Are you looking to spend your afternoon solving crimes alongside one of Gotham’s notorious leading ladies? Look no further than Infinite Rabbit Holes The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City. The board game/augmented reality adventure game mixes traditional gaming with your electronic device to take players on a twisted adventure through the streets of Gotham. But does it live up to our excitement? Or does it fall flat? Keep reading to find out!
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Let’s be the first to say that the idea of solving crimes in Gotham City is something we were beyond excited about. As fans of Batman and pretty much everything the caped crusader and his Bat family are part of, playing this game was a no-brainer. We are also fans of uncovering mysteries and solving puzzles. Mix all that into a tabletop and augmented reality game, and you have a fun-filled afternoon.
What drew us into The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City was the idea of how the game itself plays out. Everything in the box is a part of the game itself, and as you complete different puzzles, you move on to more files. It starts rather simply by introducing you to how augmented reality works. Using your device’s phone, you scan documents and buildings to uncover hidden messages.
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This balance between a traditional tabletop game and augmented reality brings it to life. While The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham could work as just a tabletop game, it wouldn’t be half as fun. The real charm comes with all of the additional content that can be shared, like news reports and interactive puzzles. And we can’t forget to mention the incredible art style used in the cutscenes that bring Arkham Asylum to life.
One thing that had us worried was how long the game could take. It’s listed as a roughly six-hour game, and you will need almost every minute. While the time to solve puzzles can vary, this game is also gated behind setup time. Early on, you set up buildings on the board that can take a good half an hour to do. Obviously, the more people you have, the faster setup can be. Plus, it goes without saying that more brains working together will make things move faster when solving puzzles.
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But because The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City is a rather long game, we highly suggest playing it on a day when you have nothing to do or setting it up where you can leave it between sessions. The story is broken into seven chapters, so finding a place to stop can be fairly easy. And the device app saves your spot if you need to step away in the middle of a chapter; just be mindful to leave everything where it is so coming back is easy.
Now, with a game of this price point, $149, replayability is a big thing. It was hard to imagine at first what it would be like to replay the game since you are building it as you go, but it is rather easy. Once you are done with your first playthrough, a portion of the app tells you exactly what needs to go into what folder. Now, if you think you will be playing the game right away, the puzzles might come to you rather easily. But with some time in between or new players, it is well worth a second playthrough.
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Overall, The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City is a must-play game for fans of Batman and puzzle solving. We suggest grabbing a few of your friends to help out, having an entire day you can dedicate to play (or space it out over a few nights) and a room large enough to move about the table to explore with the augmented reality. Don’t be too overwhelmed by the play time, size of the box or overall cost – this game is worth diving into.
You can order your copy of The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City here!
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/homie-and-the-dude-sky-zephyrs-kickstarter/
Who I Am: A nerd by the strictest definition. I enjoy diving straight into my favorite fandoms without a care in the world. I live on video/board games, fantasy movies and TV, and all things geeky.
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