RATING: 4 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 17:19

Who wants to be a Billionaire? Disclaimer: We make no promises that you will become one.

Dead Man’s Secret is a remote play version of an existing, physical escape game at 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 Conundrum Escape Rooms in person. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.

Reclusive billionaire Conan Drum has died, and he’s left his entire fortune to the person clever enough to find it. You must race to be the first to discover the secret treasure and keep the riches for yourself!

This is not the first time we have gone searching for treasure, but we are still reluctant to quit our day jobs. Who knows how long we can keep this gig up. Hopefully, the legends are true about the fortune, or maybe it is even grander than once speculated.

We must digitally guide our…how do I put this nicely… not so bright friend through a series of cryptic clues that the reclusive billionaire has left behind in his study. His name is not Conan Drum for nothing!

Upon entering the study, treasure hunters can immediately tell that Conan Drum has an ornate taste. The walls are paneled with crown molding and are made of a rich mahogany that would make even Ron Burgundy blush. No lavish study is complete without a framed world map centered behind a large desk. A reclusive billionaire believably lived here.

The mood quickly changes from a dimly lit study to a bright white laboratory with many gadgets and large metal cabinets. It is not what was expected to be found, but it makes adventures hopeful they are one step closer to a large payoff.

Don’t most billionaire’s keep their fortunes in a giant vault? Of course Conan Drum had to make this job more difficult.

Dead Man’s Secret follows a linear path, which translates well online because there is no need for a cumbersome inventory system or to track things in many browser tabs. There is also a minimal amount of searching, so the time can be efficiently used solving the puzzles at hand.

While there is one step that comes dangerously close to being just a Sudoku and math task, there are many well executed and clever actions taken throughout the game. It is no secret that the EA team tends to dislike directional locks. However, we found the directional puzzle to be highly satisfying to solve as it utilized an in world method that was creative and fun.

Once in this billionaire’s laboratory, it does not play out like the numerous generic laboratories we have previously visited. There may be a periodic table puzzle, but the escape room tropes stop there. This laboratory has many exciting secrets to uncover and builds to an enjoyable conclusion.

Treasure seekers will work hard to uncover Conan Drum’s secret loot – and may be justifiably surprised at just how valuable the late billionaires research truly is.

Conundrum Escape Rooms has surprised us with Dead Man’s Secret. On paper, it sounds like it may just be a typical study themed escape game. However, we found it to be much more than that with clever, yet intuitive puzzles. The laboratory in the second half caught us off guard, but it still played exceptionally well with several satisfying things to find and solve.

Dead Man’s Secret checks many of the boxes for what we look for in the realm of online escape rooms. Our game host stayed in character as our “not so bright” friend, and she acted as if she had never seen the space. This allowed our team to take an active role in searching and solving puzzles without any unsolicited hints. The linear style allows players to stay engaged the entire time due to not having an excessive number of things to track. Dead Man’s Secret delivers a solid experience worth its weight in gold.

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

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Venue: Conundrum Escape Rooms

Location: Lakewood, CO

Number of Remote Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 90 minutes

Capacity: 4

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

Cost: $79.50 per game

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