1304 – Fun Getting Out of Rooms | Bored Game Unboxing

Episode 1304 – Fun Getting Out of Rooms | Bored Game Unboxing

 

[START OF RECORDING]

 

SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who, once again, can't think any…who’s glad you’re here. I can't think of anything silly to say, but I can think of something real to say; I’m really glad you’re here. This is a podcast that’s very different. It’s here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep. This podcast is more like a service or a friend in the deep, dark night than a podcast, and it’s really not here to put you to sleep; it’s here to keep you company while you fall asleep. It does take some getting used to to get used to the show, or it takes a couple listens for most people because when you get here, if you’re anything like me, you’re skeptical, you’re doubtful.

 

If you’re anything like me, then you’re probably…you’re irritable, you’ve been trying a lot of different stuff to sleep, you’ve probably spent a lot of money on a lot of different sleep stuff, and now you’re like, this guy’s gonna…wait, what are you gonna do? I thought this was a sleep podcast. Where are the chimes? Where are those bowls? Here’s a question I don't think…I mean, I probably…what are those bowl…are those bowls made of brass? ‘Cause we could probably make a tongue-twister about it, but probably not right now, 'cause I’m supposed to be starting the very beginning of a sleep podcast. Those are the…they say those bowls sing. This brass bowl of mine…I don't know if I’ve ever seen a shiny one. Talk about idealized bowls. I mean, I do like a bowl.

 

I mean, I do like a singing Tibetan bowl, but those singing bowls of mine, they don’t…normally when they’re idealized, they’re not shiny. In fact, the more…whatever, opaque? Not opaque, but…anyway, welcome to Sleep With Me, by the way. This is not…I mean, there is…there are tongue-twister…my tongue is twisted and this podcast does contain tongue-twisters, but…yeah, welcome to Sleep With Me. This is a podcast to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. Believe it or not, this is just the welcoming of the podcast. I do go off topic. What we got coming up is support so the podcast can come out twice a week for free, then a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime, and after that, support, and then it’ll be a bedtime story.

 

Tonight it’ll be a board game…a multiple-board-game…not board games, but things like board games. It’ll be a unboxing or opening of games meant to be played…it’s similar to board games; they just don’t have boards. But, oh boy, will…you may…you’ll be somewhere between bored and asleep…and maybe talk about brass bowls later. So, anyway, welcome to Sleep With Me. I really am glad you’re here. I really hope this podcast…if you’re new, you could give it a few tries and see how it goes, and that it becomes…you say, oh, I had no idea I was looking for something like that. So, I’m glad you’re here, and the way the podcast is possible are the people that support the show directly and support these sponsors, or you could spread the word about the podcast, and that’s how we keep the show going. Thanks.

 

INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. That could be thoughts on your mind, things you’re thinking about about the past, the present, the future, about bowls…I mean, there are people that do listen at 4:20 p.m. and a.m. that are thinking about other kind of bowls, and then there’s…there’s a popular bedtime podcast called The Empty Bowl. That’s about cereal, which I love; cereal with a C. But what was I saying?

 

Oh, thoughts may be keeping you awake. It could be thoughts about the past, the present, or the future, or all of them, it could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally related to those thoughts, feelings that are left over from the day, feelings about something coming up, feelings that are just there. They say, my feelings…they never say, ‘surprise’, but they appear in that way, and it never feels like…it feels like whatever…well, actually, it feels like…I’ve probably talked about this before; my feelings do surprise me in a way that if I was actually at a surprise party, deep down, I would probably…I’d be like, oh, this is too much pressure. So, I guess my surprising feelings are not surprising at all.

 

‘Cause I’d say, please don’t have a surprise party for me, because I don't think I could…then I can't…if it’s gonna be a surprise, I can't…I could still try to…I’ve never adequately prepared for anything anyway emotionally, but I don't think I could prepare for that. So, it could be feelings, it could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, you could be going through something, you could be getting over something, you could work a different schedule, you could be traveling or have guests. There’s a lot of different things. You could be going…be in the middle of something. Maybe you need a break from work. Whatever it is that’s keeping you awake, the reason I kinda go through that stuff is to let you know you’re not alone, right, though it may feel that way, it may actually be that way.

 

Maybe you have a roommate, maybe you’re in a place with a bunch of other people, or maybe you’re not. But for some reason, when I can't sleep, no matter how many people are around, it feels that way for me. Now, maybe it feels a little bit different from you…or for you; I’m sorry. But however it feels, I may be able to relate to how it feels, whatever’s keeping you awake, even if I haven't experienced it. I may be able to see you and see how it feels and say, yeah, no, I know what you mean. I know what you’re talking about. Not only that; there’s enough people listening right now that somewhere in the world, there’s someone out there who can really relate to how you feel, to really relate to whatever’s keeping you awake. They’ve been through something.

 

They’re somewhere else and they’ve been through something similar, and they are really glad you’re here, because when they found the show…if they became a regular listener, at first they were like, what is this show…? I don't get this. I’m not so sure about this podcast. But then as they became a regular listener, I kinda said earlier…I say, wow, I never knew I’ve been looking for something…I was never looking for this my whole life, but I was, and I’m so glad I have this podcast that doesn't make any sense and that just goes on and on and on. It’s here to keep me company. So, they’re thinking for you, I’m really glad you’re here.

 

I hope this show helps you the way it helped me, and not only that, that one day you could hold that same space for somebody else when they get here and welcome them in a different way, right, because we’re just sending it across the deep, dark night. But you say, wow, I’m really glad you’re here, for the next person. So, that’s one of the reasons I’m glad you’re here, is because I know how it feels, right? The other reason is more important and it’s more about you. It’s that you deserve a place where you could get the rest you need. You deserve a bedtime where there’s not as much rigmarole, a bedtime you don’t have to dread, that you don’t have to start dreading on Friday, right, going to sleep on Sunday night. That’s what it used to be like for me. How am I gonna get to sleep Sunday? I got Monday coming up.

 

Ideally, if you become a regular listener of this podcast or you move on…you say, man, I loathe you and I loathe this podcast, don't worry. We have a website set up; sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, and you could check that out. That has other sleep podcasts and other sleepy stuff on there 'cause even if you don’t like me or the podcast, what I’m saying still holds true. I really hope you can find that this show or something else out there helps you get the sleep you need so your life is more manageable, and eventually you get the rest you need where you’re living your life and flourishing. That means our world’s a better place to be in. Now, I already got mixed up of where I was in the intro. I think where we’re at is how does this podcast work…I send my voice across the deep, dark night.

 

I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents, which means I’m gonna go off topic, I’m gonna get mixed up, then I’m gonna forget what I was talking about, then I’ll get mixed up by…what is that thing called? A tongue-twister. I’ll have brass bowls going around in my brain, and then I’ll think about the movie Brassed Off, and I’ll remember watching that movie, and then I’ll try to pronounce one of the people from that movie’s names that’s alliterative…Pete…and then I’ll say, I don't even know. I can picture his last name in my head, but I can't say it. Then I’ll say, wait a second, aren't I supposed to be introducing a sleep podcast? Oh yeah, 'cause this is a podcast that you kinda just barely listen to. You can pay attention but you don’t need to.

