"LUCKY HEIST" FROM LOCK AND MIRRORS WHAT IS THIS? "Lucky Heist" is a play-at-home, online puzzle game with a tad of print-and-play element, though printing can be easily avoided. It is published by Lock And Mirrors, a company based in the United States. The game interface runs on web browser like Chrome, and can be played on a desktop or a mobile device. Complementary clue file requires a PDF file reader. "LUCKY HEIST" CAN BE PURCHASED HERE. From company: ⏲️ N/A ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 N/A PREMISE You have found a pot of gold! Unfortunately, the Leprechaun that has hidden it has built an elaborate contraption to protect it! Can you solve all the tricky contraptions to open secret compartments and ultimately open the final vault door and get his gold? Lucky for you, he has left behind some of his possessions that may help you to unravel the many puzzles and riddles he has used to lock away the gold. (Credits: Lock And Mirrors) THE REVIEW Ready to strike it rich? | Credits: Lock And Mirrors SHORT ON TIME? ⌚ ▪ You're on the go, or just don't feel like reading? Jump to THE VERDICT for a quick assessment! THEMING & PRODUCTION ▪ Originally released around early April, this literally luckily titled game offers puzzles surrounding a theme of good luck, great fortune, and a leprechaun. Most probably first conceived as a Saint Patrick's Day holiday special, "Lucky Heist" certainly feels seasonal, though undoubtedly can be enjoyed throughout the year. While the goal of hunting treasures isn't the most unique, (just ask any other pirate booty escape games out there), the unifying puzzle focus on luck does offer something less commonplace, and also functions as helpful pattern in solving the brainteasers. I've overall come to appreciate the concept. ▪ Otherwise, there isn't much of a story other than "solve my various intricate puzzles and win big money!" But you don't always need an elaborate narrative to have fun. (Corny spoiler alert: the memories you make with you team is the real treasure after all...) (Omg, shut up, Mattster.) ▪ The presentation, however, leans a bit on the bare side, though this is admittedly a product of preconceived bias. Having already reviewed the "Alone Together" saga, and knowing "Lucky Heist" also comes from the same creator(s), I expected the graphics to be similarly impressive. And while "Lucky" is entirely adequate in its own right, it justifiably pales against its older siblings. I would love to see a future facelift with brighter colors, more quirky animations, and more lively additions in general. Leprechauns use puzzle-powered security system, apparently | Credits: Lock And Mirrors GAME PLAY & PUZZLES ▪ The game interface cycles through a handful of pages of interrelated puzzles, with each representing a different surface of the treasure vault that one must unlock in order to get to the luxurious center--where the gold coins await! It's a simple, no-BS setup that has both pros and cons. On the one hand, this is the cleanest route to go for its target players with little puzzling background, to help them decipher challenges without excessive amount of distraction. On the other, for those who eat puzzles for breakfast, this appears too basic and is unlikely to make a memorable impact. ▪ The puzzles themselves rely on scrambling critical information all over, requiring the players to locate, match, and apply pertaining clues to appropriately corresponding riddles. For the most part, (with a few exceptions maybe), what you need to complete a puzzle in the web browser is located on the PDF file, so the first step essentially becomes a matching game between the two. (Your eyes will be darting left and right and up and down!) The relevant cues are fairly obvious and should easily instill a sense of satisfaction and confidence in players of all level. ▪ Once appropriate clues are sorted out, what remains are classic escape room tropes, with the likes of "directional lock", pattern recognition and input, jigsaw puzzles, and interpreting encrypted secret messages. It's a nice collection for Beginners 101 course, and again, most fitting for younger audience. Experts will speed right through like Flash. ▪ I've finished, well, almost finished, the entire game as a solo effort under 25 minutes, sans one puzzle that stumped me silly. My friend walking by was able to nonchalantly beat it under matters of seconds, nonetheless. This strange turn of events actually made me like this game better, since something that offers zero challenge often bores me, and "Lucky Heist" still has a trick or two up its sleeves for different mindsets, brain types, and more experienced gamers beyond its intended target. ▪ The print-and-play PDF contents need not to be printed. Certain puzzle pieces will make the game a more tangible and hands-on experience, and probably a more engaging time and easier solving journey for the kiddos. For the more mentally capable, replicating identical clues on scratch papers will do just fine. So, if you want, go green and save some trees. OTHER FACTORS ▪ I initially couldn't understand why the contents is split between the web and a PDF, because everything can certainly be merged into one seamless, purely online experience. The separation of information achieves 2 goals, as it turns out: 1) it elevates the difficulty of puzzles slightly, and 2) it facilitates game sharing. That is, each purchased game code can only be used once on one device, and having a small group congregate around that one device seems impractical. Distributing each member their own PDF clue sets (somewhat) bypasses this inconvenience. ▪ At a $5 price tag, it makes for both a great pre-planned party event or a last-minute purchase if you need a family game night attraction but just don't have one. For returning customer familiar with the Enchambered's "Alone Together 2", however, be aware that even though both games sell for the same dollar amount, "Lucky Heist" will be significantly simpler and shorter, a reflection of its catering for a younger audience. THE VERDICT ENJOYMENT: 🙂 "Lucky Heist", in a nutshell, is a luck-themed escape game designed for a family of all ages to enjoy. While the not-often-encountered theming works well enough, presentation falls a tad short. Both the game play and puzzles clearly gravitate towards the more novice population, rendering this an affordable and wholesome option for the non-enthusiast public for a casual playthrough. After all, $5 for a chance to heist for gold at the end of the rainbo... errr... inside a sturdy prize vault? It's a bargain to consider. DIFFICULTY: 2/10 The above subjective rating is based on a team of 1 (mostly). It may differ from the company's official rating. Let's put this 2/10 into perspective, however: for a game that aims for a demographic of mostly tweens and teens, the puzzles aren't going to be terribly challenging for adult players--let alone for this puzzle fanatic/enthusiast! IS THIS FOR ME? If you're looking for a game for the younger crowd, or for beginner-level players with little to no prior experience, or a light but fun option for family game night, or something that will not break the bank, "Lucky Heist" may be for you. Fans who want to support the same folks who brought you the "Alone Together" series may also want to check this out for completist's sake. For other hardcore escape game lovers seeking a real challenge, this is probably not it. "LUCKY HEIST" CAN BE PURCHASED HERE. 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. SAMLucky.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO THE CINDERELLA MURDERS | THE FAIRY TALE FILES BY SOCIETY OF CURIOSITIES 🗺️ Based In United States ⏲️ 45-90 Minutes ▪ 💪 Medium Difficulty ▪ 🔢 N/A 📚 A grisly double-murder shocks Fairy Tale Land! Lady Tremaine and one of her two daughters are found stabbed at the manor. The prime suspect is the mistreated stepdaughter Cinderella--she had motive and opportunity. Could it be that simple? THE GALLERY The Cinderella Murders | The Fairy Tale Files By Society Of Curiosities THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Puzzle Game In A Box (Package) / By-Mail Puzzle Hybrid ▪ A fairy tale-themed escape puzzle narrative adventure that will have you rethink the classic story time characters as you know them. This ain't your regular Disney princess happily-ever-after in the making--it's every (wo)man for themselves to create the perfect ending, and murder is certainly NOT off the table. Game play and contents will spread evenly between on-hand, paper-based clues and online portal; players will enjoy roughly 1 to 2 hours of novice-to-medium-level, family-friendly puzzling fun. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you're a youngster who loves prince/princess tales, and are ready for your first escape game(s) featuring this exact theme. ▪ If you're an adult that enjoys fairy tales like "Cinderella", but think, "Hmmm, what would a darker, modernized version be like?" ▪ If you love games that have you embark on an magical journey in an enchanted land, but also solve a grim murder on the side. ▪ If you appreciate riddles, language play, and other brainteasers that are less traditional escape room-ish and more kids-friendly. ▪ If you want to share your love for Society Of Curiosities with friends who like a more straightforward (and less ARG-style) play. ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: The Bewitched Circus, Clue Kingdom, Seven Dwarfs, and Hot Chocolate Incident. OVERALL VERDICT: 😃 ▪ Advice: Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 1, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 6/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I recommend a team of 1 to 2. I do honestly think this game may be disproportionately more difficult for me than most, since I am rubbish at these puzzle types. You may find it much easier. 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BUY, CLICK HERE! THE (FULL) REVIEW GLASS SLIPPER MURDERS! | The Fairy Tale Files By Society Of Curiosities INTRODUCTION & THEME ▪ Inspired by classic fairy tales told for ages, now reimagined with a moderately darker twists, "The Fairy Tale Files" puzzle series is the latest project brought to life from the creative masters behind Society Of Curiosities. First of four in the series to report trouble--troubles, plural, in fact--in Fairy Tale land, "The Cinderella Murders" is the creators' first stab in the murder mystery category. In fact, it's a fatal stab with the sharply pointed, glassy high heel of Cinderella's slipper, ending in a double homicide--now the question is, who did the deed? (Society Of Curiosities doesn't mess around. Historically, they haven't incorporated any malicious killing in their previous narratives, but when they do, bam! A two-for-one special, madam.) ▪ "Fairy Tale Files" is a departure from Society's usual route and an artistic endeavor in different creative direction. While cases from the Society Of Curiosities are of alternate-reality or augmented-reality games style, specifically aiming to blur the lines between reality with fabricated strange happenings, "Fairy" pledges full devotion to absolute fantasy, in which prescription spells help heal ailments, and vermin are your besties for life. The juxtaposition of something as heavy and permanent as murder is an interesting distortion in a seemingly sugary utopia, and it will be intriguing to see how the rest of the collection plays out. ▪ Despite the above, the overall adventure format is familiar enough for returning fans to just pick up and go, while easy enough for new players to learn swiftly. What's essentially the same is you will receive a package of puzzle goodies, some you can examine right away, others concealed and to be unpacked later. The main narrative will similarly be told through the eyes of your correspondent, Maximillian Lepoof from the Magical Mishaps Agency, whom you'll chat with via a web messaging system. This game is strictly online through pixie dust magic, so no SMS involved--such technology does not exist in Fairy Tale Land! IMPRESSIONS ▪ Geared towards a more affordable price point, "Fairy Tales" has a reasonable price tag of around $20 USD, and will feature mostly paper-based materials. While I most certainly appreciate the various trinkets from my previous Society Of Curiosities titles, the thinner and lighter materials are easier to ship, carry around, and store, and they still look fantastic in its own right. My personal favorites include the official newspaper from Prince Charming's homeland, and the colorful and sparkling evidence collection. Thoughtful production value remains a signature M.O. for the company, no matter what the cost tier may be. ▪ The other half of the game, the online messaging portal, is equally visually pleasing. A watercolor painting of what looks be a fairy tale book interface, placed in front of the contrasting bloody red background, coupled with a mesmerizing soundtrack, this sets the stage--and the mood--just right for some make-believe sleuthing. From a technical standpoint, this communication and hint system runs without any bug, and makes the overall gaming experiencing as smooth as Libelle Treville's (stepsister's) supple skin. (Oh no, was that creepy? If so, replace comparison with butter. As smooth as butter.) ▪ What perhaps will go on to become the most defining aesthetics for this series is the stunning artwork. The specifically commissioned and tailor-made illustrations give an unquestionable unique look for this new project, and what's even more satisfying is, the artist is able to capture the darker and more mature tone of the storyline without completely sacrificing customary vibe of classic children bedtime story. Think of it like Detective Pikachu going live action. It's the same character basis, but just more authentic. More edgy. And a little more slaying royalty. ▪ And the font! Both online and offline, font choice is dead-on (deader than Lady Tremaine) immaculate. Love. It. ▪ One noticeable difference is that there is a lot more illustrations of sceneries employed in this puzzle series when compared to the main line from Society Of Curiosities. More specifically, there is relatively less usage of "real-life" prop such as maps, articles, and charts, though they still can be found in some capacity, just to a lesser extent. Subbing for the reality-blurring approach to immersion is an invite for the players to metaphorically step inside a fairy tale book. You now journey through the plot through a series of text (with Max) and many, many pages of elucidating artwork--so in this sense, it's really like flipping through storybook! A literal fairy tale book messaging portal | The Fairy Tale Files By Society Of Curiosities PUZZLES ▪ The overall puzzle contents can be divided into two main aspects: an exploration side in which you travel all over Fairy Tale Land to investigate, to do interviews, and to gather intel and more evidence; and a case-solving side, in which you have to ultimately decide who's the killer out of four possible suspects. A good ol' whodunit as your finale task. Choose wisely! ▪ Majority of your time will be spent directing your detective partner Max on where to go, who to speak with, and what to do with certain inventory items and information. While on the surface, it first appears like a choose-your-adventure sort of journey, and there is indeed some freedom in choosing your own task-to-do order, the game is still dominantly linear. You will be prodded along a predetermined path to encounter story and puzzle segments as they are arranged to play out. Once you hit a puzzle step, you MUST solve it before moving on. For the younger or beginners crowd, there is solid structure and great guidance for easy gaming. For the more experienced, however, this feels a bit rigid and I prefer events to unfold more organically. ▪ Designed to be an experience playable by beginners, families, and even younger kids, the puzzle selection deviates from traditional escape games and leans towards more intuitive challenges. Riddles are plentiful and fit into the storybook universe well; also along the same veins are word plays involving sounds and idioms. For returning customers familiar with previous Society games, there are also reading and knowledge-applying task and a bit of code deciphering. Comprehensively speaking, these brainteasers are meant to be solvable with minimal previous experience, and may actually be paradoxically more challenging for experts who are more accustomed to overused tropes. The takeaway: expect something different. ▪ Pages are flowing red, but not from the victim's blood, but with red herrings! What's perhaps the trickiest and most ingenious part of the storytelling, every single one of the four suspects all seem equally likely to be your guy/gal, and it truly is a mystery until the very end. After all... There's a killer among us, and everyone's a little sus. Now this is the type of red herring I like! ▪ Be sure to take notes dutifully. Little details are keys to solving the double murder, and the critical tidbits will slip by easily if you don't pay close attention. Organize your notes neatly, and use a systematic process of elimination to deduce down to only one possible culprit. Don't overthink. Though I've epically failed to apprehend the right gal/guy by picking literally everyone else who's innocent, (gosh, I was terrible!), I both appreciated the thought process and enjoyed the final reveal with great satisfaction. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ For a game aimed to expand into family demographics, this game is jam-packed with more adult humors (not the dirty kind) that only the more devious minds will get. There are portions that reek Housewives drama, temporarily transporting me from a fairy tale to the E! network. Sweet, sweet Cinderella's got a social ladder-climbing, not-that-innocent conniving-ish side, and what's not to love? It's plausible to compare "The Cinderella's Murders" to a Disney/Pixar animation--certainly appropriate for the young ones in the family, but dig a little deeper, there are layers reserved for the grown-ups to savor. OVERALL VERDICT: 😃 ▪ "The Cinderella Murders" kicks off "The Fairy Tale Files" nicely with a well-paced fantasy adventure, a cunningly-written murder mystery, a smirk-inducing satire all in one light but compelling envelope. Not exactly a puzzle-centric contender, though dripping with just the right amount of deceit, bloodthirst, and humor (love me some hearty amount of humor), this fantastic looking at-home story/game combo is wholesome enough for the kids to play, but also just naughty enough to thrill the kids at heart. 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. FTFCinderella.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO TACO TWOSDAY | TRAPPED PUZZLE ROOMS (TRAPPED TAKEOUT) 🗺️ Based In United States ⏲️ 2-3 Hours ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 2 Teams 📚 The world FBI (Flour Bureau of Investigation) and CIA (Corn Intelligence Agency) must join forces to stop the Guaca-mole! Designed for two teams to tackle together or remotely with 2-3 hours of teamwork! (Taco TWOsday is a series of communication puzzles, designed for two people or teams to play. This (complete, full) product includes both the CIA and the FBI packets.) THE GALLERY Taco TWOsday | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Trapped Takeout THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Puzzle Game In A Box (Package) ▪ A taco-themed game night for two (teams) to savor. Quality time to bond, with none of the calories! With one team as the FBI (Flour Bureau of Investigation), and the other as the CIA (Corn Intelligence Agency), together they will prevent furry rodent-like villain the Guaca-Mole from stealing all of the world's supply of avocado chip dip. Through a series of communication cooperative puzzles spanning across various topics and formats (from word plays, to emojis, to movie reference), this lighthearted, humorous, and clever takeout order provides several hours of *chef's kiss* perfectly hearty entertainment. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you like food with your games. Like, as in food themed, but who's to say you can't eat actual tacos while playing this? ▪ If you enjoyed the previous "Retro Rad Pizza Adventure". Similar theme, similar story, improved puzzles, all-around winner! ▪ If you like silly word plays, silly jokes, silly pop culture or movie references. A whole lot of silliness and tons of fun here. ▪ If co-op puzzle is your thing. Seriously though, if you can't communicate effectively... you'll gonna have a bad time. ▪ If you just crave some smart and well-designed puzzles, if nothing else. Every challenge is solid, satisfying, and hits the spot. ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: Alone Together series, Unboxing The Mind, Bluefish Games products. OVERALL VERDICT: 😍 ▪ Advice: Based on everything discussed below, with my 2 teams of 1 each, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 5/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I recommend 2 teams of 1 to 2 each. Personally, I feel the game is best experienced if all players are situated physically close by, though remote play remains a viable option. ▪ Tip: A few puzzles may not have the clearest directions to start. The first hint or two will usually clarify any confusion. 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BUY, CLICK HERE! THE (FULL) REVIEW Taco TWOsday | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Trapped Takeout INTRODUCTION & THEME ▪ "Taco TWOSday" is incredibly aptly named: it's the company's second puzzle product in their food-themed "takeout" line, and it's designed for play between two teams. This spiritual sequel featuring the Mexican cuisine staple retains an overflowing amount of food-related cuteness, and the targeted audience of two (teams) makes it a perfect date night activity. ▪ Game play involves a brief textual introduction, either from on-hand materials or on the accompanying game website, then players proceed to solve various challenges with props included in the package. Once solution is obtained, it can be verified via said website, and if correct, the game moves on to the next stage. Hints and nudges are also available on site. ▪ Like "Pizza Adventure", the story involves a supervillain's evil plan to steal all of the world's supply of one certain food--this time, the popular avocado-based deliciousness known as the guac--and it's up to you to thwart their agenda. While the basic narrative skeleton remains the same, this round, the execution is much more direct, text-based, and puzzle-driven, ridding the more media-dense video approach from the last game. The lighter technique yields strangely effective result; the overall experience is easier to understand and more time-efficient. This is one taco meal that won't leave you feeling bloated! ▪ Unlike "Pizza", however, "Taco TWOsday" is a communication cooperative game, so you can't dine solo. One team becomes the FBI (Flour Bureau of Investigation), the other, the CIA (Corn Intelligence Agency), each given their own exclusive intel files. The two sides then must communicate and piece together their halves of the clues to triumph. I am equally thrilled about the always-challenging co-op play and the geek-tastic, funny word choice. (No, I lied. I may be more excited about the verbal gags.) ▪ The villain, the Guaca-Mole, a subterranean furry critter with a penchant for green creamy dip? Adorable AND another clever word play! (And the word plays certainly won't end here! For those into punny humor, many good times await.) IMPRESSIONS ▪ Components continue to be paper-based, and while not super fancy, I appreciate a deliberate and successful attempt to produce an impressive product with just paper contents. For instance, for the "Operation: Lettuce" portion, materials are printed on light green cardboards, while the analogous mission named after cheese are printed on yellow papers. The thoughtful color coordination stays consistent throughout, an appreciated feature that keeps the fun food theme explicitly active and immersive. ▪ Another huge advantage (some may even say improvement) compared to the last title is the welcoming lack of preparation needed. These tacos are ready to eat, right out of the package, y'all. There is absolutely no unpacking, unrolling of paper, or any sort of heavy crafting involved. Everything comes pre-assembled; maximal convenience, minimal hassles. ▪ Though the storyline is largely a fantasy (until one day an army of moles start stealing our avocados, that is), the investigation aspect is surprisingly logical and procedural, with main objectives realistically starting with a secret contact, moving onto locating the suspect, and finally raiding their secret compound. These coherent puzzle steps make good sense, therefore competently adhering together a journey much more engaging and immersive than I've initially expected. ▪ Overall, production value is humble but decent, though this really is beside the point since a substantial bulk of your enjoyment derives directly from the truthfully well-designed and well-produced puzzles. It's back to the basics with no BS: the puzzles speak for themselves, and they shouting loud and clear that they are the stars of the show. Are you a CIA kinda folk, or will you join the FBI? | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Trapped Takeout PUZZLES ▪ One word: QUALITY! You can skip this entire section now. (Just kidding. Don't. I need my readership.) There is not one single weak puzzle introduced in this taco game night. And even more satisfyingly, I don't necessarily detect any classic or conventional puzzle types or ideas being blatantly recycled, which was one of the weaker aspects of the previous title. All in all, my partner and I both agree, this is one game you'll walk away feeling mentally aroused, exercised, and accomplished--and refreshingly so. ▪ Though already mentioned, it's worthy to note once more: WORD PLAYS! Trapped Puzzle Rooms has a tendency to be strike up humor with this literacy technique, and it's no exception here. In certain cases, the word play is so intense, that the witty answers can be simultaneously an in-joke and the puzzle for the next step. Say what?! Good times, good times. ▪ A brief sampling of tasks you'll face: spot the difference, paper strip jigsaw, and emoji deciphering. Abundant variety. ▪ Occasional Googl-ing (web search) is most likely required, or at least helpful, to complete the game. Experts of pop culture, movie reference, and international geography may ignore the previous statement. ▪ The estimated play time of 2 to 3 hours is dead-on accurate, assuming no cheating occurs. You'll most likely spend a good chunk of the time communicating. (Once you've established the basic setup, however, the "actual" puzzle solving process can be relatively speedy.) Designated break time will be suggested to prevent brain burnout. However, this game is so compellingly entertaining, you'll gladly power through. (This is one rare instance of food binging Escape Mattster will gleefully support.) ▪ Due to the communication puzzle nature, difficulty can drastically vary among players. The ability to effectively communicate is most important for all, novice, expert, or otherwise. Keep in mind: corresponding clues from each side may vary (in format) more than you think! So be as clear and as specific as you can when describing what you see to your crime-fighting partner(s). ▪ Alas, certain puzzles lack clear instructions to start, marking this one of the very few, if not the only, weaknesses found. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ If you've purchased the last takeout game, the decision to buy this follow-up product will be easy to make. The first takeout adventure is a pizza pie with mixed ingredients--some parts great, some parts less desirable. The new taco quest, however, maintains everything that works well from the first game, subtracts others that don't, and presents a final, refined dish of delicacy with all the strengths and none of the weaknesses. The game will feel familiar... but better. Every bite is a delectable delight. ▪ At $36 (plus shipping), the price tag skews towards the slightly higher end, though justifiable due to assembling-associated labor costs. You can reduce out-of-pocket spending by splitting across teammates. Additionally, by keeping all game materials pristine--unmarked or unwritten on--the entire game can be reassembled, thus retaining replay value for your family and friends. OVERALL VERDICT: 😍 ▪ The Trapped Takeout business is booming! Their first culinary creation is respectable though not without flaws, but the chefs in the kitchen have since honed their knives and improved their skills, and their sophomore effort is a Michelin-starred experience. No matter what day of the week, "Taco TWOsday" is the perfect yummy feast for any puzzle lover, (well-)seasoned or otherwise. 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. TPRTaco.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE REVIEW THE INFO TUNNELLING THROUGH TIME | DEADLOCKED ESCAPE ROOMS & BRUNEL MUSEUM 🗺️ Based In United Kingdom ⏲️ About 90-120 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 N/A 📚 The Thames Tunnel at The Brunel Museum in London was the world’s first underwater tunnel, and Deadlocked Escape Rooms have collaborated with The Brunel Museum to create our most cinematic adventure yet: What starts as a simple task of helping contractor Joey Beamish with some network tests soon explodes into a time travelling romp through the true stories of the Thames Tunnel. 💭 OVERALL VERDICT: 😃 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BUY, CLICK HERE! THE GALLERY Tunnelling Through Time | Deadlocked Escape Rooms & Brunel Museum THE REVIEW Tunnelling Through Time | Deadlocked Escape Rooms & Brunel Museum A QUICK REVIEW ▪ "Tunnelling Through Time" is a collaboration online puzzle game created by Deadlocked Escape Rooms and Brunel Museum. Designed and brought to life by the creative minds behind "A Close Shave: The Movember Virtual Moscape Room", this time-traveling escape adventure is fun game night (or day, or anytime!) offering that will help raise fund for a charitable cause. 100% of the profit will help sustain vital running costs for UK's historical Brunel Museum, which has been harshly affected by the pandemic. To learn more on this urgent matter, see more info here. ▪ Note: This is a "quick" review. Though not as detailed as my regular in-depth publication (averaging at about 6 to 7 minutes of reading time), this informative, albeit slightly shorter review still packs quite an amount of useful materials to help guide your gaming and puzzling decisions. We got quite a lot of ground to cover, so let's get started! THOUGHTS ▪ When I first learned this game was made specifically for the Brunel Museum, I thought it would surely be a semi-educational (and possibly semi-boring, heh!) history lesson under the guise of entertainment. My illogical aversion to the buzz word museum turned out to be misleading and flat out wrong, because "Tunnelling Through Time" wasn't only fun and amusing, it (technically) did not require any prior knowledge, historical or otherwise, to play! Anyone is welcome to just dive in. ▪ However, I do think it's fair to say, if you're a London local and are already familiar with the Brunel Museum, its missions, its exhibit contents, and its starring engineers, you would have a much easier time with the beginning puzzles, and will be able to appreciate the corresponding inspired plotline and characters on a different level. If interested, I would suggest reading briefly on the museum, the Brunel father-and-son engineers, and perhaps even the Thames Tunnel, just for kicks. ▪ The game title references the physical setting and the plot line of time traveling! The Brunels are alive and active during the 1700s to 1800s, so expect to be magically transported back a few centuries with protagonist Joey Beamish. And yes! This is the same Joey from previous Deadlocked games. Your favorite IT personnel is back, this time rocking her blond do, but just as ready for another round of exciting shenanigans. If you're a fan of Joey and the rest of Deadlocked universe, you're in for a treat. ▪ Compared to the last title, graphics and visual aesthetics greatly improved, impressing even the critic in me. Though the same programming platform (Unity) is used to run both games, the augmented-reality puzzle hunt approach was abandoned and instead, this new game felt more self-contained in its own tale, and made less attempt at blurring the line between fantasy and reality. The puzzles also felt more distinctively escape room-ish, making "Tunnelling" my preferred choice of the two. ▪ There was a lengthy amount of cinematic footage used for both story narration and transitional cut-scenes in between puzzle solving. Due to the dramatic increase of video inclusion, it isn't inaccurate to say this is a mini movie-puzzle game hybrid. With the screenplay decently well-written and the acting solidly well-acted, I once again found the actors arguably the best part of the product! However, the stronger puzzles in this game gave the characters a good run for their money--so let's just say both departments shone bright and proud, and came harmoniously together as one robust work. ▪ It's important to note once more that 100% of the proceeds will go into Brunel Museum directly to keep its operation alive, so future generations can continue to visit, learn, and appreciate a piece of London's architectural past. I have deep respect for the company (Deadlocked) responsible for producing the title, and yet not taking even a cent of profit for its hard work. Escape the room in the 1800s! | Deadlocked Escape Rooms & Brunel Museum PUZZLES ▪ This wouldn't be an escape and puzzle game blog if we didn't dedicate a section for the puzzles--so let's focus on in! ▪ The game started off noticeably more difficult than I had initially expected, though that's most likely due to my being an American and had zero knowledge about the Brunels and their contributions to London prior to this game. (But not anymore! I really did learn a thing or two. Did you know... the Thames Tunnel is the first tunnel known to have been constructed successfully underneath a navigable river?) I would rate the overall game difficulty as a 5 to 6/10. ▪ The initial part of the game felt a bit similar to "A Close Shave", with Joey having to fiddle with a control panel of sort, to repair and calibrate tech or networking problems. (You know, her official job description!) So expect to face some familiar puzzle formats that require following directions and playing around with buttons and dials. ▪ Once the time-travelling went into full swing, however, the game switched gears with well-partitioned "stages", with a new set of challenges to enjoy with each temporal journey. Each individual level carried a different flavor: the first destination featured gen-1 escape room and more traditional puzzle elements, the second had an emphasis on action-based tasks, and the third was best described as a mixture of both. Some specific examples include: padlock combo, observe and find, and a bit of simple math. ▪ Because there was such a wide variety of puzzles available across all the stages, I can almost guarantee you will find something to your liking. For instance, while I was not a big fan of logic or Google map-based puzzle (a mere preference, really), I absolutely fancied the entire fairground-themed segment. The midway and arcade games-loving child in me had a field day! ▪ You may need and are allowed to use Google assistance. The embedded hint system was also amazingly well-scripted, with Joey explaining in small steps, guiding you through the problem in bite-size chunks and in the most logical sense possible, so you can try to work it out on your own once you have received just the right amount of assistance. OVERALL VERDICT: 😃 ▪ Part jovial escape game, part mesmerizing cinematic experience, all melded together in wholesome spirits and good heart, "Tunnelling Through Time" transcends the boundary of space and time, bridges the gap between the puzzle game and historical museum worlds, and offers a charitable option that you can feel great for doing good all the while having some fun. 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. DLERTunnel.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO 20000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA | NOVEL ESCAPE 🗺️ Based In United States ⏲️ 65 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 Unlimited, 2-6 Recommended 📚 You're a prisoner on a submarine, and the captain has offered you one chance at escape: find the treasure hidden deep at the bottom of the ocean. The catch? Your air runs out in ONE HOUR. It's a race against the clock. Do you have what it takes to scour the ocean floor, capture the treasure, and make it back to the surface before you run out of time? (Just because you can’t leave your house doesn’t mean you can’t take an undersea adventure. Our remote escape room is just like our in-house game, minus the germs!) THE GALLERY 20000 Leagues Under The Sea (Remote) | Novel Escape THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room ▪ A Zoom-livestreamed version of an existent, underwater themed escape room that features an inspired plotline and characters from the novel by the same name from Jules Verne. The story takes Captain Nemo and his virtual crew into the body of submarine Nautilus, which then ventures deep into the ocean floor to help Nemo find the true treasure of his life. Innovative and fun mental puzzles are plentiful, though an outstanding performance from the hosting actor/avatar positively steals the spotlight. For those who enjoy reading classic tales and solving escape puzzles in their free time--Novel Escape is the company for you. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you're a fan of the original novel "20000 Leagues Under The Sea", and want to see it come to life in escape game form. ▪ If you enjoy an amusing theatrical take on how hanging out with Nemo would be like, and appreciate some good laughs. ▪ If prefer savoring a game with solid puzzles that require mental work, as opposed to one with an overreliance on showy tech. ▪ If you want to support a new, small business in Austin, Texas, which has shown great potential to grow and expand. ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: Nautilus, The Argo (to be reviewed), The Heist, Operation: X-13. SOUNDS GREAT, NOW WHAT? 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BOOK, CLICK HERE! 💻 For remote experience, watch out for potential time & date difference due to varying time zones. 💻 Live feed requires Zoom. Inventory uses Telescape Live and requires a reliable web browser, such as Firefox. 🧐 Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 4, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 3 to 4/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I recommend a team of 3 to 4, possibly more if players are beginners. THE (FULL) REVIEW Captain Nemo and his crew aboard the Nautilus submarine | Novel Escape IMPRESSIONS ▪ Rather than explaining the rules or going over the basic premise, "20000 Leagues Under The Sea" started off with our avatar, in full character as Captain Nemo, doing a mixture of both through "story time": She literally grabbed a book off the shelf, summarized what's to happen in the next hour, in some sort of rhyming poem. Probably a first for my team, and a different approach from most company to begin a Zoom game, this worked uniquely in a tongue-in-cheek way as Nemo explained, "Hey, this is how we do it at NOVEL escape, get it?" Chortle. I do, Nemo, I do. And I love puns and word play. You already got me. ▪ Nemo then led us, via the live broadcast, through the corridors of the venue to the entrance of the escape room. This short but deliberate display of the hallways may break immersion for certain audience, but for me, it still aligned with the company's bookish theme. Synonymous to the idea of "reading opens up a whole new world", we're about to step through the escape room door (the metaphorical book cover) into the heart of the story universe--the metallic body of a deep sea submarine. But hey, if this doesn't work do it for ya, I get it; it's a very brief moment to overlook in any case. ▪ Our adorable, pink-haired avatar (Kelly) played Nemo with a convincing British accent, and being unfamiliar with the original plot line, I assumed this was canon--but it's all very impressive all the same. Captain Nemo was perhaps the best, yes, that's correct, the best part of my escape experience. Having a theater background, this young lady pulled off being both charming and humorous, all whilst fulfilling avatar duties as being our eyes and arms. As both an actress and an avatar, she effortlessly exerted a friendly presence and maintained a steady control and pacing throughout. In short, she was just fantastic. ▪ Though I expected the entire game to take place inside Nautilus the submarine much like the Disney attraction, the room actually consisted a significant portion of ocean floor exploration, rendering it already more varied than any sub themed escape game I've played. To recreate both the interior of an underwater voyager and the bottom of the sea is an ambitious project, and Novel Escape has done a reasonable job in delivering on this front. Production value was not movie-set level amazing; quality is consistent and reflective with most small business's budget. I saw a lot of heart and hard work put in, and it looked decent and was exceptionally functional for its purpose. As with any good adventure, several unsuspected secrets await. THEMING ▪ The theme drew direct inspirations from the publication of the same name, (as I suspect all rooms of this company will,) though you need not to have read the book to take joy in the game. From my rather cursory understanding of the novel from pop culture, I expected a deep dive quest featuring fishies, sea creatures, and/or monsters, and indeed that's what I got. Names like Nautilus and Nemo are direct pulls from the book, and I imagine fans of the original may find more allusions to appreciate. ▪ Because "20000 Leagues" was not confined to only inside the Nautilus and extended to the unknown waters beyond, this actually felt more like an adventure than one might foresee. The game was very mission-centric, and very clear on what you need to achieve in order to triumph: You are to get from point A to point B, search and retrieve an artifact, and safely return. It almost felt like an Indiana Jones or pirate expedition, except oxygen tanks required. Various special effects, like loud noises and strategic camera "tricks" (thanks, Nemo!), brought different surprises (and semi-disasters) alive even through Zoom. ▪ Because of the way the story, or rather, the missions are structured, we saw not one, but two climaxes during the game, giving us the rare opportunity to celebrate twice--which felt really nice! To be honest, with the first objective succeeded, I thought the game had wrapped, then I proceeded to panic a bit when I finally realized there's still much to complete before time runs out. The game writers (and our lovely thespian) also closed with a heartwarming finale, which completed our "novel" with a satisfying conclusion. Overall, the story book concept was executed well, and therefore making it a great option for kids and families. ▪ And let's not forget Kelly's naval uniform and magnificent Frenchman mustache. (Hey! I thought you were British!) Inventory platform via Telescape Live | Novel Escape PUZZLES ▪ "20000 Leagues" is mostly a gen-1 puzzle dominated experience, and that means get ready for loads of padlocks. Combo-based challenges are a more traditional form of escape room gaming, and I remain to be a big fan of these mentally-geared brainteasers. Though the locks themselves are familiar number lock, letter lock, or directional lock, the way to obtain the solutions are mostly novel (this time meaning new and usual, not the paperback), and tend not to recycle hackneyed ideas used by most. Expect to: search for numbers hidden in props, play with visual perception, match similar patterns, listen to audio cues, and some of my personal favorites--have fun with word plays, and there's quite a few of them! ▪ To maintain a good variety and a more balanced and exciting experience, there are also noticeable mechanical and technological parts added to bolster the experience in between padlock opening, and they are all very efficient and competent. This is most prominent in the Nautilus section of the room, which makes sense, since tech gears are most easily hidden and just plainly expected in a large, submerged vessel. Control panel, periscope, and a surprise guest are among the more gadget-y challenges you'll face as you set sail with Captain Nemo miles beneath the sea level. ▪ There is a reason why the session started with a rhyming story time. One particular puzzle will make it all so clear... ▪ Though I did not find issues with the puzzles themselves, I did think certain clues were very "puzzles for puzzles' sake" and could be reworked and reintegrated better one day. For example, I am no marine biologist, but I am pretty sure quotes and texts randomly appearing in ocean water, or peculiar glow-in-the-dark symbols, are not a normal part of the hadalpelagic ecosystem. (However, alternatively, if you treat the adventure as "jumping into a book", which aligns nicely with the ongoing novel theme, then the random quotes appearing throughout become a natural component of reading contents--which then makes sense!) ▪ When asked of my team, "What was your favorite puzzle or moment?" by our host, we fought to give different answers; and the truth is, there were many memorable moments to choose from, including a few puzzles that I haven't seen employed first-hand in an escape room before. My portfolio of puzzling tips and tricks has grown today! The greatest treasure can't be measured in gold or gemstones | Novel Escape OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ Like many, many, many remote escape games out there, "20000 Leagues" also used Telescape Live as its inventory interface, offering players supplemental information like photo close-ups, video clips, and 360° panoramic view. What I want to point out specifically is Novel Escape's genius and limited use of Telescape: Only absolutely necessary clarifications were provided in our Telescape window, anything else that you can easily obtain from the live feed, you do so as such. As a result, I never dwelled on the inventory webpage for long, and focused my attention at Nemo's broadcast, and that in turn made me that much more engaged with the avatar, the room, and the experience itself. ▪ On a related note, as mentioned, because our actor as Captain Nemo was just such a star to the show, her performance not only supported, but actually elevated the experience by many folds. And for that critical reason, this is the second instance (this being the first) where I feel a livestream virtual play was arguably a better way (than in-person) to enjoy this product! ▪ And the price tag, $60 flat for first two connections? An absolute bargain. As long as you have 3 to 4 people to split the cost and can safely stuff said members behind no more than two Zoom accounts, you can enjoy this Texas escape room gem anywhere for no more than $20 per person, and that's insanely cheap. (Definitely helped push this title to the "MUST DO!" rank!) OVERALL: 😍 ▪ Though Novel Escape is a new company that has only debuted relatively recently, it's coming in strong and ready to make its mark in the community. It reminds me a lot of the many smaller, perhaps family-owned businesses I've had to pleasure to work with in the past. It may not look lavishly fancy, but it's undeniably bursting with great ideas and awesome talents, waiting for its future fans--and I forecast many in the making--to take notice. "20000 Leagues Under The Sea" is loved by my entire team, and I very much look forward to more story times in the future. 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. NELeagues.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO ESCAPE FROM THE MAZE OF THE MINOTAUR | SOLVE OUR SHIRTS BY CU ADVENTURES 🗺️ Based In United States ⏲️ 60 to 90 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 Up To Several People 📚 Escape from the Maze of the Minotaur! Solve the challenges of the labyrinth and face down the mighty minotaur in this full-length puzzle game T-shirt! This double-sided shirt is filled with hidden details, secret information, and other surprises. These clues help you solve a series of puzzles and challenges themed around navigating the legendary labyrinth. (Each shirt set can easily be played by several people gathered around it at once, making it a great winter break family activity. Or we've seen folks buy multiple sets to play remotely over video chat!) THE GALLERY Escape From The Maze Of The Minotaur | Solve Our Shirts By CU Adventures THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Puzzle Game In A Box (Package) ▪ A custom screen printed t-shirt that also functions as an at-home escape game. The entire "Solve Our Shirts" package actually includes more tangible items, all functioning as part of a complete clue package to help you escape a minotaur maze in Greece. The story is deliberately vague on the official site; without giving away heavy spoilers, the game utilizes a travel theme and draws inspirations from Greek mythologies. For a seemingly ordinary article of clothing--numerous secrets and puzzles await! YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you are already familiar with CU Adventure's previous at-home offerings; you'll pick up this similar play format with ease! ▪ If you enjoy boxed/packaged puzzle games that offer multiple surprising secret reveals--this (comfy) top will not disappoint. ▪ If you love or are good at puzzles that focus on solving for padlock combos (gen 1) from hidden messages, ciphers, and more. ▪ If you're the type that wants souvenirs to remember an escape room by. For this experience, you'll get a shirt! (Possibly more!) ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: The Lost Temple, Floor 13, and Box One (soon to be reviewed!). SOUNDS GREAT, NOW WHAT? 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BUY, CLICK HERE! 📝 A note from the company: Some shirt photos and renders have been slightly altered to avoid spoiling puzzles. 📝 Another note: DO NOT... wash the shirt before play, or mark the shirt, or do anything that'd make the shirt unwearable. 🧐 Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 1, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 6/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I recommend a team of 2 (per set purchased, to ensure easy clue sharing). THE (FULL) REVIEW I would've modeled it myself, but I'm not ready for that level of fame | Solve Our Shirts By CU Adventures IMPRESSIONS ▪ First and foremost, it's paramount to clarify that though the product is named "Solve Our Shirts", each purchased package will include more than just a shirt. Perhaps hiding every single little detail, clue, and secret in one article of clothing is a bit too much to achieve; and indeed, every CU Adventure is so jam-packed with puzzles and surprises, a shirt can hardly contain it all. Ultimately, you'll receive a very snazzy shirt, some paper-based contents, and a couple of sealed envelopes. ▪ But don't misunderstand, there is still an insane amount of contents carefully curated and embedded onto my maroon top. Over 80% of necessary clues are already sewed into the fabric, metaphorically and literally. The remaining 20% spilling over comes as materials like business card or flyer that still make logical sense in the story, so from a design and production value stand point, this is an exemplary effort and incredibly manufactured product. I fell in love with it even before the game started. ▪ Speaking of the story world, there is one, albeit a bit lighter compared to the other games. Since the company is deliberately vague about its exact premise on its official website, I am not sure I am at liberty to reveal much, so light spoiler warning: Even though you are physically at home, you'll somehow be transported to the maze of the minotaur in Greece. The story does involve a bit of supernatural power that you have to suspend disbelief for, but it sets up a great frame work for the game to proceed. ▪ The game starts off quite easy, but it's just a warm-up. Difficulty (mostly measured by the amount of details players are challenged to take notice and/or discover) will ramp up, and so will your satisfaction with the amount of features the game designers have prepared. You'll be perplexed, wowed, and thoroughly impressed. You'll most likely go, "What?! Seriously?!" ▪ Deluxe Version: Bonus materials included are truly deluxe in every sense of the word. Every single item felt more luxurious than the rest of the package. The postcards included, for instance, are printed on glossy coated papers. The other objects, which I shall not spoil, will make great puzzle trophies that also doubly function as regular household products. So if you have an extra $15 to splurge, I recommend you to seriously consider treating yo' self. THEMING ▪ As briefly alluded to earlier, I don't think CU Adventures wants much of the plot spoiled, so I have limited theming info to share. However, I want to emphasize, the theme is clear-cut, consistent, and well-executed. The package as a whole, including why you are receiving a t-shirt and its associated paper goods in the mail, is aptly explained by the concise plot, and it shows just how clever the writer is at developing the premise. I know the owners at CU Adventures appreciate the lore behind each of their escape games, and that they understand the power of storytelling; "Solve Our Shirts" reflects those principles. ▪ Word-based solutions all tie in with the setting of the game--in this case, the country of Greece--which I appreciate. A familiar online interface | Solve Our Shirts By CU Adventures PUZZLES ▪ Maze of Minotaur uses the same web interface as the company's previous online games, so returning customers will pick it right up. The system is slick, clean, and intuitive enough, however, that newcomers should navigate without any problem. The website is used for brief narrative supplementation, answer input or verification, and hints. ▪ Almost a traditional MO for CU's web games, puzzles mainly involve entering passwords or combos of sort, so a fair share of gen-1-ish padlocks will obstruct your way through the labyrinth. There were a few moments when I pondered, "It doesn't make sense to have a lock here in this setting, does it?", though this is but one single, small complaint in a largely perfect adventure. ▪ Variety of puzzles is wide and most definitely satisfactory, though there're admittedly some recycled ideas from other CU Adventures games. Puzzle examples include: ancient cipher, follow the maze (well, this is a given, isn't it?), hidden messages, and more. What makes "Solve Our Shirts" infinitely more interesting is just how well-hidden the clues are installed within the shirt's graphics. On first glance, yes, you may notice the obvious, throwaway cues, but that just makes the more concealed portions that much more difficult to find by toying with your expectation. Midway is when things go full throttle--you'll be baffled on how to solve the puzzles whilst being astonished on how the clues are unveiled. Be forewarned: overwhelming emotions is likely! ▪ The final challenge is a showdown for the wittiest, an unexpected meta puzzle that reuse several few objects. So forget the one-and-done rule; you'll revisit some clues in a whole new angle. It's a toughie! But also a very goodie! ▪ Though there is an existing hint system online, in which progressively more specific nudges (and ultimately also the solution) reveal when requested, the package actually provides an in-universe pamphlet that guides the participant throughout. Think of this as a tiered hint structure--and I do love it when games offer such benefit--you can customize how difficult your experience will be. Exclude this pamphlet on expert mode, include it for a normal run, and get more hints from the website when really stuck. ▪ Deluxe Version: There is a couple more bonus puzzles to solve if you opt for the premium contents, and though this optional side quest has absolutely no impact whatsoever on the main plot, I actually really enjoyed the extra challenges. All 3 elective puzzles involve props manipulation/positioning to solve, and due to the hands-on nature of such tasks, it renders the overall experience that much more similar to being in an actual escape room. And as already mentioned, the props are just the coolest! OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ For those who have played CU's previous online game offerings, you may be thinking, isn't this just a t-shirt version of their print-and-play, and hence a fancy gimmick? And to that, I say, WELL YES! True, there is an undeniable similarity in which all 3 games are at-home adventures that combine both tangible and online elements into one seamless experience, but the shirt isn't just all gimmick, but also thoughtful innovation. And considering how there are multiple instances where the hidden surprises are only exclusively achievable by a shirt, but not printed media, this is a totally unique "gimmick" you should look into! ▪ The price of $35 per shirt package may seem steep at first, but let me break this down objectively. The shirt will be a wearable souvenir, so you can factor in $10 for the shirt. (I understand the busy graphics may not fit into everyone's everyday wardrobe rotation, but even if you repurpose it as a comfy pajama shirt, $10 is still largely justifiable.) Now that leaves $25 for purely the gaming experience. For the 1 to 2-hour quality escape experience, $25 is fair and a great option to pull the trigger for. ▪ There is a Couple Pack option available and while I don't think it is necessary for a pair of lovers who are physically with each other to play with two separate sets of clues, the Couple Pack is a cheaper alternative for a team that plans to play together over Zoom whilst being socially distant in different households. (Just be sure you guys will see each other in person at some point to hand over the second package prior to game day, as the pack will only ship to one single address.) OVERALL: 😍 ▪ At-home escape game entertainment has reached prominent status in recent history due to lockdown and social distance precautions, but not all titles are created equal. Some, while enjoyable, remain conspicuous that they are mere substitutes for the time being. "Escape From The Maze Of The Minotaur", however, is an outstanding gem that I confidently predict will be a hit far into the uncertain future. One of the rarer instances when I felt like I walked out of an actual escape room when finished, mostly because I am holding a congratulatory souvenir in hand (and I am not just talking about the shirt), "Solve Our Shirts" is an effectively, ahem, tailored activity that redefines what an exemplary at-home experience can be like. Now determined to work out so my torso can fill out the shirt more nicely, 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. SOSMinotaur.