RATING: 5 Keys           RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 15:57

Do you like PUZZLES? Do you like PRIZES? Do you like DEAD PEOPLE? Well then COOOOME ONNN DOWWWN!

Lights! Camera! ACTION!

Like all self-respecting TV shows, Spoopy’s Ghoulish Graveyard Gameshow is filmed inside of a closed set in an actual soundstage. This isn’t an real graveyard, obviously, but you’ll never be able to tell the difference thanks to the magic of television*. (Magic not included.)

The stage is set for the camera’s eye, building just what needs to be there to set the tone for families watching along at home. A carpet of grass covers (most of) the floor, including up and over hills made by several “freshly buried” “graves.” Fake stone cemetery wall sections form a semi-circle backdrop, each capped with a very plastic fence. (Don’t worry, you’ll never be able to tell on TV.)

Colorful spotlights bathe the stage in a vibrant glow, hung from exposed truss that embraces the soundstage motif. The opposite wall- the one not ever seen on camera – is dominated by a large projection screen, on which the “live” “studio” “audience” (and during commercial breaks, various advertisements can be seen playing.)

And of course, in the corner, “standing” (a word which here means “bolted“) behind the podium is the host of the show himself, Spoopy Bones, “live” and in, uh, well, plastic. But Spoopy isn’t just some crappy plastic skeleton mounted in the corner. No, no! He’s a crappy plastic skeleton mounted in the corner that has been turned into a fully functioning audio animatronic figure, ready to preside over his Ghoulish Graveyard Gameshow with the help of a highly versatile soundboard that enables seemingly live interactions. Also his eyes now glow red, for some reason. (They told him he had to wear them.)

Spoopy’s Ghoulish Graveyard Gameshow is a competition suitable for the entire family, filled with logical and intuitive puzzles that are completely fun (and at times, hilarious) for experienced players, while also maintaining a level of difficulty that younger members of the group can still find achievable. Clever, outside the “box” (a word which here, means “coffin.”) challenges evoke an (un)healthy mix of Nickelodeon Game Show and graveyard filled with rotting corpses.

The host of the hour, Spoopy Bones, is much more than just a clever decoration; he’s a vital part of the experience, guiding contestants to puzzles as they become available, while also functioning as the game’s real-time hint system. Although his dialogue is about as live as those souls buried under the grass carpet, that doesn’t by any means stop him from interacting with contestants in real time.

During the Gameshow, players will need to tend to the “graveyard,” ensuring everything is in tip top shape to best respect those who call this soundstage their final resting place. Memorials must be properly placed, and flowers freshly pruned in honor of the dead who gather here to cheer contestants on (and, you know, rot away (Wait, does plastic rot? Because they’re all made of plastic.(I think you’re missing the point. (Oh, sorry.(S’ok.)))))

It can be said with certainty that this Gameshow is (probably) the most fun contestants will ever have in a Graveyard (unless they’re visiting the bones of a mortal enemy.)

We were lucky enough to be selected to be contestants on Spoopy’s Ghoulish Graveyard Gameshow. (Perhaps you saw us compete when the show aired live on the OWN Network in its usual 3:25am timeslot.)  If you’d did, then you already know that we walked out as winners. Unfortunately, all we got for our efforts was “fun.” We’ll never get those Moon Shoes. 🙁

Just the same, we feel it important that we put our personal feelings aside, and instead focus on the big (4:3 resolution) picture. Spoopy’s Ghoulish Graveyard Gameshow is a delightfully zany world full of well-placed laughs, clever puzzles and a satisfying flow. Simply put, this game is a ton of fun (even if that is all you get (Despite them letting you believe you might finally get the Moon Shoes. (But now isn’t a time to be bitter. (You’re right; that time will come soon enough.))))

Doldrick’s Escape Room has made a name for themselves by crafting attractions powered by their clear sense of humor. Their first outing, Super Bomb Squad: Commandos Awesome! sets the tone for the silliness to come, and Captain Spoopy Bones and the Magnificent Quest for Some Other Pirates Treasure sets sail for a whole other level of wackiness. Their year-round Christmas game, Red Sled Redemption at the Holly Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair follows down that zany path.

But with all of the originality already on their resume, Spoopy’s Ghoulish Graveyard Gameshow might just be Doldrick’s Escape Room’s most solid outing to date. Without question, it’s absolutely their most fun. But to be clear, there are no Moon Shoes. The Moon Shoes are a lie.

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Venue: Doldrick’s Escape Room

Location: Kissimmee, Florida

Number of Games: 4

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 5 people

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

Cost: $33.99 per person

We thank Doldrick’s 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.