 

It’s kinda like a out-of-focus picture or sand running through your hands, a TV on in the other room or down to a low volume, just a subtle background noise that you can tune in and tune out of. Tune into it when you need to and tune out of it when you’re not paying attention to it. So, it’s just a podcast that you kinda listen to, and it’s also…believe it or not, even though I’ve been making the show for over eleven years and it’s a sleep podcast — and that was kind of a new thing back then, the idea of bedtime stories for grown-ups or whatever — this is a sleep podcast that’s not here to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep, which is different, right? I’m here…there’s a reason the shows are over an hour, because there’s no pressure to fall asleep with this podcast.

 

I’m gonna be here for over an hour. There’s over 600 — I think — episodes in the archive that you could listen to and queue up if you need to, make a playlist of, 'cause I’m here to the very end whether you’re awake or asleep, because there’s people listening who need a break during the day who listen or who can't sleep at all or who turn the show on in the middle of the night or whatever. So, I’m here to the very end whether you’re awake or asleep, whether you’re listening or not, or whether you’re tuning in and out. I’m here to keep you company, be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bore, your bore-bestie, your bores, your Borer in Chief, your bore-bestie, your bore-bruh, your bore-sib, your bore-cuz, your best bore-friend f’eva.

 

What that means is I’m just here to talk for your…kind of like a service to you, but you don’t really need to listen to me. As my nana once said…I have a nana that lives within my brain. When I start talking about stuff like brass bowls…and I say, do you think I could sing that…? Or, did the Beastie Boys ever sell brass bowls? They may…was there a Beastie Boy who was a Buddhist? I think the possibility…is it a 33% chance or is it…? Probably higher. I’d say…I’m not even joking; I’d say 80…I’d say the chances of one of the Beastie Boys…have practiced…I mean, well, if it says…practice any Buddhist…anything tangentially Buddhist, I’d say 99%. Has any of the Beastie Boys…? Is this a quiz show now? Well, I guess so. Have any of the Beastie Boys been a practicing Buddhist?

 

Say, well, then you’re getting into technicalities, so I’ll put that at 70%. But if we get…set the technicalities aside, I’d say 80, 80%. What does that have to do with a sleep pod…?  Well, I was thinking about brass bowls, and…because they’re just on my mind. Then…I don't…oh, 'cause there was a Beastie Boys song. Not that song This Little Brass Bowl of Mine. Here’s a thing; you know what actually goes with those syllabes? This little brass bowl of mine, I’m gonna make it whine, make it whine. But it’s not really…then you’d need a sleep podcast to explain it 'cause you’d have to say, well, I’m not really actually trying to make it whine like…I realize there’s very few positive instances or uses of the word ‘whining’, but this would be one.

 

You’d say, maybe if you were writing some sort of fiction or something that’s taking place on the Great Plains at night, you’d say there was a whine of wind. The whine of the wind…and then maybe if you were a creative writer and not a sleep podcaster, you could make it sound positive. But this would be…so, this is all fictional in my imagination, but if you were the greatest…let’s just say you’re not a Tibet…you just…well, I’m…I don't consider myself…I’m not trained in the Tibetan bowl-playing. I just play brass bowls.

 

When I do…when I’m not playing a brass bowl, when I’m getting ready walking around my place…'cause sometimes I like to have my…sometimes I like my bowls at different temperatures; hand-warmed, room temperature…put it outside; sun-warmed…winter-cooled bowl, man, a totally different sound than…a bowl in the springtime sounds totally different. I call that organically tuning the bowls. By the way, if you’re into any of this stuff, I’m not making fun of it. I’m just contemplating it, just writing some fanfiction about an imaginary Tibetan bowl-player. Or, no, they just play the bowls, but they do…that’s what…in my head, at least, they’re walking around, holding their bowl, whatever the device is. I don't know what it is.

 

It kinda looks like a mortar of a mortar and a pestle, but maybe they use…this person sounds like they’re into experimental bowl-playing, 'cause maybe they even shine…they say, oh no…yeah, they say don’t shine your bowls, but I’ve shined a few in my day. But yeah, so they…but they…oh, this took me four minutes to say. They walk around saying, this little bowl of mine, I’m gonna make it whine. But they mean that positively, not like they’re saying, this…because when you get…this is another set…talk about overusing the word ‘technicality’, but technically, this bowl’s whining. I don't know what to tell you. I love it, and I love it when it whines.

 

Okay, I thought of another example, though; an engine…people that love engines, they’ll say this engine whines, and they’ll mean it positively, too, though they could be using it as a description when they’re diagnosing stuff, too. But you may have tuned in for a sleep podcast and so, you’re in the right place, 'cause this is a podcast that goes off topic and gets mixed up. So, I’m here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. There’s no pressure for you to listen, no pressure for you to fall asleep. I’m gonna be here for over an hour. If you’re new, I always like to explain what the structure is and how to adjust, because most people listen to this ad-supported show linearly and they really…that’s how they listen.

 

A lot of people use a sleep timer, but there are other ways people listen, so I want to talk about that for a second and why we structure the show the way we structure it. So, the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, then I go off topic and I say something which I thought…I don't know, somehow I got off topic pretty early. I thought that was how it works; I didn’t think I had anything to go off topic about, and then…I don't even know how brass bowls got in my head originally. Some part of my brain said, they’ve been there all along. I say, okay, now who’s whining? Some part of my brain…oh, boy. But so…oh, so that’s the beginning of the show so you feel seen and welcomed in, you say, okay, I get the tone of that podcast. I think I could check it out.

 

Then there’s sponsors that support the show. A lot of them are based on listeners supporting them. If you prefer a ad-free version, you can get that on Sleep With Me+ or, via our referral program, you could get it for free just by referring people to the free podcast. But most people listen linearly and they like to listen that way. Then after that is a long, meandering intro separate from the support. It’s a show within a show. Oh boy, tonight it’s been, because this is the first fictional bowl-player I’ve ever remembered today in the intro of the podcast, so…they may have been other ones. But the intro goes on and on and on because for most linear listeners, the intro does not put them to sleep. There’s a couple percentage of people that are falling asleep, but for most people, the intro eases them into bedtime.

 

People are getting ready for bed, they’re in bed getting comfortable, or they’re doing some kind of wind-down activity, chilling out, because having a wind down is just what’s been shown to work, right? It’s to ease you into bedtime, to have a buffer so that you don’t have that pressure to just fall asleep, right, that you can ease into bedtime. If you prefer just the stories of the show, you could get that on Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me. Or if you listen all night long or you really like to customize stuff, you could get all that at Sleep With Me+. But that’s what the intro does. I guess you could skip it, but you might as well just listen to Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me. Then after the intro, obviously, is support so the podcast can go out to everybody, and then it’s our bedtime story.

 

Tonight we’ll be looking at a couple different get-out-of-the-room games you play at home, kinda like puzzle, mystery-solving games that I got from this company that’s sponsoring the show right now. So, that’s pretty cool. Maybe it makes a cool holiday gift. Or, I’m looking forward to playing some of these games over the holidays with my family, and that’ll be…all told, we’ll be here about an hour. So, again, and you could…you could set a sleep timer; forty-five minutes or sixty minutes. Some people listen all night long. Some people listen to the show in ten or fifteen-minute bits. So, if you’re new, just see how it goes, 'cause like I said, it does take some getting used to. So, just give it a few tries and see what happens. There’s no pressure to like me or the podcast, but it does take a few tries.

 

That’s just what the majority of regular listeners…I mean, people think I’m joking, but at least on a weekly basis I do get a e-mail from somebody that supports the show — and normally it’s somebody that supports the show annually at like $120 a year or $240 a year, so they really want to support the podcast — and they say, I listened to your podcast two years ago; I loathed you, but I was like, huh, it’s different. Then two years later, somebody else said, hey, did you try that podcast ever again? Then I tried it again, and then on the third try, I realized, oh, he is kind of like a brass…he is…when he’s talking about brass…he doesn't know what he’s…he barely, totally, 100% doesn't know what he’s talking about in the best way possible.

 

So, just give it a few tries and see what happens. If not, at the third try, check out sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou. But I’m really glad you’re here. I really appreciate you checking the show out and coming by. I work hard on this show, really hard. A team of people do. We all yearn and we strive. We really want to help you fall asleep. So, thanks again for coming by, and here’s a couple of ways we’re able to do this for you twice a week. Thanks.

 

Alright, hey everybody, this is Scoots, and this is a board game unboxing where a…what do you call this? Get-out-of-these-room boxed…unboxing of get-out-of-these-room games. I got all three of these games from one of our holiday sponsors you may have heard about on the show. Yeah, so, I’m gonna be unboxing these games one at a time, though not in the same way because I can't…because I’m playing…I’m playing these games with family, I can't unbox…like, open up the secrets. So, we’ll see how this goes. But the first game is from Ridley's Games. It’s called…it’s…and it also says ‘timescape’, and it’s helping out old Will Shakespeare. It’s a red box about the size of a case of DV…like a DVD boxed set, if you know what that is. It’s red.

 

It has some kind of steampunkian graphics on there, and it is…it says, Year 1600. Destination; England. So, maybe this is a series? I don't know. We’ll see on the back of the box. Travel back in time. It also has William Shakespeare, but it says William Fakespeare. He’s behind a window that seems like it’s closed, and then there’s another forest friend dressed as the bard. Then it says, get out of this…it’s a get-out-of-this-room game. 1+ players, 12+ ages, sixty minutes…so, that’s the cover of the game. Then on one side it says the same thing, and it says…okay, this is interesting.

 

So, on the back of it, it says 1+ players, 12+ ages, 60+ minutes…difficulty is somewhere between easy…it’s on the harder side of easy, but they really…they kinda use a horseshoe as their difficulty level with, I don't know, different…it’s kinda like measuring steam or something. So, Easy is green, then in the middle of the top of the arch of the horseshoe is Tricky, and then on the right side of the horseshoe is Hard! with an exclamation point. This is right at the border of Easy and Tricky. So, it’s…it’s not Shaving Shakespeare. That’s a different…that’s a whole different…that’s a episode of Sleep With Me After Dark. Just so I could kiss his face; Shaving Shakespeare. Shaving Shakespear…believe it or not, the Hallmark Channel did not want that for any…they said for any season.

 

I said, what about the season of the bard? They said, Shaving Shakespeare…and I said, well, it could be a show about shaving. They said, are…? Then I said, is anyone there? Hello? They said, this call is being conducted in your imagination once again. Alright, so, here’s the taglines for the game. The fate of the world’s greatest playwright…no…they just say it straight up…rests in your hands. Travel back to Elizabethan England to help William Shakespeare from a sinister plot that has him behind a window for something he did not do. It’s gonna not be good for his reputation, either. This immersive get-out-of-this-room game challenges you and your friends to help the bard and his works. Test your skill, logic, cunning, and teamwork as you work together to decode the clues and uncover the truth.

 

Once you completed your mission, you can regift this game so others can share the experience. Now gather your fellow adventurers. The show must go on. There’s six locations to explore. It comes with six puzzles, one decoder, one hint-and-answer sheet, one score sheet, and instructions. It’s Ridley's Games. They have more games. They have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. They also have this on there. That’s 'cause it’s for getting-out-of-room games. So, we’re gonna open it up. Hopefully I won't…I don't think I’ll spoil anything for myself. Yeah, so, that’s the box. I’m gonna put the box to my side, and I’m gonna make sure…I don't know, I don't want to be spoiled. Okay, this one says, do not open until instructed, so…interesting. Oh yeah, so, there’s Act…oh, interesting; it comes in acts, A-C-T-S.

 

So, we’ll look at these first, but we won't open them 'cause we’re not being instructed to. So, there’s the Curiosity Shop, and it’s Act I. It’s open. It smells really good. I mean, like fresh paper print. On the Curiosity Shop, it has a sign above it that says, Curiosity Shop. There’s two arches that kinda look like eyebrows saying, hm, are you curious? Then it says, Open, but do not open until…it says Open above the door like it’s a real shop, and ‘do not open until instructed’. It has a glass door with a big window and then two windows above the main window. As well, as to the side of each side of the door are windows. So, you can see in the shop. It has nice shelves. It’s curious; there’s a vase, a bottle, a couple books on the right side. On the left side; a vase…oh, it’s a mirror image.

 

I don't think this has anything to do with the clues. Then in the center windows I see a bell, I see a moon, a candle that’s lit, and some other stuff. The door is a beautiful…it’s got some…it’s a wood door. It has wood grain. I don't know what color I’d say this is. Slate blue, maybe? Slate gray? But…oh, and then the back side has more of the shop windows. So, I don't know if we’re…I don't know, how come the…? Yeah, most stores don’t have back windows and…but this store does, unless it’s the side windows or a continuation. But that would be cool. If I have a store, I’d like it to have back windows. I guess you couldn't have a place where then you go to get away from everybody, but you’d have natural light. Okay, and in these windows we see more of the shell…more cubbies than shelving, I guess.

