Room Escape Artist

Trouble in Tinseltown is a digital adaptation of an escape game created by Lokey’s Escape Rooms in Sarasota, FL.

Format

Style of Play: digital adaptation of a real-life escape game

Required Equipment: computer with an internet connection, pen and paper

Recommended Team Size: 1-4

Play Time: 60 minutes

Price: $19 per person

Booking: contact Lokey’s escape room to book, receive login code, and guide an avatar through the room

Description

The now-standard Zoom meeting to control a gamemaster/ avatar through verbal instructions. The in-character gamemaster was good at managing and executing instructions from multiple players. He was also fairly autonomous; once the players figured out how to solve a puzzle, he would perform the manipulations without needing much input.

Hivemind Review Scale

Theresa W’s Reaction

Trouble in Tinseltown was strongly enhanced by the online format. The game wouldn’t necessarily be something I’d be thrilled about in person, but the format of the room worked wonders online. The gamemaster really strengthened the room, as his energy levels were incredibly high throughout. We never felt bogged down by the speed of the gamemaster. The game didn’t have any resources besides a Zoom video feed, but there were a few hard-to-hear audio clues. Our team had a great time playing, and each member was able to show their strengths throughout the room!

Tammy McLeod’s Reaction

I enjoyed that the visuals and artifacts in this game were consistent with the black-and-white movie era. The game master was friendly and enthusiastic, and ran the game well. There was a good amount of puzzles and I felt that we were enjoyably occupied for the hour.

Brett Kuehner’s Reaction

• + Excellent intro, with suggestions on how to give instructions to the gamemaster/ avatar
• + Design matches story setting with thematic music while waiting to start and noirish lighting and sets
• + Gamemaster is in-character after intro
• + Gamemaster keeps up with multiple players’ suggestions, making remote play feel less like a bottleneck
• -/+ Fairly standard puzzles and storyline, but almost everything worked well for remote play
• – One audio puzzle did not work that well for a remote game
• + Variety of locks made it clear where each puzzle solution should be used
• + Entertaining in-story timing mechanism
• + Good flow and energetic pace, aided by the gamemaster’s efficiency

Cara Mandel’s Reaction

Trouble in Tinsletown was a charming, beginner-intermediate level escape room. The room had an old-Hollywood, black-and-white Noir theme to it with our gamemaster acting as a proxy player, giving us a first-person POV of everything in the room. This would probably be a good room for anyone who has done a handful of real-world rooms already but is not necessarily an “enthusiast.”

The Lone Puzzler’s Reaction

Very enjoyable avatar-in-the-room style escape game. Engaging for the group for the whole experience. Pretty basic scenery, but enough interesting puzzles (not really hard, but several unique twists) and good work from the avatar to make the room very good. I was a bit skeptical as I first started the game, but it really won me over by the end. In a live version, it might have been a pretty good game, but I thought as an on-line game it was a bigger success. Nothing over the top, but good solid entertainment,

Disclosure: Lokey’s Escape Rooms provided the Hivemind reviewers with a complimentary play.