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

If I can save Springfield, then maybe, just once, someone will call me “sir” without adding, “you’re making a scene.”

Stir in Springfield is a slightly modified version of the existing, physical escape game at the the venue’s brick and mortar location – retrofitted to be offered as a live, online remote play experience. Although altered slightly to better flow in this new medium, the game is, at its core, essentially the same as what guests will find should they visit Claustrophobia in person.

Depending on the game chosen, Claustrophobia offers several different styles for Remote Play experiences, from “Avatar Quests” to “Multimedia Quests” and “Audio Quests.” To be clear, Stir in Springfield is one of their “Avatar Quests,” wherein a real person is live, inside the physical brick and mortar gamespace. The venue recommends booking your game more than 24 hours in advance to ensure the availability of an English-speaking avatar host.

To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.

Welcome to Springfield! Until today, the American town has lived a quiet and measured life. But something went wrong — all the residents disappeared somewhere, and the electrical appliances seemed to go mad. This is clearly not without the legendary cartoon family! Try to look into the house of Homer and Marge to restore order in it and bring peace to this provincial city.

I’ve lived my life by a simple principle: The answer to life’s problems aren’t at the bottom of a bottle, they’re on TV – but somehow, today, even television has failed me! Upon returning home to 742 Evergreen Terrace, a breaking news bulletin flashes across the screen, urgently conveyed by Channel 6’s lead anchor, Kent Brockman.

With every electrical component in town going haywire, Springfield is in danger – from The Simpsons’ house to the Nuclear Power Plant, and everything in between – but this time, no trendy new gadget can be bought to save the day. You know what they say – you can have all the money in the world, but there’s one thing you will never have… a dinosaur. But I digress.

What’s important is there’s a Stir in Springfield, and even Lisa isn’t here to help this time. So, we could find a solution, or we could sit here trying to figure out who to blame – probably Mr. Burns. (I guess some people never change. Or, they quickly change and then quickly change back.)

Claustrophobia brings The Simpsons’ world to live in bold, vibrant color throughout Stir In Springfield. Beginning in one large multi-room (but open) space, residents find themselves inside the home of the town’s most famous family.

Marge’s kitchen, complete with a bright lime green refrigerator stocked with groceries clashes authentically with the purple and orange cabinets. Corncob curtains frame a window with a view of the animated landscape outside.

In the living room, the iconic red sofa (and crooked sailboat painting) sit across from Homer’s most valued position: the family’s outdated television. On it, multiple iconic Simpsons characters come to life at various points throughout Springfield’s most recent catastrophe, immersing residents into their world like never before.

Homer’s workplace in Sector 7-G of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant serves as the climatic finale. Dotted with blinking buttons and delectable donuts, this room is full of….. mmmm, donuts. ::drool::

Stir in Springfield all comes together to bring a two-dimensional world to life in a fully fleshed out 3D space. For fans of the show, the scenic is an attraction in itself – evoking the sense of an elaborate interactive museum – a place where you’d instantly expect to find all sorts of fancy memorabilia, like the cane from Citizen Kane.

But Stir In Springfield is more than just The Simpsons fan-service; this game is full of some pretty challenging puzzles that will really make you think. All right, brain. You don’t like me and I don’t like you, but let’s just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.

Claustrophobia is known for their outside the box, intuitive puzzles, and Stir In Springfield is no exception. True to the narrative, most tasks have some connection to regaining control over a piece of electrical equipment, from the fridge to stove, dishwasher and even the television itself.

The tasks, while clearly skinned in a theme that connects them to the world of The Simpsons, on their own could work as any generic cartoon family. Naturally, though, several easter eggs are hidden (and frozen) along the way, sure to evoke a good laugh. But be careful – laughing at jokes, much like paddlin’ the school canoe – ohh, you’d better believe that’s a paddlin’.

Puzzles organically mesh with the storyworld, sometimes even triggering breaking news briefs or commercials on the living room’s television. In them, other famous residents of Springfield come to life, injecting laughs while also intuitively directing attention toward the next challenge.

Appropriately, the key to saving Springfield will ultimately lie in Homer’s ability to reset Sector 7-G to avoid yet another near-miss nuclear meltdown. Unfortunately, Homer’s no where to be found – but luckily, he’s left us instructions in the form of a handy rhyme to help remember the sequence. Scientists believe that even a monkey could memorize it. Are you stupider than a monkey?

It may have been close, and we almost all died, but at the end of the day, I saved Springfield. I’m like that guy who single-handedly built the rocket & flew to the moon. What was his name? Apollo Creed?

Now, by this point, I know what you’re probably thinking. “Where’s my elephant?! Where’s my elephant?!” And no – they aren’t playing The Elephant Song again on KBBL Radio, but we probably do need to address the elephant in the room. Yes, Stir In Springfield is very much making use of The Simpsons intellectual property. The reality is, this is a game that likely could never come to the United States, but copyright law is a bit more flexible in Russia.

Just the same, having grown up a fan of The Simpsons since its first episode aired in 1989, I’ve long wondered what an escape game based on this show could be like. Several years ago, we would discover Claustrophobia’s version in Moscow – but there was only one problem. Moscow is in Russia, and Chris is in Florida. It seemed as though getting the chance to experience Stir In Springfield for myself would never be more than just a dream. All my life, I’ve had one dream; to achieve my many goals. Thankfully, Remote Play has finally checked this one off the list.

Another question you’re probably wondering is can this game be played in English? To that I say – English? Who needs that? I’m never going to England. But yes, in a sense, it can. All of the dialogue in the TV clips has clearly posted English subtitles, and for the most part, the puzzles throughout the game are far more visual than text-driven. The one small speed bump could be coordinating a booking time with a day there is an English-speaking staff member to act as your avatar. After all, it’s not easy to guide someone on what to do if you are unable to speak to them directly. Claustrophobia requests English-speaking bookings be made more than 24 hours in advance, to give them enough time to adjust staffing schedules to accommodate. Full disclosure: we invited some US-based Russian friends to play with us, and they kindly acted as our personal translators.

Although headquartered in Russia, Claustrophobia is a renowned escape room brand the world over. Closer to home, we’ve played several of their games from New York to California – as they frequently offer them for sale to other companies. In our personal experience, Claustrophobia has always produced outside the box, truly top notch escape rooms – making the ability to play some of their Moscow originals online even more compelling.

In closing, SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS SCREW FLANDERS (It was so hard to get to 500 words.)

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

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Venue: Claustrophobia

Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from Moscow, Russia

Number of Remote Play Games: 22

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 6 people

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

Cost: 700 ₽ per person (minimum 2)

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