These three experiences will be around for only a limited time. You should play them if you can.
Club Drosselmeyer 1940 (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Last year’s Club Drosselmeyer was set in 1939 (review). This massive spectacle merged puzzles, swing dancing, performance, and actor engagement into one giant extravaganza.
This year’s sequel is set a year later in 1940 and features all new content.
The dates are December 17, 20, & 21, 2017. We will be attending Sunday the 17th.
Come team up with us… or puzzle against us.
Also, wear a costume.
RED (New York, New York)
RED is not an escape room and it’s not immersive theater; it’s an immersive game.
Staged on a large set and filled with actors, you and your friends can enter an apocalyptic West World-esque scenario. There are characters to meet, an environment to explore, mysteries to sort out, and a journey of self examination to uncover. When we played, we became ourselves in crisis mode… and it was so cool.
When we returned for a second time, we did so with a plan. While we may not have stopped the apocalypse, we all survived. We had just as much fun as the first go around.
The final showing of RED is on December 5th. The company behind it, First Person Xperience, will create something new, but it certainly won’t be this. This is one of a kind.
We loved this game so much that we featured it on our Tour of NYC. If you like actor-driven experiences and gameplay, RED is a must.
Time Run will be closing sometime in the near future because their building will be leveled and the site turned into housing. They will be open through the end of 2017 and maybe into 2018… It all depends on a fluid construction calendar. I know that they have plans to create new games, but those plans do not involve their original two experiences.
This summer we reviewed RED, an immersive game that claimed to have captured that ever elusive replayability.
We left it bewildered, but exhilarated… and we wanted to return.
In our first apocalypse playthrough, we uncovered only a small portion of the mystery and earned a comically low survival rating. Here is the original review, from that vantage point:
The first time, we played to survive. This time, we played to thrive.
Image via First Person Xperience
We brought a large group of friends, most of whom had already played RED once before. Over dinner, we talked about the bits and pieces we’d uncovered in our various earlier playthroughs:
What did we understand about the apocalyptic world of RED?
Which characters were we likely to meet?
What actions should we take?
What information should we seek?
What could potentially be solved? How?
Who should be responsible for the various aspects of the game?
How would we each play our own role in RED?
We divided the key responsibilities amongst the group. We strategized hard.
The Result
It worked. We were the second team to achieve 100% survival.
We learned much more about the world of RED… and we opened up so many new questions.
RED was fully replayable. In fact, we would play again.
Additional Thoughts
We stand by our original review, but with the following additions:
There was an incredible world to unravel within RED. The more backstory we filled in, the more questions we had.
There was a more complex puzzle to solve in addition to the “practical” survival logistics. We unearthed the clues from the space and from the characters. There was a lot to uncover and put together.
The actors were exceptional. We couldn’t throw them off. We tried.
The in-game upgrade for the Elite Package was exciting. Once we understood our role in the scenario at hand, we could use it to our advantage.
First Person Xperience had changed the final scene since we first played. While the new ending provided a sense of accomplishment, the old one was more dramatic. The folks in our group who’d experienced them both generally preferred the new way, but we were conflicted.
The post-game content was still too lengthy, but with additional insight into the experience, it was less intimidating and we were more interested in chewing on it.
Our experiences in RED depended entirely on our approach to it. Our playthroughs were different, but equally captivating.
If we played again, we would not strive for 100% survival. We would do something different just to see what would happen.
Remember that RED is not an escape room. If you approach it like an escape room, you’re missing the point.
RED is playing through December 3rd. Whether new or returning, get a ticket while you still can.
Price: $65, $80, or $99 per ticket depending upon selected package
Story & setting
It had been one month since Armageddon. There weren’t many survivors and those of us who were still kicking didn’t really know what had happened. Solar flares had struck and the world as we knew it was over; beyond that, everything was shrouded in mystery. Supplies were rare, trust was thin, and there were hidden threats looming around every corner.
The set of RED was large and compelling. First Person Xperience made a smart decision in selecting a setting that allowed for variety without it feeling nonsensical or disjointed.
If this sounds cagey, it’s meant to; so much of RED was dependent upon discovery.
Puzzles
RED was NOT an escape room. It was an immersive experience that drew upon escape room elements such as searching, teamwork, and unraveling a mystery.
There were puzzles to solve, but many of them felt more practical, revolving around survival and plot progression. The more nuanced mystery was cryptically hidden.
The beating heart of RED was interpersonal interaction.
Standouts
RED was actor-driven and the actors were on point. They played their parts and reacted to us. If we questioned them, they stayed in character. We were not able to throw them off their game. The actors were the engine that drove the experience.
The set created the mood. While it was not horror, the set ramped up the intensity of the game.
RED was structured as a survival game designed to build resilience and teamwork, while also being fun. It was incredible how Lisa and I both turned into the crisis-mode versions of ourselves. (We’re useful people in a crisis.) We both did this without planning.
First Person Xperience billed RED as a replayable game. I thought that this was a dubious claim, but they pulled it off. I want to go back. While the set and mystery will remain the same, the non-player characters (actors) will change, as there are 10 different actors playing 9 different characters. RED is designed so that players will return to the scenario with a deeper understanding of what’s going on and a better methodology for collaboration and survival. Learn more. Unravel the mystery.
Throughout RED, our individual and team progress was tracked. We’re told that all of that data will persist in the game database, The Chronicle. They will track any upgrades we earn and achievements we unlock. I love this concept. Although I am not 100% sure what practical effect it will have on my game, I am eager to see it play out.
The Chronicle will also carry over our gear. We purchased the top package: the Elite. It came with a series of in-game upgrades that will belong to us when we return. We will be able to play again with all of that gear at the lower ticket price.
Shortcomings
RED was bewildering by design. That was great in this experience. However, we wished that we had purchased regular tickets going into our first game. The additional gear was utterly meaningless to us and at times we found ourselves flustered by the added complication. That said, going into our second game, I think we’re going to be happy to have the extras.
Prior to the game’s start, we met our team under a bridge near the facility. It wasn’t a particularly comfortable way to begin. If RED extends into the winter months, First Person Xperience will need a better system.
First Person Xperience’s facilities were a work in progress. The lobby, bathrooms, and everything that lead up to the start of the game felt a bit sketchy. They absolutely put their effort into the right place getting the game right, but the state of the lobby and meeting place put First Person Xperience at a trust deficit with us prior to the game beginning.
One of the late-game interactions that we encountered was a little too symbolic and left us needing to clarify what had actually happened post-game.
The day after our experience, we received an email with our game’s ending. This extra content was great, but way too lengthy… and a little too late. The rush of the game had already past and finding out the ending the next day was anticlimactic for a game that was otherwise incredibly responsive, immediate, and dire.
Should I play First Person Xperience’s RED?
RED lived up to its own hype. It was immersive and intense. We left seriously reflecting upon our individual tendencies in a crisis. Not only that, but we immediately began strategizing our approach for our next visit.
This experience is not an escape room. I repeat: RED is not an escape room. If you’re seeking a purely puzzle- and set-driven game, then RED is not for you.
If you’re averse to actors, then RED is not for you.
If you aren’t at least reasonably healthy, mobile and able to navigate stairs, then RED is not for you.
Also, players must be over 18 years of age.
RED was a psychological and physical adventure. It was bewildering and thrilling. If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, then go do it. I can’t wait to go back.
