Clue HQ – Captain Riddle’s Forgotten Fortune.
Location: Birmingham
Game Date 24/07/2017.
Team: Amy & Ian
Theme:
“Captain Riddle was one notorious pirate. Famous for pillaging from land and sea and holding his bounty within a hidden cove. The story has become legend over the years and no one is sure if the treasure even exists anymore. You and your scallywag crew have commandeered his old ship and are now sailing in search for the gold. Paranoid that others would attempt to follow in his footsteps, he locked everything up, and is said to have not written down the route to the loot. Riddle’s ship is protected, so you won’t have long after you set sail until the company come after you.”
First impressions were that this room is soooo pretty, we’ve gotten used to what we expect from ClueHQ, a good solid room with decent theming and good audio/visual. Captain Riddle was a marked step up for ClueHQ. The decoration was beautiful, solid in construction and very immersive.
The room is fairly large, and is designed in such a way the even with the maximum of 6 it wouldn’t feel too crowded, there may bit a small part where you may have to get close, but it’s only a small part of the game.
The different decors in the game all come together to create a playful & immersive escape room that hopefully will become the standard for ClueHQ.
Audio/Visual was used with excellence to tell the story and plunge you deeper and further out into the open ocean, through the excellent use of screens/lighting and sound, a real visual treat.
Game Play:
The game was absolutely typical ClueHQ, with padlocks everywhere and lots (and I mean LOTS) of puzzles. A fairly linear game, we never seemed to be working on separate things.
The brilliance in the game is in its pacing. The puzzles come thick and fast, yet are so logical that you never feel panicked and the ah-ha moments keep on coming.
All bases were covered with regard to puzzle types, with a cracking mix of Logic, Word, Aural, Observation, Maths… there is certainly something for every type of intelligence in the room (which is commendable, this will give everyone in the group their own moment to shine)
The flow was brilliant, and never stopped. We felt like the whole hour was spent just puzzling, the skill of the design stood out in this game. The only time we stopped was to really think about a puzzle or two!
The game itself is also objective based, and this leads to the ending being incredibly exciting (and I got my hair a bit wet!) In fact, I think the ending of this game will stick with me for quite a while, ClueHQ have a knack for exciting endings and putting the pressure on in those final moments, and Captain Riddle didn’t disappoint!
Enthusiasts, take a 2 or 3! Enjoy every puzzle. Newbies, take a 5 or 6. There is a LOT to do!!
Clue System:
Clues were delivered via a screen
Game Host:
Stu was our game host, and the owner of ClueHQ! After playing so often at Warrington and Manchester, we finally got to meet him. We chatted for ages, and probably could have talked all night! His game hosting was excellent, delivering just the right nudges at the perfect time!
Did we escape?
Yes, in 56 minutes!
Website:
Price:
2 Players £44
3 Players £63
4 Players £76
5 Players £85
6 Players £90
Brit of an Escape Habit 