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO A CLOSE SHAVE: THE MOVEMBER VIRTUAL MOSCAPE ROOM | DEADLOCKED ESCAPE ROOMS & MOVEMBER 🗺️ Based In United Kingdom ⏲️ About 90 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 4-6 Players Recommended 📚 It is October 31st, the eve of Movember, and ‘T’ is working late instead of hosting his famous annual Halloween party, but this leaves him without his shaver when he needs it the most. Movember starts tomorrow, and the Wexell Corporation competitive mo-growers take it VERY seriously. So seriously in fact, that if he hasn’t shaved by midnight, they will count it as him CHEATING AT MOVEMBER. You’ll have to break into the security at the Wexell Corporation, but only if you can help his colleague, Joey, get into his house and locate his surprisingly well hidden ‘special razor’. Why does he need this specific razor? Why is Joey going along with this mad-capped adventure, and can you help a rapper come up with an on-brand rap before it’s all over? All these questions and more can only be discovered by playing ‘The Movember Virtual Moscape Room’. It’s about to get hairy! THE GALLERY A Close Shave: The Movember Virtual Moscape Room | Deadlocked Escape Rooms & Movember THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Purely Online Digital Game ▪ An immersive, augmented-reality online game that spans across multiple platforms; also doubles as a fundraiser for Movember, an organization that raises awareness for men's health issues such as depression and testicular cancer. The premise involves finding and delivering a special beloved razor for T, who got stuck working at the Wexell Corp overnight, and he MUST shave before the start of Movember, and with his own razor only! It is a lighthearted adventure filled with laughter and puzzles on the easier side, and can be a versatile and appropriate game night choice for any time. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you are a group of beginners looking for a lighthearted, even a tad silly adventure with puzzles that aren't difficult to solve. ▪ If you enjoy reality-augmented puzzle games that use a mix of real-world data and applications mixed with fictional elements. ▪ If you appreciate a narrative-driven title produced by decent talents that cater to humor and puzzles with equal importance. ▪ If you want to support a good cause (Movember for men's health) while purchasing a fun game for not much admission fee. ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: Mysterious Map Heist, Bewitched Circus, and The Detective Society series. SOUNDS GREAT, NOW WHAT? 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BUY, CLICK HERE! 💻 A note from the company: Use a desktop/laptop. Chrome, Firefox, or Edge browser recommended. Safari may not work. 💻 Another note: This is an audio-led game, so have the sound ON. (Or turn on subtitles.) 💻 One more note: A Facebook account is required to play, for both communication and for "research". 🧐 Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 1, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 4/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). It could be easier for London natives. As such, I recommend a team of 1 to 2. THE (FULL) REVIEW Help T get a clean shave via a virtual desktop | Deadlocked Escape Rooms & Movember IMPRESSIONS ▪ I received a thank you letter in PDF format, informing me about my booking of a soon-to-begin Moscape Room adventure. Upon logging in though, I saw a computer desktop interface in the style of Windows, complete with Recycle Bin, Network, and Messenger icons. Also sitting in its lonesome is one strange Movember Puzzle Pack, quizzing the user all kinds of mustache knowledge. That's fine and all, but how do I get started? Is this the game? ▪ After an intentional fake-out period, a video conference call arrived and, ah-ha!, T had finally made contact and explained his dilemma, which summed up to be: he'd got to shave (before Movember's start), but he would only do so with his lucky razor from home, and he couldn't go home in time due to working overtime. Such utterly silly yet ingenious premise to tie back to the game's charitable cause, and this was most definitely the first and the only that I'd heard of so far. ▪ Regarding production value, the game split its time between a handful of platforms, including the aforementioned virtual desktop, Facebook website, Facebook Messenger, Google Map, and various other faux in-world websites that I had to visit to extract information from. Of the in-house created materials, I admired the details and pleasant designs of the various webpages. They looked authentic, were visually pleasing, and contained various Easter Eggs sharp-eyed Deadlocked fans would surely appreciate. The virtual desktop related applications, however, while effective and functional, had a retro feel and looked a bit dated. It could've been fully intentional by design, though it was not my preferred type of aesthetics. ▪ What WAS my preferred type of visuals was every single scene when actors were involved. I am fairly certainly all on-screen characters are Deadlocked owners and staff, but everyone's got really decent acting chops. Delivery of dialogs were natural and convincing, and comedic timing was excellent across the board. Humor and lively personality are both big components of this game, and thanks to the cast, I was continually entertained primarily not by the puzzles, but by the charming characters. It's fair to say, at least for my case, they stole the show. Joey absolutely had a way with words; never did I know that you can call someone a seemingly endless roster of fruits (mango?!) as an endearing tease! THEMING ▪ The theme is obviously predetermined to be facial hair related due its association with the Movember movement, so there is a little bit of limitation when comes to building the story. The writers did a decent job in creating an "excuse" for all the events to plausibly transpire, and even openly admitted its loophole in a tongue-in-cheek way by having Joey questioned T, "Why can't you just grab a disposable razor from the shop?" Hey, Joey, the man knows his skin type and the importance of self care, mmmkay? ▪ The objective of dropping off a dear shaving tool from T's home to his office involves mobility, and the players, obviously playing safely at home, will require a certain level of immersion and illusion to convince themselves there are indeed actions and tasks happening in real-time. In this aspect, Deadlocked did a great job in pulling out useful tools and tricks from its arsenal: ▪ The virtual desktop, obviously make-believe, made use of familiarity of IP addresses and download progress bars, imitating real world internet interactions quite nicely. Next, by blending in actual web tools such as Google Map, Facebook Messenger, and YouTube (as a guise for "live feed"), the line between fiction and reality are blurred just nicely enough to transform a stationary at-home adventure into a more dynamic and exciting experience. ▪ There was a couple of instances in which I was given choices on what to do next. Should I have Joey display her athletic prowess or have her boogie down? Should she kung fu her way through obstacles, or practice her best pick-up lines? The choose-your-own-adventure aspect added more opportunities for jokes, a layer of personalization, and, again, an illusion of actual real-life interaction, which all converged into an experience that much more delightful. "Real world" applications like Facebook Message integrated in-game | Deadlocked Escape Rooms & Movember PUZZLES ▪ The difficulty of all the puzzles, from beginning to end, is actually quite consistently easy. I had a rough time with the first puzzle unfortunately due to overthinking. Otherwise, this moscape room is 100% novice friendly. ▪ There are two main categories of puzzles that you would jump back and forth from: First, there are the typical escape room-style challenges that have you figure out a password, input a certain sequence into a machine, and the likes. Those who do escape rooms regularly will mostly have seen similar tropes before. T's apartment is basically a mini point-and-click escape room, a game within a game. Of note, one particular combo puzzle made use of road data from London, so local residents may have an edge there. (I, a US citizen and a horrible locator, just opted to use clues liberally to move things along.) ▪ The other class of puzzles you will encounter are more real-word oriented and application based. These will not require much thinking, and often the clue will be shown to you point-blank, and it's up to the player to notice and implement the information as intended. A common example is to visit a made-for-game website, and perhaps even a little online stalking. Though technically easier than escape room puzzles, these are often more creative and is my preferred choice of the two. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ My favorite scene is, hands down, the cyborg-like receptionist interaction. So was he human? Or a robot? Was he really gay (his words), or would he say just about anything to shoo off an uninvited guest? One thing's for sure--he's hella creepy. ▪ As briefly mentioned, there're various Easter eggs littered throughout "A Close Shave" from the Deadlocked Escape Rooms universe, pertaining to the company's previous online titles and their physical rooms both, if I conjecture correctly. Returning patrons and long-time supportive fans should feel extra appreciated for these extra gags only for those who're in-the-know. ▪ For US audience, the game costs $20, and one-third of the money is donated to charity of Movember to help raise awareness for various men's health issues, which is truly awesome, since I do sometimes feel men are neglected when it comes to certain public movements, and mental illnesses and cancers do not discriminate. Men are also often less likely to be vocal in seeking help when needed, in part to maintain a societally expected image of masculinity--and that should change. In essence, you are paying $13 for a quality online game, and donating about $7 to help men in need. That's some values I can get aboard with. ▪ The game music, produced by InvAsian, was sick. I already knew this prior, but this game just confirmed that the man's got flow. Don't miss a post-credit scene where he potentially raps about balls. (Yeah, you read right, and it's 100% wholesome.) OVERALL: 🙂 ▪ I liked "A Close Shave" for its overall entertainment value, and admired its aspiration to fundraise for charity while making people happy along the way. It truly felt like the makers had a great time producing it, and the target audience will have just as a great time consuming it. Even though I didn't think the puzzles redefined the escape game world, the writers achieved what they have set out to do with much competence, and when presented in a neat, feel-good package as such, packed with so much playfulness, wits, heart, and talents, it's hard to resist its appeal. 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. DLERMovember.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO THE STORY BEGINS... | POD KLOBUKOM 🗺️ Based In Slovakia ⏲️ 30-90 Minutes ▪ 💪 1/10 ▪ 🔢 2-5 Players Recommended 📚 An envelope with no addressee delivered under the door? Something unusual, even for and investigative reporter. Is this another threatening letter, or a beginning of an adventure that may result in a great article? Follow the traces left by the anonym in our FREE online game and enter the world of puzzle-hunts. The story of the reporter will lead you through five diverse ciphers. There are tips available with every puzzle that will clarify basic cipher principles. Enjoy an hour of smart fun with your friends, playing and online version of escape room. All team members can log into our game application from their own device. (This game is the beginning of our "BIOHAZARD" trilogy.) THE GALLERY The Story Begins... | Pod Klobukom (Under The Hat) THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Purely Online Digital Game ▪ An online puzzle hunt that clearly focuses on the quality of ciphers and puzzles, dressed a light but fairly well-groomed narrative. The story describes a reporter receiving a strange letter from a mysterious sender, instructing them to travel from spot to spot within the city through cipher-encoded messages. It's well done, fun if you love challenging your brain, and it's free! YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you are a master of deciphering secret messages. If cipher is your puzzle of choice, this is a godsend. ▪ If you enjoy a detective-style, cat-and-mouse chase type of premise. You'll go place to place (virtually) in this game. ▪ If you feel bored, and need an free option to pass the time. An average team can take up to an hour to finish. ▪ If you're an escape game enthusiast and want a real challenge. Try to get onto that challenge board--no hint permitted! ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: The Disappearance Of DK McDee. SOUNDS GREAT, NOW WHAT? 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO PLAY, CLICK HERE! 🧐 Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 1, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 6/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I recommend a team of 2 to 3. THE (FULL) REVIEW Mysterious messages will take you all over the city | Pod Klobukom (Under The Hat) IMPRESSIONS ▪ Prior to playing this game, I am not familiar with Pod Klobukom (which means "under the hat" in Slovak, by the way!) as a company, so I simply took everything presented as is, without question. The official product page rated the introduction chapter as 1/10 for difficulty, and it only contains 5 cipher puzzles for the whole adventure. "I am going to fly through this with ease," I thought in ignorant bliss. I had roughly 30 minutes before eating supper; I started the game anyway. ▪ The game did start out quite straightforward and easy, all things considered. It required a bit of careful observation to get right, but it aligned with what I more or less expected. I solved the initial puzzle and advanced to the second--then it became clear, the difficulty curve was sloping up. And fast! This trend would continue for the rest of the game, and ultimately "The Story Begins..." would prove to be a surprisingly challenging and more rewarding free online game than I'd ever expected. When they say they are inviting players into a captivating world of cipher games, they weren't joking around. This is serious business! ▪ And nope, I most definitely didn't make to dinner in time. It'd eventually take me the entire hour to finish the game. THEMING ▪ Pod Klobukom specializes in puzzle hunts, and all 3 of their online games (which make up the "BIOHAZARD" trilogy) are virtual online versions of puzzle hunts. The company makes no pretense or exaggerated claims about their intention, and their approach is direct and to-the-point. There is a light narrative about an investigational journalist receiving a mysterious letter, and that letter, when deciphered, would take them to the next point of interest. It's a no-frill, point A to point B, so on so forth type of detective hunt, and it works. Sometimes, there is beauty in simplicity, and such is the case here. ▪ The solutions for (almost) all the puzzles are locations, indicating where the protagonist should go next. While not the most creative (as I've seen this done before on multiple occasions), it does bring a plausible realism that requires very little effort on my part to start believing in the story world. For a text and cipher-based title, I was fairly immersed, and was certainly having fun. ▪ It also helped that there were audio narrations done by a competent voice actor, so there is no required reading should you choose not to. Each puzzle's paragraph-long exposition can be told like a story time, and with the spoken contents embellished by some lighthearted background music used prominently in mystery genre, I felt like a private investigator on an amusing case. It really added something extra to what could've been dry and average. ▪ The above, coupled with some well-chosen, good-looking stock images (well, they could've been slightly photoshopped to fit the plot more closely), the game has covered all fronts, and the overall theming came across as effective. Toadster... underpass graffiti hides a secret | Pod Klobukom (Under The Hat) PUZZLES ▪ This is a cipher-based puzzle hunt, so it's rather self-explanatory. Your main focus will be translating given information into individual letters, which then you string into a word or phrase as your final solution. However, to say this is an exclusive cipher experience may be misleading, as ciphers usually imply a direct correlation between a letter, a number, or a symbol to another letter of the alphabet, a straight coding transformer, if you will. Several puzzles go beyond that realm, and are more like gen-1 escape room puzzles. Perhaps this is why this game is my jam--this is what I love doing in the first place. ▪ For a game that is puzzle-focused with lighter emphasis on story or production value, I can't reveal much in this section, or else I would just give away the entire game. But you may or may not see some dots and dashes. You may or may not see some classic number-to-letter cipher that is part of Escape Room 101. Just maybe. ▪ The contents do most certainly get progressively harder. I stalled for a good 25 minutes at a graffiti puzzle midway. The final puzzle was two-step, appropriately intricate, and the trick to solving it was ever so elegant. It low-key blew my mind how satisfying it was when my idea lightbulb finally went off. It's a first of its kind that I've seen also. ▪ One crucial note: to get onto the leaderboard, you must finish the game with the lowest possible time without any hint reveal. The current top spot holders are all puzzle enthusiasts in the community, and it's quite hard to beat. I suggest to just have fun! OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ Well, once again, I must emphasize, this is FREE. Yes, it's a sample of what's to come in the remaining paid chapters, a bait to suck you into the world of the BIOHAZARD trilogy. Still, it offers enough solid contents to really exercise my noggin in an entertaining manner, and I see no reason why you shouldn't give this a go. ▪ The hint system is brutal! If you want to make it onto the leaderboard, you must earn the maximum amount of points possible, and that means no using hint! Not even once. This must feel somewhat discouraging to beginners, so I have mixed feelings about this decision. Are we punishing those who really have tried their best? Or are we encouraging everyone not to take the easy way out? Due to this, I insisted on struggling through the harder puzzles despite taking longer time, though there's no sweeter glory when you reach the finish line, knowing you did it all on your own. Truly, I felt really, really proud of myself that day. OVERALL: 🙂 ▪ Usually, when I think of ciphers, I think boring, time-consuming, and not the most innovative. And yet, somehow, Pod Klobukom created a free and fun option that not only breaks that mold, but really gave my brain a good beating. Like for the physical body, it's always beneficial to give the brain muscle a serious workout to keep it in tip-top shape, and this game did exactly that. 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. PKBegins.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO UNMEMORY | PLUG IN DIGITAL 🗺️ Based In Spain ⏲️ Up To 6 Hours ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 N/A 📚 READ IT. PLAY IT. LIVE THE MYSTERY. unmemory tells the story of a person who is tracking down the man who murdered his girlfriend, a member of a band of lady thieves. The difficulty, however, of locating the murderer is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of memory loss. Using notes, pictures and recorded messages he will have to solve the mystery and maybe, just maybe, discover an uncomfortable truth in this thriller story set in the 90s about love, revenge and the influence of our memories in our identity. Each chapter is dedicated to a different memory trigger and game mechanics are designed to make the player feel the way time (chapter 2), music (3), pain (4), touch (5), taste (6), places (7) or smell (8) affect and bring back our memories and prove that without memories we don’t know who we really are. But behind this noir plot there are the real protagonists, the Killer Kittens, an all-girl art group within the culture jamming movement that fight against an unfair and sexist capitalist society through their art pranks. “I kiss everything I kill, I kill everything I kiss” is the motto of these ingenious, seductive and empowered girls, capable of transforming the most incredible robberies into a masterpiece of art. THE GALLERY UNMEMORY | Plug In Digital THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » All Other Formats Or Media » Mobile Game App ▪ "A game you can read, a noir novel you can play", perfectly summed up by the creators--truly, there is no better way to describe this. The narrative follows a protagonist who suffers from a rare form of memory loss (a la Memento) and his journey to exact revenge on his girlfriend's murder. The tale also stars a group of lady bandits named the Killer Kittens. An ingenious fusion of intriguing story and escape games, a harmonious coalescence of printed media and smart device technology. "Unmemory" is a rare mobile game app equivalent of a fascinating mystery/thriller short film, guaranteed to hook you in with its first act. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ (A direct quote from the website:) "If you like films like Memento or Mulholland Drive. If you are fan of games like Monkey Island, Device 6, Blackbar or Her Story. If you like books like The House of Leaves or Masquerade. Or if you are just a fan of escape games… there are big chances you will like Unmemory." ▪ If you enjoy reading an enticing story that further immerses its audience with interactive elements such as puzzles and games. ▪ If you relish playing a text-based game that fully utilizes smart device capabilities and even garnished with top-quality graphics. ▪ If you crave for a mature title with more adult themes and complications, where the truth and morals land on blurry, gray areas. ▪ If you want something to play on the phone on the go, on the bed, or on the couch, without sacrificing an ounce of quality. ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: A Death In The Red Light and The Morgan File. SOUNDS GREAT, NOW WHAT? 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BUY, CLICK HERE! 💻 For mobile apps, please refer to operating specifications and requirements before downloading. 🧐 Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 1, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 3 to 5/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I still recommend a team of 1. (Because really, only solo game play seems logical or even possible; after all, it's rather difficult to play with more than 1 for a mobile app on your cell phone or tablet!) THE (FULL) REVIEW UNMEMORY | Plug In Digital IMPRESSIONS ▪ When first starting, I honestly didn't know what to expect. From what I can recall, the game starts off like any other e-book, with the protagonist's exposition of his current situation, whereabout, or in his case, how he has no idea what's going on due to his rare medical diagnosis--the inability to retain or make new memories for longer than days, or sometimes, even less. It wasn't until I reached the end of the page that the phone started ringing--loudly, I may add--which startled me by my sheer lack of expectation. I quickly scrolled back up to a telephone image seen prior, now clickable, and answered the call. Immediately, I thought, "So this is THAT KIND of game with hidden interactive elements, I see!" ▪ What followed in the rest of chapter 1 was a lot of scrolling up and down, back and forth, and I mean, A LOT. What would soon become a repeated routine for me as an Unmemory player that would not happen in an old-school, regular novel book is the discovery of new text as you progress through the narrative. New paragraphs of story and critical new information would often magically appear after performing certain gatekeeping actions--much like the jogging of brain memories with stimulus and triggers--and hence, the resulting going back and forth. This renders the reader a very active participant or even the driving force of the ongoing and developing plot. Readers are also compelled to pay close attention to small details, and are tested on their ability to recall key info seen, heard, or experienced otherwise, an unMEMORY game indeed! ▪ After playing through the initial few chapters, it became obvious quickly that the story pertains to heavier themes than I'm normally used to in other escape game titles, with its touching on subjects such as murder, death, violence, morals, social justice, love, and relationships. Compared to the more lighthearted adventures of curing a zombie virus or hunting for buried booties with pirates, this felt more realistic and elicited more thought processing. There's a lot to digest in certain sections, and I find the game in its entirety best savored over several, separate sessions than one single binge. Breaks in between give you a chance to reset and get ready for the next chapter, which often elevates in both plot complexity and puzzle difficulty. ▪ Devilishly stylish is what I'd call the overall art direction. From the beginning, there's an undeniable artistic feel to the all the graphics featured--which are mostly composed of photographs or digitally edited photograph-like images. There are also occasional exceptions like comics, animations, and audio clips. Because the makers probably hired all professionals (photographers, artists, actors) to collaborate with, everything looks extra slick and easily compares to Hollywood film quality. The voice acting, which comes up quite often, is done masterfully and brings the story world alive effortlessly. THEMING ▪ The most central theme of Unmemory is of course its exploration and examination of fragility of memory and its persuasion on an individual's ability to determine what is considered the truth and reality in their own world. Memory is malleable, and at its very core, easily subjected to manipulation from suggestions, influence, and also, sadly, blatant misinformation and even lies. Who is your friend? Your enemy? Who can be trusted? The question never subsides even at the game's conclusion. In the post-Trump era of America, where political propagandas and conspiracy theories fly rampant daily, this hits home quite hard. ▪ As mentioned above, other motifs and topics make up the rest of the thriller tale, and these include: violence, robbery, and passion. There is a lot that the protagonist has to struggle internally with, and the reader is invited along for the ride. Though this is only a game, there are a few occasions that would potentially tap on the player's own emotional reflection as well. Even without a memory loss disorder, our memories also falters due to age and human error--so how much of our own memories accurately depicts the truth, and how much is filled in by our own bias and preference? ▪ It's the authors' intention to correspond one certain chapter to one certain sensory function, as explained by their website, "Each chapter is dedicated to a different memory trigger and game mechanics are designed to