Meow-velous mayhem
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Date Played: November 12, 2021
Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4
Duration: 90 minutes
Price: $50 per player for 2 players to $45 per player for 6 players
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: Crawling and climbing (some players)
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [B] Mechanical Release
REA Reaction
Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe told an utterly absurd story about warring factions of a cat kingdom. This game wholeheartedly committed to its bizarre, cat-filled weirdness, and it really worked.
Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe was more of a standard escape room compared to some of the more experimental offerings at Omescape Sunnyvale. Whereas Undercooked, Midnight in Hong Kong, or Chaos in the Galleria each offered innovative gameplay elements and were best suited for players with at least some experience, Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe was an excellent more accessible choice for beginners — while still showcasing the large, beautiful sets and distinctive narrative flavor that characterizes all Omescape Sunnyvale experiences.
For new escape room players, Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe would be a stellar introduction to the joy of escape rooms. For enthusiasts, it would be a fun warmup before playing Undercooked, Midnight in Hong Kong, or Chaos in the Galleria, but if you’re short on time and looking to play Omescape Sunnyvale’s most unique offerings, I’d recommend skipping straight to those rooms.
Who is this for?
- Story seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Any experience level
- Feline fans
Story
King Schrodinger had died and the rightful heir to the throne, Lady Aurora, had been captured. Chaos ensued as clans from around the cat kingdom began battling for the throne. Our team of humans was called by Lady Aurora to help restore peace to the kingdom, but we were captured by the royal guard on our way in.
Setting
Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe took place in a far-off land ruled by cats. A jail cell opened up into a medieval castle’s central hall, with various doors leading off to different regions of the cat kingdom.
Gameplay
Omescape Sunnyvale’s Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around puzzling and making connections.
Analysis
➕ Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe contained an abundance of cat puns. It was purr-fect.
➕/➖ The story and set were deeply cat-themed. Throughout the set and story, we were consistently reminded that this was a game about cats. However, almost all of the set was human-sized. More elements reflecting the size and/ or movements of cats could have helped reinforce the central idea that we were large humans visiting a kingdom of cat-sized cats.
➕ Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe was one of the more beginner-friendly rooms at Omescape Sunnyvale. Compared to some of the other more experimental rooms at this location, Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe was closer to a standard escape room format — but it was anything but mundane and still contained unique elements that would appeal to more seasoned escape room players.
➕ Physical restraints fit the story and didn’t overstay their welcome.
➕ One puzzle sneakily subverted our expectations and made us feel things. We found it satisfying to then let out these feelings in a productive way.
➖ A laminated sheet of paper toward the end of the game was a drop in production value and immersion relative to nearly all the puzzles up to that point. This puzzle fit the narrative, but it felt like a drop in energy relative to the sequence that immediately preceded it.
❓Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe was mostly (fe)linear, and my team hit a few bottleneck points where only 1 or 2 players were working on a small interaction. We never felt physically crowded in the space, and this likely would only prove to be an issue for larger teams of enthusiasts.
Tips For Visiting
- There was a parking lot.
Book your session with Omescape Sunnyvale’s Kingdom of Cat-tastrophe, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Omescape Sunnyvale provided media discounted tickets for this game.
