When I was a kid, back in the late 80s/early 90s, my father and I participated in the local Indian Guides program, which eventually led to Cub Scouts where things kind of fizzled out in Middle School. That’s besides the point. Just like the scouts, the Indian Guides participated in camping trips in and around Central Florida. Places like Moss Park, Lake Mary (the camp ground is now a shopping center and has been for some time) and Hontoon Island to name a few places.
On these camp outs, my buddy’s dad used to tell me wild stories about animals to see how scared I would get…and well, I wasn’t really the skittish type, but when you’re in a boat and he tells you the alligator is going to jump in and get you, I was a bit unsettled by it.
Or when he tells you of Armadillo Pete (literally just an armadillo he saw), it kind of rattles your 5 year old brain. I can honestly say though, that if he had brought up something like the Skunk Ape, it may have ended my camping trips much earlier than Middle School.
Venue: Rabbit Hole Escape Games
Location: 5205 N Florida Ave. Tampa, FL 33603
Website: https://www.rabbitholeescapegames.com/
Cost Per Person: $29.00 per player (public) or $34 per player (private)
Game: Shadows of the Skunk Ape
Difficulty: 3 out of 5 (per players’ perception)
Room Capacity: 8 allowed; 3 to 4 players seemed very optimal
Game Duration: 60 Minutes
Type: Gen 1/Gen 2
Rooms at Venue: Currently 2 Traditional Escape Games + 1 Mini Golf/Escape Game
Rooms Completed: 59
Cryptozoology is the study of mythological creatures and “con” is short for convention. Naturally CryptoCon 1984 is a convention for those who find mythological creatures to be fascinating and it just so happens to be held at Cabbage Lake State Park. What’s so unique about the state park? Legend has it that a mysterious creature (Skunk Ape) roams the grounds but nobody really knows for sure. Regardless, with these kinds of rumors and mysterious aura, it IS the perfect place to hold CryptoCon.
What is a Skunk Ape though? It is not a skunk. Or is it? Is it the Ape of the Skunks? Is it an Ape that smells bad?
All jokes aside, the Skunk Ape is the Florida version of the Bigfoot…or the Sasquatch…except after reading more on Wikipedia…IT DOES SMELL (and I wrote the previous paragraph before looking).
Back to the story: You and your group are rangers in training and it is reported that a mysterious item has been stolen during the CryptoCon Event. With an impending thunderstorm approaching (as I’m writing, it is pouring outside because Florida), it is up to you and your team to retrieve that mysterious, stolen item and help guide the campers to safety.
Before I even begin to describe the décor INSIDE of the game, our group was led to an area, which I wrongly assumed was the beginning of the game. There were no door ways that led us in, but because I have played games in the past where you actually have to break into the first room, I kind of felt that this was it. I was thankfully (due to the massive amounts of material in this area) wrong, however, the first wave of nostalgia took over as brochures from Central Florida attractions of the past lined shelves, along with glass casings filled with items and retro style bulletins lining the walls.
And then we were led into the actual game. Naturally you were in a Rangers Station, but not just any Rangers Station. Decked out with pictures of native-to-Florida wildlife, wood-lined flooring and ceilings and walls and desks and covered desks and cabinets…everything was made of wood. And I wouldn’t have it any other way, as yet another wave of campout nostalgia swept over me. The atmosphere took me back and forth between my childhood and a dorky 35 year old who has a knack for escaping rooms and solving puzzles.
And the feeling continued in the most positive way as we made our way to a camp ground which can only be described as magical in appearance. The lighting, the trees, the fire pit, the creatures and the noises they make. Some of the games to be found along the way were also very retro-in-appearance.
As you make your way for cover (my job here is to NOT spoil any surprises), you discover where the thieves are hiding and the dilapidated appearance felt like it belonged to a bunch of bumbling and crooked criminals.
What’s even better is that mostly everything in the experience served a purpose. No stone was left unturned (even if some things were meant for a Bonus Puzzle).
If the décor wasn’t enough for you to love this experience, the puzzles complimented the story and the setting perfectly. They felt organic and true to the time period and the location. Each new location implemented the available space and objects to perfection.
To me, the puzzle difficulty in the experience started out somewhat on the less difficult, but very practical side. With every step taken and with new discoveries, the puzzles became more intricate and exciting.
The only puzzle that felt like a give me occurred early on in the game. Looking back, it helped further the story line of the Skunk Ape and his or her willingness to help you retrieve the stolen item.
I can safely say that most of the puzzle/step execution in this experience is in a league of its own along with the presentation. I would say about 70% of the way through the experience, while solving one of the multi-stepped puzzles that involved visual and audible sound effects, I almost ruined the solution by shouting “this is freakin cool” during the process. After 59 games (I know, that’s not a lot for some readers), completely unique puzzles still occur; however, to get me to stop in awe while solving it, is a rare feat these days. What made it even better is that it totally fit in exactly with the evolving storyline.
One last puzzle mention: During the third act of the experience, another multi-faceted puzzle involved a hilariously placed item being used to alter the environment and ultimately solve a puzzle. It quite possibly could’ve been completed by a single person, but it is our opinion that at least three people are required to complete this task in an efficient and non-tedious manner. It’s also my opinion that this was an awesomely presented task.
Before we could be washed out by the impending Florida monsoon (it is STILL raining as I write this), we were able to, with the help of our friend, the Skunk Ape, retrieve the stolen item, find shelter and alert our ranger friends about our location…all in a day’s (60 minutes) work.
I loved this game. I loved the surprises and tasks that we encountered along with the evolving storyline. Of the three games we played on May 20th, in Tampa, Shadows of the Skunk Ape will go down as my favorite of the day and most definitely in my top five, if not top three of all time…because for me, I give it a 10 out of 10, which is the third room I can say this for. I may have written 21 (this being 21) reviews up to this point, but out of 59 played games, this would probably be the 4th or 5th game I can give a 10 out of 10 score.
I thank Amy for dealing with my constant inquiries prior to this three game day experience and being patient with me while I was dealing with the logistics of our itinerary. She was a fantastic host and game master and we hope to be back as soon as we can to finish the epic of the Skunk Ape and play Alice’s Tee Time.
Sarah ranked it a 9 out of 10
Brian gave it a 7.7583 (to be fair, 8 is his highest ranking so far)
Chris gave it an 8.3 out of 10 (I don’t even know what that means)
And now enjoy a few pictures of “real” Skunk Ape sightings:
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