Agent November

Played the Edinburgh Fringe version so rating may not be accurate for its regular version.

Great hosting but very simple puzzles, probably because it’s a travel-light version for easy set up at the fringe. We were the only two playing, which made it a bit trickier to solve, but I also don’t know how I would’ve felt about working with strangers, especially when it looked like it could’ve taken up to 15ish. 

We solved every individual puzzle, but didn’t get enough time to solve the mystery so ended up poisoned. Quite a fun format to mix the puzzles and actual story-based mystery solving, but I would’ve enjoyed it in a more fleshed out format without the tiny 30 minute limit. 

We played this in Edinburgh as it appeared as part of the Fringe Festival. We expected very little, given that it is a temporary attraction, but were really pleasantly surprised, and ended up having a great almost-hour of frantic fun! When we did this, it was set outdoors and was basically a game in a big box, with other elements being added in by “Agent Nathan” (who was a brilliant host!), or found in and around the area using clues discovered as we went along. Had I been told beforehand how low-tech it would be I might have given it a miss but I’m so glad I didn’t as we were thoroughly immersed and engaged for a almost the full hour! There were puzzles of all types and although most of them ended in a code to help towards disarming the EMP, everything still felt very varied. Obviously there was none of the beautiful set-dressing and theming of a static indoor escape room, but the way the outdoor space was used was pretty neat and it was great to be solving clues outside in the sunshine and amongst the curious public! It was also nice to be teamed up with another member of the public too, who proved to be a really strong puzzler and really helped us pull off this tough set of tasks with just enough time to spare! I appreciate this might not be to everyone’s taste though, but I feel like this might’ve been done this way only for the Fringe? Anyway, if you’re in Edinburgh before 28th August, I do recommend giving this a try! Very entertaining.

just to pass on what would've been helpful for me when I was organizing this:  you have to pay for 5 players minimum, but you can play it with fewer than 5.  Just pop in a fake name or two.  Fair enough that they've got to cover costs.  It's certainly not that expensive to pay for 5, and It's a very good game.  Also, it's on BST.  And you don't HAVE to read the documents or watch the video provided ahead of the game, but it's great to get you in the mood, so why wouldn't you, right?

This was fun and the puzzles were pretty clever. The slight downside was the setting for this, which as mentioned by a previous reviewer, seems to be just someone's apartment, but the hosting was good 👍

It seems like the early bumps some players experienced have been worked out, so the game flowed very well, with successful integration of movie and computer elements.  The set is like literally this guy's apartment, so not fantastic, but there are some very clever puzzles, and the interaction with the host was really fun. 

Had a ton of fun with this experience! It really shows that with a live-avatar game, you don't need a flashy set and expensive tech. All you need is a great story, fun puzzles, and a host who goes 110% into character and focuses on having fun with you and your group. Highly recommend this experience.

This was great fun!  Excellent host and humor throughout the whole experience, several very nice puzzles that only work in a remote avatar medium.  It's a lot packed into 60 minutes, but we had great fun chasing down achievements and exploring the set, which clearly a DIY setup in what looks like someone's actual apartment.   It wasn't particularly whizzbang in terms of technical achievements - but this was one of the most fun online escape experiences I've had all pandemic.

Virtual X-Caper is a silly, joyous, family-friendly spy-themed romp of an escape room that's hard not to love.

The set is somewhat basic (it is, after all, being delivered during lockdown in, what I assume, might be the GM's own flat), the puzzles are solid but relatively standard, and the storyline is your typical fare....

...but where it absolutely shines is the delivery: our host/avatar was a superb performer - both in their physical performance (such as when we instructed them to touch an "electrified" circuit...) and their witty dialogue and responses, which were clearly off-the-cuff and pitched perfectly for our group of players. The game also features plenty of nice "Easter Eggs", such as the unlockable achievements to find, lots of in-jokes, and it just made us smile for a full hour.

One of the best virtual games I've played. Witty, funny, and fully immersive.

One of the more challenging online Escapes we have done, with a lot more red herrings than we've seen in other games.  Definitely some challenging puzzles, with one that really stumped us (we got it with a small nudge).  The GM was very engaging, although with the time being as tight as it was, his "idiot avatar" persona was a tad frustrating to me (not so much to my teammates who are more patient than I!).  Nonetheless, a really fun experience, with some inventive elements that added to the realism.  Definitely recommended.

A scrappy lo-fi game that nevertheless had some extremely fun moments and clever puzzles. Our GM/avatar really made the experience immersive and memorable.

Normally a low-tech room like this wouldn't get much, but the charisma and smoothness of the host, coupled with many humorous touches, gives this two extra stars than it would otherwise deserve.

Did a testing run for this, really cool combo of educational while solving unique puzzles

Well put together, creative and funny game. You are not just controlling an avatar, the avatar is hilarious! 🙂