#box one

[fiftytwotwentyfour]

Puzzle 52: Box Two

Created by Theory 11

Presented by Neil Patrick Harris

Puzzle Classification: Escape Room/Box

Difficulty Level: N/A

Price: ~ $35 (box was gifted to me)

Review:

I am having a full circle moment.

Box One was my First Puzzle of the year (as well as one of my top favorites) and now I am closing out the year on Box Two...

I am/was a bit in awe as I didn't even know Box Two was a thing... or at the very least a completed project.

Jumpin' In - all I can say is, "Yes, Yes, and Yaas!"

I am in Love with everything!

The mechanics, the tricks, the puzzles, the codes, the clues, the riddles, the digital interaction.

The only immediate negative thing I could mention - and it is kind of nitpicky, but true - I can say... is this box is very intricate that you better be prepared - by "be prepared"... I mean make sure you are in a well furnished home with or close to gadgets as you will definitely need access to household items not included in the box... so, ya know... don't expect to complete this Box on some Outdoor Camping Trip.

Now, with that negative comment out there - I am now going to walk it back - those moments where you need to access gadgets or utilize a household item - My Jaw-Dropped. I Giggled in Glee. I Made My Friend (in the next room) Drop Everything they were doing and had them Watch the "Magic" that was about to be Revealed!

Another Added Plus - Nothing is Destroyed! Everything can be Rassembled, Boxed-Up, and Shelved neatly on your Mantel of Triumph!

This Box, This Puzzle.... This Piece of Art is of the Highest Quality & Craftsmanship and has Me Hungry for more.

Just... Wow!

I'm in love...

Quite Possibly the Best Puzzle of the Year...

Total Completion Time:

2hr06min45sec67ms

Hints/Clues Used: (Zero)

Items Not Included / Needed:

Flashlight

Paper & Pen

Smart Phone/QR Code Reader

Access to Internet

Access to Hot/Cold Water

Personal Rating: 9.5/10

2024 Puzzle Record: 47/53

[thetalkingboxes]

[thesociallyanxioussociopath]

Something something, living rent free in my mind and such, anyway I love them.

[lunacornfan2k25]

One of my favorite things about Neil Patrick Harris’s puzzle boxes is there’s always a video of him where he playfully scolds you and everytime it has me like 😳

[do-you-know-this-queer-character]

Do you know this queer character?

Castiel is Queer and Agender or Genderfluid, and uses varying pronouns based on presentation!

[transannabeth]

if you opened discord’s april fools day loot boxes how long did it take you to get all the items? it took my friend 18 boxes but me 65 and i want to see how bad my luck is

[teaboot]

Teaboot, you cant be eating your spaghetti out of ziplock bags

give me one legitimate reason why, if I know that I will not be able to wash a tupperware container before it is irredeemably ruined, and posess within myself an incapacitating aversion to my kitchen sink, and knowing that I do not give a cubic ounce of a shit what strangers think of me, I should not transport cold spaghetti in a ziplock bag for mine own consumption

[bixels]

There's no such thing as overpreparing for love.

Happy (late) Rarijack Valentine's.

[crumb-crumblet-s-crumbington]

"Why did I do that?"

close up

[magicicephoenix]

i finally finished reading I see you, Sundrop! by @shirajellyfish and IT'S SO GOOD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO FINISH IT RAAAAAAA

i will be gushing about it in the tags but here's a lil animation i made based on the below paragraph in chapter 6 that gave me such a strong mental image that i had to make it real :)

[tsuki--sora]

i will slowly post my stuff here :3 this is one of my fave works so far!!

[fiftytwotwentyfour]

Puzzle 1: Box One

Presented by Neil Patrick Harris

Created by Theory 11

Puzzle Classification: Table Top Escape Room

Price: ~ $35 (I did receive it as a gift)

*** This Tabletop Escape Room was Brought to You by Nerd Gummy Clusters, Monster Energy, and Path Water ***

Jk - Just my choosen game fuel. Sadly, I'm without sponsorship...

Review:

If any of know me (especially from my ol' book blog) I tend to collect books and forget about them without ever reading them.

Apparently games/puzzles are no different.

I received this box couple holidays ago as a gift and I just shelved it - but - to be fair I was a bit preoccupied with other engagements/challenges - but - I am happy to state I am glad I waited and devoted my full attention to Box One.

