RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 2:12
We’ve had some close calls with serial killers before, but One Eyed Jack was something special.
The notorious serial killer “One Eyed Jack” is terrorizing your town. Despite the warnings to stay indoors you decided to go out with your friends for a night on the town. The last thing you remember is taking a sip from your drink. You awake groggy and confused, locked in a crude jail cell. You need to act quickly and find a way out before he returns.
Before entering the jail cell, victims are introduced to their captor with a very well-produced and highly entertaining video, which feels like a Hollywood-quality trailer for the latest horror film. This video sets the scene quite well for the petrifying hour to come.
From the moment they are led into One Eyed Jack’s cell, captives are fully immersed in the serial killer’s world. A sense of urgency is immediately established, as the first space is quite small, and it is clear they will have a long road ahead before escaping from the killer’s clutches. Throughout the game, hostages never forget that they are at the mercy of Jack. Trapped! makes use of unique visuals and audio to provide both subtle and blatant reminders that if victims do not escape in time, their lives will be in jeopardy.
One Eyed Jack has some highly impressive scenery. The first half of the game is played in a jail cell, which appears to have been crafted within a grimy and dilapidated cavern. The walls of this cavern are made of real stone, which adds to the authentic feel of the game. In the cavern, the only light is provided by two lanterns. The dim lighting serves both to increase the difficulty of the game, and to enhance the legitimacy of the story. The transition from the first room to the second room is seamless, and is one of the best uses of simple mechanics we have ever encountered in an escape game. To provide any more detail would spoil the reveal.
The second half of the game is located in Jack’s cabin. This cozy space holds a lot more than meets the eye. Through several more amazing reveals, shocking new props and set pieces are uncovered. The authentic stone fireplace, wooden-paneled walls, and bearskin rug found in the cabin all serve to take the quality of the game’s decor to the next level.
One Eyed Jack matches its astonishing scenery with equally exceptional puzzle design. Every puzzle in the game makes sense in the context of its unique storyworld. One Eyed Jack utilizes innovative new technology, and showcases both high-tech puzzles and industry standard lock-and-key puzzles to make for a truly one-of-a-kind experience. At several points throughout the game, moments of design brilliance are instantly apparent.
One puzzle in particular, which occurs towards the beginning of the game, is particularly creative. It combines the very best of logic-based and physical puzzles perfectly, such that upon completing it, Jack’s captives are guaranteed to feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
Nothing in One Eyed Jack feels like a puzzle for puzzle’s sake, and each individual puzzle serves a distinct purpose to advance the game’s story. One Eyed Jack is both logical and intuitive; it will keep enthusiasts on their toes, but is also completely accessible for escape game newcomers.
Everything about One Eyed Jack is superb. Trapped! has truly made a killing with this amazing escape experience like no other. Both the first-rate scenery and the genius puzzle design help advance One Eyed Jack’s distinct and fully immersive storyworld.
It is rare that an escape game truly makes its players feel as if they are living the scenario set out in the storyworld. This is absolutely the case for One Eyed Jack. Although not a particularly scary take on the serial killer theme, this game is so clever in its puzzling and scenic design that players are thoroughly convinced they are being held captive. With a new game on the horizon, we look forward to seeing what else Trapped! has to offer.
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Venue: Trapped!
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Number of Games: 3
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 8 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $35 per person