Top 8 Puzzle Video Games
By Frank Giglia, Head of Creative Development
Whenever you do any kind of “Top” list, there’s going to be argument and debate, that’s the point of such things. This is not a top ten in the strictest sense, but these are puzzle games that have influenced Trap Door’s creators. So, here, in no particular order, are OUR top 8 puzzle video games that we’ve played.
Our first favorite puzzle game. Who would think that a game where all you do is put lines together from different-shaped pieces could be so entertaining? I spent hours and hours on my Game Boy trying to break my record for amount of lines (120 something at final count, I don’t remember exactly).
Why It's On Our List of Top 8 Puzzle Video Games
It is such a simple concept, but such a groundbreaking game.
2. Resident Evil (1996)
It’s safe to say that without this game series, Trap Door might never have happened. Not because of me, I just don’t like zombies, but it’s the favorite of my co-owner and our CEO Tone.
The “trapped in a mansion” setup is of course a major element of escape rooms in general, but trapped with puzzles and zombies takes it to a new level whose influences can be seen in our own “Cure-Z” and “Bogeyman”.
3. Myst (1993)
One of the games that put the CD-ROM format on the map. In this early point-and-click adventure you wake up on a mysterious island and have to unravel the clues as to why you’re there, finding yourself journeying to different lands through various gateways on the island.
Why Myst is on Our List of Top 8 Puzzle Video Games
I came to the “Myst” wagon late, as in, “I only played it like three years ago” late. As such, I found it frustrating and slow. However, that speaks more to today’s standards than any fault of the game.
Nonetheless, “Myst” makes it on this list because of its impact on the genre and pop culture, since it was the best selling computer game of the 90s. It spawned multiple sequels, fan conventions, and talk of a TV series is still in the works to this day.
Disney's Myst Island
Disney even had plans to build a “Myst” Island to replace Discovery Island in Disney World. A limited number of guests would “have been dropped off by boat early in the morning and then picked up in the late afternoon. Their mission was to explore the ruins scattered around the 11 acre island to try to figure out what happened to the island’s previous occupants.”
If that doesn’t sound like the ultimate immersive escape room experience, I don’t know what else would be. This was back in the early 2000s, long before the escape room phenomenon. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out, and Discovery Island remains abandoned even now.
4. The 7th Guest
Another OG CD-ROM game that put the format on the map is “7th Guest.” This game puts the player in a haunted mansion. From there, the player has to solve puzzles to reveal what happened to the guests of the evil toymaker who once lived in the mansion.
Why It is on Our List of Top 8 Puzzle Video Games
Creepy and atmospheric, with some devilishly hard puzzles, this was a touchstone of the genre and definitely has influenced some of the creepy elements of Trap Door’s games.
Early Escape Room Inspo?
A few years back the company tried to launch a Kickstarter to fund a third game in the series. The plan was to buy the house the haunted mansion is based on and turn it into a haunted attraction. However, it failed on all counts.
Puzzles? In a haunted mansion for real? Very “escape room.” Maybe the idea was just a little ahead of its’ time.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
I could put almost any “Zelda” game on this list, but “Ocarina” was a standout as an early Nintendo 64 edition that really captured what the system could do.
Early Escape Room Inspo?
Anyone could see that some of the puzzles you needed to solve in Zelda: Ocarina are very similar to the styles escape rooms use today, especially Trap Door’s own “F5 Tornado Escape.”
Just don’t break any of the pottery you might find inside one of our games.
6. The Curse of Monkey Island (1997)
Along the way you fight other pirates, ghosts and ghost-pirates (or is that pirate-ghosts?). You do this using only your wits and objects you pick up along the way. In this particular chapter, you must find a way to remove the curse on the engagement ring you’ve given Elaine. The picture above of the game pretty much sums up the entire series, the ghost pirate LeChuck does something to Elaine and you have to foil him and get her back.
Why It is on Our List of Top 8 Puzzle Video Games
These games rely heavily on out of the box thinking to advance, a great trait for an escape room. Another part I remember involved another duel (on land this time) where you had to choose a weapon from a box of guns. The problem is, you can’t beat your opponent in a gunfight.
You actually have to (20-YEAR OLD SPOILER ALERT) close the lid of the box and reach for the violin behind it, only then can you initiate the sequence that leads to victory. Who would think of that? Not me, I needed help from a friend who had played it, but it’s a great sequence that makes a lot of sense after the fact.
