How to Play The Ruby Palace
Click here if you have questions about accessing your game.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Click your game link.
Your Team Captain or Group Organizer should have sent you a player invitation email or shared a unique game link with you. Click the game link or the yellow PLAY button in the invite email to join. Then, click your own name or a character name on the welcome page to enter the "lobby" while you wait for the rest of your team to assemble!
Every player on the team will be able to access the game in their own browser. We strongly recommend all players use their own device and do not recommend sharing screens and having only one person navigate the game. All players that have been added to the team will be able to click around the game somewhat independently (within the same puzzle area).
Browser and Device Suggestions:
We do not recommend using Internet Explorer as your browser while playing this game. We recommend using the latest versions of Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
We encourage you to play on a computer for the best experience, but you can play on a tablet or mobile device if you prefer.
Get on your team's video conference.
If you don't know each other, please introduce yourself! If your Team Captain or Group Organizer added a video conference link to your team details in the GAP, you will be able to find the link on the lobby page or in your invitation email. (Premium teams only)
Get set up:
We recommend adjusting the window size of your browser (where you play the game) and your video conference screen (gallery mode recommended!) so you can split the screen and see both at the same time! Here is an example:
Assemble your materials.
Grab a pen or pencil and some scratch paper. (Some players like to use note taking software and/or shared spreadsheets.)
Travel to the Palace:
From the "lobby" page click the red "begin" button when everyone is ready to start. This will take you to the Ruby Palace entrance.
When you arrive at the Ruby Palace, read the note pinned to the door. Then you will be able to enter the Palace. The game timer starts when the first player enters the Palace.
GAME DETAILS
Game duration
The game should take around 60 to 120 minutes, depending on how well you work together! The average game time is about 90 minutes. Your elapsed time will be your score, which you can compare against other teams in your group.
Entering passwords
Solve puzzles to discover passwords needed to open doors and other objects. Any team member may enter passwords at any time, and there is no penalty for incorrect passwords.
Click the red doors to enter passwords. If the password is correct, the door will turn green and you will be able to proceed to the next suite of rooms for the next puzzle.
Hints
The light bulb icon at the top of the room may light up with helpful hints. There is no penalty for looking at hints. Use the hints, they're there to help you!
Time Limit
There is no time limit on The Ruby Palace. You can take as long as needed to complete the game!
Pause
If you need to take a break from the game, click the pause icon on the upper right corner of your game screen. This will pause the game for all players on the team and stop the timer.
Navigation
Click the green arrows to navigate to different rooms. Notice the room name label on the upper left corner will change.
Click the red doors to enter the password after solving the puzzle.
Click the green doors after entering a password to proceed to the next suite of rooms.
Click the grey doors to go back.
Map
In the lower left corner, there is a 5x5 grid. This is a map of The Ruby Palace. The solid white square shows your current location. The grey squares show the rooms available to you for the current puzzle.
Interaction
Certain elements in the Palace are clickable while others are not. Clickable items may vary by puzzle.
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Contact Us!
We recommend first checking our Help Articles (below) for a speedy answer!
Still not finding what you're looking for? Please fill out a ticket, or email us directly at play@palacesphere.com.
We make an effort to respond to all emails and tickets as quickly as possible, however, our normal business hours are M-F 9AM-6PM PDT. We have been known to have weekend workers, vampires, AND "morning people" on the payroll, so you might get a quick response at other hours!