Author: REA Hivemind

Lock Paper Scissors – Envy [Hivemind Review]

by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Envy is a print-and-play escape game created by Lock Paper Scissors.

Cover art, illustration for Envy, depicts a flapper dressed up and holding a martini glass.

Format

Style of Play:

  • Play on demand
  • Print-and-play
  • Escape room party kit

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, printer, pen and paper, scissors, tape or glue

Recommended Team Size: 1-2

Play Time: 20-40 minutes

Price: $29

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

The police have failed to solve the murder of Lord Carnegie, so you must explore the aftermath of the party where he was killed. You explore eight separate puzzles that contribute information to a final metapuzzle, which theoretically validates all of your answers.

These materials are designed to be presented as a escape room party where the printouts (or physical substitutes) are arranged in “logical” locations throughout a room. You can also play the game as a tabletop experience just by printing out the materials.

Illustrated set of game instructions.
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Mojec Hyper Industries – Dracula’s New Friends [Hivemind Review]

by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Dracula’s New Friends is a live-hosted point-and-click game created by Mojec Hyper Industries.

Illustration of a grand study with large statues and an animal pelt rug.

Format

Style of Play:

  • Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
  • Point-and-click within Telescape
  • Interactive NPCs

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 2-4

Play Time: 65 minutes

Price: $25 per person

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

Dracula’s New Friends combines point-and-click gameplay (run within the Telescape game engine) and live interaction with characters through Zoom. There are numerous puzzles and activities that allow you to advance from location to location in a version of the classic vampire story.

Host character with an illustrated live background of a chair.
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Enigmailed – Chocolateral Bars [Hivemind Review]

by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Chocolateral Bars are chocolate bars wrapped in puzzles, created by Enigmailed.

A piece of chocolate resting on its green packaging, labeled, "Mind Dark Chocolate, The Case of the Fatal Experiment."

Format

Style of Play:

  • Light puzzle hunt
  • Play on demand

Required Equipment: Mouth, tongue, and eyes. Also, lactose tolerance.

No other equipment needed, but pen and paper helps for writing down answers.

Recommended Team Size: 1-2

Play Time: Each bar took about 15 minutes to solve. One reviewer adds, “and a little less time to eat” while another writes, “but longer to eat the chocolate.” We conclude that chocolate consumption speed varies more than solving speed.

Price: £5.50 per bar (plus shipping)

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

Step 1 – Read mystery on the packaging.

Step 2 – Eat chocolate while solving puzzles, using context clues in packaging. Share if desired.

Step 3 – Enter answers on webpage via QR code… and order more chocolate.

Step 4 – Go to Step 1.

Packaging for two individual chocolate bars: green, labeled, "Mind Dark Chocolate, The Case of the Fatal Experiment." Yellow labeled, "Honeycomb Milk Chocolate, The Case of the Honeycomb Sting."
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Paradox Games – Cyber Crime Unit [Hivemind Review]

by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Cyber Crime Unit is a collaborative, ARG-style, puzzle/ detective game created by Paradox Games.

Cyber Crime Unit web page welcome's Forensic Agents.

Format

Style of Play:

  • Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
  • Play on demand
  • Light puzzle hunt

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, mobile device, and access to email and Facebook

Recommended Team Size: 2-4

Play Time: no timer, probably less than an hour

Price: $19.99 per team

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

You’re working at a Cyber Crime Unit and there has been a murder at a suspicious company. You have to figure out who the killer is and what their motives were.

This is a website-based game where you look at pictures and different websites, send emails, make a phone call, etc. Once you solve a puzzle, you input the solution on the website to get more information.

All players log into a shared link. Whoever purchases the game is automatically assigned as the detective. The other players are forensic investigators. Players will have different information appear on the screen and will need to communicate to effectively solve together.

Teams need to set up their own communication (via Zoom or any other platform).

A menu evidence to examine, including fingerprint identifier, frequency decoder, and UV blood tracker.
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ThinkFun – Cold Case: A Pinch of Murder [Hivemind Review]

by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind, Tabletop Escape Game, ThinkFun

Cold Case: Pinch of Murder is a tabletop mystery game created by ThinkFun.

An assortment of crime evidence. In the center of the frame are two photos of an old kitchen.

Format

Style of Play:

  • Tabletop mystery game
  • Play on demand

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, pen and paper

Recommended Team Size: 1-3

Play Time: about 1-2 hours, maybe more with all the reading

Price: ~$15

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

Your job is to solve an old murder case and some related crimes. To do so, you examine all the evidence in the case file and answer three questions about the crimes. When you have your answers, you input them into a website for confirmation.

There were no “puzzles” along the way to the solution, just reading and comparing evidence.

An assortment of crime evidence. In the center of the frame is a photo of a collection of jewelry with a watch circled in red.
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