7. Mission: Mix Up (1980s)
I’m pretty sure this is the first video game I ever played in computer class back in elementary school. In fact, I feel like part of me has been trying to match the experience ever since. You’re stranded on an island (or planet maybe?) and need to find different chemical elements that you must mix together to overcome the obstacles presented to you. You must brave the hostile landscape until you come to the point where you can make a hot air balloon and fly away.
Why It is on Our List of Top 8 Puzzle Video Games
But the real charm of “Mission: Mix–Up” was the seeming randomness of the screens in terms of what obstacles you faced and what limited amount of chemicals you obtained.
Getting the right combinations of things during a playthrough (within the time frame of a computer class) was always frustrating, but that one time I did it was a huge triumph. It was all about the joy of discovery and opened the door for the kind of reward-based gaming we have today in both video games and escape rooms.
8. Batman: Arkham Asylum (2007)
No list of our influences would be complete without a Batman reference (Tone literally wanted to be Batman when he grew up). I don’t think I really need to sum up the plots of this one, but “you’re Batman on one of his worst nights” does the job in one sentence and covers every game.
While not strictly a “puzzle” series, the games do include ways of problem-solving that have been very informative to some of the physical elements of puzzles we have done in the past. Each game has it’s Riddler Trophies, where Batman has to use his unique talents and gadgets in a certain combination of ways to outsmart the Riddler and obtain each one.
There is also the “Predator Challenges” where Batman has to stalk and eliminate a group of enemies in certain ways while remaining undetected. These tactics certainly influenced our “Bogeyman” game, but in ways I cannot mention in public. Play it in Full Fear mode to find out what I mean.
Concluding Thoughts
It’s because of these games that we approach escape rooms differently from most companies. We look at them more like a live-action video game, where you are the character. This only works because we put a story to the game, giving you a reason to be there and a goal outside of “get out in an hour.” Each puzzle must make sense within the world of the story or we don’t put it in.
But don’t take my word for it, watch these handsome fellas explain it in detail:
Mentioned Experiences
You are a Paranormal Investigator trying to recover missing children taken by the Bogeyman.
$45 Per Player
There are 60 minutes to escape the theme at $45 per person plus tax. At a minimum of 1,000 square feet of playing space, this theme is sure to provide a thrilling adventure. This Poconos Escape Room is three times larger than the average escape room experience. All bookings are private.
The City is locked down and it is up to you to find a cure for the Zombie virus.
$50 Per Player
This Zombie Escape Room spans over 10 rooms and 2 Hours at $50 per person plus tax. These are the largest Escapes in the country spanning upwards of over 3,000 square feet of playing space. All bookings are private.
A Tornado is heading straight for Todd Farms. Get to the Barn and strap into the water main pipes to ride out the storm.
$39.99 Per Player
You have 60 minutes to escape the theme at $39.99 per person plus tax. At a minimum of 1,000 square feet of playing space, these themes are sure to provide a thrilling adventure. 3X Larger than the average Escape Room Experience. All bookings are private.
Trap Door Escape Company
Trap Door Escape Room has 4 locations: 3180 Route 611 in Bartonsville, PA in the Poconos; 60 White St. in Red Bank, NJ; 34A Speedwell Ave. in Morristown, NJ: and 77 Wind Creek Blvd in Bethlehem, PA. The Red Bank location was the first of the 4 locations, opening in the fall of 2015. Morristown followed in the summer of 2017, and Bartonsville opened during the holiday season of 2018. Wind Creek is currently undergoing construction and will be opening in September 2022.
History
The idea came to Tone Purzycki back in 2011 after he wrote a screenplay that developed into a live-streaming game. The game revolved around an actor trapped in a situation and the audience had to solve puzzles to figure out where he was trapped. The “Find Me Event” had more than 1,000 people playing over the course of several hours. After the success of several other streaming events, the idea of an escape room was born.
Location
Each location has different rooms from which to choose. Our Morristown location is home to Day of the Dead, Witch Hunt, and The Greatest Freakshow. In Bartonsville, you’ll find Cure Z, F5 Tornado Escape, Fear the Bogeyman, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, We’re All Mad Here, and Prisoner Z. In Red Bank we currently have Everest – our first 2 story escape room. Ripper of London is also available at this location. Our pirate themed games will soon be open at Wind Creek.
Trap Door Escape Room also offers team building, streaming events, and birthday parties. For more information on any of our games, prices, and locations, explore our website or call 570-234-3366