make the player feel the way time (chapter 2), music (3), pain (4), touch (5), taste (6), places (7) or smell (8) affect and bring back our memories and prove that without memories we don’t know who we really are." This deliberate intent did not come through quite so clearly in my playthrough, though each chapter did feel like a unique and different package of its own. While the original objective wasn't fully achieved, I was constantly and continually entertained, and had no complaint whatsoever. ▪ Lastly, I know there are tons of 90s in-jokes and references embedded throughout; however, as I am not an expert of the topics and fields they originate from (for instance, music), I wasn't able to appreciate all that the game has put forward. Sharp-eyed and more knowledgeable peers in the escape games, puzzles, or noir novel community will have much to look forward to! Blood... There's blood everywhere | Plug In Digital PUZZLES ▪ The first chapter begins with puzzles that made use of mobile devices functions, such as finger pinching outward to open a window blind, or flipping the device sideway to reveal another surface of an item. This, however, would not permeate through to the later portions of the game. You will still have to occasionally uncover clues using these tricks, but they are far and few in between, and simple clicking and mental escape puzzles will take over instead as the main attractions. ▪ There are two main types of challenges that you would encounter. First, there are minor actions that you have to perform to reveal and collect info for later use; these tend to be directional and easy to follow, such as setting a clock to a certain time, or flipping through the tv to the correct channel. Next, there are more difficult puzzles that would stall your progress until solved. Examples include combo-guarded padlocks, safes, and "debasers", special lockers that you would have to unlock at the end of most chapters. Inside each debaser is a memento that fills the missing gap in the character's choppy memory recollection. ▪ For a game that is purely digital on a mobile device, the range of puzzle variety is amazingly high. Throughout the lengthy game play across 8 substantial chapters, never once was I bored. Challenged and stumped, perhaps, but never discouraged or uninterested. There are a lot escape rooms inspired puzzles found, with relaying information seen elsewhere and translating it into combo codes as the most common employment. You will also need to: do math, relate numbers/letters/colors, look for hidden codes, examine graphics, do logic puzzles, listen to musical notes, arrange items in orders, and much more. ▪ On occasion, I did get stuck and would need to consult the built-in hint system, which reveals pre-set clues to prod you gently in the right direction. For most cases, the works just fine, but I did require some extraneous assistance found offsite when I accidentally disregarded a tiny underlined text that I was supposed to click on to advance the story. (So major hint: always look for and click on everything that is underlined. It will always reveal more information after doing so!) OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ The game is officially rated for 12 and up by the publishing company, though this is one area I strongly disagree with. Due to its mature contents, with one particular scene being borderline overtly sexual (or more accurately described as sensually suggestive), I feel that this is a title most suitable and best understood by someone older, a freshman in high school to the least. More ideally, I think age 16 would be a great starting bracket for its target audience. ▪ For the price of measly $6 to enjoy a total of 8 chapters of top-tier storytelling and fun, challenging brainteasers, this is a very just price tag and offers value far exceeding the laundry list of dollar app that you would get bored of after brief moments. Not only does Unmemory provide hours to days of entertainment, the contents are unique and ace to boot. ▪ The game designers have said that because not many people are into reading nowadays, their first goal is to make reading fun again, and that they do indeed achieve, and very successfully at that. (Bonus: it's an easy read without flowery language and lofty literary devices. It's just a good, solid, interesting plot.) In fact, because the story leaves ample room for multiple or ambiguous interpretations for its ending, there is definite reread and replay value to reexplore the story. During a second go, one may discover minute detail missed the first time that may turn out to be 1) a fun Easter egg littered throughout, or 2) a crucial piece of knowledge that may influence the way you see "the truth" as you see fit. Debbie... She is lying | Plug In Digital OVERALL: 😍 ▪ I absolutely love "Unmemory". There is really nothing like this that I've done before, and this marks one of few occasions in which I am so extremely thankful and blessed to be invited not only to play and review, but to learn and be exposed to this new breed of mobile gaming. It's so perfectly obvious that the designers took their time to research, prepare, and craft their vision into reality, and both fans of the genre and casual app buyers alike will easily take notice. I highly, highly recommend this product to anyone who's mature enough to handle--and deeply take pleasure in--its devious and delectable contents responsibly. 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. PIDUnmemory.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO LOST TREASURE OF SARANG RIMAU | LOCKDOWN ESCAPE SINGAPORE 🗺️ Based In Singapore ⏲️ 60 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 N/A 📚 You have been ordered to evacuate with fellow trooper Arnold Watson. As you are preparing to evacuate, you discover an old package buried near a cannon. Written on it are clues to a pirates’ treasure chest discovered by one Private Joey when he first arrived in 1885 on Sarang Rimau. Can you find the treasure in time, before the boat leaves you behind? (Designed for different teams to play at the same time from anywhere in the world using remote access. The participants will only need a computer or laptop for video conferencing with a stable broadband internet connection to play the game. Players will also have access to a public virtual whiteboard and their individual team whiteboards, in which they can then view and work on their teamwork during the game. If you are keen, we can arrange a short demo so that you can get to know more about the game!) THE GALLERY Lost Treasure Of Sarang Rimau | Lockdown Escape Singapore THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Live Host-Led Experience ▪ A teambuilding game designed for play online that takes place virtually over the ground of Fort Siloso, a Singapore tourist spot and the country's "only preserved coastal fort". The main narrative boils down to a generic treasure hunt, with players solving clues from a treasure map that ultimately leads to buried valuables. The experience itself is divided over two interfaces: an interactive tour map, and puzzles presented separately on a web-based whiteboard. The combined result at times feels disjointed and frustrating, though it lives up to its promise of giving plenty of challenges that test both brainwork and teamwork. (Note: This experience is not open to public booking. If interested in using "Lost Treasure Of Sarang Rimau" as a teambuilding exercise for your party, contact the company directly for details.) YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you want to try a title that takes inspirations from a real-life, historical landmark from Singapore. ▪ If you don't mind an experience that is very light on story, but instead focuses almost exclusively on the puzzle contents. ▪ If you enjoy games with prominent scavenger-hunting, and "pen and paper" puzzles that involve heavy drawing or marking. ▪ If your primary goal is to build rapport and teamwork among your group, and other aspects are less critical for your decision. SOUNDS GREAT, NOW WHAT? 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO INQUIRE, CLICK HERE! 💻 For remote experience, watch out for potential time & date difference due to varying time zones. 💻 For communication among host and players, Zoom is required. 💻 For game interfaces, the company recommends playing on "on a laptop/computer with a good internet connection, and it is best to [use] Google Chrome [browser]". I, however, experienced lagging with Chrome, and would endorse Firefox instead. 🧐 Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 4, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 6 to 7/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I recommend a team of 5 to 6: There are 5 main puzzles to solve, and 5 teammates can independently work on each, while the sixth member can provide an extra pair of eyes to help hunt for clues and information sprinkled all over the spacious property of Fort Siloso--there is literally a lot of ground to cover in relatively little time. THE (FULL) REVIEW Travel all over Fort Siloso via a virtual tour | Lockdown Escape Singapore IMPRESSIONS ▪ The host starts off the game session with not the rules, not the premise, but rather, a 15-minute tutorial on how to use Limnu whiteboard, which is essentially an online conference webtool similar to Paint, where all members can draw, write, or post notes on a virtual drawing board that updates in real time. While it isn't difficult to learn the basics on the fly, it would've been much more effective to just provide a self-paced, self-guided lesson in an email prior to game day instead. This way, participants can fiddle with whiteboard without pressure, come to the game prepared, and begin the game with anticipation and excitement. ▪ "Lost Treasure Of Sarang Rimau" relies on a virtual tour of Fort Siloso as the backdrop on which all the puzzles are based off of. This virtual map works similarly to Google Map, in theory, where you can press on arrows to move forward, backward, and in between different areas of the park. However, the developer did not calibrate on how much one would travel when clicking on the transitional arrows, and the player would jump at arbitrary distances. In addition, the direction and perspective would alter in between scenes, which is extremely confusing for first-time online visitor. The map contains a few hot spots where traveler can "hop to" instantly; those are very useful, and more would've increased accessibility and convenience. ▪ Shortcomings and design flaws aside, the Fort Siloso virtual touring gives a comprehensive look of the Singaporean park, and considering the current pandemic circumstances and myriad travel restrictions, it is refreshing to travel to a foreign land and enjoy the pleasing outdoor sceneries, albeit only remotely and virtually. The image quality is reasonably good, colors are vibrant, and as I leisurely stroll through the map post-game without time constraint, just for kicks, I get a decent sense of how the real-life counterpart is like, and I appreciate the beauty of nature and the history the various monuments embody. ▪ Generally speaking, my team's struggled to navigate our virtual selves through the interactive map, especially when we know our intended destination, but can't quite seem to digitally ambulate there. Our hour-long play is often overshadowed by an almost-constant battle to get around, which in turn eats up much of our time budget. A puzzle that I could've solved under 5 to 10 minutes has taken me twice as long. And honestly, as frustrating as that sounds, it's also made for some laugh-out-loud moments--it's humorous to see just how miserably we're failing at some point. Hey, at least I was entertained! THEMING ▪ I think it's fair to say there isn't much theming applied in "Lost Treasure". It is, after all, a rather generic treasure hunt, complete with map and buried chest, with a light historical flavor seasoned on top. Perhaps there is a complex history with this particular geographic location that makes the hidden treasure premise more logical and intuitive, but if that is indeed the case, the intended effects are lost in translation on a team of 4 foreign, overseas patrons without extensive understanding of Singapore's past. ▪ It's worth noting that there is some effort in immersing the guests in the treasure hunting experience, as evidenced by the host's safari costume, and the graphics and artworks seen throughout that are also deliberately and appropriately themed. ▪ One feature that has come across extremely effective is that we've all truly felt like explorers in an unfamiliar territory, scurrying up and down the slopes of Fort Siloso, nervously on the hunt for the next clues in jitters while the clock mercilessly ticks down on the hour. I, on the one hand, wish I was actually on location to fully experience the locale and to seek out information hands-on, since the tour map is confusing. On the other hand, the rest of the team is beyond grateful that this is a remote digital game, sparing them the intense physical labor this hunt would otherwise demand. Both perspectives are equally valid, would you say? Solve puzzles with your team via Limnu whiteboard | Lockdown Escape Singapore PUZZLES ▪ The puzzles are undoubtedly the focus of the game, elegantly presented for easy understanding, and with a non-linear structure for facile division and delegation of responsibilities among teammates. In the initial main portion, there are 5 main puzzles, each extracting and containing information, clues, and features from the landmark. After collecting the necessary information from the map and solving the puzzles, all 5 solutions would converge to a meta puzzle with multiple steps that ultimately reveals the hidden treasure. The overall road map is a solid format that is exceptional for building teamwork. ▪ The individual puzzles are all of the "pen and paper" variety, which explains the necessity of the white board interface. Expect to draw lines, draw shapes, color in, mark spots, and make notes. It's a very hands-on process, albeit done on a computer, and would require time and patience to complete. Puzzles also test your skills of arithmetic, shape interpretation, image matching, and observation. The finale meta puzzle has a very "escape room" vibe utilizing cipher, and it's an apt closer for a treasure hunt. ▪ On the whole, the difficulty derives from the specifics needed to be found on the Fort Siloso map, and depending how much (or how little) direction and guidance the host gives you, it could range from easy as a piece of cake to hellishly challenging. If given more time to freely explore, the puzzles themselves are mild and can be suitable for participants of all experience level. Under the 60-minute limit, however, it's a true race against time! ▪ One particular clue calls for unsuspected botany knowledge, and it's flown right over all our heads. ▪ It does surprise me that none of the puzzles given is truly educational. With an authentic historical topic like the legend of Sarang Rimau, I fully expected to learn a piece of Singaporean history or two when walking away from the game, and it was not the case. At best, I would describe this game as being themed after a treasure hunt that happens to be at Fort Siloso, but the same challenges and ideas could've been applied to or modified for any location, real or fictional. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ While I've already pointed out weaknesses found in the tour map, the game's other interface, the whiteboard, also contributes a potential barrier to a smooth experience. I, being fairly technologically savvy, find the drawing board app reasonably useful for business or school presentations, but not the most ideal for online gaming. The controls feel a tad clunky and more complicated than it needs to be (for remote gaming) to the untrained eyes and hands; and it would deter those who tend to have trouble learning or using this kind of conference gadgets from having a good time, even if they are good at solving puzzles otherwise. ▪ Pricing is by inquiry only, so depending on your quote, the customer can determine the value perceived. The customer service I've received is excellent: the staff is courteous, patient, and organized. Hence, I am confident that Lockdown Escape can work closely with its future patrons to provide a package that suits their needs. OVERALL: 😐 ▪ "Lost Treasure Of Sarang Rimau" has potential to improve, though it may require some overhaul on the virtual tour map that it currently relies on, which may not be realistically attainable in the foreseeable future. Assuming all variables being managed optimally, this is still a respectable and sensibly fun option to choose as a teambuilding activity for businesses and schools. As an at-home entertainment for general market, however, it may struggle to land a top contender spot. 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. LESGSarang.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO RETRO RAD PIZZA ADVENTURE | TRAPPED PUZZLE ROOMS (TRAPPED TAKEOUT) 🗺️ Based In United States ⏲️ 6-12 HOURS TOTAL! ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 N/A 📚 Inside this puzzling pizza box, you’ll find six pizza slices, each whisking you away to a different animated world and providing 1-2 hours of enigmatic entertainment. Wowzers! That’s 6-12 total hours of puzzling! THE GALLERY Retro Rad Pizza Adventure | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Trapped Takeout THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Puzzle Game In A Box ▪ Many puzzle game sessions packed into one box, disguised as your favorite takeout food item of all time--the pizza pie. The story relates the pizza aspect by having you retrieve all of the world's missing toppings, a sly way to invite players to solve many interesting formats of puzzles over a span of hours to days! (Breaks are encouraged between sections.) This product is heavy on references and nostalgia of the 1990s, and will likely make you giggle throughout with Trapped's signature sense of humor. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you're of child age during the 90s, and love good throwbacks of cartoons and shows that you watched as a young lad/lass. ▪ If welcome paper-based contents, with a good portion deriving from classic puzzle formats that you may have seen prior. ▪ If you want one comprehensive item to buy that will eventually cover multiple hours or even days of puzzling joy. ▪ If you're a follower of the company, are familiar with its quirks and kinks, and a fan of its unconventional humor. ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: The Curious Elevator and The Curious Stairs of Mr. Hincks. SOUNDS GREAT, NOW WHAT? 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BUY, CLICK HERE! 📝 The company recommends having pencils and tape handy while playing. 📝 Per company, only open pizza slice boxes or click on website tabs when told to do so. Don't jump ahead! 🧐 Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 1, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 5/10 for most puzzles, but could go up to an 8 to 9/10 (!) for the hardest puzzles, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I recommend a team up to 2 or 3 for some combined brain power. Just be patient and courteous when sharing the "pizzas"! 🍕 THE (FULL) REVIEW Dinner is served! | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Trapped Takeout IMPRESSIONS ▪ Having previously reviewed this company's audio-led escape game options and its "The Heist" avatar-led remote experience, I am fairly familiar with Trapped Puzzle Room's creative directions. This team values innovation, humor, and that "it factor" that sets its products apart from competitions, and the new food takeout line achieves just that: it's cute, it's fun, and everybody loves to eat! It's got just enough intriguing allure to have people wondering, "Hey, what's exactly is in that pizza box?" ▪ For "Retro Rad Pizza Adventure", everything comes prepackaged in a large pizza box as expected, and the overall look most certainly makes it a stand-out in the "puzzle in a box" category. Upon opening the cardboard box, there really are six individual, triangular slices of pizzas that come apart neatly. While the construction is modest, I appreciate the little details found in the interior. Plus, the idea and execution largely win me over, so this is one of the most fun unboxing I've done in recent memory! ▪ Collectively, there are 8 self-contained puzzle sessions total in each adventure: a prologue, 6 main chapters, and an epilogue. Essentially all puzzle materials are paper-based, which is a logical route to take given the total budget, sales price, and the amount of entertainment jampacked into one package. Though reasonable, it's still something to be aware of before purchase. ▪ To neatly store away a relatively high amount of contents into small, triangular "pizza" boxes, all the papers are tightly rolled up and taped, and will need unfolding and flattening prior to game play. A bit of an inconvenience, expect to dedicate 10 to 15 minutes of prep time prior to each puzzle session. Nonetheless, once I got accustomed to the routine, it was hardly a hassle. ▪ There will be two components that make up the game: the physical, tangible items you receive in the pizza box, and the online website that functions as a supplemental narrative, puzzle guide, and answer verification system. While I can't show you the site as it contains major spoilers, its design fits the retro theme perfectly. The colorful shapes that make up the website background somehow scream 80s aerobic VHS tape or high school sitcom (think "Save by The Bell"). I don't know why exactly, but it works! ▪ Within the first 15 minutes, players find out the major conflict is that a villain has stolen all of the world's pizza toppings, except pineapple, and ewww, who likes pineapple pizza, right? So your main objective becomes saving all the other toppings by traveling around the world in a rad pizza adventure. But real talk? I understand the culturally-established joke, but I happen to love Hawaiian pizza. So should I continue the game or leave it be? After all, there's little at stake for me, a pineapple lover. 🍍 THEMING ▪ As the title of the game implies, this is a game with plenty of throwback references, and it banks a lot of its features, jokes, and overall appeal on nostalgia. Specifically, even though some design elements and the word "rad" seem to imply the product would center around the 80s, this is not the case. Every reference, from start to finish, will be catered to the people born in the late 80s to early 90s, and will focus on their childhood classics to evoke some hit-the-spot-perfectly callbacks. I happen to fall into this age range, as do many other puzzle enthusiasts; and as a perfect target audience, I was having a ball! ▪ Those who fall out of range can still have fun, though the seemingly customized experience will probably feel less snugly fitted. Generally speaking, if you have a comfortable grasp of the follow examples of pop culture--Captain Planet, Hercules, Power Rangers, and DuckTales--you should be good to go! If you don't, the narrative will still be coherent, though less impactful on your heartstrings. In this case, most of your enjoyment will rely on the puzzle-solving aspect instead. ▪ Each pizza slice represents a puzzle session featuring a specific throwback TV show, a geographical locale, and its subset of challenges to overcome. Because of this setup, there are tons of variations with limited repetitions to venture through, and the audience will be unlikely to become uninterested. I particularly enjoy the "excursion around the globe" idea (which is a retro-reference in itself, you'll see) and the development team's way of grouping certain shows, themes, and pizza toppings together based on geographical locations. There're lots of funny and smart ideas to uncover in this pizza delivery--and I'm here for it! ▪ As alluded to before, each chapter includes a TV show-inspired video clip that serves as an introduction, and this video clip employs beloved show characters as visuals with amusing and well-acted dubbed-over dialogs from Trapped's cast of talented voice actors. While I will not comment on the usage of certain IPs, I do find each animated clip lovely, enjoyable, and heartwarming as they take me down the road of reminiscence and back to my much more worry-free childhood days. This pizza adventure is doggos-approved | Trapped Puzzle Rooms Trapped Takeout PUZZLES ▪ The prologue starts with some simple, escape room-style puzzles that involve a prop and some light Google searches. This warm-up, however, is not at all reflective to what's to come in the following 6 to 12 hours of head-scratching fun. In fact, internet search becomes prominent and is plainly expected for a handful of challenges: Because some dated cultural reference (from the 90s) and knowledge pertaining to a specific field of study are incorporated into puzzle designs, and they are not considered general, everyday knowledge, you must be comfortable and efficient at online research--as you will be doing that quite often. If you're into this, you will have a blast; if you're not, however, this may not be your cup of tea, or your slice of pizza pie. ▪ To much of my surprise, Pizza Adventure can actually be considered a "The Greatest Hits" album of classic puzzles. A lot of familiar puzzle formats and tropes are recycled and repackaged into this eclectic Italian meal. Some utilized elements include but are not limited to: portmanteaus, Tribond, Stepdown, etc. There are plenty more familiar players that I've encountered during game play. While this approach may not be the most creative, I do appreciate the company's attempts to make them its own. A lot of clues and the solutions are drenched with humor and personality, and it's these extra touches that I find worth supporting. ▪ Undoubtedly, Pizza Adventure in an all-American endeavor and it's best enjoyed by people who are born and raised in this country and culture. That is not to say you won't succeed if you're a foreign puzzler, but it may be that much more difficult, or you may do that many more Google searches, to land on the same correct solutions. For instance, recalling specific commercial tag lines is crucial for one puzzle, and a solid mastery of compound vocabulary words is important for another. This may affect your satisfaction, though whether positively or negatively depends on your own experience and preference. ▪ Of the most difficult challenges, two particular chapters test the players' scope of knowledge spanning from astronomy to classic art, and I will bet good money that these aren't topics that just roll off the tongues of most game night participants. Meanwhile, some jigsaw-based puzzles seem to have multiple acceptable solutions, which could confuse and lead users down the path of failure ultimately. Altogether, these are exceedingly difficult puzzles to proceed without hints, they go beyond the boundary of being challenging into the area of being frustrating. Some tweaking are needed and encouraged. ▪ Overall, of the massive amount of 20 to 30 puzzles offered, there are substantial portions that are great, some are okay, and a few are duds. Still, there are more hits than misses, and some have brought me such delight and memorable "ah-ha!" moments that I still fondly remember. In particular, my favorites are "Normal 90s Teenagers" and their day in high school, and "Pizza Orders" made by various movie and tv stars of household name status. These are brilliant, and I'd love to see more. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ This took me a long time to completely play through, as it is an ambitious project with loads and loads of contents, much more than I've initially expected, to be honest. While it officially claims to provide 6 to 12 hours of entertainment, with my on-and-off gaming, it took me a good month to finish. Hence, for most, Pizza Adventure will be a wise, long-term puzzle investment. ▪ This large pizza is sold at $55 per box, and that translates to roughly $7 to 8 per game session. Objectively, this is a cheap enough ticket price to justify for multiple fulfilling game nights. If you're splitting the cost among friends to play this at home as a team, it becomes even more affordable. I would also recommend this as a reasonably priced, novelty puzzle item for gifting. OVERALL: 🙂 ▪ The pandemic has really pushed Trapped Puzzle Rooms to experiment with all forms of brainteasing entertainment, and the realization of the nascent Trapped Takeout line is nothing short of curious cuteness. The freshman attempt with "Retro Rad Pizza Adventure", like its food inspiration, has both pros and cons for consumption. But again, like a real pizza, there's more to like and to enjoy than not. It's a good beginning to something new, and I look forward to covering "Taco Twosday" fairly soon! 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. TPRPizza.

