Tag: Cara Mandel

Codebreakers – #MISSING [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Codebreakers, Hivemind

#MISSING is a light puzzle hunt created by Codebreakers in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Image on Facebook of a woman from behind, a grid of numbers tattooed between her shoulder blades.

Format

Style of Play: light puzzle hunt

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection and a mobile device

Facebook and Instagram are required. You will also need to call an international number (+44); our reviewers used WhatsApp.

Recommended Team Size: 1-3

Play Time: There is no time limit, but probably about 60 – 90 minutes.

Price: NZ$ 20.00 per team

Booking: purchase the game and play at your leisure

Description

This is a puzzle hunt-style game that requires you to interact with multimedia clues (email, Facebook, audio clips, video, etc.) to find clues about a missing woman.

You can play alone or you can set up a Zoom or similar videoconference to play with friends using a screen share. If you screen share, we suggest each player also plays along on their own screen.

Hivemind Review Scale

REA's hivemind review scale - 3 is recommended anytime, 2 recommended in quarantine, 1 is not recommended.

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MindTrap Escape Room – Excalibur [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Hivemind

Excalibur is a real-life escape room livestreamed and played through an avatar, created by MindTrap Escape Room in California.

Game interface shows clickable buttons to travel between locations, an image of Excalibur in a stone, and a selectable scroll.

Format

Style of Play: real-life escape room livestreamed and played through an avatar

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 3-4

Play Time: 60 minutes

Price: ranging from $80.00 per team of 2 to $200.00 per team of 10

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

This is a standard in-character avatar livestream game, where players see information and puzzles via the video and instruct the avatar in how to solve them. As players, we were helping “Sir Cries-a-lot” find the Excalibur sword. He was quite clumsy so he needed us to help him out.

A caged door with glowing lights beyond it.

Hivemind Review Scale

REA's hivemind review scale - 3 is recommended anytime, 2 recommended in quarantine, 1 is not recommended.

Read more about our Hivemind Review format.

Continue reading “MindTrap Escape Room – Excalibur [Hivemind Review]” →

Paruzal – Pizza Makes Anything Possible [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Hivemind, Paruzal

Pizza Makes Anything Possible is an audiovisual escape room created by Paruzal.

Illustrated title art for Pizza Makes Anything possible contains pizza, locks and crayons.

Format

Style of Play: audiovisual escape room

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, somewhere to take notes

Recommended Team Size: 2-4

Play Time: approximately 60 minutes

Price: $15 per person

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

You work for a pizza restaurant and your boss wants to test you. You need to open the restaurant in time for the first guests to arrive. Can you survive this pressure test?

This is an audiovisual escape room. This game is played in a space made up of two-dimensional illustration with and a gamemaster narrating. The illustrations are simple, and all clues come from the player asking the gamemaster for additional details. You give verbal commands to try ideas and see what works.

Illustration of an empty green room. The walls are all labeled with the name of a different shade of green.

Hivemind Review Scale

REA's hivemind review scale - 3 is recommended anytime, 2 recommended in quarantine, 1 is not recommended.

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Escape Room LA – The Haunted Theatre [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Escape Room LA, Hivemind

The Haunted Theatre is a real-life escape room converted to digital play, created by Escape Room LA in Los Angeles, CA.

The Haunted Theatre title scree depicts a spectral performer in a flowy dress on stage.

Format

Style of Play: real-life escape room converted to digital play without an avatar

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 2-4

Play Time: 60 minutes

Price: $23.50 per person

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

The Haunted Theatre is a real-life escape game translated fully into Telescape, without an avatar. It is hosted in Zoom with a live gamemaster who gives an introduction and is on standby for hints, if needed.

Players enter a view of a physical escape room and click to explore aspects of the room. Each player can independently interact with all game elements, but only one player can solve each item on behalf of the group. The format does not allow sharing of how puzzles are solved.

Backstage at the Haunted Theatre has posters and an illuminated ghost light.

Hivemind Review Scale

REA's hivemind review scale - 3 is recommended anytime, 2 recommended in quarantine, 1 is not recommended.

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Logic Locks – The Verdict [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Hivemind, Interactive Theater, Logic Locks

The Verdict is an audiovisual immersive experience akin to a larp, created by Logic Locks in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Group photo of the Jury and the court assistants.

Format

Style of Play: audio-visual immersive experience… of jury duty, literally.

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 12 people. You can book a single ticket into a public-ticketed event or you can book for a larger group all together.

Play Time: 2 hours, but allow an extra 30 minutes for a post-game debrief

Price: €21.50 per person

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

The Verdict was an immersive experience akin to a larp. We were essentially serving digital jury duty. We needed to have a large, diverse jury to investigate and deliberate.

Hivemind Review Scale

REA's hivemind review scale - 3 is recommended anytime, 2 recommended in quarantine, 1 is not recommended.

Read more about our Hivemind Review format.

Continue reading “Logic Locks – The Verdict [Hivemind Review]” →