Escape Reviewer

You and your partners are being investigated for a crime at a speakeasy that you recently attended. Your goal is to determine the details of the night and deduce who the actual killer is! This escape is the first of five related campaigns. From my understanding, these campaigns will all follow the same overarching storyline with noticeable character development. While all of the campaigns will be perfectly solvable as standalone escapes, performing them in order will provide a more rewarding and complete experience.

 

Let me begin by stating that this room, in its current state, does not capture the true potential of the idea put forth by Ye Olde Dandy’s. Being one of the few companies that employs a live actor inside, The Puzzle Campaign has the potential to be great. Unfortunately, the inspector's roles are limited to handing out hints and preventing players from doing dangerous or destructive actions. Inspector sir! We suggest you play up your role of a crime investigator! A player touching something they’re not supposed to? Stay in character and get upset at them! Take notes and present them to the players afterwards. Be the actor we all know you are meant to be!

 

Secondly, the unique idea for a developed storyline and character evolution is great, but it wasn’t as built up as it could have been. Each player could be given a background information card (perhaps with some valuable items or secrets on it). Players could study it and learn about their characters in more detail. With an invested interest in my character, I would be much more encouraged to play parts two through five!

 

All that being said, there are many positives to this escape. The Puzzle Campaign provides a unique experience of solving a murder mystery instead of the traditional room escape. Details are discovered throughout the room which  must be put together at the end and presented to the inspector. With this setup, it's not clear whether you have the final answer correct (the details of the night, the murder weapon, and the real killer) until you present them to the inspector at the end of the escape. As a personal preference, I enjoy the satisfaction of getting a clear answer upon solving a puzzle. However, I can appreciate what Ye Olde Dandy's is trying to accomplish here with this unique puzzle design.

 

The decoration is actually quite well done. You can feel the essence of an old speakeasy environment. The soundtrack was noted by all of us as being a great fit for the room! There wasn’t much of a “wow factor”, but the puzzles played nicely into each other. Even after collecting all of the information, the final puzzle to decipher the happenings of the night is a fun challenge in itself. It's a very distinct and enjoyable way to end the escape! Overall, this room provides a unique experience for patrons. I’m excited to see how it progresses through new plot sequences and character developments. If Ye Olde Dandy’s can find a way to really play up the acting as well as improve the character and story development, they may be onto something very special here! 

Reviewed by Evan on June 28, 2015