JUMP TO: THE INFO | THE GALLERY | THE GUIDE | THE REVIEW THE INFO BAD ALTITUDE | FAST FAMILIAR 🗺️ Based In United Kingdom ⏲️ 60-90 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 Up To 6 Devices 📚 A puzzle game with a sense of humour, set aboard the world’s most underprepared airline. Help flight attendant Rhys as he wrangles over-demanding VIP passengers, escaped anxiety pets and his own luckless love life. Can you be his wingman? Work with your friends to solve puzzles, crack codes and avert death by discount airline. When you’re cruising at 30,000 feet, what could possibly go wrong? From the team behind National Elf Service (★★★★), Bad Altitude is a cross between an interactive audio drama and an online puzzle game - take your time and enjoy the in-flight entertainment! It’s designed for groups of 2-6 people to play together, from wherever they are. Remember – not all heroes wear capes. Some of them push the drinks trolley. THE GALLERY Bad Altitude | Fast Familiar THE (QUICK) GUIDE THIS, IN A NUTSHELL, IS... ▪ Classified As: Play At Home » Purely Online Digital Game ▪ An interactive comedy show led by audio acting, accompanied by colorful illustrations shown in slideshow fashion. Story follows a flight attendant's (Rhys's) day at work on a plane, assisting passengers for their various needs. Narrative would pause as Rhys and you attend to the passengers' requests (puzzle breaks), players then solve brainteasers to advance to the next scene. Themes and style are intentionally over-the-top, wacky, and more importantly, unapologetically gay, fabulous, and all-inclusive. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF... ▪ If you're a member of the LGBT+ community, or a fan of its comedies, such as Will & Grace, Glee, and Modern Family. ▪ If you're looking for something different--a well done, in-flight themed escape puzzle game is rare to come by! ▪ If you just want to sit back, relax, have a few laughs while occasionally solving some light puzzles in between. ▪ If you had fun with Fast Familiar's previous Christmas interactive story game title, National Elf Service. ▪ If you enjoy these similar/related options: Drag Task Force, Miss Jezebel Online, and The Witch's Forest. SOUNDS GREAT, NOW WHAT? 📖 CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW BELOW! 🛒 WHEN YOU'RE READY... TO BUY, CLICK HERE! 💻 For game interface, use Chrome or Firefox while on a computer, or Chrome on a tablet. It does not work on Safari or Edge. 💻 To display puzzle clues, be sure to have a proper PDF file reader installed. Adobe Acrobat Reader will work. 🧐 Based on everything discussed below in the review, with my team of 1, the difficulty subjectively feels like a 3 to 4/10, (which may differ from the company's official rating). As such, I recommend a team up to 2 for the puzzles aspect, but the game can comfortably accommodate more for its show/entertainment value. An intimate group, up to 6, would be ideal. THE (FULL) REVIEW You're now flying on Ai Air | Fast Familiar IMPRESSIONS ▪ With Bad Altitude's being Fast Familiar's second publication in the interactive story online game genre, (the first being National Elf Service,) a solid foundation has already been made for both the creators and returning customers. The game makers do not have to make a game interface from scratch, and I am going in knowing roughly what to expect. Win win. ▪ The essentially same, intuitive, easy to use, and multifunctional game dashboard returns. It's been rethemed to look like an aircraft control panel to fit the airline narrative, but all the important components stay put: Main display for visuals (for both the audio drama and for puzzles), a group chat window to communicate with your team and to receive messages from in-game characters, a text recap section of all audible lines for the hearing-impaired, a files section, and a solution input area. Beautiful. ▪I am a HUGE fan of the art direction. Whereas the previous game reserved a bit of cartoon-like element to its character design, Altitude goes for a semi-photographic-realistic, crossed with pop-art portrayal. The coloring uses a solid, one-color per area style with minimal shading, which renders the image even more striking. The end result is aesthetically pleasing and attention grabbing--and it finally hits me, this resembles closely to Archer, an animation I've come to love over the years! This explains why I love this so much! (Those who enjoy the sight of beautiful men will also be in for quite a treat.) ▪ The voice acting is decent across the board, and it's pleasant to see (or rather, hear) some of the same, recognizable talents return. Fun factoid: Rhys is voiced by and designed after actor Delme Thomas, another similar design treatment found in Archer! THEMING ▪ There isn't many in-flight themed escape or puzzle game that doesn't involve imminent danger of sort (for example, murder on a plane, bomb on a plane, snakes on a plane), so the idea of assisting an airplane crew from the ground is refreshing and fun. ▪ I absolutely enjoy how much Bad Altitude embraces its ridiculousness to start to finish. I expected to help a series of hard-to-please air travelers given the premise, but little did I suspect that the comedy starts with the very airline that just hired me. The Ai Airline boasts about its state-of-the-art, fully automated artificial intelligence support team that backs up its on-flight crews, but let's just say, they have good reasons to bring you onboard. This is both a plausible yet still positively ludicrous game objective, and I am here for it! It sets the tone just right for the zany antics soon to follow. ▪ Due to having played National Elf Service already, I did inaccurately expect the story portion of Altitude to follow a similar suit. Elf has a more a familiar story structure. There is a clear conflict, escalation, climax, and resolution, and it felt like a Christmas TV movie special. Altitude, on the other hand, feels like a handful of individual scenes stitched together with one common denominator of flight attendant Rhys. So, this lands more like a hybrid between sitcom and SNL skits. This isn't necessarily less coherent, per se, but do expect each guest scenario to be more self-contained and less interconnected--but funny all the same. ▪ This game is designed for teens and up, (as opposed to children,) the writers have much more creative freedom to cover subject matters and themes inaccessible prior. Having our protagonist be an openly gay cabin crew member is not only beyond realistic (or so I've heard first hand), it also brings forth opportunities for chuckles and smirks-inducing moments, like awkward romantic tensions and exchanges, a cameo from the queen herself (It's Britney, b*tch!), and of course, rainbow parachutes. ▪ The humor never stops! 2020 is the year of the Karens, so of course the Karen farce made the cut. And you'll know it when she makes her appearance. It'll be impossible to miss. Way to be topical, Fast Familiar! Love it, guys. PUZZLES ▪ The puzzles are presented in the exact same way as the previous game: they will be given in between story portions, and they are mostly formatted as PDF files. The puzzles themselves are not interactive with the web interface. You will read the information given, solve the puzzle with pen and paper (most likely), and verify the solution at the answer input field. ▪ There is a good variety of puzzles offered and while I think they've gotten easier compared to the last title's, they are also more enjoyable. Some of the same concepts reappear, and some are new ideas: math problem (which I loved, for I can do algebra aptly still), elimination through reading comprehension and logic, a little bit of microphone action (not karaoke this time), and deciphering encrypted messages. One standout involves taking a virtual tour on a real-life museum website to extract information to report back to Rhys, blurring the line of gaming fantasy and the real world. ▪ All the more labor-intensive puzzles from Elf Service have been axed in favor of more straightforward and beginners-friendly choices. Though a few puzzles do involve tricky details (and they are indeed good ones!) that may catch a puzzler off-guard, none should present a true problem regardless of past experience. (But seriously, who puts up a Post-it note side way?!) ▪ The puzzles come in between scenes and therefore are strictly linear. However, there is an improved, built-in clue system which you can opt to reveal 3 clues total, one at a time. If you still can't conquer the challenge, there is also an option to skip the problem altogether, so you can go on with the show. (I would prefer to have the answer key available as well like in the previous game, so the patrons have option to "work backwards" should they choose to, instead of outright giving up.) Depicted: a cipher-based puzzle among other things... Gulp | Fast Familiar OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ Fast Familiar continues to champion in representation and inclusivity, as the main cast features people from various background, culture, and sexual orientation. The main character, Rhys, is homosexual and his attraction to men presented ordinarily like so. The continual normalization of minority (as defined by mainstream media) will make consumers who relate very happy--I know I am. This is the first escape game I've played with a gay protagonist, and I sure hope it isn't the last! ▪ There is a slight tendency for the writers to overdramatize or go overboard with certain stereotypical characterization. Most are done for comedic purpose, and none comes across as offensive. However, as a gay man myself, I do feel as though Rhys is a bit too one-dimensionally boy-crazy and therefore made him more of a caricature. Nonetheless, one may argue 1) the same can be said for Jack McFarland, and he's got a solid fanbase, and 2) this could be closer to reality than I realize, perhaps? ▪ It costs £20 to purchase the game, so depending on how many is available in your group to chip in, the ticket price could range from reasonable to a true bargain. If you split the cost at least 3 ways, you'll get a value both very well justified and well spent. OVERALL: 😃 ▪ Bad Altitude is lighthearted, never takes itself too seriously, and makes a great choice for a slightly-buzzed game night for those of legal drinking age. The rom-com element (and the one perfectly chiseled torso, you know the one, don't lie) will certainly prove to be a hit among the gals and the gays. As for the rest of you, if you enjoy laughing with a side of brain exercise, go for it. Join the (*ahem*) club with Ai Air. 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. FFAltitude.

OFFICIAL INFO FROM COMPANY... 🕹️ (Halloween) Survival Escape Training 🌐 clueQuest ▪ clueQuest "Print + Cut + Escape" 🗺️ Based In United Kingdom ⏲️ 90 Minutes ▪ 💪 3.14/5 ▪ 🔢 N/A THE PREMISE 📚 Following numerous reports of maniacal monstrosities terrorizing neighborhoods across the world, we present this emergency training course for all field agents - including you! (This game was originally released as the "Halloween Survival Escape Training" episode, with the hope of adding some hilarity to a host of Halloween parties. But once the event had been and gone we thought, "Why limit it to just one day?" and so we re-christened it "Survival Escape Training".) Compared to some of our other missions this is less of a serious puzzling challenge and more of a light-hearted (and hopefully humorous) hunk of entertainment. So if you're looking to add some supernatural spice to an otherwise empty evening this is definitely the game for you! Take the tests and learn how to deal with a whole host of spooky surprises - including cunning vampires hiding among us, mad scientists with their creepy creations, and hungry zombies out for your brains! THE GUIDE THIS IS CLASSIFIED AS... ▪ Play At Home » Print & Play Puzzle Game YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF YOU... ▪ ...Are a fan of classic monsters, like vampires, the Frankenstein monster, and zombies. (Note: this game is not at all scary!) ▪ ...Want a festive and puzzle-based celebration for Halloween, or for any day of the year to feel a little more Halloween. ▪ ...Enjoy clever puzzles that actually employ theming to its full potential. (Or maybe just one with a pumpkin cipher wheel!) ▪ ...Follow the clueQuest brand, and appreciate their signature humorous take on puzzles and their truly impressive art. ▪ ...Fancy these (similar) titles: clueQuest games (Stolen IQ, timeQuest) and family friendly games (B.R.U.C.E. series). GREAT! ANY ADVICE OR TIPS? 💪 On company's site, difficulty is officially listed as a 3.14/5. (Ah, random math reference, me like.) 🧐 However, based on my team of 1, it felt subjectively like a 6 or even 7/10! (Some elements aren't my forte.) 🔢 With the reasoning above, I would recommend a team of 1 to 2. MY BODY IS READY! NOW WHAT? 🛒 TO BUY, CLICK HERE! ▪ For this: Print & play media requires PDF Reader to load the file, printer and paper to print, and scissors to cut. ▪ Alternatively, the company can have everything printed and mailed to you for an optional premium surcharge. THE REVIEW (Halloween) Survival Escape Training | clueQuest INTRODUCTION ▪ "(Halloween) Survival Escape Training" is originally a print-and-play puzzle game from clueQuest, designed to celebrate the spookiest holiday of the year--Halloween, of course. As the title implies, this product focuses on teaching the players how to survive the end of times--if apocalypse was brought on by an onslaught of vampires, Frankenstein monsters, and zombies, that is! Since this knowledge should come in handy any time of the year, because disaster don't happen according to a seasonal schedule, this is available for play/guidance all year long. Prepare now, survive and thrive later. THE TRAINER (AKA THE SETUP) ▪ clueQuest is pretty direct about this on the game information page: this isn't like their previous publications. This is lighthearted, humorous enterintament designed to add some supernatural spice to your evening. Accordingly, the game makers have taken a different approach, and there is no one central storyline to follow; instead, this is eerily similar to a workplace training module that you may have to endure at work. Except it's fun! And it features zombies! ▪ The actor that acts as a lab tech (or maybe a professor of some sort) clearly explains the procedure on how to become a well-prepared citizen against spooky (and possibly deadly) surprises. In each video, he describes the subjects that we are training to protect ourselves against (vampires, Frankenstein, or zombies), thereby also elaborating on the objectives of the puzzles to follow. It's a playful way to introduce the challenges ahead without making us read, and he does so with clarity that I could jump into my printed media portion without hesitation. It's a smooth transition that I appreciate. ▪ And may I say, the acting isn't bad, pretty decent, actually! I would've preferred if he could talk a tad quicker, but he's pulled off the dorky yet adorable role quite well. I love his little bowtie, and though I am not certain if that's his regular hairdo, the curly, puffy, and somewhat unkempt hair style definitely suits the character. Tasty treats and puzzles, an unlikely pairing? Or perfect match made in heaven? | clueQuest THE TRAINING (AKA THE PUZZLES) ▪ As to the actual puzzle components, much like in timeQuest, I've noticed that these print-and-cut pieces are rather large. (Like really, really big, seriously. Some jigsaw pieces are bigger than a slice of pizza!) Since this was the Halloween special, and Halloween is a predominantly children holiday, perhaps clueQuest is catering to younger hands. (The game is officially listed for 12 and up.) In which case, I once again, applaud the company for making their game materials friendly for fans of all ages. (My aging eyes are also grateful for the gigantic print. Oh, the joy of growing older.) ▪ Strangely enough, the actual puzzles feel very sophisticated, and not overly catered to only younger audience. In fact, even though these challenges adopt a cartoonish, wacky tone, they are difficult enough to keep grown-ups on their toes. There is a great variety of games chosen, arguably with a wider spectrum than the previous series even, testing the players' skills of observation, secret message decoding, shapes and spatial reasoning, soundbites listening, and more. I am not particularly great at shapes or tiling puzzle, so the unexpected struggle is both refreshing and humbling. ▪ The theming is spot-on and flawless, and I really appreciate the writers for coming up with puzzles that relate organically to the topics, instead of just phoning it in via classic, overused puzzle choices with monster graphics slapped on. For instance, vampires are known to have no reflection in mirrors and live for centuries, so these are reflected (unlike the vampires) in the puzzle designs. Zombies lack the ability of speech, so we find a zombie growls and grunts-inspired exercise in their chapter. Everything makes sense within context, rendering the experience that much more satisfying. ▪ Last but not least, awesome art! This is somewhat of a given with all "Print + Cut + Escape" games, however. Not much of a surprise, but always a treat to see. The final puzzle art, in particular, employs a clever trick of using negative space, which I thought was quite neat! (I mean, did anyone ever figure out if it's a vase or two faces?) OVERALL: 😃 ▪ "(Halloween) Survival Escape Training" is a surprise hit. Initially, I didn't expect much beyond a cute, seasonal option for October. But the more I revisit the product, the more brilliance I find embedded within. Though it is now February, I like it just the same. Besides, I have a strong feeling that most folks wouldn't mind; Halloween is many people's favorite holiday, after all. Grab some candies to chew on while playing this, and you won't know (or care for) the difference! 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. CQSurvival.

OFFICIAL INFO FROM COMPANY... 🕹️ timeQuest 🌐 clueQuest ▪ clueQuest "Print + Cut + Escape" 🗺️ Based In United Kingdom ⏲️ 90 Minutes ▪ 💪 3/5 ▪ 🔢 N/A THE PREMISE 📚 Your mission in timeQuest is to help Mr & Mrs Q stop the troublesome twosome known as the Earlybirds from altering the fabric of time. With the help of specialist Dr Imani Chronos, you will have to follow them on a journey through time, putting right their meddling before time as we know it is history! THE GUIDE THIS IS CLASSIFIED AS... ▪ Play At Home » Print & Play Puzzle Game YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF YOU... ▪ ...Are aged around 12, give or take a few years, and looking for a fun escape game to do at home. ▪ ...Are the parent of the above described child, and want something wholesome and fun for them to do for 1 hour or 2. ▪ ...Enjoy print-and-play games with both PDF file and web elements, similar to previous series from clueQuest. ▪ ...Appreciate time-travel themes portrayed in awesome artworks and animation videos with vibrant colors. ▪ ...Fancy these (similar) titles: The Mysterious Case, Houdini's Secret Room, The Bank Job, Christmas Scene Investigation, and National Elf Service, ie titles designed for family and children with/without paper based media. GREAT! ANY ADVICE OR TIPS? 💪 On company's site, difficulty is officially listed as a 3/5. 🧐 However, based on my team of 1, it felt subjectively like a 4/10, since it's a game geared towards younglings. 🔢 With the reasoning above, I would recommend a team of 1, especially if you're an adult player. MY BODY IS READY! NOW WHAT? 🛒 TO BUY, CLICK HERE! ▪ For this: Print & play media requires PDF Reader to load the file, printer and paper to print, and scissors to cut. ▪ Alternatively, the company can have everything printed and mailed to you for an optional premium surcharge. THE REVIEW timeQuest from clueQuest (featuring matching capitalizations, neat) | clueQuest INTRODUCTION ▪ Having already published a 3-episode series from their now well-known "Print + Cut + Escape" brand, United Kingdom escape room company clueQuest now has a title catered specifically for kids named "timeQuest", because why should adult puzzle lovers have all the fun? If you're a parent and have a child that you'd like to train to be an efficient and resourceful escape artist one day, this at-home print-and-play product is an appropriate and decent place to start! ▪ timeQuest, plot-wise, is unrelated to the Crimson vs BlackSheep saga, though it features the brand's yellow mouse protagonists Mr and Mrs Q this time around also (haha, word play). The villains introduced are the Earlybirds, whose sole purpose is to rid of bedtime by eliminating all the world's clocks through all of history. (There's even a bit of fun recap of time-measuring devices throughout the eras--candle, sundial, hourglass, etc.) This exudes a bit of Pinky and the Brain vibe, mixed with the obvious time-traveling element of Back to the Future. It's a fun premise overall. Please supervise children while playing if a similar sharp blade is used during the game | clueQuest DESIGNED FOR KIDS IN MIND ▪ There is no doubt this is a game designed for kids, and the young ones will have a great time. The contents are much more relatable to younger audience than the previous materials. To start, the villains appear to be forever-young children themselves! Now, they are little baddies who deserve some time-outs (haha, word play again), though one may question, if their goal is to destroy a proper bedtime, wouldn't a majority of the target audience align with their cause? A bit of a paradox there, but let's save for the philosophical questions for another time. (Man, I'm on a row!) ▪ Though the Earlybirds unleash chaos upon the world, they do so in the visions of young children. The most famous clock in the world, Big Ben from England, has been turned into a giant ice cream cone for Pete's sake! This is the kind of delicious ridiculousness that children will appreciate most, unless you're King Kong, in which case, this is the ultimate fantasy. It's pleasant to see clueQuest's lighthearted humor permeate through all their products, for adults or otherwise. ▪ Video are back! (Something that was missing in Episode 3.) And what a joy it is to see them in full, colorful animation glory. Every single puzzle is preceded by a short cartoon video clip, which doubly functions as the narration for the story so far, and to clearly explain the objective(s) of the upcoming puzzle. There shouldn't be any confusion on how to proceed. For kids, it's important to capture their attention to engage, and video watching is arguably a better, or at least a certainly more entertaining, route to go. And I am SO glad the designers have brought back these amazingly produced videos. ▪ As for the puzzles, one obviously noticeable difference is that the pieces are much bigger. This would facilitate the paper cutting and the crafting process of the game, assuming the youngest target audience may not be fully proficient with sharp blades. (Game is designed for as young as 8.) Bigger print-outs are also easier (and less tricky) to see, a suitable move for children who are possibly solving their very first escape game at home. ▪ Difficulty of the puzzles are obviously adjusted to be playable and reasonably solvable by the young ones. Most challenges are much more straightforward and intuitive, and I find myself actually overthinking out of custom. Puzzle types include: deciphering through tools (such as a cipher wheel), multi-layered jigsaw puzzle, observe and find (a sort of hide & seek), symbol match-ups, and pattern inference. They were not difficult for me, an adult, but were still delightful. Wacky consequences due to the chaotic doings of the Earlybirds | clueQuest VIBRANT PRODUCTION VALUE ▪ Lastly, it's once again worthy to note the art and production is impressive as made clear from before. The resident artists once gain flexed their creative and artistic muscles, and have given us pages and pages of attractive and fascinating artworks. Since this is a kids game, the images take on a comic book style approach. Compared to the previous trilogy, they come off more whimsical, more carefree, and sillier, which works for the intended tone. ▪ The video clips are rendered in bright and saturated colors, which is a sharp departure from the black-and-white artsy film style from the previous series. It's almost shocking to my eyes to see this other side of clueQuest, and I imagine this to be well-received with children since colors are stimulating, and therefore perceived to be more exciting to watch. ▪ In contrast, the PDF print-and-play file is optimized for printing, and therefore monochromatic. (The premium mail-to-your-house option is in color, to note.) But that's ok. Now the packet doubles as coloring pages. Two birds, one stone. OVERALL: 😃 ▪ There is a lot to adore in timeQuest. While I would recommend this product more for kids than to my adult readers, this is not at all a negative remark, since that is the exact intent from the publishers. Priced reasonably, this is a rewarding way to provide the children in your life a few hours of wholesome fun that promotes active thinking and improves problem-solving skills. But rest assured, fans of clueQuest of any age should find this agreeable enough to enjoy. 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. CQTime.

