Escape The Crate - "Escape the Trials of Houdini"
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Escape The Crate - "Escape the Trials of Houdini"

Updated: 5 days ago


Photo above is property of Escape The Crate


Company: Escape The Crate

Game: Escape the Trials of Houdini

Country: USA 🇺🇸

Language: English

Type of Game: Digital Escape Game 💻

Genre: Magician

Date Played: September 16, 2022

Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10

Size of Team: 1-4 Players

Time: Unlimited

Price: $19.99


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Prognosticator Madame Astrella claims to know things. But the only way she’ll tell you what you want to know is if you help her out of her current predicament. Harry Houdini — yes, the world-famous magician and escape artist — is hiding incriminating evidence that Madame Astrella’s knowledge might not be the fruit of genuine spiritual gifts. You must explore Coney Island and retrieve the files before Houdini uses them to expose Madame Astrella as a fake! Are you up for a battle of wits with Houdini?

Video above is property of Escape The Crate


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Well known for their subscription boxes, Escape the Crate also offers virtual games for online play. They describe "Escape the Trials of Houdini" as “an online reimagining of our 4th game.” The physical version of the game was retired last year, but the experience lives on in digital form with some new twists.


The game begins with a polished video that sets up the story and captures the mysterious vibe of its Coney Island setting. The game is built using the Telescape platform. Each team member can click around independently to explore the scenes. When one team member solves a puzzle, the game will proceed for all players. The interface is clear and easy to navigate. As your team collects Items and gains access to new locations, they appear on the left side of the screen for easy access. Locks and puzzle elements are clearly marked on the screen with blue lock icons. There are clear instructions to get you started, and hints are always available to let you know what to do next if you ever get stuck.


Many of the puzzles are solved by finding a combination lock on screen and entering the correct combination, but there are also jigsaw puzzle pieces to be found throughout the game. Each piece contains a word, and when you find two words that go together you can type the phrase in to advance the game. There is a one-hour countdown clock, but if you haven’t yet escaped you can continue playing after the countdown ends.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers


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The structure of the game lets each player explore on their own, but also encourages cooperative team play with players needing to share information from different screens, e.g., one player can read aloud a note from Houdini containing key clues while another looks at the puzzle and another enters the code into the combination lock.


The assortment of puzzle types and degree of complexity mirrors the fun of a traditional escape room experience. The storyline, while lightweight, provides theming that carries through nicely to the puzzles. The amusement park / magic theme is reflected in the playing cards, ferris wheel, etc. that appear in the puzzle.


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Escape the Crate’s virtual games are ideal for remote family or friends who want to meet up online for some puzzling fun. The clear format makes them easy to jump into, and there is enough going on to keep a small team engaged.

 

Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of their game:


 

(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)


Disclosure: We thank Escape the Crate for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.


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