Room Escape Artist

Ready Mayor One is a livestreamed escape game created by Rock Avenue Escape Room in Trinity, FL.

Style of Play: livestreamed adaptation of a real-life escape room

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection; recommended to have a pen and paper or a text document for notes

Recommended Team Size: 1-5

Play Time: 60 minutes

Price: $50 for first two connections, and $15 for each additional connection

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

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Theresa W’s Reaction

Ready Mayor One is leading the way for virtualized escape rooms, and was enhanced by the online format. The game was immersive, believable, and fun, as not only an escape room, but also a goofy, immersive experience. The inventory feature that Ready Mayor One provided was useful to keep track of everything in a nonlinear game. The actor who was guiding us through the room did a great job, which really made the experience special. This game is definitely worth a play!

The Lone Puzzler’s Reaction

This was what I envisioned/ wanted when I thought about a virtual escape room. This room would have been fun in person, but it was pretty much a marvel online due to its digital production value. You played with your private group over Google Meet and there was a person in the room playing for you. In this format, you talked with your team and directed the gamemaster live – which was good. However, what made this room so much better was that you also had access to a webpage where you could scan the room and look at key items independent of the main actor cam. It did not distract and gave the feeling of everyone being able to search/ play in a more independent manner.

The experience included a lot of puzzles to solve – not watered down like some online experiences. The difficulty level was moderate at best, but the immersive feel made the game worth it. Even simple search finds felt like real aha moments. Well worth playing at any time.

Richard Burns’ Reaction

The online format enhanced this game. It was a basic escape room made better because of a gamemaster who doesn’t steer the game, a great online inventory system, and a setup that allows players to click buttons on their computer to actually input solutions to the physical puzzles in the actual room. A 3D image of each room was provided so players could virtually look around the room on their own. This allowed our team to split up as we would IRL. I was struck by how fun searching the room became in this format. This is how virtual games should be run.

David Spira’s Reaction

Ready Mayor One was a clinic in the importance of context and execution. In real life, this would have been an average, newbie-focused escape room. Playing online through our gamemaster/ avatar turned this into so much more, specifically because of his execution.

Puzzles and placements were adapted for digital play. The inventory system allowed us to get good looks at items, and even input solutions that directly affected the game in real time. Above all, the gamemastering/ avataring was precise, engaging, and never heavy-handed. I’d love to see some of these props get hit with a coat of paint and a little more detailing. It would also be really cool if the in-game sound effects played directly into the video call.

Overall, Rock Ave Escape Room has created an adaptation that I was delighted to experience with friends from all over… and that’s the power of online play. We’re all together for an hour, even if we’re separate.

Format Description

Ready Mayor One is a real-life escape room that has been adapted through livestream for online play through Google Meet. The Mayor, or gamemaster/ avatar, provided a first-person view and manipulated the gamespace based on our instructions.

When we found an item or interaction, we were given a code that we input into the inventory website. That code would trigger an image of the item to appear in the inventory. Many of the technological props in the room could be controlled through the inventory. For example, we could input a code into the image of a keypad (above), and it would apply in real life.

Ready Mayor One plays entirely through a web browser. You’ll want 2 tabs open: one for the Google Meet call, the other for the inventory screen. You’ll swap between them regularly.

Disclosure: Rock Avenue Escape Room provided the Hivemind reviewers with a complimentary play.