OFFICIAL INFO FROM COMPANY... 🕹️ Episode Three: Humanity 2.0 🌐 clueQuest ▪ clueQuest "Print + Cut + Escape" 🗺️ Based In United Kingdom ⏲️ 90 Minutes ▪ 💪 3/5 ▪ 🔢 N/A THE PREMISE 📚 In Humanity 2.0, your mission is to help Mr Q and his team escape an army of mind-controlled sheep and locate Professor Blacksheep’s secret base. Intel suggests he has been working on a mysterious device, but his plans are as yet unknown. You must uncover the device’s secrets and put an end to the Professor’s dastardly scheme! THE GUIDE THIS IS CLASSIFIED AS... ▪ Play At Home » Print & Play Puzzle Game YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF YOU... ▪ ...Have already invested resources and feelings (aw!!) for Agent Crimson and the gang in Episode One & Two. ▪ ...Enjoy a similar approach of storytelling as Episode One (mostly text based). Video usage is reduced in Humanity 2.0. ▪ ...Are looking for more varied and challenging puzzles that now also require spatial reasoning and critical thinking. ▪ ...Fancy these (similar) titles: Stolen IQ (most similar), and other general print & play titles, like ones from Escape Hunt. GREAT! ANY ADVICE OR TIPS? 💪 On company's site, difficulty is officially listed as a 3/5. 🧐 However, based on my team of 1, it felt subjectively like almost a 7 to 8/10. I sure used my share of hints! 🔢 With the reasoning above, I would recommend a team of 1 to 3. Use collective brain power for the tough puzzles. 🗨️ The first prologue puzzle features drop down menus; be sure to scroll down to see all available choices. MY BODY IS READY! NOW WHAT? 🛒 TO BUY, CLICK HERE! ▪ For this: Print & play media requires PDF Reader to load the file, printer and paper to print, and scissors to cut. ▪ Alternatively, the company can have everything printed and mailed to you for an optional premium surcharge. THE REVIEW Episode Three: Humanity 2.0 | clueQuest INTRODUCTION ▪ "Humanity 2.0" is the final episode to the Professor BlackSheep saga trilogy. The story so far depicts Agent Crimson and her team's successful destruction of the Alpha Brain System, but the fate of humanity is not yet in the clear. The evil villain is now on the run with his secret weapon, capable of brainwashing every creature on Earth... starting with sheeps! ▪ Gaming format stays mostly the same, you "Print + Cut + Escape" as previous episodes. But there are notable changes: MARKED DIFFERENCES ▪ While I really complimented the excellent use of video clips to show the story to the audience, rather than just tell by text on paper, in Episode 2, I am most definitely disappointed to see this trend does not continue into the final installment. Instead, each subchapter will have begin with a paragraph of reading included in the PDF file, and after some light reading, you'll jump right into the puzzles. This does not not work, but it's just noticeably less engaging. ▪ Though the appearance of these video clips are limited, they still act as opener and closer for the episode, so I am content they are not completely gone--and their quality is just as good as the ones from the previous game. The first video in the beginning showcases smooth animations of Mrs Q doing some emergency hacking, and the ending live action clips include clueQuest's now signature eccentric but totally awesome costume pieces (some paper sketch-inspired) worn by Professor BlackSheep and Lord Hammerschmidt. The charm is definitely still there--I just wish there's more of it. ▪ There are some standout elements shown in the narrative videos that spark both contemplation and laughter. For example, was Professor BlackSheep really the bad guy for wanting to cleanse the world of human's faulty nature--we are the leading cause of global warming after all. BlackSheep's Thanos ideology may just mean he could become a good guy in future development! Meanwhile, Crimson's awkward "little girl" foot twist during the corny, saccharine father-daughter reconciliation scene is a daring cringe comedy move, and it's admittedly weird, but also admittedly funny. ▪ Overall, Humanity is a chapter with less focus on theater and more emphasis on puzzles. Back to the basics, if you will. For once more, you come face to face with Professor BlackSheep | clueQuest CHALLENGING PUZZLES-DRIVEN ▪ The innovative 3-dimensional puzzles from Alpha have, sadly, not returned, but in their place, we still get a roster of much more varied, very challenging puzzles that will surely perplex the most veteran of puzzle lovers. One positive attribute about not having to build 3D props is that you do spend considerably less time cutting, folding, and interlocking pieces together, so the prep time is minimal and this play session can be fit into your busy schedule rather easily. ▪ One vast improvement especially worth mentioning: while the first half of the game still follows the familiar puzzle format of looking for a phrased-based password to advance, the latter half completely ditches this idea, and the challenges are much more hands-on and spatially involved. There is some origami interweaving to do (I had zero chance of solving that one--it was tough!) and some position and turn-based puzzles that remind me of strategy video games. In my previous review, I've asked for more variations in puzzle designs, and the makers have really delivered the goods! ▪ The puzzles, however, lack obvious or clean-cut instructions on how to start, though it's unclear whether this is intentional or not. In either case, the self-paced hints system is really useful in nudging you on where to start tackling. Comprehensively, for players with less experience, it would most likely feel like "Here's a lot of materials thrown at you, now figure it out." For the more experienced, however, this could be seen as yet another layer of challenge to overcome. ▪ Humanity 2.0 is a true print-and-play, with minimum interaction with the web interface except for answer verifications. In case of internet down time, the printed packet provides sufficient materials to move through bulk of the game. (In fact, there are some puzzle pages that you don't even really have to print; a few can be solved just by reading the PDF.) Satisfying puzzle variety in Episode Three: Humanity 2.0 | clueQuest OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ I was expecting a conclusive end to the BlackSheep story arc, though it surely seems there is more story to explore after yet another cliffhanger. This cliffhanger, however, is scored with a very chillingly ominous score, coupled with a semi-frightening reveal... Very unsettling--I got goosebumps! This is probably one of my favorites moments from Humanity 2.0. ▪ If for any reason, you're reading this review for the third game, but have not yet played any from the trilogy, there is a value bundle option at the price of £39 for all 3 games. This averages out to £13 per game and saves you money. OVERALL: 🙂 ▪ Having finally completed the entire trilogy series, I would rate Episode 2: Alpha Brain System as my favorite, Episode 3: Humanity 2.0 as the most difficult, and the entire narrative arc as a whole an outstanding print-and-play option currently available for at-home gaming. I, like many other customers who've completed the entire adventure, am left genuinely impressed. Dedication of many hours of hard work is obvious; the quality is undeniable. And again, such amazing artwork--I wouldn't be surprised if the same team were to develop an interactive puzzle comic book one day... ▪ Hey, clueQuest team, if you're reading this, how about it, huh? 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. CQHumanity.

OFFICIAL INFO FROM COMPANY... 🕹️ Episode Two: Alpha Brain System 🌐 clueQuest ▪ clueQuest "Print + Cut + Escape" 🗺️ Based In United Kingdom ⏲️ 120+ Minutes ▪ 💪 4.5/5 ▪ 🔢 N/A THE PREMISE 📚 Your mission in Alpha Brain System is to help Mr Q infiltrate the CUBE - a mysterious facility owned by the world's greatest villain, Professor Blacksheep. Once reunited, you must all work together to find out exactly what the Professor is planning - and put a stop to it! THE GUIDE THIS IS CLASSIFIED AS... ▪ Play At Home » Print & Play Puzzle Game YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF YOU... ▪ ...Appreciate professionally drawn and produced, uniquely designed graphics and videos exclusive to a game series. ▪ ...Enjoy entertainment deriving from a decent spy story that does not overshadow the real stars--quality puzzles. ▪ ...Want to give paper crafting-based, 3-dimensional puzzle clues a go. These are quite innovative and rare to find! ▪ ...Are a veteran escape game player and need something moderately challenging that easily passes 1 to 2 hours time. ▪ ...Fancy these (similar) titles: A mix between The Panic Room game format with CU Adventures print & play elements. GREAT! ANY ADVICE OR TIPS? 💪 On company's site, difficulty is officially listed as a 4.5/5. 🧐 However, based on my team of 1, it felt subjectively like a 6 to 7/10, especially true for the harder puzzles in the end. 🔢 With the reasoning above, I would recommend a team of 1 to 2. More eyes to see details, more brains to think. MY BODY IS READY! NOW WHAT? 🛒 TO BUY, CLICK HERE! ▪ For this: Print & play media requires PDF Reader to load the file, printer and paper to print, and scissors to cut. ▪ Alternatively, the company can have everything printed and mailed to you for an optional premium surcharge. THE REVIEW Three dimensional action starts right off the bat... or golf club! | clueQuest INTRODUCTION ▪ "Alpha Brain System" is the second installment in a 3-chapter series about Agent Crimson's fight against Professor BlackSheep's evil plan to take over and revamp humanity. The game format is branded as "Print + Cut + Escape" by UK escape room company publisher clueQuest. This at-home print-and-play adventure takes place between print media (that you print out, cut, fold, and what-have-you) and on-the-web puzzles and video narratives. ▪ Alpha follows a linear format where you first get a cut scene vid (usually lasting a few minutes) and a corresponding puzzle online. Players then proceed to fiddle with various paper-based games or crafts to produce clues and props that help solve puzzles. Once solution is obtained and entered on the web, and the correct answer will unlock the next act. Since Chapter 2 is much more plot-driven, it can be considered an interactive story with brainteaser elements. More visually and mentally engaging, this follow-up will easily have you more invested in our heroes' battle for mankind. ▪ Last we checked in Episode 1: Stolen IQ, to be honest, nothing much really happened besides loads of preparatory expositions. Characters are introduced, relationships are explained, motivations are clarified, and it sets the stage for real actions to begin. In Alpha, things finally pick up speed, and lots of exciting events unfold. Crimson is rescued by her murine partner Mr. Q, and they're about to discover the Alpha Brain System controlling the minds of many scientists. Compared to the previous relatively slow and quiet pace, this welcoming improvement really elevates the sequel to another level. All eyes on Sir Bugsy, a face that only a mother could love | clueQuest ARTFUL PRODUCTION, UGLY BUGSY ▪ One thing that I thought did not reach full potential in the original was the theatrical aspect of the plot. The storytelling mostly depended on texts and pictures to elaborate. While it worked just fine, when the final chapter (from chapter 1) came, an almost noir style, monochromatic motion picture played, and I was immediately thinking, "Why can't we have more of this? This is kinda awesome!" Well, it's almost like the company heard my thoughts telepathically, because there're plenty of videos to watch in this episode, and I couldn't be more pleased. ▪ Not only are the video clips a great way to advance the narrative, it's also highly entertaining. In particular, the fight scene featuring head baddy Sir Bugsy makes quite the lasting impression. The filming must've take a while: because many of Bugsy's body parts are depicted in sketch-like aesthetics, the actor must've donned and doffed multiple custom costume pieces to complete the entire shoot. In addition, Mr Q needs to be added in post-production for every clip he appears in. The time and effort gone into producing these live action-animation hybrids merit recognition and praises. ▪ Insertions of humor and in-jokes also give the narrative a touch of personality. A running gag made crystal clear in the first chapter, Sir Bugsy is the poster child of ugliness and ridiculous composites. Chapter two now doubles down and makes sure to reemphasize this character design, which in turn makes his actual on-screen debut all the more surprising and comical. To actually bring someone so ludicrous, so cartoonish, so hideous alive in live action--I smirked. Various puns, found in spy gadget names (G.O.L.F.B.A.L.L.) and puzzle solutions also bring delights to my nerdy heart. Puns are my jam! ▪ And the illustrations continue to be top-notched and unique to the clueQuest brand! I've seen a couple of behind-the-scene snippets from the art team, and there really is no shortage of talents and amazing artworks from this department. I'm positively obsessed with these 3D puzzle crafts! | clueQuest PAPER BASED, BUT HARDLY FLAT ▪ The one new concept not present prior, but really sold me this time, is the broad scope of activities customers get to do with papers. Previously, there was cutting, putting jigsaw pieces together, and the more memorable interweaving. In Alpha, this evolves to building some simple yet considerably elegant paper-based model kits, from 2D to 3D! City landmarks, experimental contraption, and air vent are among some mini (and let's face it, sort of adorable) structures you'll create on your desk. Not terribly difficult to execute, though a bit time consuming, the end results gave me a weirdly proud sense of accomplishment. I really enjoyed the crafting process--and I usually hate crafts. ▪ As for the actual puzzles, they are consistent to what I've already seen in Stolen IQ. There is no major breakthrough; puzzles follow a general trend of looking at the certain specific area, copying down some letters or codes, and ultimately they form a phrase which is the answer. If there is any limitation to the "Print + Cut + Escape" games, this would be it, that it'll always be a transformative process that ends with a similar result. The journey to each solution, however, stays varied and involves combining deduction, observation, and details discernment. Overall, a good mix that is far from boring. ▪ The puzzles start off quite easy and obvious, and difficult steadily climbs, to the point I actually had significant trouble solving the final puzzles without consulting the hints. The penultimate puzzle involves keen inspection and requires the player to pick up on multiple elements hidden in fast-shifting images in a video. Not exactly "blink it or you'll miss it" level of hard, though it comes close, this offers some solid challenges to even seasoned adult puzzle fanatics. The finale meta puzzle is similarly satisfying--in that I am amazed at how many hidden details I've just casually passed by and missed! OVERALL: 😃 ▪ "Alpha Brian System" is miles away ahead of "Stolen IQ", not because Episode 1 is bad, but because Episode 2 is just that good! This sequel has elevated every single aspect of the game by drastic measures. We have some good actions going and an ominous cliffhanger in the story, we have great visuals thanks to the amazingly produced videos, and we have some rarely found 3D puzzles that literally make things pop (and also bring nostalgia to my model-building childhood days). I'm only two-thirds way through, but I have darn good feeling about the final chapter to this intriguing trilogy! 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. CQAlpha.

OFFICIAL INFO FROM COMPANY... 🕹️ Alone Together 3: Together At Heart 🌐 Enchambered ▪ Puzzles & Games 🗺️ Based In United States ⏲️ About 60-90 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 2 Teams THE PREMISE 📚 Your puzzle solving and communication skills will be put to the test. Control mysterious gadgets and work your way through a two-player online escape experience. Collect items and share them with your teammate using the new items transfer feature. Help each other discover the truth of an enigmatic device and find out how the many items and controls you find can assist you. Use your new found skills to finally fix what was broken and escape the machine! Using two separate devices, play with a friend on the couch, or even across the globe on the phone or video chat! THE GUIDE THIS IS CLASSIFIED AS... ▪ Play At Home » Purely Online Digital Game ▪ Cooperative (Co-op) Communication Puzzle Game YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF YOU... ▪ ...Have already enjoyed Enchambered's previous co-op titles. A-duh! You know what you like, and you want more. ▪ ...Want a game designed specifically to test compatibility between family, friends, and lovers. (Be careful now!) ▪ ...Are looking for a team-building activity that strengthens communication skills or explores ways to improve them. ▪ ...Don't really mind the lack of a true narrative, and just want some fun, challenging puzzles to pass the time. ▪ ...Fancy these (similar) titles: Alone Together, Together Apart, and Unboxing The Mind Of A Cryptic Killer. GREAT! ANY ADVICE OR TIPS? 🧐 Based on my 2 teams of 1 each, the difficulty subjectively felt like a 5 to 6/10. However, your miles may vary, as cooperative puzzles challenge level largely depends on how well you and mate(s) know each other, and how well you can communicate on any one particular day. If you happen to be on the same frequency, you may just fly through the game! 🔢 With the reasoning above, I would recommend 2 teams, with 1 to 2 players on each. Try to place those who can complement each other well on opposite teams. (Split a couple up and see what happens! Heh!) MY BODY IS READY! NOW WHAT? 🛒 TO BUY, CLICK HERE! ▪ For this: Company recommends playing on a desktop or a laptop due to heavy use of graphics and animations. THE REVIEW Somebody is missing a heart... won't you help the little fella out? ▪ Enchambered: Sacramento Escape Room INTRODUCTION ▪ The "Alone Together" online cooperative puzzle game series started out as a small but ambitious project to help pay for rent and wages for Sacramento's Enchambered escape room company during COVID shutdown. Little did they know, (or perhaps they did, since they are quite talented,) this series would go on to become the internet sensation that it is today. When the community asks for a good quality co-op puzzle title, this series ALWAYS comes up! ▪ Here comes the third installment, titled "Together At Heart". I like the title--a lot--and here's why: The sequel, Alone Together 2, was named Together Apart. And now the third one ends with "Heart"? Hello, apart, heart, rhyming, how cool is that? (The correct answer is very.) Next, since the newest game was released on Valentine's Day, a lovey dovey reference of the heart in the moniker makes good sense. Finally, after 2 follow-ups in the series, the world is still plagued by an incessant pandemic. The title reassures us, though socially distanced, we remained connected... by our heartstrings. 🥰 ▪ ...And also, the little robot boy is missing his mechanical heart. Man, this name's got layers or what?! ▪ For those who are just joining us midway, why not check out the first and second titles first? It'll give you a good idea of the setup, which can otherwise be summed up as followed: Player 1 and Player 2 will have two separate game screens, or work tables, if you will. On each table are notes, gadgets, and trinkets with puzzles, clues, and secrets embedded within. What Player 1 sees will most likely be key info that Player 2 needs to solve their puzzles, and vice versa. So communication--excuse me, EFFECTIVE communication--is key! Be descriptive, be specific, and be patient! Players have different clues and tasks, but communication is still the key ▪ Enchambered: Sacramento Escape Room WHAT HAS RETURNED ▪ Alone Together 1 & 2 are, in many's eyes, huge successes. These fan-favorites are recommended repeatedly among the puzzle and escape games communities due to its niche specialty (not many well-known co-op games are out there, even to date), quality puzzles, and impressive graphics. As such, there really isn't a strong drive for the designers to drastically change the formula. Whatever you saw before is a pretty good indication of what you'll get. ▪ There are tons of co-op puzzles in store waiting to entertain, test, and/or torment teammates of opposite teams. Obviously, every puzzle will require communication. Assuming that you overcome the communication barrier, which is the main source of difficulty, what's left behind are escape room style puzzles of low to medium difficulty, including: item collection and usage, symbol and number ciphers, pattern matching, spelling and word plays, and other neat little tricks that are harder to verbalize. Variety is satisfying but remains in similar territories as previous works. ▪ Keep in mind, these otherwise seemingly simple puzzles are a lot more complicated to solve when you don't have all that you need in front of you! If your partner misses a detail, you may just get stuck for some time. Possibly an hour. Or two. (Ah! Traumatic memory flashback!) Also beware, many of the on-screen elements are clickable, leading to entirely new areas. (Some are even only clickable after being unlocked by previous puzzles.) So click away, my friends, click away. ▪ Signature, beautiful graphics also return, but instead of tarot cards from the fortuneteller and clock gears from the clockmaker, you get an old timey, monochromatic tv set, and an adorable, heartless--quite literally--Wall-E lookalike. NEW FEATURES & IMPROVEMENTS ▪ A brand new feature, advertised front and center, are the "Matter Transfer Devices" where one player can send found items from their end to the other team. In reality, this is a password-based item retrieval system, and the machines are not actually linked. Nonetheless, the illusion this scheme creates is just convincing enough to increase the connectivity factor, which renders the game more engaging, bringing the teammates closer in spirit. Simple, yet quite ingenious. ▪ The story technically changed, though one may argue it's just a different overlay on the same basic idea--to help each other out. (In the original game, there is no story.) In the sequel, two professionals work in tandem to discover the power behind artifacts. This time, you work together to mend a robot's broken heart. (Again, quite literally!) Candidly speaking, both stories are light. The robot tale, however, at least offers a common goal that's more clear cut and easier to grasp. ▪ Puzzles that took too long to solve, or were just simply annoying, were axed. So RIP and don't you come back, logic puzzles and (overly complicated) sliding puzzles. These were probably implemented in the second game to beef up the challenge level, though they more than likely just stalled one player while the other player (im)patiently and helplessly stared at their partner's struggles. To me, co-op communication puzzles are fun if there is an ongoing conversation. The socialization is an integral to the fun, so I am content to see anything that encourages otherwise to get the boot. Player 1 gets lightbulbs, and Player 2 gets stars--both are bright and shiny! ▪ Enchambered: Sacramento Escape Room OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ▪ Both players have access to more or less equal puzzle contents, whether it be quality or quantity. While they are not exactly the same, the overall playing field is calibrated well, so there is no one "better" side. However, if you want a slight advantage, strong puzzle solvers should choose Player 1. Reserve Player 2 spot for those with great observational skills. ▪ Whatever you do, make sure not to refresh your internet browser! One hour into my game, I accidentally closed my browser tab, and everything on my end is reset upon reloading! 😱 There was no progress saved, so I ultimately had to resort to the cheat guide to replicate previous effort. Do yourself a favor and write down all your "Matter Transfer Device" passcodes. It'll save you heaps of trouble when accident happens. ▪ Alone Together 3 costs $10, $5 more than its predecessor. However, the product value still comfortably justifies the relatively low price tag. The series as a whole is probably still the cheapest available for the co-op puzzle subcategory. OVERALL: 😃 ▪ Although the release around Valentine's weekend is conspicuously intentional, "Alone Together 3: Together At Heart" does not feature holiday-specific narrative or puzzles, and is a great enterintament option for any time of the year. ▪ The original Alone Together tested out the waters, Together Apart (Part 2) pushed its boundaries, and Together At Heart (Part 3) got all the kinks out and is the most polished of the 3. What do you know... Third time IS the (most) charm(ed). 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. ESERHeart.

OFFICIAL INFO FROM COMPANY... 🕹️ Heistakes 🌐 Escapologic ▪ Online Escape Rooms 🗺️ Based In Nottingham, England, UK ⏲️ 60 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 Up To 5 Connections (Private Booking) THE PREMISE 📚 (Note: The following premise summary, found on the official website, may not correlate to the modified narrative adapted for online game play.) After a daring bank heist goes incredibly wrong, can you finish the job? Five very different criminals were brought together to accomplish the impossible, break into the high security vault underneath Scelus Bank and steal whatever is inside. The operation did not go according to plan and the five have found themselves in police custody, on the run or even worse, dead! Were they set up by the mysterious leader known as Xander and if so, to what end? THE GUIDE THIS IS CLASSIFIED AS... ▪ Play At Home » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF YOU... ▪ ...Prefer an escape quest with a more traditional objective that's easy to comprehend: get in, steal diamond, get out. ▪ ...Can calmly process a large amount of info thrown at you, and quickly assign appropriate clues to relevant puzzles. ▪ ...Enjoy good-quality, instructions-based puzzles, where adequate reading comprehension leads to a sure-fire victory. ▪ ...Want to support a game with a great word play title: Heist + Stakes = Heistakes (High Stakes). C'mon, that's genius! ▪ ...Fancy these (similar) titles: The Ultimate Bank Heist, Operation: X-13, The Vault, and The Abyss. GREAT! ANY ADVICE OR TIPS? 🧐 Based on my team of 2, the difficulty subjectively felt like a 4/10. 🔢 With the reasoning above, I would recommend a team of 2 to 3, preferably of those with great organization skills. MY BODY IS READY! NOW WHAT? 🛒 TO BOOK, CLICK HERE! ▪ For remote experience, watch out for potential time & date difference due to varying time zones. ▪ For this: Live feed requires Zoom. Inventory requires a reliable web browser, such as Firefox. THE REVIEW Heistakes ▪ Escapologic Nottingham INTRODUCTION ▪ Escapologic is a United Kingdom escape room company with two branches located in Nottingham and Leicester. With a grand total of 12 on-site offerings, there are options galore for visitors, though most themes lean on the side of thrills. ▪ Two of Nottingham's rooms, Contraption and Heistakes, have recently received the online virtual conversion treatments, and are now available for remote play on a global scale. (A huge huzzah for an American resident like me!) I've played both compelling escape games back-to-back on the same day, and this review focuses on Heistakes: a mission-focused, heart-pounding robbery heist quest, setting in an actual underground bank vault. KEEPING IT REAL ▪ A big selling point for Heistakes is undoubtedly the authenticity of it all. I've played various types of heist escape games before, but most take place in a set built specifically for a theme, but not Heistakes. The vault in Heistakes IS an actual vault, complete with functional metal gates and safe deposit boxes. Forget immersion by imitation--let's go for realism! ▪ Without outright spoiling the game's awesome reveals, let's just say the reality-based immersion continues all the way to the latter parts of the experience, where literal destruction (snip snip!) is not only not against the rules, but actually required for mission success. The authentic, permanent, (and pseudo-illegal) damage, albeit performed remotely over the web, brings thrills and excitements like no other. ▪ Paradoxically, because the vault utilized was once the real deal, it's designed to be practical and not flashy. So when compared to Contraption that's specifically designed to visually impress, the production of Heistakes may look a bit plain... initially. Your opinion may change once you see what's quietly waiting in the bank's garage. Volatile, colorful, and... Guess what? Indeed, flashy secrets await! Heistakes takes place in a real-life bank vault--talk about authenticity! ▪ Escapologic Nottingham HEIST HEIST BABY ▪ Heistakes is a straightforward, no-BS bank robbery heist escape adventure. The objective is simple, it works just fine, and I have no problem with its premise. Perhaps what's more perplexing is its official trailer. While the video depicts a sequence similar to the opening scene to "The Dark Knight", wickedness and betrayal included, none of which seems to apply to the modified narrative for the online version. So do keep that in mind. ▪ Otherwise, Escapologic has done a phenomenal job in creating an authentic vibe of a group effort diamond theft, as opposed to just an escape game filled with heist-related puzzles. Most challenges are procedural in nature, as how a real heist would likely take shape: from turning on emergency power supply, disabling security system, actually swiping the gemstone, and finally to a scurry away in quick getaway. It's an action movie in game format--and a very fun one at that. ▪ Because the "puzzles"--or more accurately, steps to steal--have definite goals, there are usually specific sets of instructions to follow, and that information will be available to you point-blank. Think of it as your "Robbery 101" reference manual; at times, it's even a step-to-step guide on how to achieve the puzzle solutions. Your job is to figure out where, when, and how to apply the knowledge. It isn't super challenging, but still quite satisfying. ▪ This is one remote game that I feel my participation has considerably perceivable impact. There is a constant stream of back-and-forth communication and feedback between the avatar and the team. In particular, when the avatar performs a certain task after our command, he would count down "3, 2, and 1!", then changes would effect both on Zoom (on venue) and on the Telescape inventory (at home), synced in real time. This simple yet effective trick keeps players actively engaged and deepens the sentiment of "Hey, I am really the one making the magic happen!" despite physical distance. Don't forget your handy heist kit if you plan on committing a lil bit of grand larceny ▪ Escapologic Nottingham PUZZLES IMPLICATIONS ▪ As briefly mentioned, the puzzles aren't necessarily hard. Solutions require instructions reading, simple information extraction, and schematic interpretation. It's no more difficult than studying a high school level scientific article. On the slightly more intricate side, some combo decoding may benefit from prior gaming experience. On a whole, even novice should be capable of holding their own, qualifying Heistakes as a decent all-users-friendly option. ▪ Where as Contraption (and most games) would relay key intel as you collect them into your supplementary inventory, almost everything you'll need to solve the entire playthrough will be unloaded (Or should I say... uploaded?) onto you all at once at the start, in a clever fashion that's organic to the narrative even. In this sense, this massive info dumping may seem overwhelming to some. Those with eagle-eye observation or exceptional organization skills will have an edge here. OVERALL: 😃 ▪ Heistakes is an masterfully-run, avatar-led remote escape room that really captures the potential of Zoom-livestream gaming. Thanks to the well-trained staff and their superb execution of online-specific implementations made to better involve and engross its web patrons, Escapologic essentially created a second, different way to revel in one of its classics. It isn't the same as being at the venue, true, but I'd bet a diamond's worth of good money that it's far from inferior. 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. ENHeistakes.