 

The Curiosity Shop is…cubbies at the Curiosity Shop. This curiosity shop has cubbies. There’s a hanging jar, books, a couple spoons, big spoons, maybe wooden spoons, there’s something that looks like a forest friend on a hat, a sculpture, there’s a lamp, a lot of different-shaped bottles, a hanging bauble, maybe a hanging pocket watch? Three candles that are lit…they seem like LED candles, obviously. I guess back then…but you say, you can't put a candle in a cubby. As soon as you learn your ABCs, you say, candles in cubbies? No. I guess on the top shelf of a cubby? But, yeah, what else do we got? A lot of bottles and books and other things I can't quite identify, but that is the Curiosity Shop. Act II takes place on the docks, D-O-C-K-S. Okay, so, it says D-O-C-K-S, and it has a code to open, which I won't describe, obviously.

 

So, you need to solve a code which has three different symbols. This is for Act II. It has a stone archway and a stone floor and…oh boy, we do have a back window, though. Now, in this one, we still have…what is this, a cobblestone…? Yeah, cobblestone, not cobblestome. Cobblestone floor, and there’s a forest friend on the ground saying, hey, I’m looking for some crumbs. You got any cheese? You familiar with Tom and Jerry? Because I’m friends with one of them. You’d be surprised which one. I say, really? I mean, probably Tom. He’s more relatable. So, yeah, but outside the back, you could see…maybe you’re looking out the dock office? The office of the docks; yeah. ‘The dock office’ would be confusing. But it’s a nice, arched window. It’s got three keystones on the top. It has a windowsill all made of stone.

 

It’s raining outside. You say, typical London, man. We see one thing of the docks that’s metal that you tie your rope to. There’s a sailboat out in the water — it’s not tied to the dock — going to our right, and then on the horizon in the shadows is another sailboat looking like it’s going to our left. There’s three clouds in the sky against some mist. So, you have…I don't know. Again, I’ve never learned my cloud expertise, but…three clouds, some birds. The water’s also…let’s see if the water compares…okay, the water is comparable to the slate gray. It’s a little more blue than…but yeah, interesting still. So, those are the docks. I just dropped those two on the floor. Okay, next up is Act III, Saviors’ Place of Practicing Belief Systems. It also has a code to open it, and a very nice door.

 

We’re not supposed to open it ‘til instructed, but it has one of those doors that’s metal with steel with really nice…whatever those things are that hold on the doors. What are those things called? The door-swingers? What are those…? Not…the doorjam is what the door jams into. Hinges; those door…are those called door hinges? Maybe. It’s got bolts and stuff. It is…it’s one of those doors that’s shaped like a surfboard. I’m sure there’s a more delicate way to put it, but…and that kind of arch that has nice columns on the sides of the door like you’d expect at a place where belief systems are practiced. The arch matches the shape, and the columns kind of also match the shape of a surfboard. Never thought of it that way ‘til now when I was trying to describe it.

 

I don't see a handle on the door, but again, this is a mystery…there’s your mystery. Mystery solved; Act III…there was no handle on the door, Shakespeare said. Then he called Scooter a knob. I said, what do you mean? He said, well, you’re not in…in England we’d call you a knob. I say, okay. Then we see some stones. I was looking forward to looking out the back window of the place where you practice belief systems, but it’s just stone, but it also has the…kinda one of the things for this type of game, timescape…oh, Timekeepers Incorporated. So, maybe that’s who we’re joining, which would be cool. The lore of the game…I wonder if there’s any games involving Dickens, 'cause I mean, I love the Dickens Fair. Another thing I like about the back is that there’s different-size…what is the church made of, blocks?

 

They’re not called…like masonry bricks or whatever? Stones, I guess, stone, and they’re different; some are cubes, some are rectangles. They have different shades. They’re all kind of…is that ochre? I don't know, not white and not beige. Well, I guess they’re beige, different shades of beige. There was a band that had a one…I don't know if…I think it was a one-hit wonder. It was called Deeper Shades of Beige. I think that was in the late eighties, early nineties. Okay, so, then we have a little packet with hints and answers, which we don’t need or we don’t want to open, and it’s just a little…like a brochure-size thing. Hints and answers in here. Okay, then we have the decoder thing which you kinda take apart and you use to decode things. I’m just trying to figure out…compare your code to the one on the next envelope.

 

If they match, you can open it. If they don’t, then try working with the code again. On this side, it says Decoder Machine. On one side there’s symbols. On the other side there’s numbers. You kinda do it like it’s a machine. That’s fun. One, two…one through ten, three code wheels of one through ten. I guess I could go through the symbols. There’s a plus, there’s a cross, an X, there’s a diamond with a cross in the middle, there’s a starburst, there’s a rectangle with a cross, there’s a equilateral triangle pointing up, equilateral triangle pointing down, there’s a diamond with no cross, there’s a circle, there’s a square. Did I say there’s a diamond with no cross? Yeah. Any other symbols I’m missing? I think that’s all the symbols. Does that make ten? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Yeah. Matches up.

 

Okay, the last piece of information is…oh, wait…okay, it’s…this one is…this is the start of it. It says, your mission starts here. On the back side it says Timekeepers Incorporated. It’s very cool. It’s like a fancy book. Could feel like it’s a really nice hardcover book even though it’s just instructions for a game, and it has really cool symbols on it, kinda steampunky. It says, your mission starts here. Not…remember; it’s Helping Shakespeare, not Shaving Shakespeare. That sets things up. Yeah, welcome…you up for some Shakespearean shenanigans? So, even without shaving Shakespeare, there’s alliteration. Okay, let’s make sure we’re ready. So, it gets you ready. You got the decoder sheet? Great. Put it together. You’re gonna need it.

 

Grab some paper and pencils you’re gonna need to make notes as you progress, then…otherwise you’re gonna write in the game and no one else can enjoy it. Then as you go through each puzzle, you’ll need to enter a three-digit code into that fancy decoder and then flip it over to see if you could go on to the next act and check it out. You’re free to open the next envelope. If they don’t match, have another go. Need a hand? Use one of the hints we’ve provided. If you’re stuck, we’ll give you answers, too. Just remember, this should be fun. Don’t get…it’s supposed to be fun. They point this out multiple times. Okay, prepare yourself for a tale full of twists. We hope you have fun. Go to this next page. So, I’ll go to the next page. I’m not gonna try to spoil anything, but let’s see.

 

Okay, so, it’s a classified mission brief, so I’m breaking…I’m already out of Timekeepers International or Incorporated. I’ve broken classification. This came out May 16th…or May, 1600. It doesn't say the day…date and time; 15:40, so, I don't know if that’s gonna be part of it, but that’s…twelve plus…3:40 p.m., London, England. It’s to all-time agents or all time agents. All-time agents or all time agents? All time agents. It’s need-to-know-only, internal memo. There’s a Renaissance time distortion. This is from Doctor von Krono, PhD…and a bunch of other stuff I can't read 'cause I don't have my glasses on. It shows where it is on a map. Those are our coordinates. It’s got some other stuff that I’m sure comes into play later. Greetings, fellow time helper. Hey, this is your day off. Get back to Elizabethan England.

