YouEscape - "#2: Elements"

Videos/ Photos provided by YouEscape

Company: YouEscape

Game: #2: Elements

Country: Greece 🇬🇷

Language: English/ Greek

Type of Game: Live Stream Puzzles 💻

Genre: Science

Date Played: 4/14/2021

Difficulty (based on 4 players): 7/10

Size of Team: Up to 4 Players

Time: 70 Minutes

Price: $30.00/ Game or join Patreon for more options

🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈

You and your team were on a mission when something went wrong. Your entire team is unconscious and lost in a forest. Your last hope is to be able to escape with a hot air balloon. Hopefully you'll be able to collect all the right items to launch it in time!

🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈

This is our fourth game with YouEscape. Check our reviews on #1 & #3 and #15 to find out more about their other games.

We met on Zoom with our GM Nick, We were given an intro video of the backstory and a link to a Google Drive folder. In the folder, we received a series of documents in numbered order. Since most YouEscape games are quite challenging, these numbered documents really helped to keep with the steps we had to take to solve the puzzles and keep up with the game flow. It's meant to be played in this linear way so don't skip files as it'll just confuse yourselves.

This time we had two locks we had to open along with some other items we had to interact with on the table. The entire play will be in front of a table and all you will be seeing is the GM's hands. There's not much verbal interaction with the GM besides when requiring hints or when instructing him to interact with the items on the table. The goal of this game is to figure out a way to inflate a balloon.

🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂

Since the game play is linear, we worked on all the puzzles together as a team. It's great to be able to focus together for once and chat about different ideas for the same puzzle. The advantage to this type of game play is that no player will missing out on any of the puzzles. The disadvantage is that if we're stuck on a puzzle then we won't be able to anything else besides asking for a hint in order to move on. Nick was very helpful as he knows when to nudge us if he felt like we're very close or on the right track. For this game we were allowed 2 hints as it's on the easier side for a YouEscape game.

This game had a mixture light math, observation and even some search and find on Google Maps. If you're not familiar on how to navigate Google maps, you might find it a bit difficult for one of the puzzles.

🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂

We always have the same initial reaction when we're about to play a YouEscape game. How are the things on the table all connected with each other? Can we really use them to solve a puzzle? We really enjoyed this game as it didn't burn all our brain cells out and there's a closer feeling to "escaping" with the storyline and the props used. My favorite part is of course seeing that balloon rise at the end. I love Science when it works in its mysterious ways.

𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤 ℙ𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕟❜𝕤 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤

Kobi R.

This was a fun game combining Google Drive and Physical components controlled by Nick the avatar/GM. Nick is great, his voice is soothing and he's really good as a Game Master.

In terms of puzzles, this took a little adjusting in the beginning, I wasn't sure what we needed to use and how. This is a fairly linear experience, so Nick made sure we understand which part comes first.

This mixture of online / physical remote components in a game is new to me and I still find it kind of strange. I'm probably old fashioned and think it should either be fully digital or fully remote-avatar. I would recommend trying it at least once.

In terms of group size, this is one of their easier puzzles but the other chapters are supposed to be harder. For this one, I feel a 4 player group was stretching it and it would be a better fit for a couple.

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Melvin L.

Youescape is a live stream puzzle game where you are shown a table of objects and/or padlocks. There will be a game master present and you are free to direct him to try any code you wish to try, or ask him to show you the objects in a closer view. In a way, this is similar to a remote escape room, but the main difference is this game loses its immersion factor.

It is basically puzzle solving with the items given on the table. There is no set up/design to what you see in an escape room. There is a story, but the story is just something to fit it in, you will not feel like you are really trying 'to escape'. In order to solve the puzzles, some digital files will be provided for you to get the clues in order to solve the puzzles. Hence, it is a combination of digital aspects plus a remote aspect.

However, with that being said, this does not mean this game is not fun. It is, in fact, opposite! I had so much fun playing this game. The puzzles were excellent, it is really about brain power rather than just 'searching' for stuff. There is nothing hidden! What you see in front of you is what you get, it's that simple. Therefore, you know that you have everything you need, it is just whether you can put them together. Although there were only three 'tasks' for us in this 70 minute game (we did #2 Elements), each task consists of multi-layered puzzles, so time flew past very quickly. There were also some creative and cool effects in the puzzles we encountered and all were equally satisfying when solved.

I only wish that the creator could consider making this into a subscription box, similar to what other companies are doing. These items can be mailed to players and the digital files/codes can be used/keyed into a digital interface. It will omit the use of the game master and he is not really needed as he is basically just our 'hands' and all the items shown are actually easily duplicated, printed and mailed out. If so, I will definitely subscribe to it and look forward to a new game each month! Of course, I respect the creator for making this into a Live Steam format, but it's just to emphasize that I will readily jump on and subscribe if there is such a good quality subscription game out there like this. Overall, I had real fun with this game and I am sure everyone who likes solving puzzles will as well. The only people who will not like such games may be those that want to be immersed in the narrative rather than solving puzzles, or those who like to be inside a physical room and be amazed at the set up and design. If you are willing to drop these 2 expectations, you can be sure you will have a great time at YouEscape!

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(If you do decide to try this game, please remember to let them know that you heard it from"ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)

Disclosure: We thank YouEscape for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.

#CiciCao #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #YouEscape #Elements #LiveHostedGames #LiveStreamPuzzles #Mystery #Potions #Science