Version) is now live for booking for safe remote play. Zoom conference app required. Please see official website for details. 60Out has 7 locations spread throughout LA area, and time after time (yes, it's a reference to the title of the room), K-town branch proves to be my absolute favorite of the bunch. Every single game they offer on their roster is solid enough for recommendation, not something I get to say often about any one escape game location. "Nautilus" is a decent underwater escape entry that jam packed your hour with fun puzzles. "Orphanage" still ranks among the top horror experience I have done to date, if not my actual #1 favorite. "The Turing Test", as I lovingly refer it, is a sci-fi infused, prison-breakout style, split start co-op game on steroids. Do you have that magic touch to activate a time traveling apparatus? | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) And most recently comes Nikola Tesla, along with his most prized invention, the "Time Machine". Contrary to my speculation, you're not trying to get his machine to work to transverse across space & time. Oh no, it already works. And you're sent back in time to retrieve something that was left behind decades ago... before his machine breaks... The warranty must've expired. Although the time traveling element is largely absent in the game, the undeniable "flavors" of Tesla's persona, his treasured lab & equipment, and his life's contributions to inventions, are most certainly present. I think a name like "Nikola Tesla & His Chamber of Secrets" would've been a better name. Wait, what. JK Rowling's saying no? Anyway... Why so grumpy, Mr Tesla? | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) If you've read this far, I want to give you as a takeaway: this is less of an escape room, but more of a science hour with Mr Tesla. In the next 60 minutes, you'll be given a chance to walk through a pseudo-science museum almost, and witness actual chemical reactions at work. So science nerds within the community, this one's for you. While some escape rooms would prize themselves with providing its customers a run for their money in terms of really challenging and satisfying puzzles, Time Machine aims to provide a more eccentric experience, a journey on how to appropriately achieve your given mission. As such, the format is very "here are some semi-cryptic instructions, follow them, and you shall arrive at your next step". Once in a while, you'd encounter a brainteaser that's more of a traditional puzzle vibe that requires some brain work, but none would really stump any player. If I were to pinpoint a major weakness, then, perhaps, it's a bit too easy? The latter half of the game is full of surprises that I have never seen before in other games; and even to date, "Time Machine" is the only room that dares to employ certain elements (in both the game design sense and in the periodic table sense), and the payout for the final result is arguably quite incomparable. Time Machine | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) By my count, there were at least 3 separate instances, maybe more, where they made some basic science demos or experiments you see in class as part of the plot, and it's that much more fun to participate and witness in a non-didactic setting. And these're precisely the moments that your admission is well merited. At the same time, I do sincerely remind everyone that chemical reactions often carry certain inherent risks, such as release of heat, for example. So I do insist every single player to follow all safety protocols presented by 60Out. While the game can be appropriate for younger participants, adult supervision is strongly advised. (Play safe!) "Time Machine", being one of the latest batch of 60Out games that focus more on action-based, story-driven premium adventures, tend to run short on total game time duration. This is because while there're exclusive, innovative things to explore, but they also tend to be (un)intentionally easy to solve, and also (I'd imagine) more expensive to maintain. So understandably, there're finite amount of things the game designers can reasonably implement, and experienced players would probably finish the quest early. In fact, I broke the time record at the time I played, and many other players continue to shatter my record. Lastly, this is almost a given, the set was absolutely amazing and gorgeous. Truly, this has become the norm for 60Out these days, and all I can really say is, keep up the good work. Back in time in 2019, when haircut was widely available | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) All in all, I still really liked this experience for offering something different, for both its own branch, and the escape room community in general. We can't just keep playing the same thing over and over and pretend to be satisfied. With "Time Macine", its unconventional game play takes even the most veteran player for a ride. Thankfully, the game steps were also logical enough without requiring any leaps in the thought process, so even beginners can find satisfaction without being overly frustrated. Recommended by Tesla! 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. 60OTime.

