The Artefact

Thank you Zach for being an amazing GM! Room was so much fun to do. Loved the light-heartedness and the nods towards games and pop culture =)

Very happy to be back at Next Level again for The Artefact, currently their highest-rated room on Morty, though somehow inexplicably was not one of the several Next Level rooms nominated for TERPECA this year. As usual, the GM played a significant role as an AI with jokes and funny one-liners, adding a lot of levity to the experience along with some humorous situations. Despite its space limitations (underground level of an office building), Next Level did a good job with the theming, offering a few very differently decorated areas that combined mostly hi-tech puzzles with only a handful of padlocks/keypads. The puzzles were challenging but not overly difficult, and despite struggling early we hit our stride and finished the room with 20 minutes to spare. It's a room where teamwork is necessary and important, and having four players definitely made things a lot easier. I would say everything in the Artefact was very solid — the theming, the creativity, the puzzles, and the flow ticked all the boxes — but nothing in particular really wowed us. On the whole, we had fun once again, and we look forward to tackling End of the Road next time.

Completed the room with 2 people just under the time limit. Immersive gameplay and a great range of puzzles. Had some narration as all their rooms do but still a lot of freedom to solve the puzzles in the way/order you want to. There were some cooperative puzzles that you needed at least 2 people in order to complete, which was very fun. Similar feel to the End of the Road, so if you enjoyed that one you’d definitely like this one. Really enjoyed it, definitely recommend!

Artefact is definitely a fun room! Puzzles with high-tech elements add to the theme and are very interesting to solve. Everything makes sense and flows well. Part of a puzzle requires teamwork and is certainly hilarious. Players have to constantly interact with an AI which makes the experience unique to everyone. The set is great and nothing is worn off. Next Level definitely utilise their limited space well. Would recommend!

*Edit* Double Review - Currently being investigated. See original: Reviewed Mar 22, 2024 | Experienced May 18, 2024

Probably the zaniest and most fun room we’ve done! The GM go above and beyond and Nikki did an incredible job. We were blown away with the AI companion element and the logic of the room was impeccable. Five + stars

We did the Artifact room with Craz and it was so much fun! Craz was really funny and engaging and made for a great experience. The puzzles were really well thought out and worked with the storyline as well, which was a great detail :) We will definitely be back!

The Artefact was so much fun! The GM experience at Next Level Escape really sets the bar for GM interactions and the way they utilise this communication to propel the group forward is a delight. Rosie, our GM, made the experience a delight. The story was exciting, thematic, funny and engaging — it was SO much fun. A top five experience for sure. It was an experience that didn’t take itself too seriously, which led to such memorable moments. I wish I could play it again!

The Artefact was the second room our team of four tackled that night, and the 187 Escape Artists were still buzzing from our recent completion of End of the Road. After grabbing a satisfying meal at Stacked (just around the corner), we were fueled up and ready to dive in. Our Gamesmaster, Stuart, took on the persona of the cheeky AI Bot HAL, leading us on our next adventure. We started off a bit sluggish—I blame the hearty dinner we indulged in—but around 10-15 minutes in, we found our momentum and began making significant progress. While the room initially felt a bit bottlenecked, once we hit our stride, we surged ahead and finished with a strong flourish, escaping with about 16 minutes left on the clock. As always, the Gamesmaster played a crucial role in our experience, and in The Artefact, Stuart was no exception. We had a blast, sharing moments of pure hilarity as we danced, sang, celebrated, and laughed together. The theming was top-notch, and the puzzles posed a satisfying challenge, even for a semi-experienced team. The high-tech elements in this particular theme at Next Level were executed brilliantly, but they also cleverly incorporated some low-tech puzzles that seamlessly fit the theme. Next Level consistently delivers immersive and well-designed experiences, and we're already looking forward to our next visit to this exceptional establishment.