RATING: 3 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 20:13

What if you had an opportunity to play Indiana Jones for a day?

You’ve fallen in love with the Indiana Jones movie franchise and you’re inspired by his adventurous life style and you crave one of your own but you’re not sure where to start.  You hear one day that a new Indiana Jones themed exhibit has arrived at your local museum and they are holding a contest that you decide to enter to see which team of players can find something hidden deep within the exhibit the fastest and be first to learn the ancient truth behind this seemingly normal dedication to one of the most iconic characters in cinema history.

Our team of Indiana Jones fans loves an adventure, especially when it involves our hero.  What better way to spend a day than searching an exhibit for a hidden artifact?  The opportunity to engage in this archaeological quest is more than fascinating.

However, it is imperative that our group does not become too complacent or overconfident.  Rumor has it that this mission is quite challenging.

The pressure is definitely on! Will we be the first team to solve this mystery and earn bragging rights to the treasure, or will we be put to shame by more worthy competitors?

The contest begins in the first wing of the Indiana Jones exhibit.  This section contains various impressive items, such as a large sundial, a grandfather clock, and a real sword, which is chained and locked to the wall.  Books (both related and unrelated to the game’s theme) and other small objects/relics are also present in this area.

The next room, which may be accessed through an open door, has more of an office feel to it.  There is a wooden desk, an armchair, a rack to hang coats and hats, and a bookshelf containing randomly-dispersed items, such as a toy car, statues, and bottles.  Pictures of Indiana Jones, newspaper articles relevant to the theme, and other genre-related photos populate the walls.

Proceeding deeper into the game, the setting slowly becomes more authentic, transporting adventurers into an excavation site, truly bringing the Indiana Jones theme to life.

The most interesting component of Indiana Jones is the puzzles, which vary in terms of style and difficulty.  Aside from a few standard combination and key locks, the game is mostly technology-driven.  Neat audiovisual effects are also produced whenever certain tasks are successfully accomplished.

The gameplay is mostly non-linear, and puzzles, except for the final set, can be completed in any order.  For the most part, the direction in which the adventure should proceed is clear.  It is even possible for explorers to bypass certain challenges presented along the journey and still be able to find the hidden object.  However, in order to successfully win the game, all tasks must be completed.

The elephant in the expedition, so to speak, is that Indiana Jones remains the intellectual property of The Walt Disney Company, and in our own excavating, we did not manage to dig up any evidence that acknowledges a licensing agreement for its use.

IP not withstanding, the puzzles in Indiana Jones are fun to complete, and the technology used to enhance the experience is impressive.  In addition, the story is nicely resolved.

Indiana Jones is suitable for players of all levels.  In order to provide everyone with an opportunity to participate in the given tasks and have the adventure proceed as efficiently as possible, a smaller team of three to four players would be advisable.

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Venue: Escape Story

Location: Lisle, IL

Number of Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 8 people

Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.

Cost: $28 per person