RATING: 6 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 2:13

It’s time to roll the dice on a dangerous mission… let’s hope we don’t get busted.

Casino Mortale 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 Sky High Escape Room in person. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.

Welcome to the Casino Mortale, an exciting cinematic experience!

You and your team are immersed in an interactive detective and a crime thriller, a story that begins when you book the room and where all of you play a role of your own.

Soft jazz, secrets being whispered and the smell of gin and tonic and bad intentions: in the secret office of the Casino Mortale the battle is no longer limited to roulette, blackjack and poker.

You are being dragged into a dangerous live video game full of intrigue, love, crime and death. The stakes are high, but the potential reward higher; provided you get rid of the competition.

Are you able to decipher everyone’s double agenda, crack the safe and escape from the Casino Mortale?

With one of the most thoroughly fleshed out storyworlds of any game we have ever played, Casino Mortale wastes no time pulling wannabe criminals into the thrilling life of a heist accomplice. Days before the break-in is set to take place, a mysterious contact, known only as One-Omega-One, reaches out to deliver instructions and vital information. He is the go between for Nancy Martin, the distraught widow of the former Casino Mortale owner Freddy Martin, and the team that will help get the bearer bond back in her hands.

One-Omega-One also loops in Alice, the team’s informant who will be on site actually attempting the break-in. When the big day finally arrives, Casino Mortale’s narrative doubles down, packing multiple surprise twists and heart pounding turns. Murder, betrayal, and a severed finger or two are all on the table – how well the team plays their cards will determine if Alice survives and if Nancy gets her beloved casino back.

Along with the pre-game contacts, a local newspaper is found that not only furthers the storyworld development, but also gives a taste of the venues hilariously creative wit. All of these touches before the actual game even begins, combined with the rich narrative during the actual experience, create a truly impressive, entertaining, and engaging story.

Scenic takes on an interesting meaning in all remote play games, but even more so for Casino Mortale specifically. The game begins with a professionally p

roduced video entrance to the clandestine gaming hall before perfectly transitioning to a live feed from the team’s informant. This technique to bring players into the storyworld made every aspect of the set more believable, and in fact was so effective that it became difficult to remember what was actually seen live and what was prerecorded.

The game itself takes up a large amount of space, beginning in a lobby of sorts that acts as the actual gambling hall before transitioning to the casino owner’s office on a different floor. Once inside the target location, what appears to be a rather basic workspace turns out to be much more.

Along the way, movie-like cut scenes advance the story while building a sense of urgency and danger. The soundtrack, background noise, videos, and actual physical space create a believable world – one in which it truly appears as if there are dangerous criminals just outside the door trying to beat Alice to the jackpot.

Nancy Martin’s husband was very protective of his secrets and his valuable possessions. As such, he was sure to secure all of the juiciest details behind layers of password protected files, puzzling codes, and hidden compartments.

The game play of Casino Mortale is a blend of tradition escape game style puzzles and utilizing real life detective skills. Examining evidence left behind will help Alice and her remote crew untangle the web of deceit and secrecy that clouds the murder of Freddy Martin. It’s a safe bet that there is more than meets the eye, so luckily there’s also the eye in the sky to help piece everything together.

It’s a craps shoot that hacking into Freddy’s computer will be successful, but after diving into his personal life, detectives will soon realize there’s no other choice. This sequence of challenges brings together the digital world and the physical space, revealing suspicious items that require a bit more scrutiny.

Alice is all in with her life on the line, so folding to the pressure is not an option. With all the chips on the table, it’s up to her and the remote team to get the bearer bonds back in their rightful owners hands.

Casino Mortale gets off to an impressive start with a series of emails sent well before the game actually begins. These emails set the stage for what’s to come – providing backstory, character development, and a little bit of humor. Without a doubt this created an unmatched level of excitement to actually get to the game. Thankfully the production quality of the experience lives up to the hype that is generated beforehand.

Sky High Escape Room has created an extremely well polished product. Professionally produced cut scenes give players the sense that they are directing an action movie. A strong puzzle track that is solvable by newer players, yet still challenging and enjoyable for more experienced players, makes for an all around great game that has a wide appeal.

The remote play for Casino Mortale ran flawlessly with an uninterrupted video and audio connection. The intro and cut scenes seamlessly blend together with the live video feed, leading to a fully immersive experience. We’re certainly excited to see what Sky High Escape Room comes up with next, and we’re very glad that the adaption of Casino Mortale to online play gave us the opportunity to see a fantastic game.

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

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Venue: Sky High Escape Room

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

Number of Games: 1

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 6 devices

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

Cost: €60

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