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Post by Nalkarj on Jul 11, 2022 14:33:23 GMT
Any other fans of these games? Their popularity seems to be subsiding after a big spike in the 2010s (COVID didn’t help), but I like them a lot: They’re the closest thing I’ve experienced to a Last of Sheila/The Game-esque kind of game where players go to real locations, interact with people who may or may not be actors, and find clues. (Not, of course, that I’d want to do one like that in The Game.)
A friend and I did one yesterday, and I’d be interested in your thoughts on it because unfortunately, I think it was the worst one I’ve done so far. Purely on a puzzle level, I should note, though the theming wasn’t particularly interesting either. It had two rooms, themed to a plane crash on a Caribbean island.
One puzzle was dependent on aligning colors with certain ropes. You pull the ropes in a certain order, and the door opens to lead you into the next room. Friend and I figured out order of four of the six colors but couldn’t figure out two. So we tried one color first, then when that didn’t work the other one, and of course we got the door (only two possibilities).
In the second room we were stuck on a puzzle and the gamesmaster kept telling us to check the flowers. We didn’t see any flowers, so after checking the whole room we went back to the first room and checked that. Problem is, one of the rules the gamesmaster had told us is that players don’t have to go back.
Turns out that we did have to do back because we had guessed on the colored rope thing. If we’d found the last two pieces that indicate correct color order, we would have gotten another object that helped on the puzzle in the second room.
Now, is that fair? Even putting aside the don’t-go-back rule, I think the game should be worked out so that you can’t go on to the next room without getting all the pieces. Because, again, you could solve the puzzle just by going with one of only two possibilities.
Something else that bothered me is that for one clue a player has to climb into a tiny fake plane and look out the window. That seems unfair in two senses: (1) I have no idea how anyone would figure out to do that, especially because (2) the rules and the gamesmaster insist multiple times that players do not have to stand on any props, climb on any props, etc.
I’ve done escape rooms both where I have and haven’t escaped in time and still felt satisfied. With this one, I don’t think I would have felt satisfied even if I had escaped in time (and my friend and I just barely missed time) because I couldn’t and can’t imagine how someone could solve some of the puzzles.
What say you? Any good stories? Favorites? Least favorites?
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Post by enigma72 on Jul 11, 2022 15:38:18 GMT
Hi Salz!!
My daughter in Florida loves them. She probably does 3 a year.
I've never done one. I'd probably still be trying to get out if that were allowed.
PS I enjoyed your description. I wondered what kind of puzzles were involved
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Post by Nora on Jul 11, 2022 15:52:34 GMT
I love these in theory but only so so like them in reality . The reason is twofold: a) makes me feel stupid and b) I often wonder the same as you: why would anyone do the particular thing the game expects you to do . However I do enjoy it as a social outing with people. I like the team spirit and the camaradery and the competition. (I usually contribute absolutely nothing to the solving of the puzzles though . Which I find somewhat unsatisfying of course. I wonder if there is a particular reason why I cant solve these… )) But if they are well done I love the atmosphere too. I agree you shouldnt be able to progress further without getting all the needed objects from the previous rooms its weird they let you do that in the game.
