RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 14:23

The Sanford Bank and Depository is the safest place on Earth… but it’s really just B.A.D.!

The Grey Skull Society has ruled from the shadows for generations, their power sealed in a single ring passed from leader to leader. That ring now lies inside Sanford Bank & Depository—a bank known for protecting the darkest secrets of the criminal underworld.

Our original crew spent months planning the perfect heist. They discovered a forgotten sewer line sealed off decades ago… and a hidden access point right here in this maintenance closet of Escape Artists.

But just before launch, the team was arrested for another job they did.

You’ve got 75 minutes. That’s how long the bank’s security guard is on out. Inside, you’ll face the most advanced mainframe security system 1985 had to offer. Your job: infiltrate the vault, steal the ring, and vanish through the bank’s VIP exit—because coming back through this room would blow our cover.

What do The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the Green Lantern Corp all have in common? They all utilize rings, yes, the jewelry, to harvest and wield unimaginable sources of power. Who else utilizes the same type of accessory in their quest for worldwide domination? The Grey Skull Society!

Unfortunately for them, they have decided that the Sanford Bank and Depository, or B.A.D., is the safest location to store their almighty ring. This choice has been made in error, as the B.A.D. tends to be susceptible to break-ins, as evidenced by operatives’ many attempts to retrieve various treasures.

The Grey Skull Society’s ring is the target of this most recent expedition. Clearly, the Society’s members vastly overestimate the B.A.D.’s ability to provide adequate protection for their precious valuables.

Code crackers will prove their worth in their quest for the ring as they traverse the array of traps set by the bank’s staff. From seedy sewers to shoddily-kept safes, no place is safe from the heist of a lifetime.

The madcap caper starts in a dingy janitorial closet. Dripping paint cans and rusty tools sit on the shelves, while dimly lit workbenches act as cover for the sewer lines and tunnels of the past.

Footsteps echo through the grimy alley. Time has not been kind to the hidden walkway. The bricks are crumbling and covered in graffiti. Broken pipes and wiring line the walls, while the ground is littered with the discarded garbage of previous vandals. Exhaust vents from several businesses provide not only fresh air, but glimpses into the stronghold of the Sanford Bank and Depository.

The Depository itself is rather utilitarian in its appearance. Tall columns stand menacingly, with their security camera-topped pinnacles acting as sentry for the innermost chambers. Banks of computer panels and monitors sit around the perimeter, their controls blinking wildly.

For such a “prestigious” institution, the vault itself appears as ordinary and commonplace. It’s much smaller and unimposing than one would typically perceive such a stronghold to be, but therein lies the true charm of the B.A.D. The bankers at the Depository rely on the decrepit look to be their primary defense against ne’er-do-wells.

The puzzles dispersed amongst the B.A.D. demonstrate that the staff of the bank might not be as proficient in the safekeeping of valuables as they think. From the simplicity of combo locks to the difficulty of manipulating the bank’s mainframe, larcenists-to-be are faced with a multitude of tasks meant to stump even the most intelligent of bankers.

Several of the challenges absolutely serve to propel the narrative forward. One such instance is shockingly clever, with an electrically satisfying result. (There is one specific sequence, however, that can cause frustration if the objective is not completed on the first attempt.) All of the puzzles serve to enhance the storyworld, and they make the overall environment cohesive.

 There is a mixture of both linear and non-linear elements found throughout. This leads to moments when robbers work individually, as well as communally, to bypass the various security measures. All of the brainteasers are intuitive, and do not require any leaps in logic.

Thieves take on the bank’s technology itself in order to overcome the numerous safeguards in place. By following the dossiers that have been secreted to them, bandits can surveil the property for doers of nefarious deeds *other than themselves, that is.

Operation: Ringfall takes the usual bank robbery notion and flips it on its head. This time, it’s the perpetrators of the property purloining who are the victors, while the villainous members of the Grey Skull Society  that have been reduced to the victims.

Despite the aggravation caused by having to attempt a puzzle multiple times, this game can be easily summed up in one word: fun. After all, after this adventure, how can anyone say it’s B.A.D.?

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Venue:  Escape Artists

Location: Sanford, Florida

Number of Games: 3

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 75 minutes

Capacity: 6 people

Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.

Cost: $50 per person (for 1-3) | $45 per person (for 4-5 | $40 per person (for 6)

We thank Escape Artists for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.