Feb 8, 20233 min read

The Escape Artist SG - "The Last Lion" (Sneak Preview)

Updated: Apr 17

LOCATION:  National Gallery of Singapore, Singapore

Photo above is property of The Escape Artist SG

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: The Last Lion (Sneak Preview)
📅 DATE PLAYED: January 14, 2023
🎬 GENRE: Singapore cultural history, Heritage buildings
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 5 ppl): 8/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up to 5ppl (Recommend ages 12+)
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 120 Min
💰 PRICE: SGD 150/Group
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

The Last Lion, an ancient network of clans, is looking for members to join their cause in protecting Art for the future generations. As a test for new recruits, they have given you an envelope of challenges to test your thinking and problem solving skills through Singapore’s National Gallery, once the old Supreme Court and City Hall. Will you be able to pass the test and enter this network?

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

Thanks to the close collaboration between the National Gallery and The Escape Artist, the puzzles and hunt route was carefully and intuitively designed. The hunt ran through the entire Gallery smoothly, with minimal backtracks. Therefore, players could solve puzzles and enjoy the grandeur of the National Gallery of Singapore through another lens.
On top of the design, the individual puzzles were themed and aligned well with the story. Players all had to be on location, with the needed tools (as provided by the game organisers) to progress the story.
If players took their time to absorb the surroundings, they can expose themselves to various forms of art from Singapore and the region. This allows players to immerse themselves in the story told through the game, as if they were truly hopeful recruits wanting an in to an ancient network.
The helpline here was two-fold. Whether it was via asking game officers dressed in trench coats and dotted around the gallery, or through a QR Code in the game booklet, help was always within reach. Due to the possible movements of artwork (affecting the puzzle), the placement of needed personnel was done effectively as well.
All teams have a game kit to bring home - including a side puzzle for players to complete in their own time.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

We ended up taking a lot of time with one of the puzzles that might not have been clear enough - the process was right, but we had difficulty getting to the final answers due to conflicting knowledge of how updated laws of mathematics worked. The hints for this process were also not clear, needing us to resorted to getting the solution straight from the hints in order to continue with the hunt.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

Singapore has no lack of puzzle hunts and heritage locations that give people a history lesson through a different but fun lens. This puzzle hunt is not an exception, and highly recommended, whether it is for a visitor or a resident. It’s definitely memorable, considering how stories are said to stick to minds well. Helplines here are a hit and miss in their usefulness, but should push come to shove, the hints do provide a solution for those with no other way out to the next step.

We would recommend an average of 4-5 people in a team. Regardless of the size of the team (recommended range between 2 to 5 people), a single ticket and game session costs SGD150. Therefore, having a maximum of 5 people in a team can also split the costs of your game.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

"The Last Lion" is an experience that is still in the stages of a ‘sneak preview’. As such, interested players will need to take note of the company's website for updates and news on the later launches of this game. As this game is in its second preview, I believe they should release this game more regularly soon!