United Basic Economy – Ouch!

April 30, 2023 Brian Gondek 0

For the first time in about five years, I returned to North and South Carolina. The trip was amazing- but more on that later! First I need to share my experience flying to and from Charlotte, since it was quite an unusual experience. The short version: avoid flying United Basic Economy!

Pile of Money + Randomness = Recipe for Frustration

April 23, 2023 Brian Gondek 0

In many ways, it’s more difficult to design a big prize treasure hunt than to design a good puzzle. Even tricky puzzles are designed to be solved. If you’re five days into a puzzle event and there’s a puzzle with zero solves, the designer probably goofed up at some point. For treasure hunts, that’s often the norm.

Tall Tales Investigations – The Case of Percy De Vere

December 28, 2022 Brian Gondek 0

I’m blown away. I played The Case of Percy De Vere, one of the at home murder mystery games from Tall Tales Mysteries, and without hyperbole I can say it’s the best at home murder mystery game I’ve played, beating out strong competition from companies like Hunt a Killer and Unsolved Case Files.

A Thank You to Paruzal

December 19, 2022 Brian Gondek 0

One of my favorite new developments in 2019-2020 was the advent of the online escape room. While businesses everywhere were locked down, clever business owners realized there was a new opportunity to offer puzzle games playable from home. While escape rooms you can play on your computer are nothing new, the novelty of having an online game master walking you through a scenario was great, and even after physical businesses reopened, I still appreciate playing these games from time to time.

ERChamp as a Watcher

November 20, 2022 Brian Gondek 0

Being part of the design team for ERChamp this year has been a unique experience- the annual online escape room tournament has been my favorite event to participate in every year, and now that I’m part of the design team, I can’t play along any more.

Bethlehem, PA: Escape.exe – Neon Tokyo (Resistance)

November 7, 2022 Brian Gondek 3

The last time I visited Escape.exe, in April 2021, Neon Tokyo was coming soon. After the experience I had in the first room, Site: 117, Neon Tokyo was a must-visit, and the next time Christina and I needed to drive to the east coast, we made sure our path took us past Escape.exe.