RATING: 4 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 17:25

Stanley read The Art of the Steal. Maybe that’s why he hired a bumbling idiot who he’ll later fire and claim he never knew.

The Exhibit 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 Daytona Escape Room Experience in person. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.

Famous author Daniel McKenna and his son, Stewart, traveled the world for many years. Daniel gathered information for his many award winning novels, while Stewart collected art and eclectic pieces. Over the years, Stewart’s collection grew and became one of the country’s largest, privately owned collections ever amassed by one person.

Wanting to share his collection with the world, Stewart opened the “McKenna Museum of Eclectic Art”. After his death, the McKenna family closed the museum. However, in his will, Stewart demanded the public would always be able to see his treasures, so the family split up the collection and sent it off as traveling pop-up displays around the country. One collection has arrived in Daytona Beach and caught the attention of Stanley Wright – retired art hustler.

It has been rumored that this particular collection includes a special exhibit – one that would be invaluable to any thief and worth the risk of coming out of retirement for another heist. Stanley has enlisted the help of a few of his friends and put a plan in place. He can’t be seen around the exhibit, so he has managed to hide many helpful tools and hints to help your accomplish the deed.

You will only have one hour between the security guard’s rounds, so time is of the essence.

Stanley is the world’s most infamous art thief. His prior successes in pilfering priceless works has unfortunately made him somewhat of a celebrity amongst museum security personnel. With a face so instantly recognizable he can no longer be the face of an operation as risky as what lies ahead at the McKenna Museum of Eclectic Art – even is he dons a ski mask.

Seeing as problem solving has always been one of Stanley’s greatest skills, he’s found a way to circumvent his familiar face being caught in the act. With the help of a much less accomplished criminal, Stanley sets up the mission beforehand and calls on a remote team of thieves to assist the bumbling fool he’s hired to complete the job. Security comes around often – every hour to be exact – so the group has little time to get in, find Stanley’s tools and clues, get the goods, and get out. If done correctly, this heist will be, dare I say… a work of art.

The team of would be criminals is met by Stanley’s new right hand man as he approaches the rumored riches within The Exhibit. His identity is concealed by a dark ski mask – not the brightest idea in the Florida heat. Stanley did warn us that our accomplice may not be the brightest color on the paint palette.

The mysterious man gains access to The Exhibit which is housed in a relatively small square room. The walls are absolutely covered from floor to ceiling with various works of art. Paintings, sculptures, and intricate display pieces are found no matter which direction he looks.

Several more valuable items are housed behind protective cases and in a large glass display counter. While this space appears small at first glance, there is more than meets the eye keeping Stanley’s crew from completing the heist easily.

The team will need to access a well hidden custodial storage closet. This area is darker, cramped, has a much more “behind the scenes” aesthetic than the main art gallery. This grimy area pairs with the almost cluttered look of first room to accurately sell an overall impression that the group of thieves is in fact stealing from an eccentric art collector’s extremely eclectic trove.

The shear amount of art that is immediately visible when Stanley’s accomplice first breaks into the gallery makes it clear this will be no ordinary heist. An initial pass around the space reveals many noteworthy areas that must be further explored.

Stanley mentioned in his pre-heist briefing that he left some tools and clues around The Exhibit to help the mission succeed. It is up to the remote team to locate these items and piece together all of the information needed to get the goods.

With many of the museums displays locked away for the night, codes must be cracked and keys must be located. Being the sneaky criminal he is, Stanley has managed to hide some clues in plain sight – visible only to the perceptive eye of fellow thieves. Surveying the art displayed on pedestals and hung on the walls will allow the crooks to get their hands on the rumored collection of invaluable pieces.

With only sixty minutes before the guards security rounds bring him past The Exhibit again, quick thinking and stealth movement are a must!

Daytona Escape Room Experience has crafted a heist game that proves to be different from others like it. The densely packed room elicits a true sense of an eclectic art collection in a peculiar museum. The bumbling fool that drew the short straw of actually breaking into the gallery will need some hand holding from his online counterparts, but together they add up to one stellar team of wannabe art thieves. His often comedic interjections bring levity to an otherwise serious situation, making for a fun remote play experience.

While some of the puzzles don’t translate perfectly to the remote play medium, the overall experience works well as it makes sense to have a remote team of criminal masterminds guiding the scapegoat on the ground. Daytona Escape Room Experience does utilize a robust inventory system that, while helpful given the large number of items found in The Exhibit, can pull members of the team out of the storyworld a bit during the game. Preparing for this aspect of the game by having two screens available and knowing to expect the heavy inventory will go a long way in making this an enjoyable and fun experience.

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

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Venue: Daytona Escape Room Experience

Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from South Daytona, FL

Number of Remote Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 4 Connections

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

Cost: $59 + Tax

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