REA Hivemind, Author at Room Escape Artist

Nomis Piy – Missing [Hivemind Review]

11 May 202224 June 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in Book, Hivemind, Nomis Piy, Products

Missing is a puzzle book created by Nomis Piy in Singapore.

Nomis Piy Missing Escape puzzle book cover and demo interior pages printed in a colorful, cartoonish style.

Format

Style of Play:

Puzzle book

Who is it For?

Puzzle lovers
Best for players with at least some experience

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, pen and paper

You need an internet connection to check your answers. A pen is necessary to record your answers on the answer sheet. Paper is helpful for notes, but not necessary.

Recommended Team Size: 1-2

Play Time: There’s no clock. Expect 4-6 hours of play, perhaps more.

Price: S$25 (roughly 18.41 USD) plus shipping from Singapore

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

This is a puzzle book with a light story and lots of puzzles. As you solve each puzzle, you input the answer online. If correct, you get instructions to fill in the answer sheet in the front of the book. Sometimes you get information you will need for a subsequent puzzle. If incorrect, nothing happens. You need to use different parts of the book in unique ways to solve the puzzles. One section is sealed and only available when you’ve reached that section.

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The Cari Mysteries – Grandfather’s Fortune [Hivemind Review]

6 May 202217 May 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Grandfather’s Fortune is a point-and-click game created by The Cari Mysteries in The Netherlands.

An old black and white photo album with the game's title overlayed, "Grandfather's Fortune: An unforgettable journey." In one of the photos is our teammate Joel.

Format

Style of Play:

Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
Play on demand
Point-and-click
Includes video segments

Who is it For?

Story seekers
Scenery snobs
Any experience level

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 2-3

Play Time: about 90 minutes (no timer)

Price: €39.95 per team

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

We were on a quest to interpret our grandmother’s diary as a treasure map to our grandfather’s secret fortune. To do this, we pointed-and-clicked our way through several locations near their house. As we entered codes to solve puzzles, we received additional pages of the diary, revealing more about our grandparents’ lives and other areas to investigate.

The game included a shared inventory among all players as well as an embedded video chat. Players could explore the spaces freely apart from their teammates, but when someone entered a code or made certain discoveries, everyone’s focus was redirected to the relevant part of the environment.

A digital interface with an inventory at the bottom of the screen. In the main view is the front of an old brick home, number 73."

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Escape@home – Grandma Was A Spy [Hivemind Review]

4 May 202217 May 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Grandma Was A Spy is a tabletop escape game created by Escape@home from Bubblegum.games.

A collection of hexagonal coasters labeled, "NY World's Fair 1964-65, Carousel of Innovation," beside an assortment of index cards with recipes printed on them.

Format

Style of Play:

Tabletop escape game

Who is it For?

Story seekers
Puzzle lovers
Newbies

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, pen and paper

It’s easier to use a computer rather than a mobile device because you are switching between tabs frequently.

Recommended Team Size: 2-3

Play Time: about 45 minutes, more for less experienced players

Price: $30 per box

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

This is an online experience with physical components that help you solve puzzles. Order one box per physical location. Once the box arrives, click on the link emailed to you after purchase to start the game. There is a timer, but you have unlimited time to complete the game. Hints are provided, but after the first one, time is added to the clock.

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2022 Golden Lock Awards

30 April 202212 May 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in 2022 Golden Lock

With an expanded team of prolific escape room players, it’s our pleasure to share with you the 2022 Golden Lock Award winners.

Since 2015, we have been honoring our favorite escape experiences of the year, calling special attention to them with the Golden Lock Award.

This year’s collection of winners in the real-life category come exclusively from North America, as travel has been challenging. We have, however, dedicated much of our collective travel time to visiting parts of the United States that we hadn’t covered over the past 8 years, and found many gems to share with you.

Additionally we added a category to honor tabletop escape games (something we probably should have done a few years ago). We know there are tabletop games in our queue still that will likely be future winners. The tabletop escape room scene has expanded a lot of the past few years and we’re excited to continue to recognize creatively and ingenuity in this category as well.

2022 Golden Lock Award Ribbon, text reads, "44 Escape Games You Must Play"

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Inscryption [Hivemind Review]

20 April 202230 April 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in 2022 Golden Lock, Hivemind

Inscryption is a deck-building-style videogame designed by Daniel Mullins Games.

First person view of a player's hand of cards across the table from an imposing oppontent.

Format

Style of Play:

Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
Play on-demand
Includes video segments
Point-and-click
Interactive NPCs

Who is it For?

Adventure seekers
Story seekers
Scenery snobs
Fans of deck-building and rogue-like games

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

More specifically, you’ll need a Windows PC with the minimum system requirements outlined on the Steam store.

Recommended Team Size: 1-2

Play Time: Times will vary. Players familiar with (and skilled at) this style can beat the main story in 12-15 hours, but without prior experience the game will take closer to 30-40 hours. It will take even longer if you seek out all the secrets hidden in the game.

Price: $19.99 on Steam

Booking: play at your leisure

2022 Golden Lock Award Ribbon — 2022 Golden Lock Award

Description

We were trapped in a cabin playing a deck-building card game against a sinister man with terrifying eyes.

This is a story-driven adventure made up progressively challenging battles using powerful cards to beat a variety of opponents. As you play, you learn how to improve your card deck and use different strategies to increase your odds of winning and progressing through the game.

We could solve a handful of point-and-click puzzles that yielded additional power-ups for the card game. Gameplay evolved, but deck-building and card battles were always central to the experience.