RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 7:16
Climb aboard the Nautilus for an unforgettable deep sea voyage… at least, for the survivors.
It’s 1883 and you are a simple crew member aboard the Nautilus, an advanced submarine built and commanded by the brilliant Captain Nemo. Though he is a mysterious and solitary man, spending most of his nights in his cabin talking to the artificially intelligent program that controls the ship, you have been getting the sense that you are finally approaching some ancient treasure of the Atlantic.
On the seventh night of your journey, a monstrous creature finds your vessel with a catastrophic blow. The engine floods and the energy system breaks down, but most unfortunately, the massive commotion takes the life of the captain.
You have sixty minutes worth of oxygen left to fight the beast and escape to land above, but the program that controls the ship will not take orders from anyone but the real captain!
Prepare to shed your grease-stained jumpsuits and busted boots, because the only way to the control room is to trick the program into thinking that you are, in fact, the legendary Captain Nemo.
Oxygen is running low, and tensions are running high, aboard Captain Nemo’s prized vessel, while the leftover passengers scramble to regain control. Seemingly unable to manipulate the computer onboard, crew members must put their wits to the test to outsmart the state-of-the-art ship.
Voyagers begin their mission inside the engine room of the ship, deciphering clues and readjusting dials to try and force their way into the Captain’s quarters. The Nautilus was programmed to only respond to Captain Nemo, himself, so it is the mission of the survivors to convince the ship that they are indeed the aforementioned skipper. If they can do that, then just maybe, they can eliminate the imminent threat approaching from the dark, murky waters outside, and return to the safety of the surface once more.
Creating the illusion of boarding a submarine, after standing in an escape room lobby seconds before, is no easy feat. 60out executes that transition with flying colors. One minute, teams are signing waivers in an open waiting room, and the next they are fully submerged, 20,000 leagues under…well, you get the idea.
Nautilus immediately immerses the survivors in the bowels of the engine room. Metal pipes stretch across the walls, pressure gauges and switches dispersed along them at irregular intervals. Even the floor is steel plated, effectively completing the elaborate impression.
The Captain’s chamber, by contrast, is ornate and inspired. Steel accents tie it to the rest of the ship, but quality wooden furniture pieces and practical portholes (with impeccable ocean-life “views”) set this particular space in a class of its own. Rich red carpeting makes the space feel welcoming, while also developing a more formal elegance than the rest of the capsule.
The entire experience lives and breathes authenticity. 60out clearly dug into the details with this one, even focusing the microscope closely enough to implement accurate rivet types into the bulkheads and steel panels on the walls. Not a single piece of this escape game feels out of place or forced.
The puzzles in Nautilus exist solidly in-world while contributing to the flow of the experience and the immersion into the ship itself. In the engine room, levers are pulled and instruments adjusted precisely to bypass the sub’s technological interface. Once in the Captain’s quarters, the scavenger hunt begins to dive into the mind of the brilliant Nemo, and uncover the details on operating his computer.
Nautilus also introduces a very clever combat puzzle to deal with the dangers of the deep. Using solid teamwork and communication, voyagers will work together to dispatch the threat in order to survive. Using a strong mix of technological and standard puzzles, 60out provides the variety adventurers are looking for in an 18th century submarine that is way ahead of its time.
Overall, Nautilus relies on crew members to perform more puzzle analysis than general hunting and searching. Most of the items needed are easy enough to find, often hidden in plain sight. The challenge comes from finding the different ways those items come together to aide in the quest. The key to progressing often lies in examining surroundings and changing perspective.
Another stand out moment in Nautilus occurs at the very end of the experience. Crew members clever enough to outsmart the AI and bring the ship to the surface once more, will find themselves escaping from the hull of the submarine in a clever and unique way.
Nautilus sets the tone early with its flawless puzzle integration meshing with spectacular scenic design. 60out delivers on a special level with this game that would surely make Jules Verne proud.
It isn’t often that escapees are provided the opportunity to dive into a well-known fictional work and exist somewhere in that canon for a bit. Nautilus not only bestows the vessel (pun absolutely intended) for such an adventure, it envelopes travelers in a unique narrative that will resurface fond childhood memories – hiding under a blanket, flashlight in hand, pouring through one of the “Great Illustrated Classics.”
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Venue: 60out
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Number of Games: 4
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 6 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $40-$50 per person (a minimum of two people are required for booking, then prices vary for each additional player/day of the week.)
We thank 60out for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.