David Spira Archives - Page 2 of 15

Virtual Escaping – Underground Murder [Hivemind Review]

27 May 202118 July 2021 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind, Virtual Escaping

Underground Murder is a collaborative point-and-click game created by Virtual Escaping.

An old, rundown subway platform that is the scene of a crime.

Format

Style of Play:

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

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, pen & paper

Recommended Team Size: 2-4

Play Time: 75 minutes, but experienced groups will complete it much more quickly

Price: $28 per team

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

This is a point-and-click game with built-in video chat, allowing for team members to collaborate via a browser-based system. Solve puzzles by searching, using inventory items, and opening locks. At the end, use the evidence to figure out who the killer is and why they committed the murder.

How to play was a bit confusing. As it turned out, one player purchased the game and received a code that was shared with the other players. There was a location on the site to enter a “voucher” for the game and then everyone was in the same instance and the team could “press start” to play the game.

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Wizards Against Lizards [Hivemind Review]

23 May 20211 August 2021 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Wizards Against Lizards will offer this experience as part of the Game Hall at RECON (August 22-23, 2021.) If you’re interested in playing this game, or any of the other amazing experiences offered, grab yourself a play pass here. Hope to see you there!

Wizards Against Lizards is a blend of immersive theater and escape room-style puzzles.

Format

Style of Play:

Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
Interactive NPCs
Immersive theater

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 3-6

Play Time: 90 minutes

Price: £100 per team (~ $140)

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

You are roleplaying as trainee wizards drafted into a secret mission against the lizard people, who are bent on destroying the world and increasing human misery.

You will need to solve puzzles and infiltrate the lizard people by tricking them via conversation. Multiple puzzling styles are used along with a good amount of character interaction and improv.

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Trapgame – Agency 51 [Hivemind Review]

21 May 202123 May 2021 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Agency 51 is an online escape game created by Trapgame in Charrat, Switzerland.

An agent wearing black briefing us from a futuristic war room.

Format

Style of Play:

Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
Avatar controlled by the players
Web-based inventory system

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 3-6

Play Time: 90 minutes

Price: 160 Swiss Francs (CHF) per group (~$177)

Booking: book online for a specific time slot OR purchase and play at your leisure

Description

Agency 51 is a digital escape game that mixes online gameplay with elements from in-person escape rooms.

You start with the online part of the game, where the puzzles are digital. Once you access security cameras, the game turns into an avatar-led remote escape room, but continues to utilize the digital interface. This digital game traverses multiple physical escape games, weaving them all into a single story arc.

The puzzles in Agency 51 are different from those you’ll encounter in Trapgame’s real-life rooms, so you can play this game and still visit this company in person in the future.

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Sherlocked – Mibo Island [Hivemind Review]

4 May 20211 August 2021 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind, Sherlocked

Sherlocked will offer Mibo Island as part of the Game Hall at RECON (August 22-23, 2021.) If you’re interested in playing this game, or any of the other amazing experiences offered, grab yourself a play pass here. Hope to see you there!

Mibo Island is a 3D point-and-click game created by Sherlocked in Amsterdam.

The game's open world on a beach with a shipwreck.

Format

Style of Play:

Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
Play on demand
3D point-and-click

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: exactly 4 players

Play Time: about 60 minutes (significantly less for experienced puzzlers, but also, you can stick around in the virtual environment after solving the game)

Price: €25 per team of 4

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

You are little computer avatars that move around in a 3D space. In order to solve the puzzles, you need to move around, click things, and communicate with your teammates.

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Accomplice – CyberQuest [Hivemind Review]

3 May 20217 May 2021 by REA Hivemind, posted in Accomplice, Hivemind

CyberQuest is an online race in the style of a light puzzle hunt, presented by Accomplice in New York City.

Evil gamer children threatening to destroy the internet over Zoom.

Format

Style of Play:

Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
Light puzzle hunt

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, pen and paper

Recommended Team Size: 2-3 per team for experienced players

Play Time: under 30 minutes for experienced teams

Price: To book a private group, contact Accomplice for pricing (think corporate rates). For public bookings (offered occasionally) it’s priced at $25 per person.

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

You enter into a Zoom meeting that delivers a narrative. The call abruptly self-destructs after less than 10 minutes and it is up to you and your team to solve the mysteries laid before you in order to win the game before your competitors do.

At the conclusion of the setup, you have to self-divide into your own teams, spin up video chats, and race through a series of puzzles.

Many of the puzzles are solved via typing in your team name and a code phrase.