 

There’s a letter going on. Read the letter, then return for the mission brief. Now, okay…oh, so, read the letter. I’m gonna only…I’m gonna make up an entire version of the letter just in case somebody decides to play this. Okay, this is from Thomas to Edward. Hey, yo, Ed, what up? Why are we…why do you talk like Scoots? Well, because he’s trying to make this letter not like it’s really…but something in the city…you know how nice our city usually is? Something great didn’t happen to Bill. He…this dude was…on Thursday last, this guy said, yo, you got some papers. Those aren't your papers. They even said, the bar is barred. That’s actually from the letter. I had to use that. It was at the inn where he was staying at. Yeah, so, the person…somebody else said, that’s my…those are my papers.

 

I never heard of the dude. He said he’s working on a play that Bill took from him, and Bill’s jealous of him. I don't buy it, man. Maybe it’s similar. Maybe it’s just happenstance. There’s a million sleep podcasts now, but a lot of them are their own version. So, it doesn't…these things happen. But, yeah, he’s…Bill said he’s only seen him once before, and that wasn’t even…that was at the Curiosity Shop. So, anyway, man, you gotta help my friend out. Can you resolve this posthaste? So…okay, so, then we go back to the instructions. You could…if you’re playing the game, you’ll have the real letter. Then I’ll just paraphrase this one, too. What, you say? How did this happen? We gotta fix the timeline, man. They haven't…it hasn’t rippled out yet.

 

That’s why you remember all those great plays, but it won't take long, so jump back there and fix it. We’ve discussed the horse and the cart…oh, we’ve disguised the machine as a horse and a cart. Just remember to feed the horse. Go to that curiosity shop, because it’s mentioned in the letter. Time is ticking. There’s a couple different symbols on there. I don't know if they’ll play into the game or not. So, that’s the first game. The second game I got is called…so, this is…so, that’s the Shakespeare one without getting into any more stuff. The second one came in a game box. It’s called Madame Medora’s House of Curiosity. So, a lot of curiosity in these get-out-of-house games. This one says it’s a collection of mysteries, puzzles, and odd and interesting stuff.

 

It is a get-out-of-this-room game from Madame Medora, so she must have more than one game. It’s from Crated Games. Ages 14+. Okay, so…one to five players, sixty to ninety minutes to play. On the cover there’s two butterflies. There’s an MM for Madame Medora. There’s a couple of clasps like it’s a real box. The butterflies are next to the thing, and then this shop also…curiously enough, all curiosity shops are required, apparently, to have cubbies. So, this has cubbies from this curiosity shop. There’s a lot in the cubbies, too, to go through. How many cubbies are there? Great question. Not many people take the time to ask that. One…that I can see, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty…about twenty-two.

 

What can you see in those…? Well, that’s a good question. I can't see all of them 'cause I can only see some, but in the top-left, I can see a fan and a sea shell and something else. Below that…and actually attached to the wood, I can see a necklace that’s not…that’s hanging from a cubby post? I don't know what you’d call it, a cubby…the front of the cubby. There’s a necklace, just a…kinda…not enough detail for me to see. Below that, though, is what looks like an orchid in a…not a jar, but a orchid with a glass dome over it. To the right of that, above it, is a globe, and we could see the continents of Africa and then a little bit of things attached to Africa, and then also another sea shell. To the right of that is a statue of an eagle and some books. I wanted to say bird books, but I can't see what the books are.

 

To the right of that are three jars. One is filled with green stones, maybe, or some sort of…maybe a wintergreen mochi ball? Then another one is a amber liquid labeled 6, and then to the right of that is…it’s tough to identify if it’s paper or something. Below that are one, two, three, four, five butterfly paintings inside frames, a blue one, lavender, light blue, green, and orange. So, not in the ROYGBIV traditional pattern. To the left of that is…you know when you go…? It’s a yawning whale. Okay, below the butterflies there’s a clock that you’d have as a centerpiece. It looks like it’s set to about 8:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m. To the right of that is a number…a ticket number two. I don't know if this box itself has anything to do with it. Inside a glass dome is a bouncy ball that you get out of a machine.

 

To the right of that looks like a toy car, but it’s only partially there. Below that, some sort of sculpture. I can't quite tell what it is. It has a number one tag on it. Oh, wow, this…these are two different companies and two different games, but to the left of that is a bust of Shakespeare. Above that is some books and another sculpture, then to the left of that is maybe a pendant and a necklace. It’s purple balls with a gold pendant. To the left of that is a double-decker bus toy car or toy bus. Above that are two horse sculptures that look like they’re playing like kitty cats, and to the left of that is a tag that says number five. There’s two sculptures for the autumnal season, and behind that, some piece of paper that looks like a ticket to a magic show.

 

Below that is something from a natural history museum, and then to the right of that, maybe another butterfly? I’m not sure. So, that covers the front of the box. Back of the box here…we got get-out-of-this-room in a box. In this get-out-of-this-room style box, you got a large estate from Madame Medora. She’s different. However, to get the inheritance, you gotta solve a series of puddles and riddles while spending one night in her curious home. If you do, treasure awaits. This one comes with six puzzles, twenty+ clues…it takes an hour. You could get more. They have more games. This was created with love. Then it has, okay, one, two, three, four, five envelopes; a yellow, a red, a very Navy blue, a purple, and a green envelope, then a welcome envelope, then maybe a letter-opener or…? Oh no, it’s a pen with feathers on it.

 

I don't know if it comes with the stuff. Then there’s another…those were all rectangular envelopes. Then there’s a square, gold envelope. Looks like there’s a picture on there, maybe. Then there’s also a gold envelope or a golden envelope that says, welcome to your something. Then there’s some butterfly cards. There’s also a pencil, and it looks like some sort of decoder as well, but it may be in some sort of envelope. So, now I will open the box, and…so, I’ll be right back. Okay, so, we have actually…we already have a mystery solved, which is interesting 'cause it has the cubbies from the front cover totally revealed. So, I don't know if it’s part…it may be a part of the puzzle, though. But I’m gonna go through these cubbies.

 

So, we…the first question that came up was…with my imaginary brain, was how many cubbies are there? Not that that’s important for the game, but, yeah, now we can get a full cubby count. Curious…we’re getting a cubby count. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen…whoops, I gotta start again. Let me go across. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen…oh boy, this is harder than I thought. Let me just go…one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, I think.

 

Let’s try one more in one direction. Oh, well, I’ll just read them off and then you could sleep…I’ll just read through them and then you could keep count as you sleep through me. Top-left is six books? No, nine books. The books don’t have anything written on them. One is red, one is blue, one is gold, one is brown, one is lime-green blue, a lime-green blue, kind of a rusty orange. I don't think we could see that one. Below that is the fan, and there’s three shelves with the fan, one of which is a nautilus shell. Below that is the necklace and the orchid. To the left of the orchid is two different cubbies, one with a oil lamp and then another one with a crystal-ball type thing. Then below that are the autumnal figures, but to the left of the autumnal figures is a toy car as well as that possible ticket into the magic show or something.

