Thorn & Key - "Project HALO: Expedition Unit 7"

LOCATION:  Singapore

Photo above is property of Thorn & Key

Photos above are property of Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre

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📝  ETR DECODER

• 🔑 GAME: The Missing Expedition

• 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 11, 2025

• 🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi

• 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 7/10

• 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-4 ppl (Age 12+)

• 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: ~30 Mins.

• 💰 PRICE: SGD 20/ pp

• ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private

• 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

The last correspondence from Dr. Noah Vance was ages ago. As part of the Project HALO team, you’re now part of the umpteenth attempt to go into the depths of the forest where the doctor was doing his research on the lifeforms possibly never seen before. Your mission is to find out what happened to Noah, and save the information Project HALO has been funding. That is, if you can survive what might be lurking.

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

• Immersion in the middle of a crowd - First thing out of the way, this “room” was held in an enclosed space in the middle of a convention. Thanks to Thorn & Key’s ingenuity, this room about looking for a lost researcher in the middle of the forest happens, as you can fathom, in a tent. Having an Escape Room experience in the middle of an event can be challenging, but the story and alignment to the setup had us forget about our actual location the moment we started playing.

• Compact but powerful - A shorter game and smaller space meant it was easy for us to dive into the mission. It was easy to stay focussed, and our quick turning of the only table within the tent into the Escape Room Command Centre made the sequence of puzzles clearer.

• Compelling Story - The post-game show involved a bit of roleplay, but that, coupled with some bonus side stories or journal entries found during the game, opened the door to more questions for more story. Some of us walked away listing possible storylines for fan fiction!
  

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

• Price / Booking Process - I thought the process could have been more coordinated, considering how the price of the game was excluded from the ticket prices for entering the convention they were featured at.
  

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

The tent set up in the middle of the convention centre floor was probably one of the most unique forms of engagement I’ve seen. It serves as a great conversation starter, and definitely stood out in a sea of convention booths, not to mention how having the tent meant having a “travelling room” to go around various events.

And even though the duration is relatively shorter due to environmental concerns (you might not want to be stuck in a tent for an hour in the middle of a convention), the story certainly pulls you in and the time flies past quickly.

Therefore, yes - if you see this tent around gaming conventions or public events, maybe ask about it. You might find yourself embarking on a mission you never expected.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

• Players who succeed in “escaping” walked away with a prize - a nature-themed pin of your choosing.

• Finally, this game only runs during events, so check out Thorn & Key’s Instagram for news on future games (and the locations or events they will be featured at.)

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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BOOK NOW

(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"!)

#JoelynAlexandra #IRLEscapeRoom #PuzzleHunt #ThornandKey #SciFi #Singapore