OxenfreeNight School StudioEscape roomVirtual Finally got around to playing Oxenfree in time for the sequel to come out on Nintendo Switch! I loved this experience. Although it isn’t really a traditional escape room game, it’s very much a compelling narrative adventure with some minimal puzzles. The choices matter, and I was invested to making a good timeline for Alex amongst the supernatural, kinda creepy stuff going on. The way the radio was used for puzzles and locks was a nice gimmick. And full voice-acting helped sell me on the characters and their plight on the mysterious island.
The Shop of TheseusRECONEscape roomVirtual Hilarious experience that I was lucky to be able to be a part of doing during escape room convention RECON 2023! It was a fun audio adventure with some images and interactive text/browser puzzles with full audio narration and acting by the talented and witty Mark Larson. Deciding via voice with the team what to do, whether part of solving the room or just messing around for fun, led to delightful descriptions and funny outcomes. I didn’t kwant it to end! I was laughing so hard! The ending is a kick too, but I won’t spoil what made it legendary!
A Temporal TangleNext Level Escape OnlineEscape roomVirtual As someone who first played escape rooms through video games, I felt right at home with this digital game. I really appreciated the effort put into making this a game that really replicated the in-person experience, since our group did this remote during the pandemic. This room has a unique story and message, that warmed my heart. The puzzles are all really well done and the game is actually pretty lengthy, but of course, it’s as laid-back as you want to make it since it’s all virtual. All in all, I loved this digital experience!
The RoomFireproof GamesEscape roomVirtual Great puzzle box game! It’s not an escape room per se despite the name, but it nonetheless features similar kinds of puzzles as actual rooms. What I like most is how the puzzles build upon each other and ramp up in complexity in this small yet deep virtual box space. It’s not a very long experience, but it’s worth it to delve deeper into the center at least once. There’s surprising story elements that make it more compelling. It makes me want to experience an actual physical puzzle box!
Oxenfree II: Lost SignalsNight School StudioEscape roomVirtual Such a wonderful game and just as enjoyable as the first, in different ways! First things first, I really like the main character Riley, and the fact that she was an older character in her 30s resonated with me more. What she is going through feels very poignant, heartfelt, and thoughtful. There are more puzzles in this one, though still not many, and they’re all pretty easy to solve. The area to explore is a lot bigger this time around, which is both good and bad. I liked exploring with new partner Jacob, but it felt slow to traverse the new area without a way to fast travel or run freely. The walkie talkie and radio functions are used well both for narrative and puzzle purposes. The choices and endings are very compelling and thought-provoking and actually make me want to replay it! Note that if you haven’t played the 1st one, you won’t get as much out of it. So if you wanna play this at all, I recommend to play the 1st one and enjoy the sequel after! I won’t spoil, but this game is for the fans!
Chasing Hahn: The Heist Volume 1The Escape Game - OnlineEscape roomVirtual I really enjoyed this play-at-home online game from The Escape Game! It's only the 1st part out of 3, but it feels like a complete game. Took us over an hour to complete. It's a smart design. Although it's structured like an escape room with different puzzles you can solve that give you clues to complete later puzzles, it's actually presented like a detective's computer database. Instead of standard puzzle clues, you get evidence, recordings, and documents. And it's all easily accessible through easy-to-navigate computer tabs. There are even some surprises that I wasn't expecting! I love mysteries and sleuthing, so disguising an escape room as well-themed detective work was great brain stimulation. I luckily got this game for free through some smart marketing by the game's company. And after finishing this one, I am looking forward to playing the rest!
Escape from the Lockdown: The Strange VillageReal Escape Game - OnlineEscape roomVirtual The Strange Village is an online escape game that you can play at home. The game plays out on what is essentially a large sheet of paper online, but it also includes a series of videos. The videos were a nice, immersive touch, and had a good Werewolf myth quality to them. The puzzles themselves range from word puzzles to hidden message riddles. So I wasn’t too impressed with them, but it’s understandable why these puzzles are the way they are, considering they’re all essentially presented on a piece of paper. My favorite part is the story, which I won’t elaborate much on, but it has a good message and it was especially meaningful when I played it during the pandemic.
