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LOCATION: Fort Siloso, Singapore Photo above is property of Monster Day Tours 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Overdue Post 📅 DATE PLAYED: June 11, 2022 🎬 GENRE: History, War 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 150 Min 💰 PRICE:  SGD 30/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Pepper the Dinosaur is a mailman in Fort Siloso, one of Singapore’s current historical sites and defense forts during World War II. In the middle of the war, he has hidden all six remaining postcards for safekeeping, forgetting about them until a banner on a passing plane reminded him of his task. Now in the middle of the Fort, help Pepper find all six postcards and send them to the right people before it’s too late! Video above is property of Monster Day Tours 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This puzzle hunt is part escape room, part self-guided tour of various locations around Singapore. Given the histories behind Fort Siloso as a location of cultural importance, the puzzles gave us a different perspective to experience the stories this place wanted to tell. As a majority of this experience is independent, the game master was able to give us a thorough understanding of how the puzzle hunt is conducted and where to look for hints or help within the material given. The puzzles were also carefully crafted - players needed both the booklet from the puzzle hunt organisers, and also be present in the hunt location to go through the entire story. If players take their time and go through each component of the hunt, whether it's a found postcard or poster, they can also find snippets as told by different perspectives during the war. This allowed players a more balanced experience - relying on both the provided tools and environment as a whole for both the puzzles and the story, instead of leaning one way or one medium. The experience goes beyond the puzzle hunt itself - at the end of the puzzle hunt, players receive a collectible pin to mark their success, together with other discounts. This is on top of an optional side quest that players can participate in to win tickets to other tours and hunts. Their mascot, Pepper, is a cute and fun dinosaur that holds their puzzle hunts and tours within Monster Day Tours together. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The hint lifeline was at its bare minimum - we did not have a phone or radio to call for hints - so they were printed in the puzzle hunt booklet instead. However, some of these hints do end up giving players the answer directly, which took the fun and process out of the puzzles. Fort Siloso is physically demanding - some puzzles require players to climb uneven steps, or descend through tunnels. While there was not an extreme issue with safety, this tour might be an issue with players with claustrophobia or mobility issues. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? For tours under their Puzzle Hunt series, this experience is part puzzle hunt, part escape room, and part self-guided tour. For those who want a different perspective, or a different way of experiencing various locations, do give this a try. However, do take note that Monster Day Tours conducts these hunts across various tourist spots in Singapore. Each of them will have varying levels of difficulty and mobility, so do check up on their various tours for a hunt that may be suitable to you. If you’re a completionist in any way, each puzzle hunt from Monster Day Tours gives you a different enamel pin at the end of your hunt. See if you can collect them all for more adventures! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO As mentioned earlier, Monster Day Tours and their Puzzle Hunt / Ransack series covers various locations across Singapore, covering various themes such as history, food, and culture as more tours are planned. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (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 Monster Day Tours for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JoelynAlexandra #IRLPuzzleHunts #PuzzleHunts #ScavengerHunt #History #War #MonsterDayTours #Singapore

LOCATION: Chinatown, Singapore Photo above is property of Monster Day Tours 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The King's Feast 📅 DATE PLAYED: July 30, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Heritage, Food 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 150 Min 💰 PRICE:  SGD 30/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY After an entire day in front of the stove, Pepper the Dinosaur is excited to share the feast he prepared with all of his friends. However, he bumped into the dining table after placing his last dish, breaking one of the table legs on impact and sending his dishes splattering across the floor. While he scrambles to get his table fixed, help him out by journeying through Singapore’s Chinatown, and help him pick up some local eats before his guests arrive! Video above is property of Monster Day Tours 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This is an overall bullseye point across the Ransack Puzzle Hunts thus far - Pepper the Dinosaur is a cute mascot that ties the tour story together. Your game master is accessible to your team, but is also thorough in presenting the lore of the hunt before you start. And at the end of each hunt, the game master presents you with a collectible pin aligned with the theme of that tour. There are also constant promotions and discounts available for each tour, either promoted at the end of each Puzzle Hunt or on their website and socials. This puzzle hunt serves partly as a self-guided tour around Chinatown as well. Along with your activity book, you also receive a puzzle tool and a map of the location. The map, in particular, manages to direct a greater focus for players, considering how open Chinatown as an area can be. Given the independent nature of this puzzle hunt, we had a great time re-exploring this local landmark and taking advantage of the environment - the longer duration even allowed us to take a dessert break in the middle of the hunt itself! Each puzzle hunt is constantly refreshed to align with any changes in the environment. The version of the hunt we were doing was a refreshed version of the original hunt, with changes made due to building changes or shop closures. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Hints and lifelines were limited to the activity, with some hints just providing the answer outright, which may take the fun out of the puzzles. Puzzles in Ransack’s Chinatown area were less involved - there were puzzles that we could work out without being in the stated location. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? The Ransack series by Monster Day Tours continues to be a great way for us to experience familiar locations in a new way. For those who lean towards independent travel but would like something different from the typical guided tour, this puzzle hunt can be a great option. Monster Day Tours refreshes their hunts and locations regularly, running different hunts each month on a rotating schedule. Therefore, completionists or hunt fans can always stay tuned to their channels on upcoming puzzle hunts. The different enamel pins you receive at the end and completion of each hunt do help in attracting players as well! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Monster Day Tours and their Puzzle Hunt / Ransack series covers various locations across Singapore, covering various themes such as history, food, and culture as more tours are planned. Every month, they run a different puzzle hunt around a single location in Singapore. Stay updated on their tours on their website. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (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 #IRLPuzzleHunts #PuzzleHunts #ScavengerHunt #Foodies #Food #Heritage #MonsterDayTours #Singapore

LOCATION: Little India, Singapore Photo above is property of Monster Day Tours 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Lost Relic 📅 DATE PLAYED: April 30, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Heritage, Historical 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 150 Min 💰 PRICE:  SGD 30/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Inspired by the famous explorer Kristopher Cowlumbus, Pepper the Dinosaur embarked on a journey of his own, finding treasure in a temple not far from where he is. With a map and a scroll, help Pepper find the keys to unlocking this treasure, and you may just help this little dinosaur towards his first step to becoming an explorer in his own right! Video above is property of Monster Day Tours 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This is an overall bullseye point across the Ransack Puzzle Hunts thus far - Pepper the Dinosaur is a cute mascot that ties the tour story together. Your game master is accessible to your team, but is also thorough in presenting the lore of the hunt before you start. And at the end of each hunt, the game master presents you with a collectible pin aligned with the theme of that tour. This hunt serves partly as a self-guided tour around Little India. On top of the puzzle book, you will get a single item that serves as a key tool to finishing your hunt, and a map of the area. You do not only go through the hunt, but have the opportunity to explore a landmark in Singapore in a different way. Each puzzle required the player to be present on site, with the puzzle book, map, and key item to aid them in solving the trail. The experience is all-encompassing, with a cute mascot on your side! Each route is constantly refreshed to align with any changes in the environment. This version of the hunt was revised for a tighter route and story. Your entrance fee to the Indian Heritage Centre (it’s required to finish the puzzle hunt) is included in the package - so it’s like two attractions in one! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Like all Ransack hunts covered so far, hints were limited to the activity, with some hints just providing the answer outright, which may take the fun out of the puzzles. The route for “The Lost Relic” is one of the longer routes in this series, hence the longer time limit. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Given how we have enjoyed ourselves with every puzzle hunt route by Ransack, I will be recommending this to anyone who wants something different to do for the weekend. This is also great for players or explorers who want to look at Singapore through a story-heavy, different lens. Ransack refreshes their hunts every year as well - and this revision was definitely great fun for us. Again, participate in all of Ransack’s different puzzle hunts to complete your collection of Pepper the Dinosaur in various occupations! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Ransack is a gamification consultancy and the creator of the Ransack puzzle hunt series. With Pepper the Dinosaur, his stories, and the puzzle experiences, take a look at Singapore through a different lens. Find out more about their tours on their website. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (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 Ransack for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JoelynAlexandra #IRLPuzzleHunts #PuzzleHunts #ScavengerHunt #Heritage #Historical #Ransack #Singapore

LOCATION: Fort Canning, Singapore Photo above is property of Ransack 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Crate Escape 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 7, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Heritage, Historical 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME:90 Min 💰 PRICE:  SGD 30/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Losing his fight to an underhanded Cluck Norris, Pepper the Dinosaur finds himself locked in a crate at Fort Canning Hill, one of Singapore’s historical landmarks. Search the hill for the right keys to help Pepper break free from his prison. If not, he is doomed to find another way out of his predicament. Will you be able to help Pepper claim his title of King of the Hill? Video above is property of Monster Day Tours 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE A strong story that ties it all together, a cute mascot that lightens the mood, a helpful game master at a fixed point who will be ever-so-ready to help you, and a landmark ready for you to explore through location-based puzzles. Side quests for bonus games open the opportunity for you to explore the location further, as well as to meet other Ransackers through the Instagram hashtags. The prize at the end of the route (whether you’ve completed the side quest or not) is just the cherry on top of the whole experience. Each puzzle required the player to be present on site, with the puzzle book, map, and key item to aid them in solving the trail. The experience is all-encompassing, with a cute mascot on your side! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Depending on the location of the Ransack route, certain elements that are essential to the puzzle may not be present - we had an important clue go missing because the park’s maintenance crew removed statues that were essential to the puzzle. Therefore, if you find yourself in a situation where items or landmarks are missing, do keep in contact with your game master or consult the hint system. Fort Canning’s terrain is not flat, but is not reflected on the map. Therefore, this can cause slight delay for players unfamiliar with the location. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Here’s a thought - going through a Ransack puzzle trail is like seeing Singapore’s prominent landmarks through another lens. Therefore, if you would like to enjoy Singapore’s sights, befriend this cute green dinosaur, and flex your brain muscles at the same time, I would recommend this wholeheartedly. At the same time, Ransack refreshes their hunts annually, with one more hunt coming up. They do have more new trails coming up so stay tuned on their socials! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Ransack is a gamification consultancy and the creator of the Ransack puzzle hunt series. With Pepper the Dinosaur, his stories, and the puzzle experiences, take a look at Singapore through a different lens. Find out more about their tours on https://www.theransack.com/ . Special shoutout and thank you to Jia Jun, who came down to engage us with regards to the game and for additional feedback! Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (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 Ransack for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JoelynAlexandra #IRLPuzzleHunts #PuzzleHunts #ScavengerHunt #Heritage #Historical #Ransack #Singapore

LOCATION: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan Photo above is property of SCRAP Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: "A Mystery at Magic Academy" 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 9, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Self-guided Outdoor Puzzle Game 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 1+ ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: Unlimited (Approx. 60-90 Mins.) 💰 PRICE:  ¥1,2,00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You are excited that today is your first day at the legendary Magic Academy! You are so looking forward to the event to eat the celebration cake prepared by Auntie Marilla, the head chef of Magic Academy’s cafeteria. Yet, you and your classmates find out the celebration cake has vanished. First, students accuse Davey, a prankster in this academy, but is it really his fault? Who is responsible for the missing cake? Can you find the truth? 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Exploring Kabukicho with puzzles was fun, especially when the weather was great! The instruction of the game kit was easy to follow. I appreciated that walking was not too much, just the right amount. The puzzles and tasks were not overly complicated. I thought those were also just right for joyously exploring the vibrant town of Kabukicho. I loved that the story and design of the game kit were so cute and charming. I thought the story and characters had a nice contrast to Kabukicho. I appreciated the way to play this game. It required only the game kit. We did not need to use anything on smartphones like watching videos or downloading apps. It is convenient for visitors who do have limited access to the internet in Japan. The paper that shows a hint for all puzzles was included in the game kit. Again, I appreciated that we did not need to access their website. Just be careful not to look at the paper to avoid spoilers unless you need a hint. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Unfortunately, there was a special event at one of the places where we needed to search for a clue for one of the puzzles on the day we played. It took several minutes for us to find the clue since it was hidden under the tent built for the event (this is not SCRAP’s fault, but it is good to be aware a thing like that happens occasionally). Japan is a safe country to explore, but Kabukicho is the red-light district in Tokyo. So be aware while you are playing, especially at night time. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "A Mystery at Magic Academy" is a great way to explore the lively area of Kabukicho in Shinjuku with a charming story and joyous puzzles of Magic Academy. The puzzles are mostly straightforward. This game is perfect for everyone who wants to do sightseeing in Kabukicho with fun challenges! So, why don't you join the magic academy in Shinjuku when you visit Japan? Just check the weather forecast before you play. It is better and easier to walk around the city when the weather is right. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO You can buy the game kit at the Goods Shop on the 1st floor of Tokyo Mystery Circus. You can play the game at your own pace within TMC's opening hours. Do not bring any large items with you. There is no storage available in this game. You can store your luggage at the reception on the 1st floor of TMC. (It costs 500 yen.) Or, there are coin lockers at train stations nearby. Check out our visit to Tokyo Mystery Circus (by SCRAP) and our exclusive interview with the manager to understand more on the development side of the game: Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (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 SCRAP for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ChikakoOmura #PuzzleHunt #TokyoMysteryCircus #SCRAP #Japan #Magic

