PopUp Games
Bespoke Puzzle Adventures
World famous explorer Montgomery Huntenbeast had travelled the far reaches of the globe, but nothing he discovered ever intrigued him like the Jackalope. He spent years in central America trying to capture the creatures so he could return to quiet Suffolk and release them into the woodlands. After much trial and error, he found the only sound that would tame the ferocious beast was the tinkle of a small bell. That bell became his prize possession and he kept it locked in a chest in his library.
This year at Folk East we gave the guests the chance to finally get into the chest and see and use the famous bell themselves. Using snippets from the great man's diary, teams had to decipher the clues, explore the festival site and visit Montgomery’s favourite pubs and shops. They had to find and reach out to his favourite band and visit the woodland where he released the Jackalope all those years ago. Each diary entry led eventually to a single digit, once combined giving all the information needed to unlock the padlock and ring the bell.
For Steve’s seventieth birthday his partner threw him a costume party in the Tide Mill Museum in Woodbridge and they wanted some unique entertainment to go with their fascinating venue. We designed a quick 30-minute(ish) puzzle adventure that could be played multiple individuals or teams whilst enjoying a drink and still having time to have a dance and enjoy a slice of cake. The clues led party guests over the three floors of the museum, incorporated the interactive displays and challenged them, not only to test their knowledge of the birthday boy but also learn a bit of local history.
His first inkling that anything was going on was when Kris opened his front door and found Envelope 1 sitting on his doorstep. Inside was a message welcoming him to his Birthday Puzzle Adventure and a secret code. He had a few steps to complete in and around his house, one that led to a video message recorded by some close friends that moved to New Zealand a couple of years ago, before heading out into the village. First stop in the village was a BBQ and then a bike ride to a friend’s house for a giant game of Hive. Of course we included a trip to the local pub where there was a pint waiting once he had said the right silly phrase. Then the reason we called the adventure Krisfest, with the help of some friends we set up a ten-minute rave in a barn. He had to ring the party line for directions, the answerphone message recorded by an old university friend that now lives in the Philippines, and then make his way to the secret location. Filled with friends, flashing lighting, banging tunes and so many balloons he danced his way to the last clues and a shining meeple trophy. This adventure would not have been possible without the help of many of Kris’s friends and family who all wanted to create something fun, and memorable for his birthday.
joe@popup-games.com