RATING: 6 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: +4:00
Somewhere in an alternate timeline exists a fantastical, mechanical world – and it needs our help!
The Steampunk Adventure is an existing, physical escape game at the venue’s brick and mortar location – retrofitted to be offered as a live, online remote play experience. Although altered slightly to better flow in this new medium, the game is, at it’s core, essentially the same as what guests will find should they visit Lost Escape in person. This game normally operates with a 60 minute time limit, but has been extended to 80 minutes to better accommodate the complexities of Remote Play. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.
An alternative history. Steam power era. Professor Gingercraft in her independent laboratory discovered a new ever-living source of energy based on Aether. The High and the Mighty didn’t like it because in case the new technology is implemented the energy will be free and available for everybody. Therefore they will lose control over the steam-powered world.
Professor was captured but even under torture she didn’t reveal the location of the ever-living energy source. Your task is to go to her office to find the energy source and destroy all professor’s research papers. She left some clues to help her supporters find Tesseract which is in the laboratory.
The Steampunk Adventure is set in a ‘future that never was’ – a world of elaborate mechanical devices, spinning gears, and bobbing cogs, all powered by steam. It is here that an untapped energy source – Tesseract – has been discovered. This fuel is powerful enough to run the entire planet for an eternity to come.
Sounds great, right? We’d agree – but we also aren’t corrupt world leaders seeking solely to profit off of the accepted status quo. (I know, we were surprised by this realization just as much as you!) Thanks to these so-called “High and Mighty” ones, Professor Gingercraft, the scientist responsible for discovering this world-altering fuel source has gone missing, and her apprentice on-site at her laboratory just can’t crack this mystery alone.
That’s where we come in. Remotely dialing in with no discernible qualifications in the field of science other than having strong internet connections, our team of timeline-hopping investigators dials in from afar to conduct one of our most spectacular – and important investigations to date! Multiple timelines depend on our success. No pressure.
Even viewed through a computer monitor, it’s crystal clear that Lost Escape takes scenic very seriously. Each chamber within The Steampunk Adventure is decked out ceiling to floor, in authentic, period appropriate decor.
Beginning in Professor Gingercraft’s office, which feels anything but standard, elegant wallpaper lines the walls, accented by wooden-textured wainscoting, creating a high-society flare. It’s instantly apparent that this isn’t the timeline we’re familiar with, as sleek technology is replaced by large, metallic machines, each full of spinning gears and operated by large, clunky levers.
Beyond her office, it should come as no surprise that the good Professor, known for her mysterious work in the name of science, would have multiple hidden chambers connected by secret passageways to protect the wonders she has discovered. Metal grating floors, distressed concrete walls and crudely hung cables clutter the space, all accented by the glow of colorful neon lighting. It’s a very “Tomorrowland” flavor, presented in a dystopian way – inspiring a clear sense of urgency in how important our task to stop the High and Mighty really is.
The Steampunk Adventure shines as brightly as its metallic inner workings when it comes to puzzles. Each and every step along the way feels organic to the storyworld, furthering the narrative in a clear and satisfying way, while providing quite a few “ah ha!” moments in the process.
Beginning in the Professor’s office, the investigation quickly builds to an exciting pace, before the first of several unexpected road blocks get in the way: an intricately detailed bomb, quickly ticking down toward utter doom. Interestingly, and most satisfyingly, however, this bomb is merely the first test of many to come. Defusing it, however, does not mean the hard part of this scientific quest is in the past.
Once accessing the hidden chambers of the Professor, The Steam Punk Adventure kicks into gear – quite literally – filling its puzzle track with tasks truly befitting its namesake. Aligning spinning gears, pulling massive levers, turning knobs and pressure valves, and even assembling physical tools needed to proceed give an entirely authentic flavor to this mission.
With tech-based puzzles completed, custom sound cues play from individually localized speakers, while lighting effects draw attention that greatly aids in the flow of this mission. At all times, it is clear what scientists should be working on, with each task leading to an obvious, intuitive solution.
The mission climaxes with quite literally creating a sample of Processor Gingercraft’s Tesseract fuel, mixing components and heating them in a massive, steaming furnace while in the process, providing hope for all of mankind. But even resolving the conflict doesn’t mean this mission is over. To protect this life-changing discovery, evidence must be radioed out to a safe location, and the lab must be destroyed – quite literally.
The Steampunk Adventure sits atop a list of the very best games we’ve ever played – and without a doubt is one we would have absolutely loved to experience first hand in person. This game is jam-packed with tech, some of which even we’ve quite honestly never seen before. In the final moments, there was one moment in particular where our team of experienced scientists actually said out loud “There’s no way this could function in such a manner!” – yet it did.
From a narrative perspective – there were three different points in The Steampunk Adventure that could have – and probably would have – been the finale in any other given game. However, Lost Escape keeps the pulse-pounding action flowing non-stop, with surprise after surprise that continuously pointed us in a whole new direction – leading to an explosive finale that left us buzzing.
We realize that traveling to Lithuania may be out of reach for many – us included. As such, this new advent of Remote Play games has afforded us the opportunity to see games we might never otherwise have even known existed. The team at Lost Escape speak fluent English, and no tasks within The Steam Punk Adventure require the ability to read or comprehend Lithuanian. As an added benefit, they have a highly accommodating operating schedule for those of us in the United States – despite being a full six hours ahead of our Eastern Standard Time.
Barely a month ago, it would have never crossed our minds that we’d be talking to you about an escape game all the way in Lithuania, but today, thanks to this new ability granted by Remote Play, we have a new game to add to our favorites list, all the way across the globe!
*Montu, Escape Authority’s VP, Dog Business™ and lead home game correspondent endorses the opinions found within this review.
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Venue: Lost Escape
Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from the venue in Kaunas, Lithuania
Number of Remote Games: 2
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 80 minutes
Capacity: 6 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: 10€ per person
We thank Lost Escape for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary access was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.