 

Then there’s something from…there’s two things from the museum of whatever I said, one with friends and then another one with a, quote…one that Edgard Allen Poe would have. Quote the raven, nevermore. I do figure this has gotta be in the game somehow, 'cause there are numbers in some of them. Then there’s a blue vase and then the globe with a shell, then the whale yawning with the number four, then the two horses that are playing like cats — they’re just statues or toys — then a…one of those winding music boxes or a box where you get a surprise with a number eight, then the double-decker-bus toy. To the right of that is the William Shakespeare bust, which says nine. Below that or above that is three…four books; gold, blue, red, dark color, along with a sculpture. Above that is the clock.

 

Above that is the butterflies. Above the butterflies on one side is a sculpture of somebody waving, saying, hey, how to, in a glass dome. It’s kinda got a mystical glow to it. Then there’s four books there. Then in the top is…I think this…I thought this was in the bottom last time, but there’s a feather pen and ink, there’s another sculpture, anatomical sculpture, and there’s a statue of the golden…one…golden eagle…is that the bald eagle? Number two, with a pendant or the thing with purple, then the three jars; green mochi, wintergreen mochi or whatever, something red, and then the other one looks like it’s green pea soup, split-pea soup. Then moving down is a…the dome with a bouncy ball. To the right of that…we couldn't see that one. That one is a hourglass and maybe a shell?

 

Then below that is a sculpture, a drawing of a butterfly, and then a jar with sand art but only red sand. Or maybe more of a magenta? Then below that are three books. Next up, I will go to Read This Before You Begin. So, it says, Welcome to the House of Curiosity’s get-out-of-this-room by Crated Games. You and your puzzle-solving partners — oh, boy — have got a state…large estate from Madame Medora. She’s different. She’s a little ODD, but you gotta solve the puzzles and riddles, and there’s a letter with this crate. You need to show teamwork and communication skills, and if you do, treasure awaits. If you get stuck, there’s a hint in…hints in the book to help you. Check out Pages 1 and 2 in the book. Look for set-up instructions. Don’t flip too far, Scoots, or you’ll spoil the fun.

 

Then flip this card over to get the instructions to begin your game. Alright, so, this says how to set it up. Take out everything in the box, including the tray, and spread it out at the table. Do not open any envelopes or jump ahead and read anything. It’s more fun that way. Just do what you’re told, it says, please, if you want to have fun. You’ll need to use all the items in this box, even the box itself, so make sure to keep a keen eye when looking for clues. Take out the square item cards without reading the backs and arrange them on the table. They give you a layout below that we’ll read through, 'cause it’s kinda…the order of the items does not matter, but you have to be able to see all of them. I wonder…kinda shaped like a cubby, too. Lastly, if you want to see how fast…you could use the link below when you’re ready.

 

This link includes a timer video which you can use to see how fast you are at getting out of there, and you can post it on social media. Who can do it the fastest? So, when you’re ready, read the letter from the representative of Madame, then open the welcome thing. Then it shows the grid so this way we’ll know how many item cards there are. It’s one, two, three, four, five by three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Five times eight is forty, I believe. So, a grid of forty cards that looks just like a cubby. Okay, then I’ll read the letter, but I’ll paraphrase it and make it up. Hey, by the way, this is an official letter. Dear everybody, we’re writing to inform you that Madame M. Medora III, hereafter we’ll call Client, who collected curiosities and enigmatic artifacts…is that alliteration? I can't even say it. Enigmatic artifacts.

 

You’re the heirs. There’s also cash money — I mean, this is imaginary, by the way — six big ones, and the residence known as the House of Curiosities, all items contained within. This is an extraordinary, unparalleled assortment imbued with otherwordly energies and other stuff. Please note that there is a condition, though. Much like Brewster’s Millions, you gotta stay one night — it’s got atmosphere and curiosities and feelings there — and you have to participate in a series of games, mysterious ones, and challenges. Success may lead to the liberation of everybody there. It might help…it might be of service to everybody that lives in the house on another plane, even the Client herself. If you don’t do it, it’s not gonna work out for anybody. You gotta get into it within thirty days. Even the name is kind of punny…a pun.

 

Okay, so, I’m reaching in. I’m not gonna open anything, but there is this…the envelopes are very substantial. The welcome envelope we’ll open first. There is actually a pen, like an old-style pen, there’s something like a decoder for things that are written in mystery letters, then very mysterious are the four envelopes I said, which are also…all substantial. None of them are labeled, so it’s like, you’ll just discover, I guess. Like, open the green envelope, the dark-blue envelope, the red envelope, or the gold envelope. Oh, wait; or there’s a black envelope. So, there’s all those, then there’s a box with pencils in there. I don't know if they’re color pencils 'cause they’re still…but it seems like they are. There’s a lavender blue, yellow, green, red…neither purple or black.

 

It has some mysterious decoding written on there, and obviously then there’s the symbols of the things with kinda…it looks like they go on filing cabinets. Then inside the box is…must be some way of arranging things. So, the only other thing to look at is the first two pages of the instructions, so we’ll do that, Madame Medora’s Hint Booklet, but let’s just see if there’s…I don't want to…how to use the hint book if you need a nudge…it’s okay to use the hints. Oh, and then it just tells you how to lay everything out. So, that’s that one. I don't want to ruin any of the mystery, you know? Then the last one I got is from Puzzle Post, and it’s called…yeah, I guess it’s okay to say. The name of the game is The Scandal, and it’s a get-out-of-the-room game in an envelope or an envelope.

 

This one is…so, it comes in a manilla envelope, a big one, and I think you could sign up for subscriptions to these ones and then they mail them to you every few months. It says, hey, you’re in a world of mystery and trickery. Solve the puzzles and get into the vault — it’s online, I guess — before it’s not…before you’re not in time. It says, perfect entertainment for families, dinner parties, and get-togethers. Sixty to ninety minutes. Ages; fourteen plus. One to eight players. Then the back…so, we’re not gonna open this one, okay? ‘Cause it says the game begins as soon as you open the envelope. Oh, this even says here…on here; it’s a gift-of-the-year finalist, perfect alternative to that holiday game of Monopoly. That was from The Telegraph. Okay, so, it tells the story, so we’ll set up the story and the instructions.

 

But yeah, this game begins as soon as we open this, so we’re not gonna open it. The cool thing about this envelope game is that it fit very easily for flying for the holidays or to mail to somebody. So, this says, Femi Banuve is a sports photographer. They stumbled across something going on at the Marseille Tennis Championships. People are up to no good, not winning honestly. There’s a bank of files and documents, and they’re using it against the tennis star. But we’ve got…Femi needs your help to disrupt the plan. Solve all nine puzzles Femi has left you. Get into the online vault where the files are hidden, and delete them all before time is up. Clues; clues are available online. There are multiple hints available for each puzzle, so you can choose how much help to receive and when.

