Headlock Escape Rooms: Rise of the Fungi (Play at Home)

A 100% Must Play Game. Seriously. Play It!

The spirits of Toadstool Forest have gathered a team of protectors, or Shepherds, to protect their forest.  You will guide Paxillus through this wacky realm to put a stop to the terrors that have plagued the forest.

Online avatar games are a rarity now, let alone brand new ones. To say we were excited when we found out that Headlock Escape Rooms were releasing a new game would be an under statement. If you’re not familiar with Headlock, then you must check them out. They’re a company who don’t have physical premises and now offer two incredible play at home experiences.

We played the first game by Headlock, ‘The Keeper & The Fungus Among Us’ (TKTFAU) all the way back in 2021 and had no clue that they would be releasing a new game. Rise of the Fungi is tied to the original but it’s actually a prequel and gives you the background on what led to the events that featured in TKTFAU. But fear not, you don’t need to play either game to enjoy both of them – but we would definitely recommend playing them both, they are simply incredible.

We played the original game with our friends Amy and Ian from Brit of an Escape Habit, and it only seemed right to team up again for the prequel. We were so keen to play that we actually booked ourselves in to play on the first night it was available.

The best quote for this game comes from the Headlock website, and it is 100% accurate…

It is just as much of a show as it is an escape game.

CONCEPT/EXECUTION

The man behind Headlock, Joel is a true master of his art. He has created an experience that is truly unrivalled in the escape room sphere. This is an experience that is more than just an escape room. It doesn’t just have great puzzles, but it also has original music and impressive cut scenes.

Our time in this magical world was delightful and we thoroughly enjoyed telling Paxillus what to do and who/what to interact with. He (Joel) listened to our sometimes stupid requests and always had the perfect response to remain in character and keep us immersed.

We got a little behind the scenes tour after our game and this only made it more impressive. The way Joel immersed us in this world and moved between locations was seamless. It’s always a risk playing an escape room experience on release day, but Joel absolutely nailed it.

Just like TKTFAU, Rise of the Fungi had us in hysterics throughout. I’ve no idea if Joel has been partaking in some magic mushrooms of his own, but how he created this spectacular experience is beyond me. I can’t think of a single way he could improve this experience, for lack of a better world it was *chef’s kiss* perfect.

PUZZLES

Being totally honest, the puzzles in this game took a backseat to the theatrics and the music. Saying that though, it doesn’t mean they were weak by any means, in fact quite the opposite. A number of puzzles did involve colours, but our resident colour-blind player had no issues with differentiating most of them.

The puzzles, which were all a joy, generally revolved around; observation, pattern recognition, logic/spatial relations, and even a bit of a quiz. At times it felt like one of those ‘choose your own adventure’ stories, where decisions we made seem to have a direct impact on how the game progressed.

I was just looking through the screenshots I took while we played and it reminded me just how great this game is. One particular part of the game reminded me of the old TV show in the UK from the 80/90s called ‘Knightmare’, it was delightful… “side-step left”.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

There was no overtly obvious clue system in Rise of the Fungi, but Joel is a masterful GM and finds ways to help guide you if you get stuck on anything. There were one or two moments where perhaps we were unsure of the direction to go in and just a simple movement by Paxillus, or a quick comment was always enough to get us back where we needed to.

Online games aren’t as common now, but when they were, a big thing was having an ‘inventory’. Something you could use to collect items and then use them at a later stage. Rise of the Fungi has an inventory system and once again it fits perfectly into this world.

As good as the inventory system is though, I’d recommend a paper and pencil just so you can jot down what you find. Paxillus will always show you the inventory if you ask, but it’s certainly a little easier to keep track of your goodies the old fashioned way.

Final Thoughts

The original was great, but this was greater. Rise of the Fungi is 100% a must-play game. I use the word ‘game’ but this is an experience if there ever was one, and it transcends puzzles and escape rooms.

If you’re a fan of retro video games, then this is the game for you. If you’re not a fan of retro video games, then this is still the game for you. This is a game that everyone MUST play – and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own sofa.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Number of connections: 6 players
• Price: £75
• Devices: Desktop/Laptop
• Platform: Zoom
• Inventory: Yes – and it’s great
• 360º View: No
• Time Zone: UK time

Final Rating:

Team: 4 players

Time Taken:  Not idea, but we loved every minute of it! (90 minute game)

Website: https://headlockescaperooms.co.uk/