♫ The zombie was having fun…♫
♫The party had just begun…♫
♫The guests included Man-Dog and Dracula……….’s brother Jeff!♫
WAIT, THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT?!
Though posted within our Reviews section, this entry will not include a Key Rating. As a team, we at Escape Authority feel the correct thing to do is disclose that I was the Creator of this attraction on behalf of Chris + Creative. While I am excited to share its final results with you, our readers, I cannot officially endorse it – nor will we specify the venue’s location – in order to remain neutral to other games we have and will continue to review around the world.
It should come as no surprise that Halloween is a zombie’s favorite time of the year. The tricks… the treats… and the costume contests – what more could an undead apprentice ask for?
There’s only one problem: Roofus is afraid of monsters, and doesn’t know how to make a trendy Halloween costume; and also, he’s a textbook over-thinker. Ok, so that’s a lot of problems, but with Roofus, there usually are!
Now Roofus is once again counting on his newly hired Helpers to return to the shop and help him make the ultimate spooky costume that’s sure to impress the contest’s judge. Except this year, the regular judge is gone!
With the Witch Doctor away having his newest crop (or chop?) of severed heads shrunken, it would appear that this year’s costume contest will be in need of a new judge – and with the stakes this high (what stakes? [just go with it; this is my story!]), only an internationally renowned celebrity could possibly fill the role! (Well don’t look so surprised; is it really that much of a stretch to think a famous celebrity would travel the globe just to judge an employee costume contest in a small – and frankly dirty – local shop?)
That’s right, all the way from his castle in Germany (and in the middle of Oktoberfest, at that) this year’s judge is none other than Frankenstein! Or, should that be “Frankenstein’s Monster“? (It’s always confusing because the man really did turn out to be the monster in that story…) Either way, the point is moot; he’s legally rebranded himself as Fashion By Frankenstein™.
Who better to build the most stylish, influencer-worthy outfit than the monster who himself is literally stitched together from discarded corpses? This year, the top trending costumes are all made from pieces of actual monsters! (How dangerously dapper!) But winning will take a bit more than just a Monster Mash-Up; as you probably already know, German fashion judges are notoriously corrupt. Perhaps assembling the proper bribe will be enough to sweeten the deal?
Luckily this time, everyone’s favorite zombie, Roofus, actually hasn’t lost his brain (for once.) Being such a stellar adequate apprentice, he’s immediately ready with a fourth-wall-breaking idea! Using the brains of disembodied spirits to possess his (somewhat) mortal vessel worked out well in The Zombie and the Witch Doctor, and since this game is another sequel story, why not just do the same thing all over again? Plus, it’s less work that way! (Think smarter, not harder (while he actually has a brain at all.))
But this time, the possessions are happening on Halloween, luring out a whole new crew of outlandish monsters to crash the party. Once they take hold of Roofus’ body, they’ll never willingly leave – unless faced with their one true weakness. (I didn’t know monsters even HAD weaknesses! That sure does make them a lot less scary! [Well, a little less scary. {Ok, fine. I’m scared.}])
Will Helpers be able to find each monster’s one true weakness to stop them from taking over Roofus’ body forever? And will even that be enough to make the most trending outfit win this year’s costume contest? And how does one even bribe a weird European Frankenstein whose brain got shocked so many times that he now somehow believes himself to be a fashion icon? (The answer may surprise you.)
Newly employed Helpers once again enter through the Employees Only doorway that leads into the Witch Doctor’s Warehouse & Archives. The cavernous collection of crates looks a bit different this time, almost completely disappearing into total darkness. Faint Halloween music can be heard echoing from somewhere in the distance, drowning out bellowing rumbles of an approaching thunderstorm. Brief flashes of lightning give glimpses of light, only further supplemented by the flickering flame of a single lantern left mysteriously in the center of the space.
Perched precariously above the mountains of boxes is the Witch Doctor’s Secret Office, where the shoes and legs of a lifeless body can be seen resting in peace, awaiting an electrical jolt of reanimation. That body belongs to the esteemed (and corrupt) judge of this year’s costume contest, Fashion by Frankenstein™ – who is no doubt topping off his charge before the competition begins. (Hopefully he leaves enough power to unlock the shop’s door mechanism!)
Once inside the shop-proper, Helpers reunite with their old friend Roofus, the friendly three-foot-tall zombie apprentice. Even with the insurmountable stress of preparing an award winning costume, he still had time to pull together a spookily smart new seasonal suit.
The smell of pumpkin spice fills the air, instantly evoking a tangible sense of spooky season. The shop’s cartoonish purple bricks are accented by vintage wooden Halloween garland, with the eyes of its witches, ghosts and black cats seemingly staring back at Roofus and his Helpers.
A lingering fog fills the air, leaving it thick as the tension Roofus’ latest plan has created. Random claps of thunder and the occasional well-placed ghost moan make this Hallow’s Eve anything but peaceful.
Just outside the shop-proper is a screened in front porch with views of the surrounding Peachstone Bayou. It has an alluring orangey-red glow under the night’s blood moon. The scent of trees lining the adjacent swamp lingers in the air.
If Helpers hope to summon the spirits of actual monsters, they’ll first need to go trick or treating for their brains – literally – because this time that old fridge on the porch is stocked only with food. Weird, right? The monsters’ brains, on the other hand, are safely (?) stored in plastic jack-o-lantern pails scattered all around the Witch Doctor’s shop, because of course they are.
Once again, each brain comes freshly removed from the skulls of a zany cast of, well… let’s call them frightful individuals – (mostly) all dead, of course, but not quite ready to move on from the mortal plane. In fact, once latched on to a host body, the spirits of these monsters will never leave, unless, of course, they’re faced with their one true weakness. Luckily for Helpers, all of that information can be found in the special Halloween edition of the Peachstone Coroner’s Office’s quarterly Autopsy Log!
