Lockdown SG - "Whisper of the Guardians"

LOCATION:  Chinatown, Singapore

Photo above is property of Lockdown SG

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Whisper of the Guardians
📅 DATE PLAYED: May 27, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Singapore Cultural History, Heritage Buildings
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 5 ppl): 8/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up to 5 ppl (Recommended Ages 12+)
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 120 Mins
💰 PRICE: $140 as a single package (Team members can range from 1-5 to split cost)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

While clearing his old shophouse, the owner discovers an old scroll suspected to contain clues leading to treasure left behind by wealthy Chinese merchants fleeing during the War. At the same time, rumour has it that the guardians of these treasures are still around, waiting for someone worthy to hand the treasures to - can you decode the scroll and pass the tests from these guardians?

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

Compelling story and smart puzzles - The story was simple enough, but it stuck. Looking for “guardians” through solving puzzles that involved observing the space, reading building plaques, or even using the elements hit all the right spots in our tactile-driven brains.
Puzzle-Story-Location alignment was established - Despite the game being set in public spaces, players all had to be on location, with the needed instructions, to progress the story.\
It’s a way for people to see Singapore through another lens - some of the puzzles required a bit of reading comprehension and looking for information in heritage spaces and building plaques, so that enriched the experience.
The helpline here was two-fold. Whether it was via asking game masters with their white tee and pink bandana, or through the WhatsApp number posted in your game materials, help was always within reach. This was particularly helpful in crowded, large public spaces where game masters were waiting.
Unique souvenir at the end of the route!

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

Some puzzles were highly dependent on Game Masters being able to see players at the correct place at the correct time. Given how certain areas of Chinatown are high-traffic and large and open, it was easy for players to miss out on the next step of their puzzle experience.
We were hoping that there was a little bit more help with Chinese characters involved in the puzzles, particularly for players who do not understand Mandarin.
Take note of one of their locks - it’s an older model and you may require a game master nearby in any case of hardware issues (where your password is right and the lock is failing you).
You do get a souvenir at the end, upon completion. However, the souvenir can be a little unwieldy, so prepare some art-market-friendly containers for this.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

Having an Escape / Puzzle experience in an open space can be challenging to run - the weather, moving game masters, hidden puzzle pieces in wide, public spaces, with only a string of puzzles and a story holding it all together - and Whisipers of the Guardians is no exception. And due to the amount of proactivity teams would need, I would recommend this to groups who are more experienced or enthusiasts looking for a challenge.

On the bright side, it’s still a fun way to visit heritage sites, food places, and explore Singapore as a whole. With a souvenir at the end of the journey to boot!

We would recommend an average of 4-5 people in a team. Regardless of the size of the team (capped at 5 people), a single ticket and game session costs SGD140, so a larger group can split the cost.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

This game is an experience that does not have a regular schedule or location. As such, interested players will need to take note of Lockdown SG’s Eventbrite page for updates on future games!