RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Loss          REMAINING: X:XX

Don’t be fooled by the name; this spooky game is far from child’s play.

You found the cure in chapter 1. But you’re not out of the asylum yet. As you make your way down the hall, you hear the orderlies making their rounds. You quickly dash into the old recreational room. You’ve heard whispers of a secret way out of this place.. Can you find your escape? Or will you be found and lobotomized losing all sense of self? Move fast.. storm’s coming…

Lost Games does an excellent job of weaving a unique and compelling storyworld through its entire experience. From the moment patients step in the door, they are greeted in character by a nurse in the hospital’s psychiatric ward. The lobby, seemingly innocuous upon first glance, quickly becomes integral to the story of the game. The entire building is part of the game, and Lost Games makes sure that you never forget that you are in an insane asylum, and are in desperate need to escape.

Immersive theater is key to the advancement of the storyworld in Playtime. Two actors are utilized in extremely clever ways to introduce the game’s story to their patients. These actors put in place a highly creepy and tense atmosphere, although they also incorporate a fair bit of humor into their pre-game introduction. When it comes time to enter the old recreational room, however, the actors disappear, leaving patients to experience the magic of the game for themselves.

The scenery in Playtime is truly top notch. It is easy to be swept away in the scenic design, and truly find yourself wondering if you will ever be able to escape from this horrifying asylum. An abandoned recreation room is the perfect setting for this game, as it allowed the owners of the game to really get creative without abiding by typical asylum escape game tropes. From small details to large set pieces, it is evident that the makers of this game cared greatly about establishing an immersive setting.

As the game progresses, the scenery gets progressively more fearsome. Several ominous dark spaces force patients to be excruciatingly cautious of their every move, because they have no way of knowing what is waiting for them just around the corner.

The impressive scenic design in Playtime is met by equally impressive puzzling. Every step in the game is intricately woven together, and connects directly to the game’s unique storyworld.

Playtime turns up the scare factor right from the start by forcing one player into a confined and pitch-black area. The very first task of the game is to free said player from their confinement. Doing this requires every player to participate and work together as a team. Puzzles that require teamwork are not nearly as common as they should be in escape games. When they are included, they are often poorly executed. This is not at all the case in Playtime, as completing this puzzle will likely leave patients with an intense feeling of satisfaction.

Nearly every puzzle in this game utilizes advanced technology, and there are no rusty padlocks to be found. From chess sets to pianos to hanging dolls, puzzles in Playtime are very unique and integrate tons of variety. At several instances throughout the game, patients are forced to go against their better judgment, step out of their comfort zones, and do things that they definitely would not do in the real world. These types of moments are critical for the establishment of an utterly petrifying escape game.

Playtime utilizes one of the best hint systems we have ever seen in an escape game, a spine-chilling animatronic doll named Sally. Patients are forced to carry this freaky doll throughout the game to receive their hints, yet another way Playtime amps up the scare factor.

It is important to note that this game is not for the faint of heart. The intensity of the pre-game introduction combined with several serious jump scares and very dim lighting will definitely keep patients on their toes throughout the game. By the end, we genuinely wanted to get the heck out of there. This is not at all a critique of the game; rather, it goes to show just how immersive it was.

Although we did not finish the game in the time allotted, the owners kindly recognized that we were very close to finishing, and allowed us the extra time we needed to complete the remainder of the puzzles. The hospitality of the owners was truly noteworthy at Lost Games. We were delighted to learn that two of the owners were actually the actors that we encountered at the beginning of the game. When they weren’t scaring the daylights out of us, they were very nice people who demonstrated an intense passion for the industry.

Playtime is a welcome addition to an increasingly promising Las Vegas escape game market; its immersion factor is of the highest quality. Detailed scenery and unique puzzle design advance the storyworld that is firmly established in the brilliant theatrical introduction. If paying Lost Games a visit, we strongly recommend completing their back-to-back experience, which grants patients even more immersion in the storyworld by instituting a seamless flow between the first and second games.

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Venue: Lost Games

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Number of Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 8 people

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

Cost: $39 per person