Unique Gameplay is the backbone of any interactive attraction – but some take that very notion into another dimension. Why reinvent the wheel when you can reinvent the very vehicle that wheel is but a piece of? These games stand strong as experiences unlike any other, each for their own vastly unique reasons, creating moments that redefine the very notion of the escape game genre itself.
Escape Authority is honored to announce our 2020 Keys To Greatness – Most Unique Gameplay winners:
The Morgue
Evil Genius Escape Rooms / Off The Couch
(Santa Clara, CA)
A little bit of a good news / bad news situation, Evil Genius Escape Rooms’ third chapter, dubbed The Morgue is arguably the strongest chapter in this three part adventure. What isn’t, however, a matter of opinion is how much The Morgue effectively changes everything about how an escape game can flow. Beginning with just 40 minutes on the clock in this warped super villain’s gameshow, unwilling contestants have the ability to add time up to a grand total of 72 minutes before all is said and done. To do so, they must separate from the group at predetermined intervals and enter a confined bonus round room, often alone. Tasks within this room vary by type and skill level, but guarantee a unique, intimate experience the likes of which few escape games can match. Unfortunately, shortly after its debut, The Morgue – along with the rest of Evil Genius Escape Rooms was forced to end its run in the Los Angeles market. But all good stories have a happy ending – even ones about Evil Geniuses; The Morgue, along with the venue’s other two chapters continue to live on in their new home at Santa Clara’s Off The Couch. After all – every self respecting Evil Genius deserves to get the last laugh.
Click Here to read our full review of The Morgue.
Alice’s Tee Time
(Tampa, FL)
We know what you’re probably thinking, and no – you did read that correctly. Alice’s Tee Time is a brilliant play on words that perfectly brands Rabbit Hole Escape Games’ Puzzle Putt attraction. This is a whole new hybrid genre, blending escape games and mini golf – the first of its kind in the United States, and among the only ones in the world (the first of which debuted in London, England several years prior.) This nine hole game of mini golf is a full-fledged escape game all around; some holes require guests to solve a puzzle gain access to a putting path, while others require sinking the ball in order to activate its associated escape game-flavored challenge. All set to the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland, Rabbit Hole Escape Games has created one of the most unique, story-driven and flat out fun experiences in the industry today.
Click Here to read our full review of Alice’s Tee Time.
Psych Ward
(Anaheim, CA)
Cross Roads Escape Game has built an entire brand around the notion of Most Unique Gameplay – so it probably comes as no surprise that they’d top our list. The Psych Ward, framed as a psychological experiment in human sanity – tests those limits by infusing escape game puzzles with a health dose of role-based social deduction. Just like in real life, in every group, some people are insane. (Trust us, we’re medical experts, despite having no scientific training.) Upon being admitted, patients have their sanity scanned one by one, in private – because HIPAA laws – before rejoining the general population. It is here that patients are tasked with solving challenges to prove their ability to cope with adverse situations, scoring points for successful completion. Those points, however, can be stolen by the insane – individuals who, if played well, are never identified by the larger group. At multiple times throughout the session, patients are even invited to vote on the sanity of their peers, sending the two least trusted into the isolation of a padded cell. The Psych Ward is an elaborate, tech-driven adventure that’s as outside the box as it is out of its mind.
Our full review of Psych Ward is posting soon.
Congratulations to our winners of the first ever Keys To Greatness – Most Unique Gameplay award!
With more than 1,000 games played across the site, being picked as one of the best three in the country is a well-earned honor to truly be proud of!
With so many deserving games worthy of recognition, our goal is to ensure these Keys To Greatness awards are attainable to all – not just those with blockbuster budgets that might be otherwise out of reach. As such, it’s important to note that we have, as much as possible, limited games to winning a single category – but every game will still be qualified to win the coveted Keys to Greatness – Best Game award, as well as the Keys to Greatness – Remote Play awards.
*Although the games I’ve personally designed are consistently very highly rated by both enthusiasts and newer players alike, I cannot in good conscience nominate an attraction I created. As such, those games and the venues that call them home have been intentionally omitted from consideration for any Keys To Greatness award.
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