Room Escape Artist

Chaos to Quest

Location: Indianapolis, IN

Date Played: August 2, 2025

Team Size: 1-4; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price:  $38 per player

Ticketing: Public

Accessibility Consideration: The mini-golf course has some uneven surfaces and narrow areas that may present mobility challenges

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Critical Putt was a reimagining of mini-golf for the role-playing-game crowd. As in real mini-golf, we entered the course together as a group, but scoring was individual to the player. Additionally, we each got to select one of four common RPG classes: fighter, rogue, ranger, or wizard. Each class would receive a different puzzle card, which we could optionally choose to solve during or after the golfing.

We set out as a party of adventurers, sent to battle the dreaded Bone Lord. Many holes were monsters that we had to defeat. En route, we encountered a handful of tests of logic and observation, some in the form of holes constructed as puzzles, some implemented using actors or props. They felt organic to the plot, and thankfully were not complex, given that we only had a short time to spend in each game stage.

A delightful surprise awaited us mid-game when we learned that each of us could convert our golf score from the first half of the game into currency to be spent on numerous fun “upgrades.” I chose to maximize fun at the expense of equipment quality and rented the silliest club upgrade that was available (Thor’s hammer). The handicap didn’t have much impact on the game outcome much given my inherent lack of mini-golf skill, but it made the experience hilarious. We did ultimately meet and defeat the Bone Lord, earning an entertaining finale. I walked away with cheeks aching from laughter and a handful of souvenir trinkets, as if I’d just spent the day at a carnival.

If there’s any room for refinement, it’s perhaps in the balance of game mechanics. The scoring system felt a bit secondary to the narrative, which was fine for a convention setting, but a more robust system might be needed for a permanent location to satisfy more competitive players. The puzzles, while clever, were also quite brief; a longer experience could benefit from a deeper challenge.

This game put a new spin on traditional entertainment by blending the core sporting aspect of mini-golf with escape room-style puzzles and a wonderfully playful incorporation of RPG elements. I’m excited to see this concept expanded into a permanent, repeatable experience. This isn’t a quirky one-off as the core structure can be applied to endless themes. It is clear that immersive entertainment can be successful with creative, low-tech mashups that focus on strong narrative and meaningful audience participation.

Who is this for?

• Role-playing game fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

This Gen Con offering was packed with irreverent nods to Dungeons & Dragons and other role-playing games and was perfectly suited to its audience.

Story

The kingdom of Parcadia was under attack from the evil Bone Lord and King Parthur had recruited our band of adventurers for help.

Setting

The experience was set up in a hotel ballroom, with temporary pipe and drape partitions creating an easy-to-follow path through the course. Lighting was colorful albeit atmospheric. The mini-golf holes were elaborate and creatively constructed, and there was a variety of designs, including monster battles, puzzle challenges, and adventurous terrain. Midway along the course, we parted the curtains ahead of us and found ourselves inside a 7-Elven shop.

Gameplay

CU Adventures’ Critical Putt was a moderately difficult mini-golf game, with some light puzzles woven into the experience. There was also an optional class-specific puzzle that could be solved concurrently or after the game was completed.

Analysis

➕ The course used familiar mini-golf hole designs like the loop-de-loop and ricochet paths. Despite the numerous creative additions to the experience, I would consider Critical Putt a legitimate mini-golf game, at least for the first half.

➕ There were numerous RPG references in the game that I found hilarious. It is impossible to keep a straight face when climbing into a Gelatinous Mass to play a hole. (Note: It is a reference to my favorite D&D monster, the Gelatinous Cube.)

❓ Since this was a temporary installation, the sets were built to be portable or collapsible. Seams and hinges were visible in a number of places. However, I found all the course paths properly playable (my poor skills aside) and the occasional homemade aesthetic was actually charming.

➕ The amount of time allotted for each hole was limited, but the optional puzzle content was thoughtfully duplicated and provided outside the experience. We did not need to worry about not having enough time to solve puzzles during the game.

➕ The mid-game shop was filled with tongue-in-cheek whimsy and delivered an unexpectedly huge dose of delight.

❓After spending points in the mid-game shop, there was no further incentive to play well other than for bragging rights, so I did not even bother keeping score. An additional purpose for the points in the end-game could keep things interesting. On the other hand, given that at this point players are likely to be using alternative clubs that are essentially impossible to wield skillfully, this may have been a deliberate and wise design choice.

➖ Tickets for this event were snapped up so quickly! Perhaps opening hours could be extended; gaming at conventions can sometimes go around the clock, after all.

➕ Swag is an essential part of any convention and Critical Putt was very generous. I came away with a player card, custom pencil, badge ribbon, kazoo, and paper crown, plus digital souvenir photo!

Tips For Visiting

• This was a Gen Con event, and a convention badge was required to register for the game.

CU Adventures’ Critical Putt was only available to be played during GenCon.

Disclosure: CU Adventures comped our tickets for this game.