RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Loss REMAINING: X:XX
It’s anything but an ordinary night of camping, and you’ll never believe what can be used as a key.
This well-furnished tent is as close to camping that I’m ever going to get. We heard that a couple people went missing last week. Seems a bit creepy. Wait… Did you hear that?
The story begins with campers entering their tent for a good night’s sleep after a long day of doing outdoor activities. At first everything seems normal, but it is almost obvious that the mood is quite dark and ominous. Constant sounds of hard rain and crashes of lightning and thunder bring this ambiance to life.
After leaving the tent the campers are left to investigate the strange woods to see if anything out of the ordinary may be occurring. A cabin seemingly appears out of nowhere to reveal a secret of the residents who inhabit the woods.
Trapology Boston has done an incredible job at creating a camp atmosphere. Straight from the beginning the set transforms from a normal building to an actual tent with a zip up entrance and exit.
The effective use of strobes and sound effects added to the idea that explorers are indeed out in the woods camping alone.
The actual “outdoors” of The Retreat is very well executed. Lighting is extremely important in creating a setting that does not illuminate from typical indoor lights, and Trapology creates a gloomy, moon-lit woods. The trees seem authentic and the floor both looks and felt like the ground outdoors. Everything in the room is meticulously thought out to evoke a genuine sense of being outside in the elements.
The puzzles in The Retreat are very unique to the game itself. Everything relates to the theme of camping, relying on tools and using senses that typical outdoorsy people embrace.
The Retreat starts appropriately enough by flashlight, which both makes reading easier and adds to the vibe. Trapology Boston very cleverly puts further use to the flashlights by making them very crucial for an innovative puzzle.
Trapology Boston puts clear effort to intertwining the storyworld into the game itself. Every object has some sort of significance to finding the way out of the forest. The Retreat definitely showcases one of the most unique uses of a non-standard object acting as a key. It is very cool, but oh so disturbing.
The Retreat is a very strong game. The careful planning and design of every puzzle shines brightly. There is never a dull moment, leaveing campers able to explor every nook and cranny to discover something new.
The Retreat carries a lower than usual maximum capacity – capped at just five people. What results is an experience with the intimate authenticity of an actual camping trip, while keeping the game personal.
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Venue: Trapology Boston
Location: Boston, MA
Number of Games: 6
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 5 people
Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.
Cost: $32 per person