Update 11/22/22: If you enjoy Rugrats: Search for the Losted Toys Remote Adventure, we hope you’ll check out our interview with The Escape Game CEO and Co-Founder Mark Flint on The Reality Escape Pod.
Rugrats: Search for the Losted Toys Remote Adventure is a livestreamed adaptation of an in-person escape game created by The Escape Game.
We also reviewed the real-life experience, offered in King of Prussia, PA, and Las Vegas, NV.
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: 3-5
There’s no minimum player count, but you must purchase a minimum of 4 spots to reserve a game Monday – Friday and a minimum of 5 spots to reserve a game on Saturday and Sunday.
Play Time: 60 minutes
Price: $35 per person
Booking: book online for a specific time slot
Description
In celebration of the Rugrats 30th Anniversary, The Escape Game partnered with Nickelodeon to create this game, which can be played in person and as a remote adventure. This is a review of the remote adventure.
We played on a livestream through Zoom. We had a custom inventory page where we could keep track of found objects and which locks we still needed to open. The Escape Game also provided us background pictures to spice up our Zoom!
We were in the Rugrats house and backyard for the game, playing puzzles with the babysitter as the avatar (non-speaking), with a gamemaster added in Zoom only.
Angelica had tricked all the babies by hiding their favorite toys. Unfortunately, she’d also misplaced her own beloved doll Cynthia. We had to step in and save the playtime before Grandpa Lou woke up from his nap.
Hivemind Review Scale
Read more about our Hivemind Review format.
The Lone Puzzler’s Reaction
What fun to be a growed up baby and search for some losted toys for most of an hour! A delightful game, especially if you have watched any of the Rugrats TV show. The game ran very smoothly and was very much in sync with the feel of the TV show. The only bad thing about the game was that it was quite easy, but I think that was likely intended so that families with children might be able to play. I wished I could have been there in person to play with some of the props and sets, but the avatar and gamemaster still made it fun to play. The supporting systems showing inventory and other aspects of the game worked really well and did not seem to distract too much from following the live action with the avatar. I felt really engaged and had fun the entire time in the “room.” This game was set up to promote a new Rugrats series, but that was not pushed heavily during the game and at no time did I feel like I was viewing a commercial while playing.
Matthew Stein’s Reaction
As someone who didn’t grow up watching Rugrats, I still quite enjoyed Rugrats: Search for the Losted Toys. As is to be expected from The Escape Game, this game is polished, pretty, and exceedingly accessible. It’s an impressive reskin of The Escape Game’s joyful Playground experience; the first room of the game was completely transformed, and though the main playground part was basically unchanged, the set overall felt cohesive and on-theme – and the puzzles are almost all new! (A couple are parallel in structure to Playground, but reimplemented for the new theme.)
The Escape Game’s proprietary inventory system was also reskinned to the theme of the game, and I was impressed by how quickly our inventory was automatically updated for us as we explored the space and solved challenges. Our “babysitter” avatar was amiable and adept. But as anyone who has played Playground will know, the set is super tactile, and regardless of how polished the online experience was, this is a game which is still better experienced in person if you’re near the two locations where they’re running it (King of Prussia, PA & Las Vegas, NV).
Joel Smileypeacefun Reaction
This game was all about the Nickelodeon show Rugrats. We had to find all the babies’ lost toys before the babysitter would wake up.
At its best, the storyline was cute and easy to understand. Our gamemaster was super friendly and navigated us through a polished-looking set. We were provided with a pretty helpful custom inventory website. The puzzles had a well-balanced difficulty level. On top of that, I encountered one of the coolest reveals I’ve seen in a long time.
At its worst, this game takes place in The Escape Game’s Playground game. I have never played that game before. While my teammates assured me that the puzzles were all new, the gamemaster also made us aware of a few mechanics and triggers that stayed the same. Also, one physical process puzzle overstayed its welcome a little bit. For the online remote version, maybe this interaction could be sped up somehow.
I wasn’t too familiar with the show. Nevertheless, no outside knowledge about Rugrats was required, so I still had a ton of fun.
Chuckie Finster Audio Reaction
Disclosure: The Escape Game provided the Hivemind reviewers with a complimentary play.