Monster or not, each one of these characters has some form of unfinished business to complete before the clock strikes midnight on All Hallow’s Eve, and it’s keeping them tethered to a place somewhere between the world of the living and the great beyond. With Halloween nearly here, they’re willing to do anything it takes for their souls to be set free – including demonic possession of a living host vessel. Heck, they aren’t picky; they’re monsters, after all.
Each menacing monster began its haunting as an outlandish caricature-esque personality who was equal parts identifiable and unforgettable. Tar-Tar the Man-Dog just wants to win a Kennel Club trophy, and maybe tear a few judges limb from limb. Creature from the Back Lagoon is always up to catch a wave, as long as water conditions are just right (if you know what I mean.) The Phantom of the Opera voice is so famous that he simply cannot wait to tell you all about it. The No-Longer Visible Man will stop at nothing to harness the power of science. Naturally every escape game simply must have a great Mummy Princess, so Clichéopatra continues that tiresome trend. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Halloween without the most iconic monster of them all, DRACULA……………….‘s brother Jeff.
Each one of those spirits, once firmly latched onto a new host vessel, will give Roofus a completely unique personality, voice, mannerisms and objectives, all brought to life by unique background music that fits their own respective theme. They’ll all have a very important goal Helpers must complete in hopes of freeing their souls to the great beyond – but don’t be surprised when some of those supernatural anchors are the most nonsensical, sometimes controversial, and always comical objectives one could ever imagine.
Sprinkling a little Powder of Fourth Wall Breaking™ onto this Special Look (it’s just one of the many powerful potions the Witch Doctor always keeps fully stocked!), think of every character as their own dedicated, highly immersive mini-escape game, unfolding one by one inside the confines of Roofus’ host body, bringing with them small appetizers of fully themed experiences. For example, Clichéopatra demands that mortal servants honor her legacy as the greatest Mummy Princess of them all, Dracula………………’s brother Jeff needs all the help he can get to host his family for a very special coming out party. It’s like playing multiple different escape games all at the same time!
Helpers will not need to assist every character in order to aid Roofus’ hopes of winning the Halloween costume contest, and, in fact there are by design double the number of disembodied spirits available from the start, making The Zombie and the Monster Mash-Up a completely replayable experience. The puzzle flow is also intended to be versatile, allowing it to adapt to any given capacity size. Smaller teams of Helpers have the ability to complete less of these puzzle tracks to reach the storyworld’s finale, while larger groups can opt to play more of them than usual to keep everyone engaged. Possessions can take place in any order, keeping the overall structure of the game nonlinear, while also allowing for constant future expansion to keep this afterlife forever fresh and new.
From the moment it first rose from the grave, The Zombie and the Witch Doctor‘s biggest goals have been replayability and expandability. That benchmark has been in place since its initial premier, thanks to a multitude of summonable spirits that far surpasses those who can be awakened within a single visit, as well as several optional expansion pack ghosts who add even more comical chaos.
But it’s with The Zombie and the Monster Mash-Up, however, that Chris + Creative takes that concept to a whole other level. These are not just expansion pack challenges; this is an entire second sequel game, with all stories and puzzles completely unique from start to finish. Everything about this Halloween overlay is fresh and new.
And there-in lies the the most revolutionary twist: both The Zombie and the Monster Mash-Up, as well as The Zombie and the Littlest Krampus Christmas overlay, were designed from the start to seamlessly integrate into a venue’s already built installation of The Zombie and The Witch Doctor. What this means is that three different games – three completely different marketable tickets – can operate from within the same footprint, exponentially maximizing a client’s investments while creating an opportunity for multiple completely different guest experiences – all without the need to start from scratch.
Because these three distinct attractions were designed in harmony together, it’s just a simple alteration of a gamemaster’s reset procedures to switch from one to the other. That means one group of guests could book The Zombie and the Witch Doctor at 1pm, while another team opts to play The Zombie and the Monster Mash-Up in the very next available time slot.
But the best surprise of all is one little trick we haven’t even played yet. Both The Zombie and the Monster Mash-Up and The Zombie and the Littlest Krampus are just the first two of several top-to-bottom completely new game overlays coming to this ‘cinematic universe’ of the undead! That’s right Helpers – there’s a whole lot more of ridiculous Roofus adventures still to come!
This immersive, entirely story-driven escape game adventure is made real by several professionally produced Muppet-styled puppets, all built completely from scratch. Each of these puppets are purposefully designed to be directly integrated into both the storyworld as well as the gameplay, and have customized components built into them that may or may not (but definitely will) directly interact with certain puzzles. This friendly little zombie isn’t just a host for the show; he’s a vital member of the team and, more times than once, becomes the physical component needed for many of the spirits’ challenges. Best of all, these puppets are designed and hand-built by Chris + Creative, meaning there’s never a risk of them being sold out or discontinued.
This is a frightfully funny zombie game like no other (and not just because there’s literally no other undead comedy costume contests!). The Zombie and the Monster Mash-Up is silly, surprising and full of heart, making it the perfect immersive spooky adventure fit for the entire family. That is, as long as your outfits meet the impossibly high standards of Fashion By Frankenstein™, of course. Auf wiedersehen!
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Creator: Chris +
Number of Games: 25+
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 or 90 minutes
Designed Capacity: 6 people
More Photos: ► click here ◄
Chris + exclusively owns the intellectual property rights to The Zombie and the Monster Mash-Up escape game attraction.
To inquire about its availability for your venue, email Chris@Chris.plus.