 

Instructions; you gotta work together with your teammates. Come on, man, right? Solve the puzzles. Get into the password-protected vault. You’re gonna be required to think outside the box. In addition to the contents of the envelope, you’ll need a smartphone and the internet to complete your task. There’s nine puzzles to solve, which together creates a passcode. Enter the passcode online to access the vault and complete the game. There are two copies of each puzzle, so don’t read anything into it, though. That’s just so there’s enough for everybody. That’s also cool; so it can…so you can pass it on to other people to play. So, yeah, that’s it for those games. I’m excited to play them over the holiday season and, yeah, work it out, the…and if you’re interested, let me know. Maybe we could do that on the Sleep With Me+ Discord or something, play a game like this.

 

I know we have a listener at some point…who is a expert at these kind of games…and PG…and PG said at some point in the future we’ll get that. PG has a podcast about it, so…yeah, these are cool. Maybe I’ll check out more. Yeah, I’m excited to test it out. This was a sponsor…this isn't a sponsored content, so…but I got these through Uncommon Goods, so it’s like, maybe when this is coming out, they’re still sponsoring the show. Either way, check it out. If we have…we’re definitely gonna buy more of these games anyway. So, that’s cool, too. Yeah, I hope you’re all well, and whenever you’re listening to this in the season, snuggle in, get comfortable, and get ready to drift off. I’m always here to try to help put you to sleep and keep you company in the deep, dark night. So, thanks so much for listening to the show, and goodnight, everybody.

 

[END OF RECORDING]

(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)

Bored Game Unboxing

 

Brass History

https://www.3erp.com/blog/brass/

https://www.copper.org/publications/newsletters/innovations/2000/01/history_brass.html

https://oceanusbrass.com/blogs/blog/the-early-history-of-brass

 

Curiosity Shop

https://www.messynessychic.com/2024/06/07/a-brief-compendium-of-curiosity-shops/

https://commonplace.online/article/the-old-curiosity-shop-and-the-new-antique-store/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/605725/curiosity-shops-you-should-visit

 

Escape Rooms

https://www.fortfun.biz/blog/a-brief-history-of-escape-rooms/

https://theescapegame.com/blog/the-history-of-escape-rooms/

https://www.exittheroom.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-escape-rooms

 

Escape Rooms in a Box

https://paniqescaperoom.com/blog/escape-room-generations/

https://escape.buzz/article/evolution-of-escape-rooms

https://analoggamestudies.org/2016/03/emergence-or-convergence-exploring-the-precursors-of-escape-room-design/

 

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Once again, I can’t think of anything silly to say

Tibetan Bowls Made of Brass

This Brass Bowl of Mine

Idealized Bowls

Board games without boards

 

PLUGS

Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline

 

SPONSORS

Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Lumen; Uncommon Goods

 

INTRO

Thoughts about bowls

Shoutout to the listeners who listen at 4:20 am or pm

Also to The Empty Bowl

Surprise Feelings

I’m never adequately prepared for a surprise party

Someone listening can relate to how you feel

I hope you find something, even if it’s not this show

Explaining the structure of the show

Mixed up by a tongue twister

Brass Bowls

Remembering Brassed Off

Did the Beastie Boys ever sing about brass bowls

The chances of one of the Beastie Boys being a buddhist? 99%

I’ll settle for 80%

This little brass bowl of mine, I’m gonna make it whine

Positive uses of ‘whine’

The Whine of the Wind

Proper Singing Bowl Technique

Experimental Bowl Playing

My brain is whining about me right now…

Some puzzle mystery solving games from a sponsor

Not knowing what I’m talking about in the best way possible

 

STORY

Bored Game Unboxing

A get out of this room game

I can’t unbox the secrets because I do want to play these

Timescape

Helping out old Will Shakespeare

From Ridley’s Games

Is this a series?

William Fakespeare

On the Harder Side of Easy

A horseshoe difficulty level system

Shaving Shakespeare, now playing on Sleep With Me After Dark

Save the greatest playwright in the world!

You can regift this game afterwards!

I don’t want to be spoiled

Oh, cool, it comes in Acts

Act I: The Curiosity Shop

It smells like fresh paper

Two arches that look like eyebrows

A beautiful wooden door

How come more stores don’t have back windows?

Cubbies at the Curiosity Shop

A forest friend on a hat

Candles and Cubbies do not mix

Act II: The Docks

You need to enter a code, which I won’t spoil

Another back window

Cobblestone Floor

A forest friend looking for cheese

A nice, arched window

Typical London, it’s raining

A sailboat out on the horizon

Act III: Savior’s Place of Practicing Belief Systems

This is a very nice door

A metal door that also has steel

Door Swingers

A door shaped like a surfboard

Some nice columns, as you’d expect in a place like this

No handle on this door…

In England, I’d definitely be called a knob

I guess we’re joining Timekeepers Incorporated

I wonder if there’s a Dickens one of these

Is that ochre?

Different Shades of Beige

We’re not gonna open this Hints and Answers Brochure

A decoder machine you take apart

Let’s go through these symbols

We’ll need some note paper

You enter a 3 digit code

Remember: It’s supposed to be fun

Okay, I’m really gonna try not to spoil anything as I read

A classified brief from the 16th century

All Time Agents

Renaissance Time Distortion

Okay, I’ll make up a letter now to not spoil anything

Something happened to Bill

The Bard is Barred

Someone says Bill took his papers!

Figure this out post haste

We gotta fix the timeline or we’ll forget Bill’s great plays!

Go to the curiosity shop

So that’s the first game

Game #2

Madame Madora’s House of Curiosity

From Crated Games, Ages 14+

Maybe MM has multiple games?

All curiosity shops are required to have cubbies, I guess

Counting and describing cubbies

An orchid with a glass dome over it

A globe where we can see Africa

Many seashells

A statue of an eagle and some bird books

Jars of green stones

Wintergreen Mochi Ball

Framed Butterfly Paintings

A rainbow, not in the usual ROYGBIV pattern

Wow, this one also has a bust of Shakespeare!

Double Decker Toy Bus

Two sculptures of playing kitty cats

Two Autumnal Sculptures

A ticket to a magic show

A Get Out of the Room Box

You have to spend the night in Madame Madora’s house to inherit it

Various colorful envelopes

A pen with feathers on it

Square, Gold Envelope

Some butterfly cards

Time to open the box

I’ve already solved a mystery

Cubbies, Totally Revealed

A Full Cubby Count

It’s harder than I thought to count these cubbies

I think there’s 28

NIne colorful books

A crystal ball type thing

An Edgar Allan Poe bird is here

A winding music box or a winding surprise box

Split Pea Soup Dome

A dome with a bouncy ball

A jar with only red sand

Now we’ll read the instructions

Don’t flip too far or I’ll spoil the fun

Take everything out of the box

Don’t open anything!

Just do what you’re told!

