RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 3:00

Secrets secrets are no SO fun – secrets secrets are for everyone!

The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart is an existing, physical escape game at the the venue’s brick and mortar location – retrofitted to be offered as a live, online experience. Although altered slightly to better flow in this new medium, the game is, at it’s core, essentially the same as what guests will find should they visit Logic Locks in person. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.

Elizabeth was a unique women of her time, as she traveled all around the globe by herself. She disappeared in 1922 under mysterious circumstances. Nobody knows where she went…

From Africa, to Asia, to little known islands dotting the oceans around the world, Elizabeth – or Eliza, as her friends called her – was a true globe trotter. Her motto of “no land too far, no adventure too dangerous” afforded her countless breathtaking experiences. Unfortunately, her last such journey may have taken the “breathtaking” description a bit too literally.

Her friends and family have searched high and low in a desperate attempt to locate where she may have ended up. With all trails running dry, there is only one last place to turn to in hopes of finding a  new lead: Eliza’s personal office.

Discovering just what happened to Eliza will take investigators into a rich world of weird and mystifying artifacts. The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart are just waiting to be told, with anticipation building days in advance thanks to a peculiar email correspondence from a mysterious R. Fimblewood. Once again, our help is needed to solve a mystery halfway around the world.

Logic Locks has crafted an extremely cohesive scenic for the entire experience of The Secret of Eliza’s Heart. A one Mr. Richard Fimblewood, the eyes and ears on the ground first makes contact with the remote team while outside the actual game space,  but even that it not entirely obvious, because even lobby and area leading to The Lionheart Chamber are themed and completely in storyworld.

This level of detail beginning before the game even gets underway creates a wonderfully seamless transition from real world to authentic storyworld experience. By the time the investigators actually lay eyes on Eliza’s office, they have been fully immersed in her world.

Being one of the world’s most well-traveled explorers, naturally Eliza has procured countless treasures from all corners of the globe. The Lionheart Chamber, her eccentric office put all of these artifacts on full display. Monkey statues from the Pacific Islands, ancient vases from the far East, and some potentially deadly animal remains from who knows where cover every desk and shelf.

The scenic in Eliza’s home instills a classic sense of wonder and adventure. A curiosity of the strange and unknown is encouraged with each new discovery, making for an experience that leaves investigators eager to learn just what The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart truly are.

By the time investigators step foot in Eliza’s office it has already been made clear that her interests are of the rare and peculiar nature. Unfortunately for them, that also means the secrets of her heart have been hidden away behind equally bizarre layers of puzzling artifacts, each of which harbor many mysteries of their own.

It quickly becomes clear that the missing adventurer took great care in crafting custom furniture and display cases that would appear perfectly mundane to the untrained eye. After all, the best way to hide one’s secrets is in plain sight. Learning just what it is she treasures so deeply will lead investigators on a path that follows her travels around the globe, giving them just a taste of life as an explorer.

Although the magnitude of fascinating artifacts will leave visitors dying to just monkey around, the sheer number of puzzles will send them on a whirlwind adventure racing against the clock. With several great “ah ha!” moments that Eliza has left for her friends to discover, that race turns into a cleverly satisfying experience. Each task blends seamlessly into the storyworld with countless nods to destinations Eliza has previously visited.

As investigators get nearer to learning The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart, her challenges more difficult, and much darker. Eliza has tasked her pursuers with overcoming mental and tactile obstacles,  but thanks to her intuitive creativity these secrets may see the light of day after all.

Logic Locks had been on our radar for quite some time, but being on the other side of a fairly large ocean made getting there in person slightly challenging. When they first announced that one of their games was available for online remote play, it quickly shot to the top of our must-play list. The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart didn’t disappoint.

A wonderfully adventurous storyworld translates through the screen very well thanks in part to the richly detailed scenic and in character presentation by the game host portraying R. Fimblewood, fully bringing him to life. Witty quips and quick retorts evoke an instant authenticity to Fimblewood’s own background, as well a his fascination for the adventures of Eliza.

Logic Locks takes this immersive experience a step further by bringing the game world into real life after the experience has ended online. A day or two later, remote team investigators may be contacted with a request to provide their actual home mailing address. Some days later, a package of paper based puzzles and a small, physical, cryptic artifact will arrive at their doorstep, bringing the storyworld of The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart even more into their own home than the online remote play experience. This added layer of immersion elevates the overall product and wraps up the gameplay in an enjoyably unique manner rich an a vivid sense of adventure that even Eliza herself would be envious of.

*Montu, Escape Authority’s VP, Dog Business™ and lead home game correspondent endorses the opinions found within this review.

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Venue: Logic Locks

Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Number of Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 80 minutes

Capacity: 7

Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.

Cost: €71.00 for 2 connections / €81.00 for 3 / €92.00 for 4 / €102.50 for 5 / €114.00 for 6 / €115.50 for 7

We thank Logic Locks for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary access was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.