LOCATION: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan Photo above is property of SCRAP Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: "An Invitation from the Mystery Man" 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 9, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Mystery, Puzzle Game 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 1+ ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: Unlimited (Approx. 30-60 Mins.) 💰 PRICE:  ¥1,2,00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY When you visit Tokyo Mystery Circus, unexpectedly you receive a letter from a person who calls himself the “Mystery Man.” He is the one who rules every mystery in Tokyo Mystery Circus, and now he tests you through puzzles in this envelope. Can you solve all his puzzles and uncover the truth? 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE It was a fun puzzle game that took place in the building of Tokyo Mystery Circus. We searched for clues hidden in TMC, figured out some puzzles, and opened the designated mailbox on the second floor of TMC to get a new letter from Mystery Man to move on. It was straightforward and joyous to play. I loved that the game was not too heavy. It was just the right amount to explore TMC with fun classic word puzzles that you can taste in games created by SCRAP, and it still had a wide variety of puzzles. We could play anytime during TMC was open. I think it was very convenient to play this game in our spare time. You can play before or after you play other games in TMC. SCRAP did a great job creating a nice flow to the game. As the last puzzle of any game by the company is the hardest one, the final challenge of this game also required some insight and inspiration. It gave us a nice aha moment when we solved it. If you need a hint, you can access the website given when you receive the first letter. I like that the website shows clues step-by-step, and I appreciate that there is no need to download any apps. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK I recommend playing this game on weekdays to avoid the crowds. Tokyo Mystery Circus often gets super crowded on weekends, and there is not enough space to work on puzzles when it gets crowded. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "An Invitation from the Mystery Man” was a joyful puzzle game exploring the building of Tokyo Mystery Circus. The amount of its content was just right. It was easy and convenient to play. This game is for everyone who loves solving puzzles. The puzzles represent SCRAP’s classic puzzle style, so you may try this game before you play their other games in TMC. Plus, it is a delightful feeling to open a mysterious mailbox with a correct answer! So, when you visit Tokyo, why don’t you receive a letter from Mystery Man and uncover the mysteries hidden in Tokyo Mystery Circus? ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO You can buy the game kit at the reception desk on the 1st floor of Tokyo Mystery Circus. Mailboxes are on the 2nd floor. You can play this game at your own pace within TMC's opening hours. Do not bring any large items with you. There is no storage available in this game. You can store your luggage at the reception on the 1st floor of TMC. (It costs 500 yen.) Or, there are coin lockers at train stations nearby. "An Invitation from Mystery Man" is also available in Simplified Chinese. Check out our visit to Tokyo Mystery Circus (by SCRAP) and our exclusive interview with the manager to understand more on the development side of the game: Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (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 SCRAP for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ChikakoOmura #PuzzleHunt #SCRAP #Mystery #Puzzles #Tokyo #Japan

LOCATION: New York City, New York, USA Photo above is property of GGC Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: GGC MMXXIII 📅 DATE PLAYED: June 10, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Puzzle Hunt 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-4 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 3-5 Hrs 💰 PRICE: $199/Team (1-4PPL) + $18.90 Booking Fee/Ticket ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE EXPERIENCE We did a virtual GGC event last year during the holidays and had so much fun that we were really excited to be invited to this year's in-person event. Since Brandon and I are pretty much considered born-and-raised New Yorkers and lived on 42nd Street for more than 10+ years, we were really curious about the hunt that will be revolved around this area. The weather was perfect Saturday, June 10th and we were fired up to begin the challenge with our teammates Kevin & Adara. Kevin (owner of "Escape and Immerse") is an escape room designer. Adara is a veteran at in-person puzzle hunts. It's great to have helpers as I believe a team of 4 was the magic number for this challenge. Once we got to the secret location, we checked in with a GGC gamemaster and were given a sealed envelope. Once all the rules were established, all the teams (I believe around 15 teams per time slot) opened the envelope at the same time. Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers You don't need to download any apps for this challenge but you'll need to go to a designated website that your team will be using to find clues, enter solutions and ask for hints. The website is synced for all the members on a team so if one team member takes a hint or enters a solution, it'll update for the rest of the team. There are several hints per each puzzle. Pending on how fast you take a clue, you'll be penalized for more time or less. The minimum penalized time for a clue is 5 minutes. We did like the fact that we can jump directly to the clue that we are in need of rather than go through all of them. But be careful as you can only go back one clue so don't skip ahead too much. Pending on the goal of your team (leisure or competition), you might want to strategize on how and when to take a clue. There is also a walkthrough available for every puzzle if you still can't solve it after the final clue. This will cost 10 minutes of your time. Once we solved the first puzzle with the items provided in the envelope, we were led to the first destination. This is where we got our first surprise and were amazed by the logistics that went into the planning for this event. There were a lot of "Wow" and "No way, they couldn't have done that. Could they?" moments. The prominent locations in Manhattan (yes, we even watched a movie in a movie theater!), hidden spots, live actors, and cool tactile puzzle components really made this experience like no other. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Don't be afraid to use Google as a resource since some of the questions do involve a little bit of history. Figuring out where to go is just one part of the puzzle but there is usually another part of the puzzle waiting for you at the actual location. One of the puzzles that we had to use a hint on was a bit of a stretch for us since we didn't get a prompt to have to connect to an unknown WIFI and we felt that more cluing should have been used for that puzzle. The rest of the puzzles were justifiable in the cluing and difficult level. One of my favorite puzzles was the one that led us into a pizza place where we told the server a "secret phrase" and we all got a slice of free pizza (oh and of course there was a puzzle on the pizza box)! When we finally solved the last puzzle, we were given a location to meet up with the rest of the players to celebrate the winners of the challenge with refreshments. Since we had a prior engagement to get to, we couldn't attend the celebration. But in my eyes, we were all winners already. This experience was educational, eye-opening (I've actually discovered many places I've never been to after living here for 30+ years), exciting, and gratifying all at the same time. I would definitely recommend checking GGC out for their next public event or if you need a private bespoke experience. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO - Your meet-up location will be provided 24 hours prior to the game. - The game will proceed rain or shine (unless you receive additional information from the organizer). - You'll be able to get to every location by foot. - Materials you might need that could help with the puzzle hunt: Calculator, notepad, pen, clipboard, headphones, cellphone charger, water, comfortable walking shoes, umbrella, light raincoat, and sunglasses. *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** (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 The Great Gotham Challenge for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLPuzzleHunts #PuzzleHunts #ScavengerHunt #Heritage #Historical #TheGreatGothamChallenge #NYC #USA

Video property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Mad Mind 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 8, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Space 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up to 6ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: Pending on the location ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes We had the privilege to meet the master mind behind "Entermission" at the "TRANSWORLD Room Escape Conference & Tour 2019" in San Antonio, Texas - (Video: https://youtu.be/jskcssGMLhI ). This new company’s headquarter is located in PA. The owner has co-founded VR rooms in Sydney, Australia and owns Escape Hunt in Sydney. She also supports 6 franchised Escape Hunt branches in Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland. Entermission’s goal is to be able to fit more players in smaller spaces while still being able to enjoy VR games with its full effect. This way the owners can also profit more from a smaller space rental and fewer attendants per guest. Coming from a real estate background, I totally understand the cost behind rent especially in a prime location... this is a great concept!! We had the chance to try a 15-minute test run of their “Mad Mind” game at the show. The hygiene was great as we were each given a one-time use eye mask to put on before we put on the VR glasses. The chair were very comfortable, but we couldn’t comfortably lay our head back since there’s a plastic piece that sticks out in the back. It would be great if the design element allowed more comfort in the future on the head device since sitting straight for the entire hour could get a bit tiring. Sitting along besides us were four other players and we each typed in a name prior so we can identify each other in the game. As the game started, we were transported into another realm where we are agents sent into a mad man’s brain in order to discover where he kept the innocent child that he kidnapped. There were a lot of obstacles to go through to get to the finish line. The experience felt very real as they have incorporated vibration, smell, temperature (wind and heat) sources along the way. The puzzles were fun, but we didn’t really feel that it connected with the storyline like how it would in a real escape room. I would maybe want to see flash backs of where the kidnapping took place, maybe chase after them or search for clues along the way for shoe or fingerprints. The graphics were done really well and we especially enjoyed the rollercoaster experience although once again we didn’t feel like it correlated with the storyline. There was one part that was also hard to maneuver with the VR hands, but I think that takes some time to adjust. I did feel a bit lightheaded at times, but Brandon felt perfectly fine throughout the experience, so I think it depends on the person. I think if the puzzles can be improved to feel more like an actual escape room thought process, this could be a complete package. We can’t wait to see what other games Entermission will come out with in the future. We really hope to see a VR company that can intertwine real escape room challenges within the VR games so that it becomes the best of both worlds. Perhaps escaping on the moon is not too far away in the future? (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"!) #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperoomreviews #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #entermission #madmind #virtualreality #vr #transworld #roomescapeconference #sanantonio #texas #tx