Even the box itself will be used

You can time yourself and compare times

A letter from Madame Madora and a lawyer

Enigmatic Artifacts

Otherworldly Energies

You do have to stay here for an…atmospheric night

A box of colored pencils

Symbols for filing cabinets

Box #3 from Puzzle Post

The Scandal

This comes in a big manila envelope

Solve the puzzles and get into the vault!

Okay, we won’t open this because it starts the second you open it

You could easily transport this

Something is going on at the Marseille Tennis Championship

Delete these blackmail files before time is up

Two copies of each puzzle, for group play or for passing it on

I’m excited to play these games

Maybe we’ll play it on the Discord

Shoutout to our listener Peegee

I got these through Uncommon Goods

 

SUMMARY:

Episode: 1304

Title: Fun Getting Out of Rooms | Bored Game Unboxing

Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline

Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Lumen; Uncommon Goods

Notable Language:

• Brass Bowls
• The Whine of the Wind
• Experimental Bowl Playing
• A get out of this room game
• William Fakespeare
• On the Harder Side of Easy
• Shaving Shakespeare
• A-C-T-S
• Back Windows
• Cubbies at the Curiosity Shop
• D-O-C-K-S
• Door Swingers
• Ochre
• Different Shades of Beige
• All Time Agents
• Renaissance Time Distortion
• The Bard is Barred
• Wintergreen Mochi Ball
• Double Decker Toy Bus
• Cubbies, Totally Revealed
• A Full Cubby Count
• Enigmatic Artifacts

 

Notable Culture:

• • 420

• The Empty Bowl

• • sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
  • Brassed Off
  • The Beastie Boys
  • Buddhism
  • “This little light of mine” song
  • “Brass Monkey” song
  • William Shakespeare
  • Ridley’s Games
  • Hallmark Channel

• Tom & Jerry

• • “The Raven” – Edgar Allan Poe

• Brewster’s Millions

• Uncommon Goods

 

Notable Talking Points:

• Thoughts about bowls
• Shoutout to the listeners who listen at 4:20 am or pm
• Also to The Empty Bowl
• Surprise Feelings
• I’m never adequately prepared for a surprise party
• Someone listening can relate to how you feel
• I hope you find something, even if it’s not this show
• Explaining the structure of the show
• Mixed up by a tongue twister
• Brass Bowls
• Remembering Brassed Off
• Did the Beastie Boys ever sing about brass bowls
• The chances of one of the Beastie Boys being a buddhist? 99%
• I’ll settle for 80%
• This little brass bowl of mine, I’m gonna make it whine
• Positive uses of ‘whine’
• The Whine of the Wind
• Proper Singing Bowl Technique
• Experimental Bowl Playing
• My brain is whining about me right now…
• Some puzzle mystery solving games from a sponsor
• Not knowing what I’m talking about in the best way possible
• Bored Game Unboxing
• A get out of this room game
• I can’t unbox the secrets because I do want to play these
• Timescape
• Helping out old Will Shakespeare
• From Ridley’s Games
• Is this a series?
• William Fakespeare
• On the Harder Side of Easy
• A horseshoe difficulty level system
• Shaving Shakespeare, now playing on Sleep With Me After Dark
• Save the greatest playwright in the world!
• You can regift this game afterwards!
• I don’t want to be spoiled
• Oh, cool, it comes in Acts
• Act I: The Curiosity Shop
• It smells like fresh paper
• Two arches that look like eyebrows
• A beautiful wooden door
• How come more stores don’t have back windows?
• Cubbies at the Curiosity Shop
• A forest friend on a hat
• Candles and Cubbies do not mix
• Act II: The Docks
• You need to enter a code, which I won’t spoil
• Another back window
• Cobblestone Floor
• A forest friend looking for cheese
• A nice, arched window
• Typical London, it’s raining
• A sailboat out on the horizon
• Act III: Savior’s Place of Practicing Belief Systems
• This is a very nice door
• A metal door that also has steel
• Door Swingers
• A door shaped like a surfboard
• Some nice columns, as you’d expect in a place like this
• No handle on this door…
• In England, I’d definitely be called a knob
• I guess we’re joining Timekeepers Incorporated
• I wonder if there’s a Dickens one of these
• Is that ochre?
• Different Shades of Beige
• We’re not gonna open this Hints and Answers Brochure
• A decoder machine you take apart
• Let’s go through these symbols
• We’ll need some note paper
• You enter a 3 digit code
• Remember: It’s supposed to be fun
• Okay, I’m really gonna try not to spoil anything as I read
• A classified brief from the 16th century
• All Time Agents
• Renaissance Time Distortion
• Okay, I’ll make up a letter now to not spoil anything
• Something happened to Bill
• The Bard is Barred
• Someone says Bill took his papers!
• Figure this out post haste
• We gotta fix the timeline or we’ll forget Bill’s great plays!
• Go to the curiosity shop
• So that’s the first game
• Game #2
• Madame Madora’s House of Curiosity
• From Crated Games, Ages 14+
• Maybe MM has multiple games?
• All curiosity shops are required to have cubbies, I guess
• Counting and describing cubbies
• An orchid with a glass dome over it
• A globe where we can see Africa
• Many seashells
• A statue of an eagle and some bird books
• Jars of green stones
• Wintergreen Mochi Ball
• Framed Butterfly Paintings
• A rainbow, not in the usual ROYGBIV pattern
• Wow, this one also has a bust of Shakespeare!
• Double Decker Toy Bus
• Two sculptures of playing kitty cats
• Two Autumnal Sculptures
• A ticket to a magic show
• A Get Out of the Room Box
• You have to spend the night in Madame Madora’s house to inherit it
• Various colorful envelopes
• A pen with feathers on it
• Square, Gold Envelope
• Some butterfly cards
• Time to open the box
• I’ve already solved a mystery
• Cubbies, Totally Revealed
• A Full Cubby Count
• It’s harder than I thought to count these cubbies
• I think there’s 28
• NIne colorful books
• A crystal ball type thing
• An Edgar Allan Poe bird is here
• A winding music box or a winding surprise box
• Split Pea Soup Dome
• A dome with a bouncy ball
• A jar with only red sand
• Now we’ll read the instructions
• Don’t flip too far or I’ll spoil the fun
• Take everything out of the box
• Don’t open anything!
• Just do what you’re told!
• Even the box itself will be used
• You can time yourself and compare times
• A letter from Madame Madora and a lawyer
• Enigmatic Artifacts
• Otherworldly Energies
• You do have to stay here for an…atmospheric night
• A box of colored pencils
• Symbols for filing cabinets
• Box #3 from Puzzle Post
• The Scandal
• This comes in a big manila envelope
• Solve the puzzles and get into the vault!
• Okay, we won’t open this because it starts the second you open it
• You could easily transport this
• Something is going on at the Marseille Tennis Championship
• Delete these blackmail files before time is up
• Two copies of each puzzle, for group play or for passing it on
• I’m excited to play these games
• Maybe we’ll play it on the Discord
• Shoutout to our listener Peegee
• I got these through Uncommon Goods