Lock Ness is a play-at-home escape game from Glasgow-based Escape Envelope. Race against time to locate a missing scientist before he runs out of air. You’ll have to crack his impossible equation using the envelope’s contents and get to him before it’s too late.
Players: 1-8 // Age: 14+ // Playtime: 60 minutes
What you need: A pencil and paper. Internet is required to access the web interface and submit answers. You also need to access Facebook for one of the puzzles.
First impressions
The game arrives packaged in a themed A4 white envelope. Don’t be confused when you open it up and find duplicate copies of the components. Escape Envelope purposefully gives you two copies of everything so that the contents can easily be shared across a group of players. If you only use one set of components you’ll be left with a spare copy to pass on to someone else once you have completed the game. The contents are also entirely paper-based, so everything can be recycled once you’ve finished with it.
Gameplay
To begin the game you just need to scan the QR code on the envelope and select ‘Lock Ness’ on the website. This will take you to a page that lays out the objective of the game and get you to check that all game materials are present. Once you confirm this, you can begin.
There are 10 puzzles of varying difficulties; I found them to be mostly on the easier side although they were still fun. If you are new to these sorts of games then they will likely pose more of a challenge. I particularly enjoyed the Gift Shop and Hotel puzzles which required a little more brain power. If you enjoy logic puzzles, maths and thinking outside of the box then you’ll feel right at home!
The web interface is simple but effective – the different parts of the ‘impossible equation’ are clickable and when you select one it gives you the option to input an answer or access a hint. The puzzles are well signposted, so it is clear which relates to each part of the equation. When you answer a puzzle correctly it will highlight the relevant part of the equation as green. You then continue until you have solved the whole equation.
I was a little surprised to find that there was no timer once I had started the game. Given that you have 60 minutes before the scientist runs out of air I expected more of a feeling of urgency. That being said, I don’t always enjoy imposed timings as I like to be able to stop and start gameplay if needed. You can easily set up an alarm if you want to race against the clock!
The only minor snag I hit was when I needed to access Facebook for one of the puzzles. I don’t have an account and don’t want to sign up for one. While I could see some information without logging in I couldn’t get to what I needed. My partner logged in for me and I used his phone to solve the puzzle, but please bear this in mind if you don’t have Facebook access.
Verdict
Lock Ness
Summary
Lock Ness embraces Escape Envelope’s Scottish roots to explore the mysterious legend of the Loch Ness monster. The game includes a fun mix of creative puzzles and components, along with a simple but effective web interface. Two sets of documents allow for a better experience for groups and the possibility of gifting a set to a friend or family member upon completion.
I’m excited to see how Escape Envelope evolves with its future offerings; Lock Ness is a solid escape game at an affordable price point. Well worth checking out!
About Escape Envelope
Escape Envelope is based in Glasgow, Scotland. They have released two games: Lock Ness and Disappearance at Blackridge.
Development is underway on a third instalment, A Haunting in the Highlands.
Disclaimer: Escape Envelope kindly provided me with a review copy of this game in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences the content of my review.
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