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Escape Room

The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us (Capsule Review)

Laura Hess

• 1 min read
The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us (Capsule Review)
This screengrab shows a row of thumbnail images at the top: a group of four players, each in separate locations, are laughing. Underneath them is the view inside a diorama. The setting is a riverbank, with three bridges. Villagers are on both sides of the river and each bridge is the tongue of a different animal statue on the other side of the river. The mood is ominous: the scene is bathed in deep violet light, which emphasizes the neon orange of an angry looking mushroom king.
Photo: Cara Mandel

[Original publication: No Proscenium, 10/19/21]

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No Proscenium may not be known for “morning routine” or “productivity hack” articles, but if you’re looking for possibly the best way to start your day, one which is relentlessly charming, creative, with puzzles recommended by experts, and includes 150% the daily dose of punny camaraderie, you’ll want to book a spot for The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us by Headlock Escape Rooms.

It’s a hero’s journey set in a miniature world, complete with interactive puppets accompanied by original music and songs. The stakes couldn’t be higher: every 1,000 years the evil Mushroom King awakens and threatens villagers and their animal-based existence. Will The Guardians step in to support The Keeper on their quest to save the villagers? And will The Guardians stop laughing long enough to focus on the critical tasks at hand?

Conducted via Zoom, the production is an excellent example of creators continuing to navigate our ongoing, pandemic-altered entertainment landscape. As some escape rooms reopen their physical spaces and audiences weigh their screen fatigue, The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us embodies an escape room experience that can only happen via a remote, screen-centric format. The result is intentional and delightful experience design.

At the end of the day, life is unpredictable. However, The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us offers a few guarantees: there are no questionable morels (okay, only one), it’s impossible to be spored, and if you’re in truffle, help is on the way!