LOCATION: Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA Company: Escape Virtual Reality Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English (plus 20 others) Type of Game: Video Escape Game 📱 Date Played: November 7, 2021 Price: $35.00/ pp Time: 60 Minute Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Photo above is property of Virtual Room Game: Time Travel - Chapter I Designer: Virtual Room Country: France 🇫🇷 Genre: Sci-Fi Difficulty (based on 2 players): 4/10 Size of Team: 2-4 Players (Ages 10+) 📖 THE STORY You have been assigned to recover vital information that disappeared during the last mission along with the entire Alpha team. Now, it's up to you and your team to suit up and travel through time to find out what happened. In order to do so, you must follow the path of the previous agents from ancient Egypt to the pre-historic era. The fate of the universe depends on this mission! Can you save the world? Video above is property of Virtual Room 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The mission objective of the storyline is a sci-fi fanatic's dream! To be assigned to time travel is everything an explorer could wish for. The game really bought out the realness from starting off at the mission control, training, putting on the uniforms, and ultimately being transported to the mission sites. The game play was smooth and usually VR would cause some dizziness for me after but not in this game. The graphics in "Time Travel - Chapter 1" were mind-blowing! This game takes place in the future and the set design immediately felt like "The Fifth Element" to me. One minute you are in an ancient Egyptian tomb and another you've been transported to Jurassic times. The scenery changes happens quite dramatically. I literally felt like time travels jumping through portals of time. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK This is not a escape room type of game so don't expect to be solving a bunch of puzzles. At some point you'll be doing a good amount of repetition work with either "attacks" or maneuvering things. There's no hint that you can use in the game so if you get stuck, you'll just have to keep trying. In the game itself, there seems to be a "timer" of some sort as when we got to a certain point, the game just pushed us forward to the next stop which was confusing at times. Photos above are property of Virtual Room Photo above is property of ARVI VR INC. Game: House of Fear VR Developer: ARVI VR 🇺🇸 Country: USA 🇺🇸 Genre: Horror Difficulty (based on 1 player): 5/10 Size of Team: 1-4 Players (Ages 16+ 📖 THE STORY You come across an old run down cabin in the woods. In need of shelter, you decide to enter inside to check it out. It appears to have been abandoned for quite some time or has it? Your mind begins to play tricks on you as you hear footsteps and start to see shadows. As you continue to search around, you begin to realize that you are not alone! Do you have what it takes to conquer your fears and make it out alive? Video above is property of ARVI VR INC. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Although the storyline for "House of Fear" isn't the most unique, it definitely puts you in the driver seat of a horror flick! Ever wondered what it would be like to survive through the night inside of a creepy cabin? This is as close as you're going to get without having to drive out to the woods. As soon as you step onto the porch and push the front door with the squeaky sound, you've elected yourself to be the next victim. No need to fret, the first room provides you with a candle and a flashlight to navigate the rest of the pitch black cabin... The graphics were great! So great, that from time to time, I actually thought I was inside of an abandoned cabin. There were a bunch of jump-scares that played on your fears - darkness, bugs, spiders, mannequins, loud sounds, and of course... the guy with the chainsaw chasing after you! Unlike "Time Travel - Chapter I", you can actually explore in "House of Fear" by using the "jump-forward" option when available. The puzzles focused mainly on searching for items. Much like an escape room, you need to find keys or unlock objects in order to proceed. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Some of the objects were a bit difficult to pick up based on the positioning. I had to jump back and reposition myself a couple of times until it allowed me to access it. Photos above are property of ARVI VR INC. Photo above is property of ARVI VR INC. Game: Alice Developer: ARVI VR 🇺🇸 Country: USA 🇺🇸 Genre: Fantasy Difficulty (based on 1 player): 8.5/10 (played by Cici) Size of Team: 1-6 Players (Ages 13+) 📖 THE STORY The Queen of Hearts has cast a spell on Wonderland and your objective is to uncover her secrets! Find a way to get into the castle, evade all the traps, defeat the Queen and break the spell to save Wonderland!! Video above is property of ARVI VR INC. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The graphics and music grabbed my attention right from the start. I never thought I would actually be able to enter the land of Alice (besides Disney's attractions) until now. The characters were whimsical and the graphics really captured a lot of the details from the original story. There are many different sceneries in this game and each had different types of puzzles. The clues are subtle but if you pay attention to the characters or the pattern it forms as you begin to solve them, you'll ultimately find your "path". 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Right from the start, you'll feel the difficult level of this game. The first scene puts you in a house with many different stairs that leads to a different section that would require you to retrieve a key. It really tested your memory. As the game progresses, there are other puzzles that were on a timer. So not only will you need to know what you'll have to do but you'll have to do it fast! Or else you'll have to restart from the beginning again. It was fun to try a couple of times but it does get kind of frustrating and tedious when you realize there's no way to bypass it or take an easier way out. There is a hint system that's build into the game but it doesn't really help you bypass anything in this situation. Photos above are property of ARVI VR INC. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Escape Virtual Reality currently has 16 VR games available to choose from at their location. The facility is clean and has each player divided into their own cell for game play. They also sanitize the remotes and give one time use eye guards for safety. They have a wide range of genres to try including - horror, fantasy, adventure, sci-fi, family-friendly, etc. Each game has their own unique challenges and difficulty levels. You can play individually or in groups of 2-6 players where each player has their own designated room. You will have the ability to communicate with each other, walk around, interact with objects, and collaborate together to solve puzzles. We really enjoyed our visit and their games and will definitely return for more VR experiences in the future! (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 Virtual Reality for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #AtHomeGames #VideoGames #VRGames #VirtualRoom #ARVIvr #EscapeVirtualReality #SciFi #Horror #Fantasy #VR #USA #NewJersey #Paris #Delaware

