RATING: 4 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 9:35
A visit to our favorite back alley restaurant turns out to be much more than expected.
The word around Chinatown is that they’re hiding something inside fortune cookies and planning a big exchange at the Chinese New Year parade. Sources say it’s going down at the aptly named Chinatown restaurant. Your unit has a brief window after they close to find some evidence before it’s spread all over town. So get in, get some dirt, and get out unseen. When Chinese New Year begins, what will your fortune say?
It’s Chinese New Year and we just so happen to stop by our favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Though something seems off, it’s usually busy, but today it’s completely empty except us. At least there isn’t a line to get in!
Apart from the empty restaurant, things seem quite normal, but it’s time to put hunger aside and get down to business. As part of a crack team of investigators, the mission is to infiltrate the restaurant and figure out exactly what kind of business goes on hidden from the public eye.
The clock is ticking before the parade starts, and the bureau has enough suspicion to know the window of opportunity on cracking the case is closing by the minute. Snag the evidence, maybe a few fortune cookies, and get out before the celebrations kick off.
Quicksand Escape Games transforms this office space into an actual Chinese restaurant. No, really, stepping in to the room is exactly like walking in to a functional eatery.
The level of scenic quality in the opening room is the perfect place to hide things in plain sight. When nothing looks out of place, the objects you find fall between the borders of required piece and well themed props.
The tables are set with proper place mats and utensils. Standard fare of condiments such as soy sauce, chili paste, and hot mustard are out to use. Even an actual water heater for tea is included. All that is missing here is an actual plate of food waiting on the kitchen counter ready to serve to guests.
But something fishy is going on behind the scenes. Hidden backroom storage areas unveil a criminal underworld right beneath our eyes. Though at first glance it looks like your standard food prep stockpile, it’s all a clever ruse to hide the true purpose of the upcoming parade.
To cap things off, a full lion dance costume fitting fully in to the theme greets the investigator team. If only there were some red envelopes to feed the lion for good luck. We will always take all the luck we can get.
Chinatown’s puzzles stay true to the story of the game. Given the nature of the scenic, it can be tough to decide what is there for aesthetic purposes and what will be used in the game. However this does not detract from the experience, it adds to the immersion factor. We are after all inside a realistic looking restaurant.
From getting down a food order, to making tea, and organizing the condiments, each step feels like something a restaurant worker would do. Except this isn’t just a day at work, it’s learning trade secrets on how to hide in plain sight.
There is more than a fair share of puzzles spread throughout the game in a non-linear fashion, keeping even larger groups occupied where there will always be some work to go around. The bulk of the puzzles come in earlier, making sure that your whole team is around for more of the surprise moments hidden deeper in the game
Though overly reliant on four digit combination locks at times, the puzzle track flows smoothly without logic leaps and never leaves behind the storyworld. Each puzzle develops the narrative, unveiling more of the mystery along the way. The game is completely set in a believable way that still exists within the confines of an actual working food chain.
Chinatown is a fast paced mission from the get go, and doesn’t let up throughout the experience. It gives us plenty of twists and turns along the way, and is filled with those “ah ha!” moments when things fall into place.
With a passionate staff more than happy to chat about your experience, Quicksand Escape Games provides a solid offering in a competitive San Diego market.
Remember when making a visit to Chinatown to grab a fortune cookie on the way out! You never know what wise words may be hidden inside.
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Venue: Quicksand Escape Games
Location: San Diego, California
Number of Games: 3
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 8 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $32 per person