Mind Suite Escape Rooms presents... "TREASURE QUEST" ► VENUE & GAME FACT SHEET ◄ 🏢 COMPANY: Mind Suite Escape Rooms 💻 WEBSITE: Company 🏘️ ADDRESS: 563 N Central Ave, Upland, CA 91786 | Google Map 🗾 COUNTRY: United States 🕹️ GAME: Treasure Quest 💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game ⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: N/A (Official) | Medium To Kinda Hard (Mattster) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 CAPACITY: Up to 8 Players 🔐 GAME TYPE: Private 💰 PRICING: $32 (USD) Per Person ► PREMISE & OBJECTIVES ◄ Official Premise (from Mind Suite): Take part in an epic treasure quest for Blackbeard’s ship and revered long lost treasure. Do you have what it takes to complete this treasure quest before the cave is completely reclaimed by Davey Jones’s locker? ► "GAME AT A GLANCE" SUMMARY ◄ 📚 NARRATIVE: Classic tale: Seek yer treasure hidden away by the infamous Davey Jones 👀 VISUAL: Impressive, especially from a small business, can't wait to see more from them! 🧩 PUZZLE: A mixed bag of locks, tasks, automation, and scavenger hunting 🧠 IMMERSION: Decent effort in keeping engagement, includes lights, audio, & other effects 🏪 VENUE: Easy to find strip mall, no problem finding parking, LOVE the bathroom soap 💁‍♂️ STAFF: To describe their team... only words like sweet, lovely, and warm come to mind 💭 OVERALL: Introductory level game from a company I'd be rooting for and keeping an eye on 🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Players of all experience, and an inclination for pirates would be perfect 🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: Would recommend at least 4 players for split start and item searching didn't find his booties in time (and save his booty from Davy Jones)... but did have fun! "Treasure Quest" officially joins the "Recommended" rank! ► THIS GAME KICKED OUR BOOTIES ◄ Special Note: This game play took place pre-pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. (Please contact business venue for further inquiry.) Inland Empire area isn't exactly littered with escape room businesses everywhere like the LA market, hence it's almost extra rewarding to discover small escape game businesses--especially those of good quality--popping up here and there. In an unassuming Upland location lies a treasure to be found | Mind Suite Escape Rooms Meet the newest player, Mind Suite Escape Rooms. Situated in an otherwise unassuming strip mall, Mind Suite is currently a diamond in the rough, though it doesn't take much for a customer to realize they mean serious business. Stepping through the main entrance, I immediately saw a professional and welcoming lobby that far exceeded my initial expectations. Attention to details was obvious. I immediately knew my soon to begin game won't be shabby. (And a bonus point for using Bath & Body Works scented hand soap in the restroom!) Curious candle placement | Mind Suite Escape Rooms Although their main attraction "Treasure Quest" may not bring forth the most unique story line, it is a family friendly one that is readily digestible even by the youngest escape trainee in the family: We arrrrr pirates and we arrrrr looking for the hidden treasures! On the bright side, at least the objective is, much like the gemstone you're seeking, crystal clear. What I do strongly commend Mind Suite for is, they knew what they were doing, and they did it well. First off, selecting a pirate theme and time period, though common, is actually no easy task! While the countless escape games out there have the option to bombard players with a curiously wide array of combo locks that exists on the face of the earth, this isn't a possibility for a life at sea in the 1600s. (More owners than I'd like to see make this cardinal mistake. Why would I have a Master directional lock in a pharaoh's grave?) "Treasure Quest", for the most part, stuck to their guns, or blades, in keeping everything era appropriate. Though there're a few exceptions that could be improved, immersion was aptly achieved, and I had a great time seeking for Davy Jones's coveted jewels without being reminded I live in the 21st century. Gold coins and pearl necklace await | Mind Suite Escape Rooms In addition, it was especially enjoyable when I was doing that in a beautifully constructed set! Despite not expecting a franchise budget production value from a small business, I was pleasantly blown away at the magnitude of greatness Mind Suite aimed to achieve--and largely succeeded. This isn't a "take an office space, plaster the wall with Party City decor, add a few pieces of furniture here and there" type of room. These guys actually built upon the existing structure to