LOCATION: Zoersel, Belgium Photo above is property of Tales of Torchdale 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Toy Factory 📅 DATE PLAYED: February 24, 2024 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Thriller 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 75 Mins. (+15 Min. intro) 💰 PRICE: Є165 ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [52:00] 📖 THE STORY The old toy factory of the Harsh family was the leader in its industry for 5 generations, making the best toys which rivaled even those from China. Unfortunately, the factory has fallen into decline and the cracks are showing with machines breaking and employees disappearing. The factory is always looking for additional staff willing to work for cheap, so why don't you apply to work there for an hour? After all, the chances of being turned down are slim. Video above is property of Tales of Torchdale 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE \Let’s start at the beginning, the intro! This is perhaps one of the most creative experiences we have encountered upon entering an escape room facility. We were immediately reprimanded for being late and instructed to get into our work overalls by the shift manager. Whilst changing he would occasionally come back to interact with us until we were finally ready, at which point a short theatrical event took place to set the scene for what was to come inside the factory… and this was all before the shift (our game) had even started! Make sure to spend time checking out your surroundings, you might discover some easter eggs. The high standards of the changing room were maintained throughout the experience. Only the highest quality materials were used to create a truly immersive experience which could easily have come straight out of a movie set. There was not an abundance of props, but those on show served a purpose and pushed the theme to an even higher level. We loved how even the toys on show appeared to have a dark and somewhat decayed appearance, like the factory itself. The puzzles were also a big hit for our team, mainly because they were thematic and frequently required a high level of team work to complete, perhaps more than most other escape rooms we have played. Puzzles were imaginative and dynamic. There was little reading or searching but a lot of ‘doing’. Every puzzle we encountered involved interacting with something and they were far more creative than the normal ‘find an object and place it on a sensor to unlock something else. After the game we were afforded time for a debrief and got to walk back through the game. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There is really nothing to say here. We gave the game full marks in all areas! 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This game is an absolute must for anyone in the area. It will appeal most to those who appreciate strong storytelling, set design and dynamic puzzles. The ‘dark’ side of the story is more tongue-in-cheek and humorous, so players shouldn’t worry that there is anything scary inside. Although playable with 2, I would recommend playing with either 3 or 4. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking is free onsite There isn’t strictly speaking a lobby inside, just the changing room. Once we had completed our game there was already another team waiting to enter so we had to leave immediately, although the other game Hunting Season does offer a small lounge area, so I suppose if needed you could chill there. Not wheelchair accessible due to uneven surfaces and stairs Photos above are property of Tales of Torchdale (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"!) #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #TalesofTorchdale #Adventure #Thriller #Belgium

LOCATION: Westbury, New York, USA 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Asylum 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 11, 2018 🎬 GENRE: Asylum 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 4/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 10ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $30/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes This place was quite hard to find as the entrance is behind some storefronts on the main road. The waiting area is quite small and not much of a design at all. There's only a few chairs so if it gets busy you'll probably have to stand. Although the theme is an "Asylum", there's only a few props in the room that resembles it and it mostly just felt like a dirty room. There's also very few puzzles to solve. There's no story line to follow. One puzzle didn't need "solving" really, the answer just "revealed" itself. The "ending" area was quite disappointing too as there's pretty much no design element put into it. We had four people and 2 others joined us. The room is quite small and 4 felt like it should be the max amount of people that should fit in there. *** We regret to inform this company has closed its doors *** #CiciCao #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms  #EscapeOfALifetime #Prison #NewYork #USA

