RATING: 4 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 7:40

It’s all Schlitz and giggles until Smokey’s vintage beer goes missing…

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

The year is 1989. Sally Joe, a regular, is sitting at the bar with high hair and a Zima on the rocks. Zeb, the one-time high school quarterback and current foosball champion, has his pickup truck in the parking lot, his Marlboros rolled into his sleeve, and a Budweiser in his hand.

AC/DC is playing on the jukebox and the Snap-On girl smiles from a poster on the wall. Couples dance in tight jeans across a beer-slicked floor. It may be a Wednesday night but spirits are high in this honky-tonk bar. SUDDENLY, Smokey, the bartender shouts a premature, “Last call for alcohol!” much to the surprise and chagrin of the patrons.

Why? He cannot find his prized can of vintage Schlitz. Smokey says the doors will remain closed until it is found. Can you find Smokey’s Schlitz and win a one-song dance party for your team? First you will need to find your way in.

Without his most valued possession in its proper place, Smokey just doesn’t feel comfortable having his bar open. There’s no telling what kind of bad luck such an avoidable problem may cause. Will the taps run dry? Will back room fights break out? Those are risks he’s just not willing to take.

Smokey has shuttered the establishment pretty tightly, making for a difficult entry for his friends who want to help locate the can of Schlitz. The only way in may be through the back freezer, but that can be done as long as they keep their cool. The team will need to clean up the place, find the can, and return it to its display shelf if they ever want to see The Pinehurst serving guests again.

The Pinehurst is a relatively large establishment, comprised of a massive walk-in cooler, the main bar, and a clandestine gaming hall. Smokey’s helpers first enter the building through the refrigerator and must clean up the storage area a bit before they can move on in their search.

Shelves of chilled beer bottles, a keg waiting to be tapped, and some miscellaneous storage items fill the cooler. All of these appear 100% authentic as The Pinehurst only serves the most recognizable beer – although only locals may be familiar with a few of the choices. Real glass bottles clanging together make it clear (or tinted green, get it?) that Smokey’s establishment is not just for show.

The bar area of The Pinehurst is a blast from the past. Patrons step from 2020 right into 1989 the moment they enter the room. An authentic cigarette machine that is rarely found now sits in one corner. A jukebox and gumball machine in the other. Wood paneled walls adorned with vintage signs and art echo the 80’s music that is booming from the speakers.

A large bar sits in slight disarray, waiting for Smokey’s helpers to get it back in working order. Elsewhere in the building is the back room, home to the vices some patrons may prefer to keep secret – gambling, darts, and scantily clad Snap-On girls postered on the wall.

The entirety of The Pinehurst is extremely immersive and real. The visuals and audio pair perfectly to recreate the dive bar vibe, transporting patrons back to an era of good music, good beer, and good times.

Every task leading up the eventually locating the missing vintage can of Schlitz is entirely in storyworld and works to further immerse patrons into The Pinehurst universe. From the moment they walk into the large cooler to the final step of placing the coveted collectors item on its perch, Smokey’s helpers will need to think like it’s 1989.

The challenges start off on the easier side, and fit so perfectly with the story that they become organic steps that would actually be taken – organizing the storage unit and gaining access to the bar before freezing to death.

Once inside The Pinehurst’s public facing space, Smokey’s helpers will clean the place up through a series of intuitive, clever, and fun tasks. Several great “ah ha!” moments build progress along the way with creative use of objects that would naturally be found in an 1908’s era bar.

Smokey runs a tight ship when he’s behind the bar, but once his can of Schlitz goes missing he turns the place upside down. Beer taps all over the place and out of order, a jukebox that needs some attending to, and a salt shaker that just seems to always get lost.

The most noteworthy aspects of the puzzles in The Pinehurst is the unique way patrons interact with seemingly normal objects. Thanks to some well integrated technology, items will be used in clever manners that create great moments of discovery.

Stratton Escape Room has created a very detailed and immersive game with The Pinehurst. A large space divided into multiple rooms, each with their own distinct look and style, accurately portrays a 1980’s bar. Integrated music and decade appropriate props further work to set the scene. It stands out that every item found in The Pinehurst appears to be genuine; real glass bottles, an old cigarette dispenser, hefty beer taps, and a working jukebox to name a few.

There is a very large number of items needed to complete the similar quantity of puzzles throughout the game. To manage this in the remote play format, Stratton Escape Room utilizes an inventory system. They are also one of the few venues we have seen that are giving guests access to the game mater cameras as a way to search the rooms and follow the action from a bird’s eye view. Due to the sheer number of items found, as well as the relatively large spaces to be explored, this separate window can possibly become a bit overwhelming and draw patrons attention away from the live video feed. However, the small details found on pieces throughout the game make this inventory an absolute necessity. As long as groups know ahead of time that they will need to efficiently manage several windows and a lot of information, it all comes together nicely to result in a fun and exciting 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: Stratton Escape Room

Location: Winhall, VT

Number of Remote Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 90 minutes

Capacity: 5 connections

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

Cost: $49 for first connection / $20 for each additional connection

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