Tag: Richard Burns

Agent Venture – Mission Three: B.A.D Side of the Moon [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Agent Venture, Hivemind

Mission Three: B.A.D Side of the Moon is a digital escape game, designed for livestream play, created by Agent Venture in London, England.

Illustration of "Control" or spy dispatcher.

Format

Style of Play: digital escape game with audio roleplaying, designed for livestream play

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 4-5

Play Time: 60-90 minutes

Price: tickets range from £10.00 – £14.00 per person

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

Mission Three: B.A.D Side of the Moon is an audio roleplaying escape game with defined player roles, verbal NPC interaction, and extensive digital interactions. It is played over Zoom. Communication and information sharing are keys to success. Interactions with the performer are all verbal and solving puzzles takes place through Zoom, websites, Google Sheets, and PDFs.

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 “Agent Venture – Mission Three: B.A.D Side of the Moon [Hivemind Review]” →

Eschaton [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Hivemind, Interactive Theater

Eschaton is a virtual nightclub and immersive experience that includes a light puzzle hunt.

A well dressed man on video speaking into a camera.

Format

Style of Play: an audio-visual experience that includes a light puzzle hunt

Required Equipment: computer with an internet connection

If you plan to solve the puzzles, you’ll want a way to take notes and maybe a Google Sheet to keep organized.

Recommended Team Size: 1-2 people per connection

Play Time: 1 hour per visit

Price: $15 per connection (prices go up for holiday events)

Booking: book online for a specific Saturday night performance

Description

When Eschaton opens, its website provides you with a Zoom link. From the Zoom link, you learn how to get to other Zoom rooms. Players move from room to room throughout the experience at their own whims. You might stumble across a puzzle.

The Eschaton puzzle experience is somewhere between a puzzle hunt and an ARG. There is a lot to find and tons to solve. It would require multiple visits to complete.

Of note, Eschaton is an interesting experience with great performers, but it is not an escape room in any way.

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 “Eschaton [Hivemind Review]” →

CU Adventures in Time & Space – Floor 13 [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in CU Adventures in Time & Space, Hivemind

Floor 13 is a combination digital + printable game created by CU Adventures in Time & Space in Urbana, IL.

The print and play packet resting on a laptop keyboard.

Format

Style of Play: fusion of point-and-click adventure game and print-and-play tabletop escape game

Required Equipment: computer with an internet connection, printer, pen and paper, scissors, tape

The no-printer variant is really good, but the print-and-play version is better. Also, make sure that all players are using the same packet (print or no-print).

Recommended Team Size: 1-3

Play Time: about 60 minutes

Price: pay what you want; minimum $10

Booking: purchase online and play at your leisure

Description

Floor 13 was a fusion of LucasArts-style point-and-click adventure with tabletop escape room. We received a PDF with about a dozen printable pages (there is a no-print variant as well), and a few pages had bits that required cutting out. Then we used a web-based interface to click around and interact with the game world. This interface kept us organized while presenting the puzzles as well as the story.

Avoid using the paper elements before being instructed to do so or you might short circuit the game.

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 “CU Adventures in Time & Space – Floor 13 [Hivemind Review]” →

Locurio – The Vanishing Act Remote [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Hivemind, Locurio

The Vanishing Act Remote is a real-life escape room livestreamed and played through an avatar, created by Locurio in Seattle, WA.

Room Escape Artist reviewed the real-life version of this game in April of 2016 (yes, 4.5 years ago!) and awarded it a 2016 Golden Lock Award. This is a review of the online adaptation.

Casey showing us into the dressing room over Zoom.

Format

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

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 4

Play Time: 90 minutes

Price: $140 per team

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

The Vanishing Act was an avatar-led adaptation of a classic escape room with a significant online inventory component. The puzzles were highly collaborative and communication was key.

360 degree image of the room with clickable hotspots

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 “Locurio – The Vanishing Act Remote [Hivemind Review]” →

Deadlocked Online – The Movember Virtual Moscape Room [Hivemind Review]

by reahivemind, posted in Deadlocked Escape Rooms, Hivemind

The Movember Virtual Moscape Room is a point-and-click adventure game created by Deadlocked Escape Games (Reading, England) in collaboration with Movember.

Movember "It's about to get hairy" logo.

Format

Style of Play: point-and-click adventure game with light puzzle hunt elements

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, Facebook access

Recommended Team Size: 1-4

Play Time: 90 minutes

Price: £15.00, a third of which is donated to Movember

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

In the game, your goal is to bring a razor to the protagonist so he can participate in Movember. Gameplay relies on social media snooping combined with custom digital puzzle games. The audio and video content from the characters adds a lot to the experience.

There is a regular mode, and an “extreme” mode that uses most of the same solutions, but the way you get them is different, with the regular version connecting the dots a bit more concretely. We’ve noted which version each reviewer played.

Guess a number puzzle from the puzzle pack.

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 “Deadlocked Online – The Movember Virtual Moscape Room [Hivemind Review]” →