Take a seat
Location: Sydney, Australia
Date Played: March 14, 2024
Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 2-3
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $55 AUD per player for 2 players, $50 AUD per player for 3-6 players
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: The game is fully seated, at least 1 player must be able to reach some low shelves
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
The Cool Space designed Seance around an uncommon premise: players are seated for the duration of the experience.
This decision was smart; it allowed The Cool Space to more quickly launch their first game in a small space with a compact yet polished set, without overextending their design abilities or budget. As escape room players increasingly come to expect more expansive and immersive environments, The Cool Space used their unique format to their advantage. The gameplay was thoughtfully designed around the seated constraint, taking advantage of our places around our table as well as layers of elegant decor in the surrounding environment.
While Seance showcased many original ideas, it also included a questionable number of elements bearing strong resemblance to distinctive props, puzzles, or production techniques from other top local escape rooms. Imitation is flattery, perhaps, yet going forward, I strongly hope that The Cool Space will focus on further developing their own personal style.
Image via The Cool Space
Of the 500+ escape rooms I've played to date, I've only encountered one other seated game that was actually marketed as an escape room: the now-closed Spellbound Supper at SCRAP in San Francisco. Plenty of puzzle hunts and ballroom games are mostly seated, yet bear much less resemblance to a standard escape room. There are countless clever design directions one might explore within the subgenres of seated games and games with small-yet-clever sets, and I'm frankly surprised there aren't more experiences in these economical styles.
If you're in Sydney, Seance is small but mighty and well worth a visit.
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