OFFICIAL INFO FROM COMPANY... 🕹️ Contraption (Or Con-trap-tion) 🌐 Escapologic ▪ Online Escape Rooms 🗺️ Based In Nottingham, England, UK ⏲️ 60 Minutes ▪ 💪 N/A ▪ 🔢 Up To 5 Connections (Private Booking) THE PREMISE 📚 Strange machinery breathes in the stillness of the laboratory. Bubbles rise in a mysterious green liquid. Cogs tick. Gears clank. And in the air, the unmistakable sound of fear... As your breathing stills, and your pulse slows to normal, you take a look around. What happened here? It looks like the previous occupant of the room has left in a gg hurry. But why? Your eyes grow used to the dusty light, and you begin to make out the discarded pieces of arcane mechanisms. There has to be a pattern, a code, something to show you the way out. THE GUIDE THIS IS CLASSIFIED AS... ▪ Play At Home » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room YOU'LL ENJOY THIS, IF YOU... ▪ ...Are an aspiring new escape artist looking for an exciting science-flavored adventure that isn't too puzzle-heavy. ▪ ...Prefer an escape room that is physical tasks driven, requiring searches, completing actions, and the likes. ▪ ...Value production value, especially that of a stunning and convincing machines-laden workshop. ▪ ...Fancy these (similar) titles: The Basement, The Elevator Shaft, Time Machine, and Outbreak. GREAT! ANY ADVICE OR TIPS? 🧐 Based on my team of 3, the difficulty subjectively felt like a 6 to 7/10, though much of it derived from time squandered, courtesy of red herring abound. Had they not existed, the game should play smoothly like a 4 to 5/10. 🔢 With the reasoning above, I would recommend a team of 3 to 4. MY BODY IS READY! NOW WHAT? 🛒 TO BOOK, CLICK HERE! ▪ For remote experience, watch out for potential time & date difference due to varying time zones. ▪ For this: Live feed requires Zoom. Inventory requires a reliable web browser, such as Firefox. THE REVIEW Contraption ▪ Escapologic Nottingham INTRODUCTION ▪ Escapologic is a United Kingdom escape room company with two branches located in Nottingham and Leicester. With a grand total of 12 on-site offerings, there are options galore for visitors, though most themes lean on the side of thrills. ▪ Two of Nottingham's rooms, Contraption and Heistakes, have recently received the online virtual conversion treatments, and are now available for remote play on a global scale. (A huge huzzah for an American resident like me!) I've played both compelling escape games back-to-back on the same day, and this review will focus on Contraption (or stylized as "Con-trap-tion"): a sci-fi, sorta steampunk (think cogs and gears) inspired, "escape or else" adventure. GOREGOUS CREATION ▪ Contraption is Nottingham's very first room, and man, has it aged like a fine wine. Contraption still looks amazing despite its tenure. When I saw the room for the first time, and the words "holy moly!" involuntarily escaped my mouth! ▪ The setting, a mad scientist's lab of sort, contains strange machineries all around. Pipes, gears, water tanks. The strange metal contraptions elicit fear at first a la Saw franchise, though a closer inspection reveals no torture devices, shifting the overall ambiance to one of cautious curiosity. A beautiful and perfectly fitting stage for the tale of an eccentric inventor. ▪ Speaking of which, this inventor is the reason why you're here. The entire environment is the work of Professor Miirtz. As you progress, you'll learn more about Miirtz: the highs and lows of his life, the happy and sad times of his past. The surprisingly detailed and intriguing narrative adds a layer of complexity that enriches the game as a whole. ▪ The plot is told through text reading in the live version, but augmented by an audible narration from Miirtz in the remote rendition (via multimedia features of Telescape inventory, which is equally gorgeously produced). Consequentially, plot exposition is a surprisingly pleasant and enjoyable element of the experience. Be prepared to enter "The Workshop", the brainchild of Professor Miirtz ▪ Escapologic Nottingham SEARCH VS PUZZLES ▪ Contraption is more of an immersive experience that evokes emotions than a hardcore, mind-boggling puzzle game. ▪ My session is search-heavy in the beginning, with (too) much of the time spent in the discovery stage. As we gradually identify key items, game direction becomes more linear. One thing will unequivocally lead us to another. Eventually, during the final minutes, more intricate puzzles culminate to a nerve-racking showdown. I am sweating bullets in the end! ▪ Majority of the challenge lies within thorough exploration and examination; the resultant discoveries usually demand little thinking. (For instance, find keys for padlocks, or place props at the right locations.) Less experienced users may find this approach intuitive, therefore Contraption is a beginners-friendly gateway choice to the world of escape rooms. ▪ More traditional puzzles are still interspersed throughout, and when these conundrums do appear, they are pretty fun. Examples include symbol ciphers, codeword scramble (Unexpectedly tough! Me likey!), and pattern matching. As a veteran escape gamer, however, I really just wish there's more of these, supplied more constantly and steadily throughout. PACING & THE CRIMSON FISH ▪ The reimagined online reincarnation has some unintended pacing issue due to the search-heavy design in the original framework. To elaborate, scavenger-hunting is a task best performed by a small group, fanning out, but in an avatar-led remote play, we have but one body to cover the entire ground, hence this is naturally more time-consuming. ▪ While I appreciate my avatar's giving me complete control over his every movement, thereby emulating an authentic first-time inspection of the workshop, it was perhaps just not efficient enough within the 60-minute time constraint. I kindly suggest that the avatar move faster, or be more assertive in redirection when players go off-course for too long. ▪ Alternatively, removal of red herring would do wonders. These red herring objects, omnipresent from start to end, would pile up on our work table, and we would attempt on multiple occasions (and therefore waste time) to piece together these scraps of seemingly significant "building blocks" into something of essence, or at least, something that makes sense. ▪ In the end, they turn out to be nothing but atmospheric decor and pesky culprits guilty of multiple counts of time wastage! With their absence, and therefore with our minds freed from such distractions and our time saved, I imagine we would've preferred solving the last few puzzles calmly, at our own pace, and without requesting for hints. That sure is some long and windy pipework! I wonder what it does? ▪ Escapologic Nottingham OVERALL: 😃 ▪ While I am certainly in no place to dictate how designers should run their game, as a consumer, I do particularly find anything detrimental to a group's fair potential to escape in time to be something of annoyance. Thankfully, fine-tuning is all it takes to correct issues arisen, and the strengths (production, story, staff) would easily overshadow any weaknesses. ▪ Contraption remains to be a great asset under the Escapologic brand, especially when its online edition is such an elegantly-converted delight. A lot of obvious behind-the-scene work has gone into the preparation before release, and it comes running right out the gate. I look forward to seeing more awesome conversion titles from this company. 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. ENContraption.

🎮 Game Site (Alternate) | 🏢 Company Site (Alternate) | 🗺️ Based In Warsaw, Marsovia, Poland 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room From Company: ⏲️ 60 Minutes | 💪 Hard | 🔢 2-5 Players (Private Booking) | BOOK NOW! THE PREMISE You were chosen as a deputy of well-known archeology professor from Princeton University, who had to leave the country in some urgent private business. You have a mystery to solve, which is related to a golden figurine from a temple located deep in a tropical jungle. Investigate the professor’s office, and you will find many clues. For an hour you and your friends will become scholars from Princeton University. Will you solve a complex mystery? THE REVIEW The Mystery Of Mayan Temple ▪ Mysterious Room "The Mystery Of Mayan Temple" is the first in a series of avatar-led remote escape rooms released by Poland's Mysterious Room, with more offerings to come soon. A live, in-person version utilizing the same space is also available for play locally. "Mayan" borrows heavily elements from the Indiana Jones movie series, with the central narrative putting you in the shoes of Dr Jones: Inspect the university office of the well-known archeology professor, and with his notes he left behind, along with his cherished souvenirs from past adventures, you must gain entry to the fabled Mayan Temple deep in the jungle. You have the will, now you just need to figure out how. To be honest, any game with an exploration theme often wins people over. Mix in the likes of Indy Jones, you start off with a good first impression easily--and that's exactly how I headed into the room--albeit remotely through Zoom. Though the room looked fantastically decorated even at first glance, what got our attention primarily was Mysterious's style of camerawork. While most companies would have the avatar play as the customers' hands and broadcast the live feed via a hand or body-mounted camera at the same time, these combined duties were split in this game: There's a distinct cameraman for filming, and a separate, fully costumed (nice touch) avatar as our game proxy. This brought distinct advantages, for one, we had a perfect view of what's going on, both wide shots and close-up shots, from start to finish. And two, the avatar, now completely detached from any equipment, was free to walk on-screen when prompted, and sneaked off-screen conveniently when needed to perform behind-the-scene, technical cues. Her operation was smooth and evaded our detection for the entire game! The Mystery Of Mayan Temple ▪ Mysterious Room Next, back to the set, which was once again, fantastic through and through. The office space might be small, but there's no shortage of marvelous sight. The amazing art production team quite literally worked its magic from ground up to the ceiling. There was a huge and beautiful floor tile pattern, complementing a matching one on the wooden desk. A large world map spanned across a side wall, finally leading up a a ceiling fan with ornate blades that hid secrets of their own. Perhaps the most impressive set piece were the translucent windows that gave a peek to the brightly sun-lit scenery of the outside streets--except, of course, they're nothing but ingenious trickery! Truly, truly impressive. We would spend the majority of our allotted time in this office space, trying to solve our way through 4 parallel paths of puzzles, denoted by alchemy's main elements. This non-linear game play features similar solutions in the end, but the journey to collect them all resulted in quite a roster of different puzzles to solve; they differ in topics and formats, though all unified by overarching themes of travel and adventure. The perfect blend of tech reveal and classic gen-1 style clues made for a genuinely interesting and entertaining session of unlocking padlocks. There were some very ingenious examples of hiding numbers and letters for lock combo solutions. Some instances include: word associations, special jigsaw pieces, and my personal favorite, hidden messages passed off as art. Though not terribly difficult, the puzzles elicited quite the rush when the answers dawned on us with big "ah-has!" There was one particular puzzle that couldn't be reset if the players were to manipulate this prop the wrong way, and while I wasn't a fan of this situation, it wasn't a true issue for remote play, since the avatar had absolute control and would actively prevent any irreversible wrong moves--but still, an improvement can be made. The Mystery Of Mayan Temple ▪ Mysterious Room As the game neared towards the latter part of our adventure, we would be wondrously transported to the titular temple (not a true spoiler now, is it?) and that's when the game switched gear drastically. While the production value remained top-notched, this half of the game was surprisingly light on mental puzzles, relying almost exclusively on physical tasks. Action-based tasks often mean things that I would rather do on-site than to watch from home, and this was the case as I watched enviously at my avatar through Zoom. With only a handful of objectives to complete in the jungle, we only got to witness the Mayan temple for all but ~10 minutes, and unanimously agreed this wonderful set was criminally underused. If there's any sort of "complaint", it'd be the owners' curious selling short of themselves, unable to realize the full potential of the beautiful resources they've constructed. If only there were a few more puzzles embedded in the later scenes, these 4 temp-archeologists (featuring Bluefish & Curiosities) would bring back more than the target figurine back to the uni. And by that, I mean even bigger grins of satisfaction on our already smiling faces. All in all, great school trip! 😃 THE DECISION Is this right for me? Consider this game if... ➲ You are a fan of the Indiana Jones franchise. This game is based in that universe, and he makes a cameo. ➲ You previously had fun with games covering similar themes of archeology or exploration, such as The Lost Temple. ➲ You appreciate custom-made, unique set and props that demonstrate impressive attention to details. ➲ You enjoy a solidly structured, non-linear but parallel paths approach to puzzle design, featuring the 4 elements. ➲ You have at least 3 parties to split the cost, making this a huge bargain of a remote escape experience! Ok, how many teammates should I round up? 💪 On company's site, difficulty is officially listed as hard. 🧐 ...However, based on my team of 4, it subjectively felt like 5/10. 🔢 Based on the above, I would recommend a team of 3 to 4, experience dependent. All right, let's do it! What should I do next? 🛒 Book your game right here. (PLEASE GIVE EscapeMattster.com A SHOUTOUT 🗣️ FOR BEING HELPFUL!) ➲ For remote experience, please note potential time/date difference between your location and the host's. ➲ Be sure to have all specifications installed prior to game. For details, check right here. ➲ For this game, live feed requires Zoom. There is currently no separate inventory featured. 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. MRMayan.

🎮 Game Site | 🏢 Company Site / Company Site | 🗺️ Based In Ennis, Munster, Ireland 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room From Company: ⏲️ 60 Minutes | 💪 6/10 | 🔢 2-6 Players (Private Booking) | BOOK NOW! THE UPDATE "Banshee's Curse" has been revamped to become "O'Brien's Cottage", a new escape room experience featuring a similar (mostly identical) story line and a handful of new puzzles, while utilizing the same physical set with minor prop changes. "O'Brien's Cottage" is originally available for both live avatar-led remote play and web-based "anytime" play (point-and-click style), but due to unforeseen circumstances, remote option via Zoom will be indefinitely suspended. Having played the updated "O'Brien" web-based version, I've found that the puzzle difficulty has ramped up noticeably, and more tech parts are included to offer a more supernatural vibe. A portion of the new challenges is refreshing, though I prefer the original "Banshee" rendition overall. No separate review will be composed for the new "O'Brien" offering. To learn more, please visit official website listing. THE PREMISE Eddie O'Brien bought a plot of land in the hills of West Clare. Against the advice of then locals, Eddie chopped down an old Hawthorn tree to make room for his cottage. His neighbors warned him that the Hawthorn tree was a Faerie tree and a curse would befall anyone who cut it. Since then, every generation of O'Briens to live in that cottage has suffered a sudden and unexpected death. It happens always on a night with a strange and sudden storm, and the locals report hearing the wailing of a woman in the wind. You have 60 minutes to find a way to appease the Banshee before she takes your life! THE REVIEW Banshee's Curse Live ▪ Escape Rooms Ennis (Online Escape Rooms Ireland) "Banshee's Curse Live" is one of the three avatar-led remote escape rooms available from Escape Rooms Ennis located in Ireland, with all three being online conversions from their already existent in-person counterparts. "Banshee" explores the Irish household folklore of the banshee, a female spirit who warns about the death of a family member by wailing, shrieking, or keening at your front door. In any case, it sounds like a positively aggravating experience for the eardrums, so all the more incentive to break this curse. While I feel the idea of escape in time--or die--has been done to (wait for it) death, haha, look, a word play! (Because you know die and death? Anyway.) While this idea has been done to death, the inclusion of banshee is a first I heard of, and therefore reasonably fresh for this overseas patron. Prior to play, I was quite intrigued to how this would play out. Sarah, the business owner and our avatar, is very transparent about the quality of her creations. Since Ireland has a considerably smaller escape room market, she acknowledges that the typical production value of Irish escape games may not match those from a more robust and competitive landscape, such as USA's. But she assures me they're still fun to play! And well, Sarah tells no lie. Banshee's Curse Live ▪ Escape Rooms Ennis (Online Escape Rooms Ireland) "Banshee", at first glance, did lack that special oomph to make it a visual allure. The space was furnished like a normal residence, with cabinets, lamps, and a few armchairs. While a Jesus painting and a clover leaf drum added a unique cultural flavor to the space, it still largely resembled an ordinary building, and fell short in truly becoming the cottage in the story. Though, it's worth noting, the room's overall quality wasn't bad. While Sarah's advice to not over-anticipate is wise, "Banshee" reminded me a good bulk of American rooms that choose not to prioritize looks over puzzle contents; and this class of rooms can certainly still offer charms of its own in other ways. Despite a more humble appearance, "Banshee" did offer hidden secrets and spaces for players to explore and discover, which I always appreciate, and honestly fully expect in modern escape room standard. As the plot advanced, more of the cottage property was unlocked, and there's no denying that there's always joy in venturing into darker (and darker still) pathways, eager to find out what would come next. The later contents also displayed significant production value improvements, particularly making clever use of lighting level to immerse, inspire, and impress. Puzzles-wise, there were lots to do; but for a team with 2 experienced players, little challenge stood in our way to victory. There's a good mix of variety. First, there's the OG stable of escape room puzzles--padlocks. Number and letter collecting to be expected! Even if standard, one particular combo-solving involved a tad of culinary procedure, and somehow I thought it was deliciously fun! Food always does wonder, in and out of a kitchen. Banshee's Curse Live ▪ Escape Rooms Ennis (Online Escape Rooms Ireland) A bit of scavenger hunt was also thrown in, though our avatar did most of our work, as remote searching just does not quite translate through the web. While we would most definitely ransack this room at record speed in person, it was strangely difficult to execute the same via only verbal commands. There were also other tech-enabled steps, which unquestionably kept the experience far from being monotonous. There was, however, a handful of puzzles and clues that didn't necessarily fit naturally into the narrative of the banshee tale: random lists of numbers and letters, for example. Mostly gen-1 format in puzzle design, these were generic puzzles devoid of a committed theme, and could arguably be put into any room and still work--which isn't ideal. The occasional, sudden scream effects from our messenger of death sent shivers down our spines with great success, though they gradually died off. I would've enjoyed her on-cue wails to be featured more frequently and prominently, which can double as a time remaining reminder--imagine, atmospheric and useful. Something to think about, owner(s)! The finale was both appropriate and poetic. For a premise aiming to escape death, the ultimate solution came full circle, sending a hopeful message about the proper balance between opposing forces. It's a satisfying note to end the game. Last but not least, Sarah who emits an overwhelmingly and infectiously positive energy, was a joy to work with. Her upbeat attitude would complement well with groups small or big, and especially helpful for teams with less experience. No death heralding needed for this guy. At least not today, Miss Banshee! 🙂 THE DECISION Is this right for me? Consider this game if... ➲ You appreciate Irish folklores, a very mildly creepy theme, and the active defiance to the herald of death. ➲ You haven't played escape rooms for long, and have not yet seen many "standard", commonplace puzzles. ➲ You enjoy games that focus on the puzzle aspect more than production, for instance, Shagadelic Super Spy. ➲ You have a group of 4 or more to split the cost, and want an affordable option backed by respectable puzzles. Ok, how many teammates should I round up? 💪 On company's site, difficulty is officially listed as 6/10. 🧐 ...However, based on my team of 2, it subjectively felt like 4/10. 🔢 Based on the above, I would recommend a team of 2 to 4, experience dependent. All right, let's do it! What should I do next? 🛒 Book your game right here. (PLEASE GIVE EscapeMattster.com A SHOUTOUT 🗣️ FOR BEING HELPFUL!) ➲ For remote experience, please note potential time/date difference between your location and the host's. ➲ Be sure to have all specifications installed prior to game. For details, check right here. ➲ For this game, live feed requires Zoom. Inventory is available via Telescape Live in an internet browser. 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. EREBanshee.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Kingston, ON, Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: "This is currently one of our most challenging experiences." ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Not specified, but at least 3-4 recommended. Private booking. 📝 Experience requires Zoom, internet browser, or more. Check for details. 📝 Careful--note potential time difference between your location and the host's when booking. 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Free yourself from jail aboard the Jolly Roger, and steal the treasures right under Captain Hook's nose! ➲ Familiar pirate story universe featuring Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, with a high quality set matching its Disney roots. ➲ Features unique set pieces (double decks, sandy beach), and a not-to-be-missed, incredible, magical opening sequence. ➲ Puzzles in remote version are considerably modified from on-site originals: all co-op puzzles are out. ➲ Adjusted puzzles remain to be well-themed and fun to play, mainly focusing on pattern recognition and application. ➲ May feel a bit excessively guided for experts, though arguably necessary for mainstream audience to finish in time. ➲ For those close to Kingston who can wait out pandemic restrictions, an excellent candidate to save for in-person play. