Escape Room Review– The Escape Game Remote Adventures
The Escape Game is a chain with dozens of locations in about fourteen states and Washington D.C., with more planned to open soon. Even if this chain isn’t open where you live, you can still play several of their rooms virtually, with an employee wearing a camera and serving as an avatar, following your commands and moving objects for you.
I played two of these rooms with a family member and won both of them. Both were entertaining rooms that hit the moderate level of difficulty– none of the puzzles became frustrating, and on the rare occasions when help was necessary, only a little nudge was needed.
“The Heist” takes a common premise. Breaking into the office of a shady art curator, find a stolen painting, and leave before time expires. You begin work in a small gallery and then explore the items in his office. Though our avatar did a great job, I believe the in-person experience would be more rewarding, and easier to work as a team. The virtual experiences allow for up to ten players, but I think more than three, four at the most, might lead to a more chaotic experience. Better to play with a smaller group of people who know how to communicate and take turns talking.
“Gold Rush” has terrific production values, as you start outside a cabin and have to puzzle your way inside, before finding clues inside that lead you to an underground mine, all to find a hidden cache of gold. Once again, the puzzles were just right, though this one required a few more hints here and there. I should warn players with mobility issues that they may not be able to use one piece of apparatus that leads them from one room of the game to another, so alternative accommodations should be made ahead of time if you play in person. If you play virtually, it’s no trouble at all.
Other available virtual rooms include “Prison Break,” “The Depths,” “Ruins: Forbidden Treasure,” “Playground,” and “Rugrats.” I would definitely be interested in playing these rooms in the future. If they’re anything like the other two, they should be fun experiences. But play them in person if you can.
–Chris Chan
Chris Chan’s anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2 was released on June 22nd. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing. His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books. His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there). It is also available in a Kindle edition.
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