PROLOGUE
The Bloated Toad
Welcome to the Bloated Toad, a tavern steeped in centuries of adventurer tales and Citywatch camaraderie.
While its reputation has ebbed and flowed through generations, it's now home to a unique challenge.
The tavern keeper recently made an unusual petition that caught the King's attention: an arcane Puzzlfy spell has recently cursed their backroom.
Because of this unique hex, the tavernkeep has suggested it be used as a training ground for all Kingsblades. This is a prime opportunity to hone your skills and earn some coin along the way.
Gather your team of Kingsblades and prepare to prove your worth!
Choose Your Character
Before each trek into the Bloated Toad, you will choose one of six unique characters. Each character has their own distinct puzzleline providing unique challenges for each player.
Replayability & The High Score
The Bloated Toad is designed for replayability! Experience unique puzzles that adapt based on the number of characters.
Not all puzzles need to be solved to "complete" this game; your goal is to achieve the highest score by collecting the most gold for the Crown.
Players are encouraged to discuss challenging puzzles outside the game and return to tackle them in future playthroughs, pushing for new records and mastering the Puzzlfy spell's ever-shifting challenges.
A Meta Narrative
This is Prologue in a series of 4 different games! If this is your first time playing at Next-Gen Escape, start with this or Chapter 1!
Want to learn more about The Bloated Toad?
Accessibility
Deaf and Hearing Impaired: Our games feature visual clues, and never rely on sound to complete. Text-based instructions are available upon request.
Wheelchair Accessible: Our rooms and facilities are designed to accommodate wheelchairs, ensuring everyone can navigate the adventure.
Adaptive Lighting: This game features thematic lighting which can be dynamically changed upon request to ensure everyone can enjoy. Flashlights can be found in the room to give players further control over the lighting of the game.
How many players at a time?
Bloated Toad can host between 1-6 players at a time.
We may allow groups of 7 to play, but space and puzzles are limited!
What's the minimum number of players?
The minimum number of players is 1. There are no puzzles in this room requiring players to be in two or more spots at one time. While it would be a challenge to do by oneself, it is entirely possible.
What's the maximum number of player?
The maximum number of players is 6. Space concerns aside, this game was made to be approached by up to 6 players at a time.
How is this game replayable?
Each time you play, you will choose a new character! Each has their own storyline and puzzleline to explore.
It's also hi-score based, where each time you play you will be trying to earn more coins than before!
What's the recommended number of players?
Since this game is hi-score based, the score you need to succeed is dependent on the number of players! As a goal, each group must bring in an average of 5 coins per player, however some groups may earn considerably more coin.
Are there special game mechanics?
Each character has their own unique game mechanic which is only present when that character is chosen!
Additionally, players will be collecting coins and feeding them into the Toadiebank on the bar. Each coin is counted and adds to your score!
How do Classes works?
How many puzzles are there?
There are over 40 puzzles. The highest number of puzzles in a single game we've ever made.
Each character has 3-5 unique puzzles exclusive to their storyline, otherwise the other puzzles will be accessible in every playthrough.
Which class should I choose?
If there are any you find particularly interesting you can request that character, or choose it randomly!
Should I choose a new class each time I play?
While you can certainly replay the same class multiple times and still find new puzzles along the way, we recommend choosing a new path and "multiclassing" into a new class each time.
If I am playing multiple times, will knowledge from the previous session be helpful?
Yes. For keen players on repeat playthroughs, they will be able to "break" the game with the knowledge they earned previously.
For example, the Cleric starts with a Dwarven Alphabet Cipher. If you played as this character before and remember how their phonetics work you can still solve Cleric puzzles even though you are a different class now.