truly transform flat surfaces into rocky caverns. And maybe, just maybe, you'll even see a pirate ship?! Puzzle wise, the staff rates it intermediate, though an unlimited hint system might modulate the difficulty to as easy as one may desire. Because your team would be separated in the beginning, a solid grasp of general escape room game play and good communication are both crucial. Due to the split start nature of this game, as much as I love a good challenge, I'd highly recommend assembling a team of 4 or more. By placing at least 2 players in each separated area in the initial stage, you'd have much more flexibility when it comes to puzzle solving. Specifically speaking, when my partner was not keen eyed enough to locate an important apparatus, the game was bought to a standstill until a hint request. I, similarly, got stumped by a mysterious puzzle contraption. In both cases, a second nearby partner in crime would've greatly accelerated our game play advancement. Learn from my mistakes, my friends! While my team of 2 struggled to complete the game under the time limit, as mentioned above, a group of 4 players, even of average skills, would likely be more than sufficient to conquer all challenges with relative ease. Novice starters, casual enthusiasts, and seasoned experts, you will all have a fair chance of raiding Jones's coveted valuables--and will most likely succeed! Speaking of these challenges, I did thoroughly enjoyed the range of puzzle formats they were able to embed. True to goal, scavenging was appropriately included, (you're treasure hunting after all,) on top of a barrel-ful others that I did not expect to encounter. Treasure Quest | Mind Suite Escape Rooms Having experienced more than a handful of rooms (heh!) to date, I did not necessarily find all of puzzles groundbreaking, and yet, the cold hard fact was, I still got stumped several times during my 60-minute-plus game play. Touche to me. A nice mix of gen 1 elements (lock & key) and gen 2 tech (automation) were carefully selected to help craft a story world that's believable in its own universe, and (almost) all were woven appropriately into the plot developments without their being puzzles for puzzles' sake. Never ever say no to a good pirate wig photo opportunity | Mind Suite Escape Rooms Overall, it's a safe and reliable choice, both for the business and its patrons. It is suitable for a large audience for its wholesome and adventurous subject, and it's unlikely to disappoint! A lovely experience backed by friendly hospitality from the entire staff, I could not ask for more. 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. MSERQuest.

The Mad Rapper from Scenario Escape Room (Based In Brea, CA, USA) ◣ GAME'S SPECS 🕹️ In Person Experience » Escape Room 💪 Rated as challenging by company. ⏲️ 60 minutes duration limit. 🔢 Accommodating 2-10 players, private booking. 💬 Hints provided at players' request, displayed on a monitor screen. 🛒 If you BOOK GAME due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout out! ;) ◣ MATTSTER'S TAKE 💪 Difficulty: For Matt's team of 3, quite challenging, 7/10. There's a lot to take in and do in 60 minutes; 3 didn't cut it. 🔢 Ideal Team Size: 4-5. As mentioned, having power of number is good. Music background may help with 1 puzzle. 🤷‍♂️ Best Fit For: Due to violence, gangs, and other hip hop related reference, recommended for mature teens and up. 🍵 Boils Down To: An audition escape room that slowly descends into the darker side of hip hop industry and associated cultures and lifestyles. Still, the game never takes itself too seriously, maintaining a fun, lighthearted vibe throughout. Ⓜ️ Overall Rating: In general, there's not enough decent music related escape game for me to recommend, so "The Mad Rapper" rises to the occasion as a more than adequate option for being something unique and different from the rest. ◣ PREMISE A MYSTERIOUS ARTIST KNOWN AS "THE MAD RAPPER" HAS TAKEN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY BY STORM. THE MASKED MUSICIAN HAS BECOME THE BIGGEST SENSATION IN THE GAME AND IS HOLDING AUDITIONS TO JOIN HIS SQUAD. YOU AND YOUR CREW ARRIVE AT HIS STUDIO TO AUDITION AND SOON DISCOVER THE DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF DEALING WITH THE MAD RAPPER. YOU HAVE 60 MINUTES TO PASS YOUR AUDITION AND UNCOVER THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MAN IN THE MASK. GOOD LUCK AND REMEMBER, THERE'S A PRICE TO PAY FOR FORTUNE AND FAME. ◣ ANALYSIS Special Notes This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. The Quick Blurb "The Mad Rapper" has a few spots open in his squad. Audition to join him in a hip hop music infused journey that features classic