Photo above is property of Escape SC
Company: Escape SC
Game: Break the Internet
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Language: English
Type of Game: Digital Escape Game 💻
Genre: Puzzle, Cute
Date Played: March 2, 2023
Difficulty (based on 4 players): 5/10
Size of Team: 1-8 Players (Recommend 4)
Time: 60 Minutes
Price: $7.00/ Team
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Styriam, charming Zoomer and diva turned damsel in distress, needs your help! Time is running out, and she desperately needs you to break into her co-workers computer account, to ensure that the newest update to their social media companies site - Sincere Screen - goes off without a hitch. She thinks we can locate the files, it's just that they are buried in a maze of the digital personal effects of her co-workers charmed young adult life.
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"Break the Internet" is a multiplayer point-n-click online escape room game, created in the Telescape platform. Up to 8 players can work together simultaneously navigating and engaging with the game. We were able to coordinate and work through the game pretty smoothly, each going in our own directions while simultaneously working on their own little bit. There was enough content to keep us all busy and working in our own directions. After watching a phone video of a desperate Styriam, you are left to break into her co-workers computer. The interface was very realistic and had a throwback vibe to the Windows 95 of yore. Going through her affects and searching for clues to go deeper into her files was like entering someone's mind, or their diary, which was in this case created by an identifiably young, precocious, bubbly, whimsical, paint the world positive, type of person. It was all steeped in a visual explosion of colors and fantastic imagery and literature, alongside the mundane data of her day to day life. They did a great job representing the fragments of her personal inner world, and made the process of guessing her passwords a revelation from out of the things she held dearest. The puzzles were perfectly layered, with several levels forming together with congruency of a well fitted jigsaw puzzle. It also had a fun nostalgic, retro, tinge, an aesthetic obviously inspired by easily recognizable young adult tropes. It was well directed and never frustrating, though sufficiently challenging.
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Overall, the puzzles were well designed, often having several levels of conceptual depth, to be peeled back in layers like an onion. You were simultaneously challenged to identify the overarching scheme as you solved and place the individual puzzle pieces within it. There was a good variety of puzzles, from physical manipulation, to visual puzzles, to games, riddles, and more classic escape room fare. It wasn't always the most difficult, nor the most ingenious, but it worked well. They did a really good job of coding the solution within the manipulation and solution of some of the puzzles as well, which I thought was pretty neat. And it was all so cute and fun and on theme. I can say we had a pretty lively time as we worked through the game.
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It must be a lot of fun to be part of a university club that designs escape rooms. This one really felt like a labor of love, and you could really feel that the game was a production born out of many minds, each lending their own unique genius and touch. I think the team did a great job, and really showed depth and learning in the design of the game. It was perfectly layered, consistently structured, and well directed. There was enough for all of us to roam about and stay busy with, but also enough direction and organization to keep us collectively on point. The theme and aesthetic felt unified, visually interesting, and realistic. The puzzles were interesting, varied, and well embedded and coded into the material. Overall the game was cute, clever, and fun. And somebody please get Styriam an agent, quick! All this being said though, they did a lot with the medium, the game was still a brief and straightforward affair, interesting and engaging but still dramatically slight. It was over all too quickly and left me wanting more, which is not the worst thing to be said. In terms of difficulty, for a gang of adept puzzlers like ourselves you could probably cut through this one pretty quick. But I think for the average group it was just right, and you are likely to at least get a good hour-ish of quality adventure time. The price is certainly right, and it may be snack size but it's worth the bite. I'm really excited to see how the group will outdo themselves next time. I think these kids could really push the envelope. I'm expecting them to really wow me. Who knows, one day they may just break the internet for real.
(If you do decide to try this experience, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
Disclosure: We thank Escape SC for providing us with a sample of the game. Although complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.
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