Pirates of the Dark Sea

by Gureviewer: rachelklepadlo

Game Played On: Saturday, 2nd June 2018

Recommended Team Size: 2-4 Players

Kid Friendly: Yes

Game Duration: 60 Min.

Booking Method: Online

Start Time: On Time

Who is this for: Families, Enthusiasts, Beginners, Searchers, First date

Live Actor: No

Public Transportation: Some

Walking distance from the LIRR Massapequa train station (~4 blocks)

Parking: Venue Free Parking, Street parking – lots of it

Small parking lot behind the venue, street parking also available

Overview Notes:

One person must be tall enough to reach puzzle components at adult head height (6'). There is enough going on in this room to keep a duo or trio busy, but for larger groups I would recommend choosing another room at Just Escape.

Venue / Lobby Info:

Single story, brown brick building on Broadway. On a Saturday, the street was relatively quiet and parking was easy to find. Upon entry into the building, Just Escape appears to be the only occupant. We walked directly into the lobby, where we were provided an IPAD for us to sign the waiver on, and told us our game would begin shortly. The lobby was clean, with a few couches to wait on. I LOVED how they hung the typical 'take a picture with our finishing signs' on the wall as part of the decor, it was original and gave us a quick laugh. There were about 25 people in the lobby on our arrival and it was packed. I do not recommend arriving too early to this venue, as there is limited space to wait.

Public Restrooms: Yes

Refreshments: No

Notes for People with Disabilities:

Call prior to booking. Some rooms are accessible at this location.

Game Introduction: We were led into the room, where a video played with the rules. A short story was given to us about how we have to escape the hold of the ship, and off we went on our adventure!

Operator Intro: Interesting

Theme: Other

Narrative: Escape a Specific Unpleasant Place

Main room first glance: Wow!

Pirates has an amazing set design - dark without being too dark, it felt as if we were truly on a ship! It was remarkably well done, and made for a very exciting space to explore.

Flow: Not that good. A bit confusing

*slight spoiler* Upon entry to the room, a knock knock riddle is clearly visible within the room. You are unable to solve this puzzle until much, much later in the experience. Two other puzzles were able to be solved out of order, making for some confusing moments within the game. There is no clear path or direction of game play to follow.

Puzzles: Some of them were great (matched promised level)

The puzzles ranged from low tech to high tech, with some very fun game interactions within the experience. This room has a ton of red herrings, especially surrounding two puzzles, so be careful! Strong English auditory abilities are required for a significant game moment

Game Strengths:

beautiful set - fun puzzles

Game Weaknesses:

No indication of game flow - tight space for more than a couple of players - at least 1 tall player is required - some outside knowledge about pirates is helpful but not required

Method: TV-Monitor

Quality: Good (things made sense)

Closure & Debrief: Excellent (Catharsis)