escape room puzzles, fun hands-on physical missions, and original soundtrack produced by none other the the owner himself! Prior music knowledge not necessary to apply, but a mad flow may get you far. The Mad Rapper ▪ Scenario Escape Room The More Detailed Read So this is the underground music escape room that's been generating all the buzz since its opening. Well then, does Scenario live up to its hype? Does this escape game bring a strong enough... uh... game? Oh gosh, I apologize. I am so bad at hip hop puns. But get ready for a handful more. But first, let's divert your attention from my bad jokes to Eric, the owner. Eric, nice guy, loves music, hip hop to be exact. He writes, produces, and raps. He is familiar with the hip hop scene, its representation, and its underlying culture. He also loves escape rooms. So he took one part music passion, one part puzzle fun, mix 'em up, and out came "The Mad Rapper". The Mad Rapper, the latest industry sensation, is now hosting auditions--do you qualify to join his squad? The influence of hip hop and (mild spoiler) its association of gang culture is deeply woven into this game, and I myself would describe Rapper as a more condensed and more PG-13 version of the highly revered "Stash House" in K-town. Whereas the makers of Stash House explicitly warns its audience of its mature contents, Rapper, for the most part, is suitable for players as young as high school students. Middle school youngsters... iffy; sit this one out. The Mad Rapper ▪ Scenario Escape Room A mission veiled as purely a musical job interview, hopeful prospects will realize there's a price to join the Rapper's squad. And though there's an ongoing narrative that advances the plot, this isn't a heavily story driven escape room. My one related critique is when transitioning from one part of the game to the next, segue is lacking, and thus, the story's pacing and flow seems choppy. HOWEVER, as the business name implies (and explained by Eric), these parts are analogous to scenarios, or scenes, within a movie. And like real life movies, scene to scene progression sometimes involve sudden shift in location, mood, or tone. In short, just go with it! And indeed, much of the charm of Rapper derives from the range of puzzles you gotta solve and its overall feel-good vibe. If you strip away its gangster, excuse me, gangsta theme, at its core the game is actually extremely children friendly. There are several hands-on moments that are unexpectedly physical, and one particular skill based mission is easily the highlight of the night. Also, bringing your coordination A-game is highly recommended. Other puzzles aptly incorporated elements of hip hop music, and as mentioned, urban and street cultures. A music audition in name, but a classic escape room at heart, most riddles encountered will be familiar in format to enthusiasts. So even if you're not a fan of the music genre, or even music in general (ummm, what, who doesn't like music), fret not: this is still most definitely primarily a puzzle forward entertainment. In fact, as opposed to the more task based, or "immersion focused" new rooms flooding into LA, it's pleasing to see Scenario sticks to the basics and gives us some solid brainteasers, in a large variety no less. Those with music instrument background may have a clear advantage in one puzzle. Mad lyricist skills don't hurt either. The Mad Rapper ▪ Scenario Escape Room Room is rated as "challenging" at its official site... eh. I'd give it a 7 on the difficulty scale. I don't think Eric meant for this to be dauntingly hard--just the right amount of hurdle to make you feel accomplished, and I am sure the staff can even cater to beginners for a satisfying experience. In other words, everyone, novice or expert, will have a good time. Visually, Rapper is decent and above average, but expect graffiti galore! Audibly, this is technically a "unique to Scenario" experience. Keep your ears open for the business's own original soundtrack, 100% crafted for this room and this room only by the owner. To be able to fuse his passions and talents from two seemingly non-overlapping categories into one fluid product, this is one of the main reasons why this venue has been able to garner the fanfare and respect, including mine, that it well deserves. Grab a couple of friends (group of 4 to 5 is ideal), drive to Brea, and go audition. To be honest, as of today, Scenario is quite well known within the SoCal escape room community. So yo, Mad Rapper... Not so underground anymore, are you? P.S. A special shout out to EscapeTheRoomers for the invite. Always a pleasant memory. 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. SERRapper.

