RATING: 3 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 4:13
A relaxing jungle vacation jungle turns into a fight for your lives.
A luxurious tropical vacation deep in the heart of the jungle. What could go wrong, right? You and your friends have been kidnapped overseas and are being held for ransom in a jungle camp! You see the scattered luggage and passports of past victims and feel entirely hopeless. But if you can outwit your captors, and soon, you may just have a chance at survival! You have just one hour before they return so you must work quickly to slip away in time. The captors are known to have more than one trick up their sleeves so be cautious and good luck – you may just make it home!
Located deep in the heart of an unassuming office building, Jungle Ransom awaits. Would-be vacationers wander past dentists and podiatrists in search of the gateway to their tropical paradise. A door, just as non-descript as all the others, is thrust open and a head pokes out.
“Have you been followed?”
In the blink of a sweltering second, the vacationers are thrust directly into an unexpected adventure. Bypassing the expected lobby wait-time and waiver signing formalities, a jungle guide snatches up the expedition members from the blank hallway and into a forest encampment. No time for pleasantries here, you’ve been kidnapped!
The distressed guide, barely catching his breath, gives the low down. Your vacation has been unceremoniously cut short and you’re now being held captive. Thankfully your trusty jungle guide has a bit of inside knowledge and legend says that finding an ancient relic somewhere within your tropical prison will ward off your captors, allowing escape. The jungle guide will act as lookout, available via walkie talkie should you need any hints.
The world of Jungle Ransom is less jungle and more vaguely plant-themed room. Camouflage netting covers the drop tile ceiling and much of the walls.
Luggage from previous captives is strewn about and a table, complete with a poker game that appears to have been abandoned mid hand, sits in the middle of the encampment.
It appears evident from the get-go that this tropical excursion won’t be covering much ground. The game takes place almost entirely inside of this one main room.
We appreciated that any non-game items, such as electrical outlets or security cameras, were denoted with poisonous frogs. We were warned of their danger before going in and told not to touch them or anything they sat upon. This clever way of by-stepping the often used “do not touch” stickers was a small detail that helped maintain the continuity of the storyworld.
With somewhat lacking scenic elements, Jungle Ransom relies heavily on their puzzles to create a thrilling experience. While this is mostly a low-tech affair, consisting mainly of finding codes and keys for their corresponding locks, it switches it up often enough to keep captives on their toes.
We appreciated that, with a relatively small room, attention to detail was highly rewarded and made tearing through the encampment more enjoyable than tedious. Explorers adept at scavenging for items will be particularly helpful during their imprisonment.
One of our favorite puzzles involved watching footage shot by a previous captive, on the actual camcorder it was shot upon. The feeling of digging through someone else’s luggage and happening upon their private moments added an extra layer of intrigue and urgency.
Although some of the puzzles tied in solidly to the storyworld, many of the puzzles lacked any discernible connection to the surrounding wilderness. One of the most egregious examples of this was a use of a laser, because escape room.
Jungle Ransom really feels like it is trying so hard, but is hindered by the restrictions of their office building lease. Despite the lacking scenic elements, the expedition found other ways to make unexpected use of the space.
The best moment in the game comes in the form of a final quarter plot twist that we did not see coming and easily bumped this up one key in our rating system.
Another highlight was the creative use of the jungle guide. From the moment we were pulled into the adventure and given our instructions by this frantic and panicked jungle expert, there was an immediate sense of urgency that lasted throughout our entire experience as hostages. This gave the feeling of having a live actor along for the ride, while the walkie talkie maintained a distance that still allowed for a more private experience.
Ultimately, Jungle Ransom is decent game that is saved by a few fun and unexpected twists. With much of the success of the journey relying on the enthusiasm of the day’s jungle guide, your mileage may vary.
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Venue: Escapism: Portland
Location: Portland, OR
Number of Games: 6
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 5 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $30 per person