LOCATION: Mineola, New York, USA 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Once Upon a Time 📅 DATE PLAYED: July 18, 2018 🎬 GENRE: Fairy Tale 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 4/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 6ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $28/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes This is probably the worst room that we've done so far. We visited their Mineola, NY location. We booked on a weekday, so we were privileged to have the room to ourselves with just the three of us. However, the lobby was kind of dirty and didn't have much in terms of decor. The game master was extremely rude with her attitude and rushed us into the room like she wanted to go home after. We were not really given any instructions and the game just began. There was a piece of a puzzle in the room that obviously needed all the pieces in order for something magnetic to be triggered in order for us to get the key. But somehow the key just mysteriously dropped out. We told the game master that there's a room we didn't even get into yet, so how could we be finished already? She just said, "don't worry that room is not important". We got out of the room with 30 minutes to spare and didn't even get the full experience at all. The hints that she gave did not even help at all as we've told her repeatedly that we already solved that part and moved on. There were no new useful hints showing up on the monitor. The title of the room didn't really have anything to do with the theme inside. The story did not connect or flow with the puzzles at all. We have not been back since. *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** #CiciCao #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms  #CanYouEscapeLI? #FairyTale #NewYork #USA

LOCATION: New York City, New York, USA Photo & Video credit: OMEscape New York 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Room X 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 6, 2018 🎬 GENRE: Mission 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 5 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 10ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 70 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $31-36/pp (pending on weekday/weekend) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes This place was easy to find since the entrance is a storefront on the street. Since they have approximately 3,900 sq ft, it feels very spacious inside. I feel like they could have done more with the place since there's not much decor in the waiting area. If you check in online, you can get a free soda or water while waiting. The special thing about this escape room is that they give you 70 minutes instead of the normal 60 minutes which could come in handy. But our attempt to escape "Room X", we didn't need the extra 10 minutes. We were very excited to try the room based on the high tech videos and the it was the first time we experienced laser sensors in a room. We were a bit disappointed at the number of puzzles built in as there weren't that many. The ending was also not that impactful. We had a group of 5 and we were able to successfully escape with plenty of time to spare. Teamwork is eminent in this game, as your group will start off divided into two. Although there were some high tech elements, it was definitely not comparable to some of the other rooms that we've tried. If you are going to choose a room here, we would highly recommend "The Penitentiary" instead. (If you do decide to try this room, please remember to let them know that "ESCAPETHEROOMers" sent you!) #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #omescapenewyork #roomx #om #newyork #nyc #manhattan

LOCATION: New York City, New York, USA Photo credit: Escape Games NYC 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Detective Story 📅 DATE PLAYED: October 26, 2018 🎬 GENRE: Detective 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 6 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 7ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $29-60/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes The location of this escape room is in the basement. There are no elevators and there's about 2 flights of stairs down. Once in the basement, the lobby is quite spacious although there's not much decor. The walls are filled with photos of previous players and leadership boards. They also have a green screen to customize the background to cater to your room. As soon as you walk into the "Detective Story" room, you feel like you're back in the 70's. There were a few puzzles in there that implemented some "Gen-1 Tech". We had six people tackling this room and finished in 32 minutes with no clues asked. We felt that this room was meant for a smaller group or they should add a bit more puzzles in place. Because the room is not really linear, the group can solve different puzzles simultaneously therefore the playtime is not as long. The story did have a simple but conclusive ending but there wasn't really a "WOW" moment. ***We regret to inform this location has since closed*** #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #escapegamesnyc #detectivestory #detective #newyork #newyorkcity #nyc #ny #manhattan

LOCATION: New York City, New York, USA Photo + Video credit: Komnata Quest (Manhattan) 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Sherlocked 📅 DATE PLAYED: September 9, 2018 🎬 GENRE: Sherlock Holmes 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 5ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $40/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes In order to gain access to the main door, you will need to call the number and get a pin to enter to go inside. The location does not have an elevator and it's one floor up. The lobby is well designed with decor and lockers to place your items while you enter your room. The game master will immerse you into the story right away from the beginning and remain in character all the way until the end. The set design of the room was pretty high quality as well. The room is well maintained and feels very much like the rooms in London. You'll have some reading to do and a few clues to follow in order to piece everything together for the ending just like a detective. So if you are into crime solving, this is the room for you. The way the clues are given in the room are also quite clever. They definitely incorporated the "High-Tech" with the theme quite well and all of them were fully functional! We did have a frustration moment with the last puzzle but ultimately we were able to solve it. We completed this room with just the two of us and got out with only a few minutes left. This was however the most expensive escape room that we've done so far. But as far as production goes, we felt that it was well worth it and will most likely return soon. ** UPDATE - We regret to inform that "Komnata Quest (Manhattan)" has closed its doors. #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #komnataquest #sherlocked #holmes #newyorkcity #newyork #manhattan #nyc #ny