Room Escape Artist

ConTRAPtion is a livestream, avatar-led adaptation of an in-person game, created by Escapologic in Nottingham, England.

Format

Style of Play:

• Adaptation of an in-person game (can be played IRL)
• Avatar controlled by the players
• Web-based inventory system

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 2-4

Play Time: 60 minutes

Price: £60 for two connections, more for additional connections

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

ConTRAPtion is a standard avatar-led game with an inventory system including 360 views of the room.

You’re in a steampunk-esque room proving your worth by solving the puzzles. The story setup has been adapted slightly from the in-person experience.

Hivemind Review Scale

Fro’s Reaction

With various gadgets and gizmos scattered around, this room was a lot of fun to explore and I really enjoyed the space. ConTRAPtion was a standard avatar-led game that offered a smooth playthrough with moderately difficult puzzles, supported by a solid inventory system. The focal point of the room was a large set piece that delivered a very cool moment once we managed to get it going, which was impressive considering the limitations of remote play. If you’re missing in-person escape rooms, but are looking for a fun avatar-led experience to scratch the itch, give ConTRAPtion a go.

Cindi S’ Reaction

The game starts in a dark room with only a dim light to help you see your immediate area. You have no idea what’s hiding beyond the light. Once the room is illuminated, you notice stone walls and weird contraptions and wonder what their purpose is in this room, aptly named Contraption. The puzzles were straightforward and not too difficult, though I found the pace of the game a little slow, especially when it was periodically interrupted by a device that furthered the storyline and nudged to the next puzzle. As such, I would recommend this game for beginners only. I would imagine their in-person version would be more interesting, with sights and sounds and tactile puzzles. But as a virtual game, I found it lost something in the transition.

Tammy McLeod’s Reaction

This game allowed me to recapture some of the experience of playing in a fun real-life room. Escapalogic has done a good job of translating their physical room into the avatar format.

The story of a deceased eccentric ancestor is a familiar one, but it helped sell the great-looking set, with crazy inventions that move and light up. The puzzles were good for group solving. The inventory system was useful for examining the room, but not relied upon so heavily as to distract from the gameplay on the video feed.

Joel Smileypeacefun Reaction

A steampunk cellar waited for us to explore the legacy of a crazy genius.

At its best, the look and feel of this steampunk set was quite authentic and adventurous. Whenever we had a text to read, there was also an audio clip of it. The puzzles had a few nice physical hands-on interactions.

At its worst, a lot of the detailed set felt like little red herrings or distractions, such that the searching aspect was a bit frustrating. I’d wish for a little less searching and one or two more wowing puzzle moments. The story only evolved through pieces of paper to read through, which I’m not a fan of. Additionally, the ending of the game was a bit underwhelming and abrupt.

Overall solid, but not wowing in terms of puzzles or storytelling.

Theresa W’s Reaction

ConTRAPtion was one of those escape rooms I truly wish I could have played in person. Between the set design, interactive puzzles, and aha moments, this game was so unique and well executed. The use of Telescape didn’t take away from the experience, as they did a great job of balancing when they wanted players looking at the avatar feed. The avatar version was a really great adaptation, and if you don’t plan on being in Nottingham anytime soon, I’d recommend checking it out online.

Disclosure: Escapologic provided the Hivemind reviewers with a complimentary play.