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😃 subjective rating: 💪 3 to 4/10 difficulty (team of 3), 🔢 ideal team size of 3 to 4. OFFICIAL PREMISE Adventure on the high seas! The notorious Captain Hook has captured your group and locked you in the brig, deep in the bowels of The Jolly Roger. When dawn breaks the nefarious villain will make you walk the plank, but a new friend has offered you a way out… and she knows where Hook keeps his treasure map. While the crew sleeps you’ll take control of the ship, set a course for the second star to the right and head straight on ‘til morning! You have 60 minutes to dodge Hook’s clutches, find your way to Neverland and escape with riches untold. Don’t delay. As those familiar with Neverland will know… the clock is ticking. UNABRIDGED EDITION "Neverland: Heist On The High Seas" is my fourth remote experience with Improbable Escapes, and it is both a spiritual sibling and an actual physical neighbor of "Mining Mission". (They are both real life, physical escape rooms located in the same Wonderland Café venue.) While "Mining Mission" gets its inspiration from the tale of Snow White, "Neverland" takes place in the universe of Peter Pan... So ready for your flight? Come on, everybody, here we gooooo~ Anddddd... we landed in a jail. And Tinklerbell's in a cage. Of course. Our adventure on the high seas starts us off as prisoners, for reasons of "you know what you did, so we are not gonna tell ya!", according to the official introduction video. This obvious tongue-in-cheek line is a special wink from the creators to escape room enthusiasts, because they know, and we know, the true cause for incarceration just doesn't matter! We love getting locked up for every and any reason! Ahhh, how I appreciate a company with a good sense of humor. Our mission requires us to first break out of our jail cell onboard the Jolly Roger pirate ship, then secretly leave the vessel, and finally hunt for the hidden treasure at the infamous Skull Rock beach onshore. There is a fair share of Disney reference, with cameos from Tink, Pan, and Captain Hook, and even a casual mention for Tiger Lily. Fans of the franchise will be elated, though if you strip off the story overlay, it's still a solid, classic pirate themed escape quest. The premise is already familiar to most, rendering it nostalgic, appealing, and a relatable choice for everyone from age 8 to 80. Neverland: Heist On The High Seas ▪ Improbable Escapes: Wonderland & Board Game Cafe Production value is, once again, theme park attraction grade and gorgeously attractive. At this point, I am honestly running out of different ways and adjectives to describe just how pleased I am with the way things visually look at Improbable Escapes. (You can find plenty of examples from my previous reviews here, here, and here.) A treat for your senses for days. However, I can certainly point out several features unique to this particular set, and therefore possible selling points to consider when booking. There's the Jolly Roger pirate ship with a partial second deck, complete with functional, climbable staircase. The giant wooden vessel is docked at a beach with an actual sandy surface. There is also, of course, a giant rocky skull structure where the treasure lies. Even when broadcast through Zoom, the sight is still reasonably impressive, and attention to details remains a powerful strength under the company's belt. In addition, there is a number extraordinary moments that made our experience even more so satisfying. While one of the game's later tasks got me exceptionally hyped, for I am huge sucker for any ball-rolling mechanism (think the likes of marbles or pinballs), arguably the most defining moments for "Neverland" happens in the very beginning! After a few sprinkles of pixie dust, we witnessed actual magic, effectively elevating this fantastical opening sequence as one of the more memorable, if not the most memorable, kickoffs out of all the remote escape games I've done to date! Neverland: Heist On The High Seas ▪ Improbable Escapes: Wonderland & Board Game Cafe Puzzle contents is perhaps where the livestream translation has diverged the most from its original in-person version. When attempted in real life, this pirate adventure is consistently referred as "one of the most challenging experiences" by Improbable Escapes. And I can imagine why: a disproportionate amount of original puzzles are heavily cooperative puzzles. Co-op challenges require coordinated teamwork, and tend not to be easy to achieve. Case in point: One particular objective requires team members to first identify four character icons scattered throughout the set. Then according to patterns, colors, and other contrasting difference on these four images, other teammate(s) must relay and input such info into a technical device to advance. This kind of puzzle is meant to challenge via communication barriers, often with frustrating results--and that's exactly why successful execution is so rewarding and fun. However, this is just not a viable route for an avatar-led game play, since commanding your one lone game master to run all over, collect info, then again pace back and forth to punch in the solutions... it's far too physically demanding and time consuming. It's a great way for your avatar to get their steps in; but a terrible strategy to finish under a 60-minute limit. A lot of booties and goods to be found ▪ Improbable Escapes: Wonderland & Board Game Cafe To bypass this logistic nightmare, the aforementioned puzzles are altered, and in the process, noticeably simplified for online adaptations. In gist, many of the clues will be directly given to you in your inventory webpage, eliminating most needs for searching on camera, or for information relay amongst the team. In addition, the avatar (who was fantastic and agile) would guide you explicitly to solve your puzzles systematically, one at at time, to facilitate time-efficient progress. Though this is probably a necessary step to take to ensure a smooth and enjoyable 60 minutes session--and really not a true fault on the host's part--it does somewhat abate the wonder of exploration, the satisfaction of discovery, and the independence of working out conundrums by oneself. For an expert player like myself, it's a touch too much of handholding than I'd otherwise prefer. On the flip side, for beginners with less experience, or non-hardcore families looking for a casual remote reality escape, this could be the perfectly tailored recipe catered for a safe and cozy night in. No matter what preference you hold, the puzzles are still very nicely themed and plentiful to keep a group busy for the entire hour. Expect a lot of pattern recognition and application, some number and letters garnering for padlocks, and a couple of prop manipulations. Simplified or otherwise, it's a lovely and entertaining mix! The infamous Skull Rock ▪ Improbable Escapes: Wonderland & Board Game Cafe I've never had a bad time with Improbable Escapes, and this was no exception. Would I have preferred to play this in-person with the lovely staff I've come to interact regularly? Oh absolutely! In a heartbeat! To touch this set with my own two hands, to complete the co-op puzzles as they are intended to play, to witness magic up close--who wouldn't? For local residents around Kingston area, there are sufficient reasons to wait for lockdowns to be lifted, and experience "Neverland: Heist On The High Seas" on location. However, for those of us overseas, restricted from air travel to Canada for the foreseeable future, a technology-assisted remote expedition continues to be a sweet treat in its own class. To be honest, I am not so sure I was on the right team ▪ Improbable Escapes: Wonderland & Board Game Cafe READY FOR FUN? "Neverland: Heist On The High Seas" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. IENeverland.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Poland & Scotland OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Online Puzzle Game » Cooperative Puzzle Game 💪 Difficulty: 3/5. ⏲️ Time duration: Around 90 minutes. 🔢 Capacity: 2-6 players. (Meaning 2 teams of 1-3 players.) 🛒 If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Two detectives must work in tandem to unlock all boxes, to prevent explosives deep within from going off! ➲ A co-op online puzzle game that separates clues needed between two teams, combine info from 2 sides to solve. ➲ Simple and clean setup of individual levels: open a box, solve puzzles, open a lock, move on to next box(es). ➲ Many, many puzzles to play through, with an impressive amount of variety for topics, types, and formats. ➲ Placement of related item in the same area on both teams' screens makes game more approachable even for novice. ➲ Main challenge focuses on clear communication of clues, not perplexing users about which clue belong to which puzzle. ➲ Puzzles, graphics, premise, interface, humor--just about everything from this game--immaculate. *Chef's kiss!!* ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😍 subjective rating: 💪 5/10 difficulty (2 teams of 1), 🔢 ideal team size of 1 to 2 (per team). MUST DO! OFFICIAL PREMISE The detectives need your help! After receiving a suspicious text message, two former partners are sent to different locations. On arrival, they find two chests and realize that the Cryptic Killer is on the hunt again! Knowing they're in grave danger, they have called on you for your expertise in puzzle solving and code-breaking. Can you help the detectives escape the clutches of the killer? UNABRIDGED EDITION Cooperative puzzle, or co-op for short, is a special type of brainteaser that has the potential to turn something as easy as "I can do this at first glance" into a difficult monster that has me yelling afar at my team partner(s). For those unfamiliar with co-op escape game, a team is divided and ushered to two distinct areas; the now smaller groups are visually obscured from each other, thereby preventing face to face communication. (Like prisoners in different jail cells, literally barred from each other's view.) What's left frequently is the valuable tool of our voices, and only our voices. Now imagine having to solve a puzzle in front of your eyes, but the clues needed to figure out the solution can only be seen by your teammates. Oh you better hope they spot the relevant information and relay that back to you vocally in time! Setup for each level: a lock of sort to open, plus some baffling & certainly incomplete clues ▪ Eleven Puzzles "Unboxing The Mind Of A Cryptic Killer" by Eleven Puzzles is exactly this type of game, except online. Two detectives, Ally and Old Dog, find themselves at mortal danger at the same moment in real time. Though physically located in different warehouses across great distances, they both have to play the Cryptic Killer's twisted unboxing games--for their lives! The rules are simple: Open a box, find a lock, a handful of objects, but none seems enough to produce a lock combo to proceed. There is definitely crucial information missing! Ally and Old Dog must call up each other to trade intel--two halves make a whole--their combined clues will lead them to victory. Either they both make it out alive, or neither will! (Cause of death? A bomb hidden within the several Russian-doll-style layers of boxes. If not disarmed in time, KA-BOOOM it goes!) My partner and I took on the solo challenge of being in each detective's shoes behind two separate computer screens, and off we went playing this Jigsaw-inspired criminal's sick but undoubtedly and exceedingly entertaining challenge. The most popular table of all tables, especially in the puzzle world ▪ Eleven Puzzles The Cryptic Killer expects his would-be victims (or victors, survival skills dependent) to peel back his mind like an onion for about five times, and each time there awaits 4 to 5 excellent co-op puzzles to conquer. Of the 20+ mini games we played, none felt repetitive, whether it be for the puzzle topic, type, and format, which is quite the unbelievable feat, and precisely reflecting the hard work the company has put in to ensure a top-notched product. When it came to puzzle topic, I encountered math, colors, animals, computer, and music. When it came to puzzle type, there were logic, jigsaw, code cipher, word play, and connect the dot. When it came to puzzle format, the game made use of visual clues, sound cues, and fairly often, user input like mouse clicking and drawing. There is a host of things to do, compacting a massive amount of highly variable contents within an intense hour (and a half, in my case.) Unboxing The Mind Of A Cryptic Killer ▪ Eleven Puzzles However, what made "Unboxing" such an excellent standout was its flawless design. From the elegant organization (the box within a box within a box within a box scheme is both amusing and effective), to each individual level's user-friendly setup, it made for smooth and intuitive puzzle-solving fun. I should perhaps elaborate: I, who has done over 150 escape rooms to date, and my partner, who has only completed around 35, will inherently have different capacity and speed in puzzle analysis. What may seem obvious to experts may seem more complicated or foreign to the less experienced, and therefore creating one more obstacle to overcome. What helped alleviate this disadvantage was the makers' deliberate choice of placing analogous clue items in comparable positions on our respective work tables, and this helped us communicate way more effectively than our previous attempts for games of similar style. For example, now we can unequivocally both hone in on, say, the strange device on the top left corner on our screens, and focus on describing relevant details without unneeded confusion and unrelated distraction. Honestly, while this does, in a way, "dumb down" the game a bit, it simultaneously broadens its playability across all users despite experience level. Beginners can pick up this game's mechanics reasonably well, something that may not be as readily accommodating in other titles. Novice and veterans can mix and play on a more leveled playing field, rendering "Unboxing" a superior option to recommend to everyone. Unboxing The Mind Of A Cryptic Killer ▪ Eleven Puzzles Also equally excellent are the graphics. Characters take on a caricature style, with partial realism that fits the theme of a serial killer noir, but also just cartoonish enough to not bog down the game as being too serious. Overall color scheme are just dark enough to be slightly ominous, but also saturated to be visually stimulating. The relatively simple but intriguing premise, coupled with the Killer's regular (yet humorous) taunting, all together made this game even more deliciously interesting, though everything is just icing on an already tasty cupcake. The divinely airy pastry that are the puzzles themselves are strong enough on their own to carry this title through and through. Superb online puzzles don't come by every day, and one under the co-op category is even harder to find. And yet luckily, the return of the Cryptic Killer brings us exactly that. And possibly more carnage. Aw, well. You win some, you lose some. For saving Old Dog and Ally, your handsome rewards of the best kind: lotsa memes! ▪ Eleven Puzzles EXTRA TIPS ★ If you know your color mixing well, you can certainly do so in your head. Beakers optional. ★ COVID has hit the airline industry really hard during the pandemic, so pay attention to any travel schedule changes... ★ Psssst! Top secret: there is actually no real time limit! The Cryptic Killer is a surprisingly lenient soul. Just do your best! READY FOR FUN? "Unboxing The Mind Of A Cryptic Killer" is available for purchase HERE. If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. EPUnboxing.

Game Website | Company Site (UK) | Company Site (US) | Based In: UK & USA OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » On Hand Items Required » Escape Room Play Kit 💪 Difficulty: Puzzle level hard, family friendly. ⏲️ Time duration: 1 to 2 hours game play. 🔢 Capacity: Not specified. 🛒 If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: Gold bars galore are locked behind a vault--for robbery success, you'll need to figure out its 6 security codes. ➲ An all-inclusive and very affordable game pack that turns your home into an escape room. ➲ Some preparations required (taping, cutting, scattering of clues), remember to replicate back side of papers to be cut. ➲ Prop components are all paper based due to budget, but everything still looks great without much compromise. ➲ Play involves moving about and searching for hidden clues, emulating certain aspects of an escape room. ➲ Puzzles focus on finding digit codes, enough variety to keep players engaged, most suitable for beginners and teens. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 🙂 subjective rating: 💪 3 to 4/10 difficulty (team of 1), 🔢 ideal team size of 1 to 3. OFFICIAL PREMISE In "The Bank Job", you and your team are a gang of bank robbers, infamous for your safe-cracking skills. Your intel suggests a shipment of gold has just been delivered to SOVO Bank... Locked in a secure vault and under heavy surveillance, can your team pull off the crime in the nick of time? You're safe for now but after sixty minutes you need to make a critical decision: finish the mission fast... Or abort and run now! UNABRIDGED EDITION Trapped Escape Room Game Packs are ready-for-play game kits that transform any ordinary living room (or any space of your choice in your home, really) into a makeshift escape adventure in just minutes. It's affordable, it's convenient, and it's play-in-your-pajamas friendly. Designed by The Fantastic Factory from the UK, and distributed by SolidRoots from the USA, these handy game packs aim to bring the authentic feel of an escape room experience--not just the puzzle components--to its audience. While most competitors offer their products in a tabletop board game format, Trapped wants you to physically move about, actually hunt for clues around the house, and work together to crack the codes, just like in an actual escape room venue. Trapped Escape Room Game Packs: The Bank Job ▪ The Fantastic Factory & SolidRoots Correspondingly, when you first open the package, there will be instructions on how to properly set up the playing field. In "The Bank Job", your team's main objective is to bypass all of SOVO Bank's security measures and surveillance, and rob the vault clean of its valuable gold bars. Hence, you'll be taping security cameras at strategic corners, hanging up system keypads on the wall, and locking away precious metal behind cabinet. There is some taping and light scissor-cutting involved, and although I much prefer an experience that is 100% ready out of the box, the total preparation process takes no more than 10 minutes, a reasonable and justifiable price to pay for the fun soon to follow. (And since I'm hovering the topic, I did find it counterproductive, illogical even, to print instructions for clues on the back of papers meant to be sliced up. This effectively destroy the gamers' lifeline. An easy remedy would be to replicate the backside prior to cutting--though undeniably, this is still a minor design flaw.) Trapped Escape Room Game Packs: The Bank Job ▪ The Fantastic Factory & SolidRoots Production value-wise, The Fantastic Factory has indeed conjured up a fantastic merchandise within its intended budget and price range. Costing at about $15 to 20 USD per game, understandably, the game kit only contains paper-based materials. While this choice may lack the bells and whistles of 3D components, they still look pretty darn good. Graphics appear attractive and theme appropriate, and the full package screams professional no matter inside or out. Another perhaps overlooked feature of an all paper-based package is its light weight and portability. Everything fits inside a small "lunch bag" sized envelope, making it an easy option to bring to game night by hand or inside a handbag. The actual game consists of the team first looking through the exposed props (security cameras, laptop screen), then probing around the room for hidden objects (shredded paper in the bin, for instance), and finally putting related pieces together to figure the multiple solutions needed to unlock the bank vault. The physical scattering of various clues does in fact emulate certain aspects of an escape game seemingly well. However, to say this is a superb at-home version of an actual escape room experience is a bit of a stretch. Because ultimately, most participants would probably end up organizing and analyzing all collected info at one single central location--a table, perhaps--and this will sort of turn the Trapped Game Pack into a tabletop game. Just sort of. Trapped Escape Room Game Packs: The Bank Job ▪ The Fantastic Factory & SolidRoots The puzzles, whether solved on a table or not, are still delightfully enjoyable. Due to the confines of seeking only digits-based answers, nonetheless, almost all puzzles boil down to isolating pictures or icons with number printed next to them, which then arrange into combo codes in question. In this particular regard, it may arguably become repetitive. I did, however, find there is enough variety of puzzles to keep my interest from start to finish. Among them are a decoder puzzle, a "follow the instructions" type of logic exercise, and pattern recognition and matching activity. A few steps are more hands-on, (or more feet-on for the final step,) and they will be loads of fun for younger thieves wannabes. Although labeled as hard for its puzzle level, if you're an escape room enthusiast, take this rating with a grain of salt. Those who have done an upwards of 20 to 30 escape rooms will be predictably capable in winning "The Bank Job" within 45 to 60 minutes, possibly shorter even if assisted by clues. However, for the mainstream public and the target audience of kids age 8 and up, this provides a more than sufficient challenge for hours of brain-churning entertainment. In the end, the verdict is easy to make: "The Bank Job" is an inexpensive offering (one of the cheapest on the market with physical, tangible parts) that brings an hour or so of wholesome puzzle-solving fun for the entire family. It is an pleasant introduction of escape room culture to those unfamiliar with the concept, an engaging and excellent experience for puzzle lovers of low to medium experience. If stealing isn't your thing, "The Carnival" or "The Art Heist" are also available. Trapped Escape Room Game Packs: The Bank Job ▪ The Fantastic Factory & SolidRoots EXTRA TIPS ★ Sometimes, it isn't what you can see that you seek--it is what you can't see that you need. READY FOR FUN? "Trapped Escape Room Game Packs (The Bank Job)" is available for purchase HERE. If you PURCHASE due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. TFFBank.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Regina, SK, Canada OFFICIAL SPEC 🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Avatar-Led Remote Escape Room 💪 Difficulty: 6.5/10. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 2-8 players, but 4-6 recommended. Private booking. 📝 Experience requires Zoom, internet browser, or more. Check for details. 📝 Careful--note potential time difference between your location and the host's when booking. 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) TL;DR... ➲ Premise: An innocent man facing interrogation was caught for stealing precious museum artifact--but he didn't do it! ➲ "Interrogation Room" is exactly that, with a set that is literally an interrogation room, one-way mirror and all. ➲ Wonderful tech integration and multiple special effects are put in place to maximize authenticity and immersion. ➲ Puzzles are themed after police procedures and stolen artifacts, intricate and difficult enough to perplex experts. ➲ 60-minute time limit will likely be a tight budget for many, would recommend this for more advanced players. ➲ Telescape system is used to its full potential to provide a great online experience, draggable elements are introduced. ➲ 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 😃 subjective rating: 💪 7/10 difficulty (team of 3), 🔢 ideal team size of 4 to 6. OFFICIAL PREMISE An investigation begins the day after an attempted heist at a museum. Despite being brought in for questioning as suspects, unease led to your attempted escape. Staying too long may lead to your arrest, or perhaps worse! UNABRIDGED EDITION "Interrogation Room" is my third remote escape with Canadian company District 3 Escape Rooms, and it's without a doubt, the hardest challenge yet. How hard? "Never have I finished a livestream room with my heart pounding out of my chest and with only less than 1 minute left" kind of hard. *Wipes sweat off forehead.* Yeah. It's pretty hard. Beginners, while your turn to conquer this expert-level quest will come in due time, it's probably wise to start off with something more novice friendly, like District 3's other online options, "The Cabin" and, if you're feeling brave, "Haunted". "Interrogation" describes a premise exactly as titled, a frenzied race against time and a desperate attempt to escape the titular space. The set is a literal portrayal of the term--a large room, a divider wall separating the questioner and the questioned, and of course, the quintessential one-way mirror. Production is simple and realistic, but also why all the more deceiving--beneath the unremarkable surface, there are multiple, well-hidden secrets, waiting to surprise and wow. In addition, technology integration is well-used and well-timed throughout game play, with both sound and light effects paced and activated strategically to maximize immersion of being in a dire situation. Is someone outside eavesdropping? Did the lights just go out? Misfortune follows one after another! Though no other actor is employed, you may feel like there are extra officers wandering the immediate surrounding area. One wrong move and your avatar's done! Hurry and take a seat, my kind sir in yellow shirt. David needs our assistance! ▪ District 3 Escape Rooms Speaking of your avatar, they play the innocent bystander who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. All they wanted was a relaxing trip to the Orion Natural History Museum. But somehow what they got was an accusation of being the prime suspect for a grand heist of valuable artifacts. And here I thought museum visit is one of the safest and most borin... *ahem*... cultivated hobbies there is. Another great reason to stick with escape rooms instead. "Interrogation" will begin on the dot without any introduction, with the innocent nervously begging for exoneration. The purposeful elimination of the usual rules spiel helps both the avatar and the audience to get into character and/or mood more naturally, and consequentially amplifying the urgency to assist while also increasing player immersion. Since this escape adventure takes place in an interrogation room, I initially thought most puzzles will be either police or spy inspired. Those do indeed appear, but as the plot gradually develops, elements of the museum exhibit also logically get incorporated into the overall puzzle theming. And since the artifacts stolen just so happen to be from Egypt... Well, once again, albeit sneakily, Egyptian related brainteasers make it into yet another escape room! If you're fan of the pharaoh culture, rejoice! If not, well, at least these puzzles are satisfying to solve! Challenges are varied in format and type, and very consistent with District 3's usual style. A considerable portion is still padlocked based, though the clues leading the solutions are often introduced in some kind of entertaining gimmick. There will be multimedia presentation, various lighting tricks, and also scavenger hunt-like activity. Rounding out the gen-1 locks are prop maneuvering and gadget application, several of which require fairly active thinking on the player's part to solve. Don't expect this game to tell you explicitly what to do--it most certainly won't. As mentioned, this is an advanced level escape room, and 60 minutes feels--and did in fact turn out to be--barely enough to finish on time. Legitimately challenging escape rooms targeted at seasoned players are few and far between, and this adrenaline-pumping title will become one that I can confidently recommend to those who crave for something more difficult, or for those who want a room with contents formidable enough to keep a large group busily occupied. Draggable elements on Telescape: Move that DVD aside to reveal a hidden object behind ▪ District 3 Escape Rooms Alas, since "Interrogation" is a remote option converted from an existent, originally in-person design, there is a couple of puzzles that do not translate as smoothly as one would wish. These puzzles usually involve spatial arrangement of key clues, and are more evident and easily understood when played on-site. Of note, the game designers did put in significant and deliberate effort to illustrate the same information via Telescape interface's 360° view feature, and it should suffice for most participants despite not being the most intuitive. Another feature used in Telescape for the first time is draggable elements. For instance, I was able to drag away a DVD case to reveal a mysterious black machinery hidden behind, which I then can prompt my avatar to do the same. Though not critical to game play, it does give the audience an approximate joy of discovery. It is a playful addition that encourages patrons to identify on-site objects more on their own, as opposed to always having to (politely) boss the avatar around. "Interrogation Room" takes a fresh concept I have not yet seen realized in escape room gaming, and manages to pull it off with respectable results. Given the high number and the complexity of the puzzles, I anticipate many online players would come close to running out of time--some will make it out, and some won't. But in either case, you'll have a near heart attack, and live (well, I hope) to tell your friends all about the thrills of escaping an unjust arrest. Interrogation Room (Remote) ▪ District 3 Escape Rooms EXTRA TIPS ★ The initial room is straightforward & linear (be quick!), but game will switch to multi-paths quickly (divide & conquer!). ★ Be sure to combine info from the live feed and from your Telescape interface. Only then you can solve certain puzzles. ★ The last meta puzzle is multilayered and complex. Delegate parts wisely to each member to extract info efficiently. READY FOR FUN? "Interrogation Room" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. D3Interrogation.