MindMaze Prague - "Galactic Pioneers"

LOCATION:  Prague, Czech Republic

Photo above is property of MindMaze Prague

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Galactic Pioneers
📅 DATE PLAYED: May 8, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 7.5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 3-6 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.
💰 PRICE:
- Off-peak: 2090 CZK (2-3 ppl), 2390 CZK (4-6 ppl)
- On-peak: 2290 CZK (2-3 ppl), 2690 CZK (4-6 ppl)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [42:55]

📖 THE STORY

Earth is getting closer to total collapse and you have volunteered to board the Galactic Pioneer spacecraft in search of another planet for humans to colonize. During the interstellar travel something unexpected happened and the entire mission is in danger! You are woken from stasis to try and save the ship, your comrades, and more importantly the mission to save humankind!

Video above is property of MindMaze Prague

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

Our favorite thing about this experience was the collection of puzzles. This is a fully computerized game, which works really well with the space theme and storyline. All of the puzzles are therefore focused around fixing the ship, searching for the ideal planet, and then plotting your course to it. Often in games such as this, the puzzles can feel sterile and perhaps disjointed, but MindMaze did a great job with the way they brought them alive, making them highly interactive and cooperative.
The most creative puzzle was the search for our new home planet, because in order to discover which of the possibilities was right you had to perform numerous tests and collect the data from each, before finally using a process of elimination to discover the best. This is just one example of how many of the puzzles were layered and offered depth. You don’t just solve things by putting a prop in the right place or flicking some switches. For most tasks, you had to solve at least two steps before an answer revealed itself. This not only encouraged more teamwork, but also made the tasks crunchier and more complex.
There is not doubting where you are. The room has been expertly designed and constructed to a high standard, portraying the spaceship theme well. The game even starts in its own special briefing room with a well-made actor-led video, and before you leave to enter the ship you suit up in your own mini space suit. This was a nice touch and just added an extra layer of fun to the experience.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

As wonderful as the set design is, it felt like there was something missing to really push the immersion. There weren’t any special effects to really speak of, such as smoke, or damaged parts of the ship hanging from the ceiling, or big reactions when you fixed something. It would also have made more sense if we began the game in our stasis pods, rather than suddenly standing in a random corridor. This too, pulled back the level of immersion slightly.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

For fans of sci-fi or rooms with strong and challenging puzzles this is a must play in Prague and we can certainly see why it got so much recognition when it was built. Even today, some five years later, it still stands strong and is one of our favorite ever space themed rooms.

Three or four might be the ideal number to play with, however due to the generous room sizes, larger teams can easily be accommodated.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Parking is not available on site. However there is street parking in the surrounding area and a tram stop close by.
There is a lobby area with comfortable seating and drinks for sale.

Photos above are property of MindMaze Prague

BOOK NOW

(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)

Disclosure: We thank MindMaze Prague for providing a media discount on the tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever.