Tao Room Escape: Japanese Massage Center (Game duration 90 minutes)
Fury team: Nush Krasteva, Ivan Minchev and Nadezhda Danabasheva
Fury time: 70:00 minutes
Date: February 4, 2024
I was warned this game was weird, but I could never anticipate what would come next.
We enter (with a delay). We find ourselves in a room decorated with Japanese screens, and a voice with a heavy Japanese accent informs us that we will play barefoot. After Ice Tiki, I have no problems playing barefoot anywhere, not to mention that after playing Tao, a requirement for all rooms where you play barefoot is to be designed with at least as much humor as these two. This room made me happy.
After they told us to get rid of our shoes, they informed us that we could take socks (they have all sizes and they are branded; at the moment, we each have one pair as a momento). They told us to undress, which we didn’t do. After a short pause, they invited us to take a kimono from the hangar, still mentioning that playing in underwear is more comfortable but not a requirement. Ivan grabbed the pink kimono before the end of the sentence; later, I found out why he wanted to play…
…which, judging by the result, he managed to achieve. Shunsui Kyōraku is a character from Bleach, a manga series about a boy who sees spirits. Kyoraku combines an informal style with ease and often appears as a playboy. Professionally, however, he is a powerful and dangerous shinigami who does not hesitate to act when faced with danger. Like Shunsui, Ivan did not stop at anything, and in this room, he gave it his all while jumping, climbing, solving puzzles, singing, and blowing in the pipes. And while receiving a foot massage. It’s a long story…
This room pays tribute to the Japanese culture in a significant way. Every detail, every puzzle, every hieroglyph is authentic, in the right place, and with the correct message. The game master constantly intervenes with some comments, but it does not hinder us in any way; on the contrary, it adds to the overall experience. The puzzles are great, including logical ones, speed challenges, and interpretation puzzles. I learned various katana fighting techniques, and I think I’m a natural.
In the end, we chase the green dragon (the jokes on him work as well as the one on the hacker), unravel the mystery of the secret technique (not for massage), and manage to escape exactly 3 seconds before our time runs out.
In the bathroom, there was a Dragon Ball comic book 👊
We laughed out loud; this room just makes you feel good. One of my all-time favorite rooms.
I don’t know why it’s ranked 70th on Terpeca; I would place it in the top 20 at least.
Our photos ⛩️🌸🏮🎐👹