Stash House from Stash House (Based In Los Angeles, CA, USA) ◣ GAME'S SPECS 🕹️ In Person Experience » Escape Room 💪 Difficulty not specified. ⏲️ 90 minutes duration limit. 🔢 Accommodating 4-11 players, though 6-8 recommended, private booking. 💬 Hints system available, fully incorporated into narrative via mobile devices. 🛒 If you BOOK GAME due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout out! ;) ◣ MATTSTER'S TAKE 💪 Difficulty: For Matt's team of 7, it felt just about right, 5/10. 🔢 Ideal Team Size: As recommended by Stash House, 6-8 is a good call. There's a ton to complete. 🤷‍♂️ Best Fit For: Fans of Los Angeles lifestyle, hip hop culture, and Grand Theft Auto video games series would love Stash House. Even if you just appreciate a really well told story that happens to dapple with subjects of violence and drug use, you'll have an excellent time, too. Beginners may struggle to finish in time, but difficulty shouldn't be a deterrent to play. 🍵 Boils Down To: The accurate and comprehensive version: The perfect escape game that explores the dark underbelly of crime in Los Angeles through impeccable screenwriting, felicitous set designs, and of course, an extensive pool of clever, fun, and even at times humorous puzzles. The short version: The perfect escape game. Even shorter version: Perfect! Ⓜ️ Overall Rating: Stash House has maintained to occupy the *NUMBER ONE* spot in my heart for best narrative-driven escape room, not just in the LA market, but EVER. Till this day, I expect very few companies to be able to rival the scale of what Stash House has achieved years ahead of its curve. Going as far as claiming it a destination attraction to visit city for! ...WHOA! LOVED IT. THIS JOINS 🏆 "MUST DO!" 🏆 RANK! ◣ PREMISE Welcome to Stash House. Your group has been invited to a seemingly-normal Koreatown apartment owned by a local entrepreneur to discuss a business opportunity. Shortly after arriving, you discover the apartment belongs to Ray Jones, notorious Los Angeles drug kingpin, and that Ray has a test in store for you: find all the drugs hidden in the space and flush them before the cops arrive or face the consequences... Does your crew have what it takes to pass the test? ◣ ANALYSIS Special Notes This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. The Detailed Read Flushing unwanted coke down the toilet isn't something I planned on doing, but thanks to Stash House, that's another one off the bucket list. Drug kingpin Ray Jones wants to test your quick wits--with his twisted form of hazing if you will--before he allows you join his crew. Hidden around his apartment are bags of cocaine, which would surely land you in jail unless properly disposed of. Act swiftly, because he's already alerted the po-po to bust yo arses red-handed in 90 minutes. (Excuse their slowness; they're on their donut break.) A lone green light marks the spot ▪ Stash House Having heard much about this venue, tonight was undeniably a night to remember, for me to finally experience the absolutely fantastic Stash House. Raved among owners, enthusiasts, and casual players, SH's infamy of being awesome isn't unfounded. It's one hell of a bright, shiny gem of an escape experience... ...which contrasts sharply with the game's setting: a nondescript, unassuming building--no address number, no signage, simply marked with one lone green light. The simplicity and the very genius of utilizing anonymity set forth the tone of this experience. (Think about it: If a drug deal's about to go down, you surely don't to attract any attention, right?) It's in-theme. It's immersive. It's so effin' exciting! Eeeek! The interior of Ray's apartment took on a similar style, basic and functional, a couch, a kitchen area, a stripper pole. You know, the essentials. This PG-13 production borrowed heavily elements from the hip-hop communities and urban settings, showcasing the meticulous choices the owners made in shaping Ray Jones from a plot character into a more relatable, realistic figure. The careful research, mindful design, and authentic execution were all impressive. Stash House ▪ Stash House With the SH stage set and lit (Literally, look up! The "STASH HOUSE" lights!), puzzles were presented beautifully and logically. While the game still mostly resided in gen 1 territory (ie locks and combos), there's still virtually something for everyone. Those who know me well know I am an avid fan of old-school combo lock puzzles, if and when done right. And SH got it right, indeed. As noted, the range of challenges varied greatly, and each riddle required you access a different skill. You might technically be looking for the similar type of solutions (eg combos), but each hurdle before your destination was ever so different. Some visual, some other... let's just say, less visual. Prepare to even get down and dirty, in more ways than one. Secrets and plot twists, as regular room escapers came to expect, were certainly there. But DAMN (!!!), boy, was