I have purchased other Theory 11 merchandise before (mainly playing cards) because of their high quality and craftsmanship. I can easily report Box One is made of the utmost quality. Items inside were crisp, durable, and hold high production value.

I've done Tabletop Escape Rooms in the past and their in game mechanics are typically flimsy paper or janky cardboard. Inside Box One you will find cards made from heavy cardstock and items made with heft. Another classy touch - the game provides you paper and a pen so you need little to no outside items*.

One of absolute favorite thing about this box is the was that I didn't have to "destroy" anything - aka - I was able to repackage the game and I can share with an unsuspecting friend/family member.

It is made for the use of solo play - which for me is great because available/willing friends are few and far between - but if you are more popular than me you could still play with a couple of buds and still have blast.

Another area were Box One superceeds other basic Tabletop Escape Rooms is that the gameplay is mostly linear - you feel like you have a clear directive even as you have a "story/mystery/issue" yet to unravel - what I mean - as you play you actually feel like you are progressing with the game where as other escape rooms I've played in the past you just open up a box and haphazardly slap mini puzzles together while racing an arbitrary clock. Box One is a gem that you can comfortably/leisurely play in one or two hour/afternoon session.

As I have already said the quality and production value are top notch, but I did find one in game mechanic slightly irritating as it put a damper completion time. I did manage to find a work around and dive right back into the enjoyment of the game.

If I had to state any other cons - I would say some of the "challenges/mini games" almost - almost - boarded on being too tiresome. If they would have mixed things up a bit more, maybe shortened them up a bit, and/or added one or two more mechanics it would have been absolutely stellar game - near impossible to top.

Don't get me wrong - it was still awesome - I found it to be on the eaiser side. How things unraveled truly is what kept it compelling and engaging.

Completion Time: 2hr36min43sec91ms

Hints/Clues Used: Zero

Items Not Included / Needed:

Phone/Computer with Internet Connection

Fridge/Freezer

Flashlight/Light Source

Personal Rating: 7.5/10

2024 Puzzle Record: 1/1

[thetalkingboxes]

[leafyeyes417]

Summoning fix it

Danny accepted being Ghost King when he was 20. Why 20? Because at that point his human half was looking more fae than human. At least he got that growth spurt and reached 6 foot 5. But the pointed ears, catlike eyes that glowed, fangs, and glowing freckles along with his height made him stand out.

Sam and Tucker, the two most liminal humans up till that point, were only better in that their eyes only glowed when emotional and that they didn’t have freckles. The trio had decided that they were more infinite realm denizens than living and they moved in to Danny’s new castle.

Accepting the throne was chaos. Especially with the observants constantly trying to butt in after he cut their power. They tried many things to keep him busy, including trying to bury him in centuries of old paperwork. Unfortunately for them Danny was not going to put up with that.

He sent out a message looking for any ghosts whose obsession was being a secretary. And there were more than he expected. After screening he chose a few and let the rejected ones know that he would set something up to help them later, but first he needed to straighten things out.

During all this Danny ended up summoned. He was annoyed that any regular old joe could just summon him. He was the Ghost King! He had more important things to do (even if it was just playing video games) than answer every summon request at other people’s whims. There were a multitude of dimensions out there, who knew how often he could be summoned?!

The trio quickly got to work and created a summon circle that first, allowed him to send someone in his stead, and second, prevented forced summoning if he declined answering.

Calling on more ghosts, he found one that grants wishes, and unlike Desiree, has no horrible consequences as long as a price of equal payment is made. He then wished all summoning circles to summon the ghost king from the point in time of his ascension be switched with his new one.

After that, he assigned one of the secretaries to be the one to answer the summons. He made a list of things to outright decline, and if they were unsure they were to call him and ask.

That’s how the Justice League ended up finding out that there was a new Ghost King. Constantine was particularly annoyed when he realized the switch with the summoning instructions. Luckily they weren’t on such a time crunch that they didn’t have the time to get the new materials needed.

Upon completion of the summoning, a female humanoid in a professional suit floated, and spoke “I am Penny, secretary of Ghost King Phantom. What is the subject of your summons?”

[secretdazedragon]

[umblrspectrum]

so like is it specifically planets the solver craves or can it get by with just eating dirt off the ground