Escape Quest – Curious Encounters

Escape Quest – Curious Encounters.
Game Date 11/07/2017.
Team: Amy & Ian

Now, eagle eyed readers may have noticed that I already have a review entitled Curious Encounters, no.. I have not played the same game again (although that’s not heard of!) as Escape Quest have completely changed the game, to give a brand new version, with a continuation of the story… all new puzzles and a new layout!

Theme:
“Mr Copplestone aka “The Professor” is an inventor. His greatest invention is the world’s first time machine, built so he could travel through space and time to find interesting objects and life saving potions to sell in his curiosity shoppe.

Trials of the time machine have been taking place for many years and thanks to the brave testers, some who were unfortunately lost along the way, Mr Copplestone has a fully working and reliable time machine. Until…

Today something went wrong!

Mr Copplestone stepped into the time machine and set it to his required destination, all seemed to be working as usual. He pulled the switch to activate it and with a loud bang and a puff of smoke he was gone. The time machine’s vital equipment exploded and scattered into pieces around the shoppe.

As a failsafe measure Mr Copplestone had set an emergency portal to open in the future, which would allow rescuers to enter through it and into his Shoppe. The portal should have opened inside the institute of quantum mechanics Moscow. Clearly this also went wrong, as the portal has opened here in Escape Quest!

Enter through the portal and into 1873, find out where the professor went, fix and then programme the time machine correctly and bring him back. The time entry vortex looks weak and I’d say you only have about an hour before it closes. If that happens Mr Copplestone will be lost in space and time. This would mean that time machines will never be invented and cause the portal and everything inside it to be instantly vaporised. Can you save him?”

Escape Quest’s games are so character and story driven, it’s hard not to be immersed in the game before you even start! This game is beautiful, first impressions were just wow! The room is so spacious and full of pretty things to look at! The authenticity is spot on (even going so far as to having a real, working till from the 1800s, which is gorgeous) – you almost don’t want to touch anything as it’s all so pretty and perfect!
Immersion is wonderful, with the room adding to the story, and fully immersing you into Mr Copplestone’s world, coupled with a soundtrack of classical music… it really sets the scene! The decoration later in the game is tactile and chunky, totally befitting of a time travelling professor. Just wonderful!

Game Play:
A fairly linear game that had some multi-paths. It wasn’t as open as say, 13th Element but there were moments when Ian and I were working on separate things!
The puzzles were just perfection, so logical and so much fun! They encompassed every type, mental, logic, physical, maths, word, observation, searching. The sense of discovery and accomplishment in this room was magical, every puzzle had a perfect ah-ha moment (backed up by the flawless logic in the puzzles) and were just a joy to solve, and the puzzle just kept on coming, there was so much to do!
The flow was excellent too, with each puzzle leading to the next with ease. We knew that when we got stuck, it was due to our failings NOT the game (this is the hallmark of a good game to us)
There are some unique puzzles in Curious Encounters (and honestly, even the more typical “escape room” puzzles have a distinctive “Escape Quest” twist and humour about them) one of which we’ve not seen before, and really just made me smile so much.
It was fun, a little bit silly & jovial, I can imagine it being hilarious with a bigger team!
The ending… What an ending it was, exciting, frantic and exhilarating! I came RUNNING out of the room, that hasn’t happened in a while!
This game is just sublime, we enjoyed every moment! Enthusiasts, this is a MUST do,  and newbies, whilst it’s a hard room with a lot to do.. it oozes quality and should be done. I’m not even going to recommend team sizes as any size team will thoroughly enjoy it!

Clue System:
Clues were delivered via a themed screen

Game Host:
Elaine and Mike were are game hosts (also the owners) and we love them, always so friendly and hospitable, Elaine delivered the game brief and story with vigour, and perfection. Mike delivered our clues with expertise and never left us to get frustrated. We felt so safe in their hands. You couldn’t ask for better hosts!

Did we escape?
Yes, in 51 minutes!

Website: http://www.escapequest.co.uk
Price:
3 players – £63
4 players – £76
5 players – £85
6 players – £90