October is here again, intrepid readers, and welcome back to The Fog Report. I would be remiss if I didn’t pick up where I left off last year, even with the world a significantly changed place since the last time we stepped into the fog.
The impact the pandemic has had on the haunt industry has certainly been felt, and Halloween will be losing quite a bit for it. Gone this year will be walk-thru mazes, scare zones and most immersive theater experiences. But if there’s one thing many of us won’t give up, it’s finding ways to celebrate Halloween in creative ways, and many have adapted fairly quickly to the realities of life with COVID-19. Though I wondered if I’d even get to do these reports this year, now I can say I’ve opted into two or three experiences to see how seasonal entertainment is adapting to the challenge while keeping all involved safe.
For this season, we start with about as much distance as one can get: a virtual, interactive experience held over a video call. Shelby Bond, the creator of last year’s superb show The Shadow Space, invited me to “go on an adventure” through his new online endeavor, Mind’s Eye Adventure Party. Individually scheduled and booked, these adventure parties - for kids and adults respectively - are set up to bring groups of people together over a Zoom video call to engage in what is essentially a lite role-playing game, garnished with elements of a scavenger hunt and - in my case - a little bit of a quiz challenge with a team.
This particular adventure had us inadvertently traveling back in time to Scotland in 1743 and getting caught up in the struggle between the British and Jacobite rebels. Bond himself - in full costume and with a Scottish accent to match his screen name of “Malcolm” - served as our guide through this, playing equal parts narrator and game master. Through the roughly hour-long experience we had to dash around looking for household items that would help us in our quest, roll dice to determine the outcome of some experiences, and put our knowledge of Scottish history and culture to the test. Luckily for us, all of us survived and made it back to our own time intact, though I wonder how things would have gone if some of us had rolled badly.
Anyone who has played tabletop RPGs will find a lot of this very familiar, as it is essentially a more accessible and rules-lite game. The emphasis, however, seems more on trying to build a sense of immersion and fun. Everyone was called on to participate in parts but the experience was more guided and less full-on roleplay, which allowed for a decent balance between those who enjoy showboating (like me) and those who might be a little shyer. I thought Bond did an excellent job taking us all on this adventure and making it memorable, while rolling with a few curve balls thrown out by various members of the group. Costumes are encouraged, and while I brought along a tartan scarf and flatcap I didn’t get to use my flintlock pistol replica (though I did get to wrestle a redcoat to the ground and dispatch him with some martial arts, essentially).
All in all, I am very interested to see where things go from here. Other themes and stories are planned, including a Horror-themed experience beginning October 10th that will probably be of great interest to readers of this blog. If they hold up as well as this sojourn through Scotland did with a little imagination, I think these virtual escapades are well worth going on. Big thanks to Shelby Bond for having me on board for this adventure.
As for me, I’ve got a few other adventures planned. Stay safe my friends, and I’ll see you in the fog.
For more information, call (323) 524-8998 or visit the website, www.Adventure-Party.com.