Can you the track down Roy Marshall the missing casino cheat who vanished from his Las Vegas jail cell?
Table of Contents
Location: Home
Date Played: Oct 2023
Team size: 5; recommended 1-6 players
Duration: 1 - 2 hours
Price: ~S$75 on their website
Premise
The Vanishing Gambler by The Mystery Agency is an escape-room puzzle to play at home. Themed around a missing casino cheat Roy Marshall, who vanished from his Las Vegas jail cell, you will need to use all your powers of deduction and logic to solve a baffling, mind mangling sequence of clues to crack combination locks, piece together the information and solve the mystery yourselves where the police have failed.
You’ll need to hack into Roy’s bank account and even go undercover yourself. And it hasn’t been made easy for you – the document wallet itself has been padlocked and you will have to work out the combination just to get started!
Components
The game's components are incredibly well-crafted, boasting sturdy locks, a convincingly real credit card, and an impressive deck of cards. If you ever wanted to leave your dinner guests in awe, this game is a standout choice.
Gameplay
Much like other escape room games, "The Vanishing Gambler" provides a collection of items with the ultimate objective of discovering Roy Marshall's whereabouts. The game heavily relies on its website for inputting answers to puzzles. Their hint and solution system is also web-based, offering step-by-step hints before revealing the complete solution to specific puzzles.
One particular drawback, however, is the website's inability to remember previously inputted information. This occasionally requires re-entering answers to access evidence, and at times, it necessitates logging in again, somewhat disrupting the overall experience.
Puzzles/Thoughts
➕ Most puzzles were enjoyable to solve. It was engaging to decipher the game's expectations and piece together the solutions.
➕ Simple and engaging story. The story is straightforward yet engaging, providing a genuine detective experience as you piece together the events.
➖ Finicky website. The need to re-enter answers and log in multiple times proved to be a minor inconvenience. Streamlining this aspect would enhance the gameplay.
✖️ A few puzzles seemed illogical thematically. Some puzzles required hints to identify that two seemingly unrelated clues were meant to be combined, leading to moments of frustration.
✖️ One particular puzzle was disappointing. Its propensity for busywork and potential for errors made us consume a significant chunk of time before resorting to the solutions.
Verdict
"The Vanishing Gambler" is an excellent choice for a game night with friends or for solo play. While it has its share of minor inconveniences and puzzling moments, it offers numerous highlights that make it a recommendation. I thoroughly enjoyed playing it with my friends, and I'm confident you will too.
Rating: 4/5
★★★★✩
Ready to tackle the mysteries surrounding the Vanishing Gambler? You can purchase the game here.
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