I ever so blown away and not ready for the reveal(s). I'd completed close to 80 escape rooms, and SH still gave me an off-the-chart OMG moment. Nicely done. Where are the drugs? ▪ Stash House A hefty amount of puzzles awaited, and with a time limit of 90 minutes, and a recommended player number of 6-8, SH was suitable and entertaining even for seasoned experts. (In fact, beginners may struggle quite a bit.) However the experience level, I wouldn't recommend any team to have more than 8 members in this private game. (6 seems ideal.) There comes a point when too many bodies would outweigh the benefits of having more noggins. Nonetheless, there really was A LOT to do, and my team of 7 divide-and-conquered, completing branched-off objectives in small groups, while finally congregating together again in an overall linear narrative. The overall journey was extremely rewarding, a magnitude only matched by the extreme wastefulness of ridding perfectly consumable, grade A stimulant. But that's ok. I am still high from the game. Mug shots ▪ Stash House One thing that Stash House made me realize tonight was that, it reminded me heaps of the Evil Genius saga, another great escape game in the LA market. They both had 1 thing in common--a unique, memorable plot. In a business recently saturated in gimmicky high-tech implementations and movie-grade sets, a surefire way to win over an audience's heart is still the same ol', plain ol' great story. The aforementioned game designers all had a vision of *their own* story universe; then they brainstormed, composed, edited, and eventually elegantly crafted a world where only their own branded characters live. This isn't another cannibalistic killer horror trope. We're not curing another deadly virus. This is something exclusive, remarkable, and eventful... ...And when past escape rooms start to blur with one another after my completing so many, Stash House would still stand out like a champion. It's GTA irl. Highly, highly recommended. 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. SHStash.

Cabin In The Woods from Eskape Rooms OC (Based In Irvine, CA, USA) ◣ GAME'S SPECS 🕹️ In Person Experience » Escape Room 💪 Rated as beginner/intermediate by company. ⏲️ 60 minutes duration limit. 🔢 Accommodating 2-8 players, private booking. 💬 Hints system available. (If memory serves me correctly, should be walkie-talkie based.) 🛒 If you BOOK GAME due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout out! ;) ◣ MATTSTER'S TAKE 💪 Difficulty: For Matt's team of 2, standard and easy, 3/10. 🔢 Ideal Team Size: 2, or 3 max. This is a gen 1 room with common tropes, so keep it intimate. 🤷‍♂️ Best Fit For: Those who are new-ish to escape rooms that don't mind a creepy thrill of a dangerous cabin. 🍵 Boils Down To: One of the more basic, albeit well executed rendition of, "escape the cabin killer" experience. Ⓜ️ Overall Rating: Game play lands somewhere in the average ballpark; staff & business practice ace their tests. ◣ PREMISE You and your friends have chosen to stay at one of the most highly rated cabins around owned by Mr. and Mrs. Berns. Once you get settled in you start to discover some questionable things. Can you uncover what the Berns are hiding before they arrive back? ◣ ANALYSIS Special Notes This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. The Detailed Read Technically a rebirth "version 2.0" of Eskape Rooms (that closed in 2018), Eskape Rooms OC's coming back with their newest game, Cabin In The Woods. I usually approach new venues cautiously with somewhat of an open mind: because, with escape games, newcomers seem to pop up rather frequently as of late. Some rooms turn out to be wonderful, and some... not so much. Initially, I thought, this could've swung either way. But keep reading... ;) Anyhoo! The waiting lobby looked unassuming, and helped set up a more-or-less mediocre expectation of what's to come--but that's A GOOD THING. Because once I stepped through the doorway to our ill-fated vacation in the Cabin, the visuals took a sharp turn. The game's interior looked rather gorgeous! Cabin In The Woods ▪ Eskape Rooms OC Considering the space used to be a plain office space, they really flexed their artistic muscle and transformed the area into a reasonably realistic looking wooden cottage. While I never saw what the old Eskape Rooms offered, I could really, really feel what the new Eskape Rooms was trying to achieve. There's a definite sense of determination, careful calculation, and professional execution in the way they want to re-introduce their brand to the audience. While not giving too much away, if you do visit, take the first minute or two to take it all in. Check out the beautiful wooden panels on the wall. Take note of the furniture choices. Listen carefully for the nicely supplementary sound effects. The amount of effort put in was obvious and commendable, especially for a small business. As the game progressed, it did become apparent that the later area could use further improvement. (And upon discussion post-game, the staff acknowledged that, indeed, there're plans to enhance the current experience.) This isn't something unusual; in fact, I've witnessed similarly scaled escape rooms progress step by step after opening, tweaking things for the better as they go. For what it was, though, production value was more than sufficient. Theme or puzzles wise, though, Eskape had fallen into somewhat of an average ballpark range. For reference, out of 70ish rooms I've played at this point, this is probably the 4th cabin themed escape room I've encountered, and the owners themselves probably know they aren't reinventing the wheel here. (An idyllic trip to the forest could be very well be my last! I mean, it seems like my life is endangered every time I stay in a cabin?!) Cabin In The Woods ▪ Eskape Rooms OC I do, however, give them credits for doing it well. You don't necessarily require incredible innovation to run a successful escape game, but you do need to know what you're capable of, and you need to push for excellence--the best version of what you can offer--and this's exactly that. I particularly loved that little "bed and breakfast" or "vacation" angle that tied the narrative together more enjoyably than I anticipated. Puzzles were your standard tropes, quite easy ones, in fact; if you're an enthusiast, you're gonna rock 'em. Even if you're a beginner, Cabin's still completely doable. With its variety and range, it makes a great introductory room. In fact, it's getting increasingly difficult to find rooms that graciously accommodate smaller groups without outrageous admission, so Cabin fills out this particular niche nicely. Specifically, if you're willing to cover the affordable minimal players requirement, this room is an excellent choice for dates (for lovebirds), and even a solo-player room (for loners) to complete for bragging rights. (Not everyone has friends, right? No? Just me?) Back to the puzzles--they leaned towards solving for combos/finding keys for locks. As such, however genuinely the creators tried to tie everything in an unifying theme, some puzzles still inevitably came across a bit unnatural. That's the general nature of gen-1 game play, and I don't fault them for that. Overall, it was pleasant and just challenging enough even for me to struggle a tad--which was essential to feel accomplished. Cabin In The Woods ▪ Eskape Rooms OC In closing, as a business, Eskape OC checked off all the essentials for me to recommend. They may be currently more catered to a specific type of audience (novice oriented), but assuredly still a fun time. Additionally, staff was polite and receptive to suggestions, and complimentary beverages and souvenir photo were available. (I mean, c'mon, free stuff.) For the price that you're paying, you're getting some quality entertainment packaged with little sweet bonuses. I believe in their potential, and I hope my positive review would help pave way for greater things to come. 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. EROCCabin.

The Secret At Whitmore Estate from Breaking Point Escape Rooms (Based In Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA) ◣ GAME'S SPECS 🕹️ In Person Experience » Escape Room 💪 Difficulty not specified. ⏲️ 60 minutes duration limit. 🔢 Accommodating 2-10 players, public/private booking (by choice). 💬 Hints provided at players' request. (If memory serves me correctly, hints are displayed on a monitor screen.) 🛒 If you BOOK GAME due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout out! ;) ◣ MATTSTER'S TAKE 💪 Difficulty: For Matt's team of 4, extremely fun but not hard at all, 3 to 4/10. 🔢 Ideal Team Size: Though I brought 4, a team of 2-3 with good experience could arguably finish with ease. 🤷‍♂️ Best Fit For: I honestly think everyone who is even remotely interested in playing an escape game will be thoroughly impressed by "Whitmore Estate". If you're old enough, brave enough, and passionate enough to ride "The Haunted Mansion" at Disney Parks, then even all the more compelling to pay a visit to Whitmore residence. 🍵 Boils Down To: One of the best original escape room creations ever landed in the SoCal market. It checks off everything at the top of its class, engaging narrative, amazing visuals, immersive game play. An industry leader. Ⓜ️ Overall Rating: I tend not to rate rooms with a numerical system, but I am pretty sure this is a bajillion out of 10. (This is not how it works? No? Well, that's why I don't rate my rooms with numbers, but my fervor for this game stands!) ...WHOA! LOVED IT. THIS JOINS 🏆 "MUST DO!" 