Pier Pressure: Loot The Lanes

Loot The Lanes should need little introduction. It’s occupied the #1 slot on this site’s rankings of UK games for far longer than any of its rivals, and it was the highest ranked UK game in the TERPECA awards in 2019, 2020 and 2021. As a result it’s been top of my list of games to play for an unconscionably long time, with a visit delayed by a combination of the pandemic and the fiddly logistics of organising a group for a Brighton trip. It officially requires at least four players, but is playable by fewer on request; we played with three and finished in a comfortable 45 minutes or so.

Many of Pier Pressure’s games are based around aspects of Brighton’s history and culture, and Loot the Lanes is inspired by the warren of small independent shops known as the Laines. Your task is to find a particular diamond (removing it for safekeeping not for nefarious purposes), but this is above all an excuse for a set that lovingly recreates the feel of the local shops.

Hype can severely damage enjoyment of a game through inflated expectations, and from this game’s towering reputation you might expect a set that’s huge or technologically sophisticated on a scale that sets it apart from other UK games. But it’s not that Loot The Lanes is a different league to the other top quality rooms in the country; players may find it’s not their favourite game even amongst the (admittedly very strong) selection at Pier Pressure. Rather, the secret of its success is that it seems to consistently win over every team that plays it – it may or may not be your #1 UK game, but it’s going to be in most teams‘ top 10 UK games.

It manages that, firstly, through solid and interesting puzzles, and a set design that’s meticulous in its detail. It has different sections where each section has its own character, though the structure is rather less linear than that might make it sound. The Laines are famous for being quirky and distinctively charming, and this homage captures those qualities in decor and puzzle design.

Perhaps even more important though is the usual high quality of hosting at Pier Pressure. We actually had a tech failure when we played, resulting in missing audio, but our host immediately rose to the challenge and filled in for it with his own off-the-cuff audio, turning a potential problem into an lively stream of improvisation that actively improved the game. That was a one-off, but demonstrated the skills of their staff at adding energy and entertainment. Naturally they also nailed the basics, in terms of knowing when to provide help and by how much.

I imagine few people reading this will need encouragement to play Loot The Lanes, but needless to say it should be high on your list of places to get to. It’s not that it’s a jaw-dropping technological extravaganza; the word I’d choose to describe it is ‚lovely‘, in appearance and execution, and I’d be much surprised if you don’t have a lovely time playing it.