Fro Archives - Room Escape Artist

Fifthroom – Ouija [Hivemind Review]

16 March 202226 March 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Ouija is an online game created by Fifthroom in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Game streamed over zoom, a website shows a creepy forest at night, text reads, "You are almost ready click here."

Format

Style of Play:

Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
Play on demand

Who is it For? At the time we played, the game was broken and we cannot recommend it.

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, pen and paper

Recommended Team Size: 1-4

Play Time: When you buy the license key you have 24 hours to play. Active playtime was about 30 minutes.

Price: 19.9 MYR per license (about $5 per license key )

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

This was an on-demand digital experience played in a browser. The game consists of text and pictures, with one puzzle on each page. When you solve a puzzle, you enter the answer in the answer box and hit submit. You are then taken to the next puzzle.

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Escape Sagas – Secrets of the Past [Hivemind Review]

4 March 202220 March 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Secrets of the Past is an online escape game created by Escape Sagas in Finland.

A scientist in a Hawaiian shirt with goggles over his head on a pixelated feed. Closed caption reads, "and I need your help"

Format

Style of Play:

Adaptation of an in-person game (can be played IRL)
Avatar controlled by the players
Web-based inventory system
Includes video segments

Who is it For?

Puzzle lovers
Best for players with at least some experience

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, pen and paper

Recommended Team Size: 2-5

Play Time: 90 minutes

Price: 75 € for 2 players + 15 € per additional player

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

Escape Sagas is a collaboration between the Time Repair Corporation, an immigrant-run Helsinki-based sustainability firm, and Pakotarinat, a Finnish escape room company.

Secrets of the Past is an escape room that we played through Zoom. There was a Telescape inventory system plus 360°-view pictures of the spaces. There was one person operating the camera and acting as avatar.

This game is also available in an online form with no avatar, but this review is for the avatar-led format.

Zoom view of the game, a hand holds up a card labeled, "Time Repair Corporation."

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Star-Crossed Puzzles – Romeo and Juliet [Hivemind Review]

24 January 202230 January 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind

Romeo and Juliet is an online game created by Star-Crossed Puzzles

A wooden chest labeled, "Romeo also spots an empty table with an abandoned card game. He sits to think about how to open the chest."

Format

Style of Play:

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

Who is it For?

Story seekers
“Aging lit majors like myself” – anonymous Hivemind reviewer

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 1-2

Play Time: 45-60 minutes

Price: £9.99

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

This is a browser-based game, played through a series of texts and images, where you are following a story, solving puzzles, and entering the answers to progress to the next section. Answers must be exact and in all caps. If you get an answer wrong, you remain on the same page. Hints are available if you are stuck.

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Palace Games – Emerald Palace [Hivemind Review]

3 January 20222 February 2022 by REA Hivemind, posted in Hivemind, Palace Games, Special

Emerald Palace is included in our recommendation guide for The Best Online Escape Games for Large Groups. For more of the best online escape games in this style, check out the recommendation guide.

Emerald Palace is a point-and-click adventure game created by Palace Games in San Francisco, CA.

An old treasure map with a few markings including an X, compass rose, a mallet, and a carrot. It is labled, "Don't worry, be mappy."

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 and paper also recommended

Recommended Team Size: 3-4

Play Time: about 90 minutes

Price: $20 per player for an unlimited number of players, playing in multiple teams with a shared leaderboard; also available in “Standard Team” pricing of a $28 flat team fee for 2-5 players, one team maximum per game.

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

The is the latest game in the Jewel Palace series following Palace of Destiny, Ruby Palace, and Sapphire Palace.

You log into a web environment where you navigate through a series of collaborative point-and-click puzzles. Each teammate typically works on one part of a collaborative solve.

If you’re in different households, you should connect with your teammates through Zoom, Discord, or another video conferencing platform. If you’re in the same household, each player will need their own computer.

A photo of an old tunnel with a blue door at the end, a puzzle mounted on it. The image is labeled, "Tunnel Vision."

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Green Light Escape Room – Brewery Heist [Review]

12 November 20213 November 2021 by Fro, posted in Reviews

Indiana Jones and the Last Call

Location: Wilmington, NC

Date Played: September 26, 2021

Team Size: 3; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $26 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: some ducking and crawling required of at least one player

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

A modern-day prohibition had dried up our beer supply, and it was up to our intrepid team to break into the last remaining beer reserve and save ourselves from this horrific, beer-free existence. On this premise, the game delivered strongly, right from the beginning. The set offered immersive bar vibes with large, carefully crafted wooden set pieces that made me feel I was at an unpretentious local watering hole. The puzzles in the first part of the game contributed to this immersion, including one very satisfying solve about halfway through gameplay. The narrative gets a bit muddier, even confusing, as the story continues, but nonetheless continues to build immersion in the world it creates.

Overall, this game could benefit from some polish to the set and the decor, and refinement to a few puzzles, but in sum did deliver both fun and value for our group.