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Post by theravenking on Jul 12, 2022 11:32:31 GMT
I only tried one of those Escape Game books, but I quickly abandoned it, because the entire thematic and the puzzles just didn't appeal to me. It was about a school reunion, and even though the characters in the book were in their late 20s it seemed more like something aimed at young adults. I might try another one, because I've seen there are several Sherlock Holmes related ones which I'm curious about. There was one going to be organized in my town, and someone even asked me whether I'd be interested in attending, but that was in 2020 just before the pandemic hit and I quickly forgot about it. Actually I would love to do one like in The Game. I just don't think I could afford it financially
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Post by Nalkarj on Jul 12, 2022 14:45:57 GMT
Hi Salz!! My daughter in Florida loves them. She probably does 3 a year. I've never done one. I'd probably still be trying to get out if that were allowed. PS I enjoyed your description. I wondered what kind of puzzles were involved Thanks! If you try one with your daughter let me know how you like it… They can be a lot of fun, or they can be oh-my-God-how-do-they-expect-humans-to-solve-this-puzzle! As for the puzzles themselves—a lot of looking for patterns around the room (if Roman numerals are painted on the wall, e.g., they’ll play a role in a puzzle), pressing buttons and pulling levers. One puzzle I’ve seen often is literally putting puzzle pieces (which you’ve unlocked) together and having to figure out a clue from the finished puzzle. I love these in theory but only so so like them in reality . The reason is twofold: a) makes me feel stupid and b) I often wonder the same as you: why would anyone do the particular thing the game expects you to do . However I do enjoy it as a social outing with people. I like the team spirit and the camaradery and the competition. (I usually contribute absolutely nothing to the solving of the puzzles though . Which I find somewhat unsatisfying of course. I wonder if there is a particular reason why I cant solve these… )) But if they are well done I love the atmosphere too. I agree you shouldnt be able to progress further without getting all the needed objects from the previous rooms its weird they let you do that in the game. I think the best games eliminate, or at least minimize, the how-does-the-game-expect-you-to-do-something aspect—which I know is also a criticism that gets thrown at video games. That is, the game doesn’t require you to do anything that seems too irrational. For example, in the one I just did the employee (“gamesmaster”) said we were allowed to touch all the props, so I pulled at those ropes, felt that they were attached to something, and realized there must be a reason you can pull them. And when I noticed they were color-coordinated and lined up with something on the wall, we solved that puzzle (or sorta solved it, because as I said we guessed on one color). That to me is a fair, solvable puzzle—unlike, say, having to crawl into a fake airplane and stare out the window. You’d have to be psychic to figure out that puzzle. I only tried one of those Escape Game books, but I quickly abandoned it, because the entire thematic and the puzzles just didn't appeal to me. It was about a school reunion, and even though the characters in the book were in their late 20s it seemed more like something aimed at young adults. I might try another one, because I've seen there are several Sherlock Holmes related ones which I'm curious about. There was one going to be organized in my town, and someone even asked me whether I'd be interested in attending, but that was in 2020 just before the pandemic hit and I quickly forgot about it. Actually I would love to do one like in The Game. I just don't think I could afford it financially I think you’d like escape room games! I haven’t read any similar books—at least I don’t think so, I did have some fantasy books that were games, but they were more Where’s- Waldo-y. As for The Game… Well, it might give me a new outlook on life! I know there are live-action/roleplaying games where you have that kind of thing in real life, but not too many of them. There’s a show/experience in New York with a similar concept, Sleep No More, that I’d love to do. (As with the escape room you mentioned, I was planning on attending Sleep No More right before corona struck.)
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Post by Catman on Jul 12, 2022 15:01:43 GMT
Sounds like a real life version of a point-and-click game.
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Post by Nalkarj on Jul 12, 2022 15:16:29 GMT
Sounds like a real life version of a point-and-click game. Pretty much, though I prefer the real-world aspect of escape rooms—being physically in the same, touching objects, etc.
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Post by Jep Gambardella on Jul 12, 2022 19:48:34 GMT
I have done a few, without coming close to solving them except for the one time we did a children's version with my niece who was 12 at the time - but even then we had a lot of help from the attendant.
It's a fun thing to do and if someone invites me, I will gladly accept - but I don't think I will be taking the initiative to organise it.
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Post by Feologild Oakes on Jul 12, 2022 20:53:40 GMT
Never done it, have no interest in doing it.
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Post by Winter_King on Jul 14, 2022 13:32:25 GMT
I've done two.
The first one was Saw themed and we could ask for clues every 10 mins. Unfortunately our hubris prevented us for asking for clues during the first half hour. We failed to complete the escape room in one hour but we were so close that the guys gave us few extra minutes to see if we could complete it and we were able to so so.
The second one wasn't as good. It was based on a heist but it was poorly organized. I mean we were able to get some keys that we weren't supposed to. The last puzzle had the code digits not showing up by mistake and required the organization to go there and tell us what it was. We were able to finish that one.
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Post by divtal on Jul 15, 2022 18:29:21 GMT
I've never done one, but it sounds interesting. I think an episode of The Big Bang Theory involved one.
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Jul 15, 2022 22:51:56 GMT
I had tickets for a Saw-themed escape room but then covid happened. I've been to busy to look into replacing them.
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