🏆 RANK! ◣ PREMISE An award winning crime novelist inherits his family's mansion after their untimely demise. Soon after, he is reported missing. Residents throughout the local community are on edge as they witness strange events on the property. Can you uncover the secret at Whitmore Estate? ◣ ANALYSIS Special Notes This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. The Detailed Read Once in a while, I encounter an escape room so perfectly designed and executed, my mind is just completely at awe upon game completion. Today, I had to pleasure to try out Breaking Point's next entry "The Secret At Whitmore Estate", and this exact sentiment coursed through my entire body. My brain tried to completely process what I just witnessed in the past hour, while I literally held my cheeks in my two hands in disbelief. This Disney's Haunted Mansion inspired addition had been almost a year in the making. Last I visited to play "Patient 17", this was already on owners Rick & Ryan's to-do. To finally witness their baby after a lengthy wait, one can only imagine how much hard work (painstaking considerations, meticulous designs, and laborious construction) this long time frame entails. And most fortunately, every bit of that effort shows... excuse me, shines through... wait, COMPLETELY EFFIN' BLOWS MY MIND. The owners didn't want to release this unstoppable force of an escape room to the public until it's absolutely spotlight ready. They took their time, made sure everything was perfect, and they want this game to be among the leaders of the industry. And let me assure you, this room has surpassed their debut effort, will rightfully become their flagship attraction, and it's definitely something I'd continually recommend others! The Secret At Whitmore Estate ▪ Breaking Point Escape Rooms The main story behind the Estate involves solving the mysterious disappearance of the Whitmore family, and that's pretty much all I can divulge without spoiling the tale. However, this game fully understands what's good storytelling within the confines of a 60-minute escape room: 1) an intriguing but not over-complicated plot, 2) presented in small bite-size chunks for easy digestion, and most importantly, 3) without requiring players to read lots of text. For such an enjoyable experience that was story-driven, I loved every moment without feeling bogged down. Bravo. Art direction continues to be the *absolute greatest strength* of Breaking Point. Players are treated to a professionally produced video prior to entry, and this appropriately sets the tone to what's to follow--the gorgeous set! From beginning to end, this is a Hollywood grade experience. Through the door frame, you exit Rancho Cucamonga, and enters a fancy villa interior. (My friend's one-word description sums it up: authentic.) Whatever that I've praised about "Patient 17" applies here, and then some more. And to find out this is up to 90% or more DIY by the two guys that run the place--all the more amazing. That also means, you'll only get this one-of-a-kind treatment at this location, so, another reason to play. The Secret At Whitmore Estate ▪ Breaking Point Escape Rooms The meat of the escape room, the puzzles, also received a significant overhaul. While I liked the puzzles from "17", there are some minor issues that required tweaking for better customer satisfaction. "Whitmore", however, had no such issue. 100% logical. But to nitpick, these challenges were on the easier side, and will most likely not trump any veteran players for long. But hey, that just means even beginners and kids could savor in the satisfaction of solving these brain teasers. With that said, the elegant presentation supported by a beautiful set breathed new life into some classic puzzle clues, and each completed puzzle resulted in delightful reveals... ...Some very unforgettable ones, even. (Omg!) There's just so much I am dying to tell you guys, but can't, and that's exactly the type of takeaway that you want in a premium escape room trip. A fun time and memories made that you want to talk to your friends and peers about for hours, or even days, on end. And just to inform any hardcore escape fans, this game employs both amazing automated technology and basic lock and key system, and the two blended flawlessly into one harmonious stay at the enigmatic manor. Majority of challenges are fully incorporated into the story, with only few exceptions that are more "puzzle-obvious". Quite negligible with all things considered. The Secret At Whitmore Estate ▪ Breaking Point Escape Rooms I sincerely & urgently insist all escape room enthusiasts to book this room, especially for those who overlap as Disney fanatics. The various quite-so-obvious homage to the iconic Disneyland attraction are the icing on this delicious cake, but "Whitmore" in its own individual right was more than enough to be a star of its own in today's competitive market. Lastly, I want to formally thank the owners for their hospitality, (being the great hosts that they always are,) and I hope your stubbornness for high standard and dedication to your crafts will continue to fuel the longevity of your business, the industry, and this incredible hobby that I've come to love so, so much. 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. BPERWhitmore.