Tag: MadPea Games

Dropping in to MadPea Unlimited courtesy of LL’s gift

Posted on by Inara Pey
The MadPea Unlimited Hub, January 2025

On Monday, December 23rd, 2024, Linden Lab announced a special holiday gift for all Second Life users: six months access to the upcoming 2025 seasons 1 and 2 of MadPea Unlimited, which commences on January 1st, 2025. After allowing for the initial rush, I hopped over early on January 2nd, 2025 to take a peep at what is on offer.

To recap on the offer: Linden Lab is covering the cost of 6 months access to the MadPea Unlimited premium group, which gives subscribers early access to MadPea’s new games and experiences product releases, gifts, and hunts, as well as access to MadPea’s library of available in-world games and experiences. Subscriptions usually cost L$6,000 for three months – so the total value of this gift to users is $12,000 per person, and the offer runs through until the end of June 2025. An important note with the gift is that is does not require any sign-up or commitment to any on-going subscription; to participate, all residents need to do is hop along to the MadPea Unlimited region from January 1st, 2025 and join the fun.

Become Benoit Blanc (only hopefully without Daniel Craig’s accent!) and find out whodunnit in Merry Mayhem at Frostwood Manor – just make sure you don’t die in the process!

All activities and games are accessed via the Discovery hub. This provides access to all of the current in-world games and adventures, with the Weekly Drops and Monthly Collectables pick-up point lying beyond it (with the first drops of 2025 due on January 8th, 2025). One thing to note is that MadPea utilise SL Experiences, so you’ll have to accept the Experience in order for the games and adventures to work.

Each game / adventure is accessed via a dedicated portal. alongside of each portal is a kiosk offering details of the game / adventure, which includes a general rating for the activity – E for everyone (roughly equivalent to SL’s G rating), M for Mature (roughly equivalent to SL’s M rating) and M +17, indicating it contains themes such as death, murder, etc.). The kiosks also supply the dedicated HUD for a given activity, and provide information on things like the number of achievements / rewards which can be obtained. A HUD might be presented as a direct-wear / add item, or as a package giver that includes the HUD and other items. Note that while a SL Experience is utilised, this does not extend to HUD attachment – you should add them done manually.

MadPea Unlimited activity portals and information kiosks

For January 2025, the activities comprise:

  • Four Escape Room style challenges of varying levels of difficulty and length, comprising Ghostly Goal and Wizard’s Tower and Forsaken Funhouse (all rated E), and Deadly Dungeon (Rated M 17+).
  • Three adventure- style games comprising a horror story called Insidious Island (rated M) and The Kidnapping (rated E), and Jewel of the Nile (rated E)
  • Ascension, a puzzle challenge
  • Two murder mysteries – Merry Mayhem at Frostwood Manor (rated E) and The Naughty List Murders (rated M 17+), the latter forming the latest MadPea addition.
Try your hand at solving puzzles as your ascend the tower

Games are variable in length, the average being between 2 and 3 hours, with Forsaken Funhouse lasting up to around 8 hours. However, this time does not necessarily have to be done all at once, it is possible to leave, detach the HUD and leave, then wear it and return (with The Naughty Murders List, for example, you can add the HUD, open the Mad City map and click on the last location you visited and then resume).

I took a quick run-through of the two murder mysteries, and found the basics to be broadly similar: interacting with static characters who interact with you in both voice and text, as you move through a series of locations seeking clues, your progress and other information recorded on your game HUD. In this I found both a little formulaic – but that’s my fault for running through both mysteries back-to-back, rather than mixing two different game types.

One of the Game HUDs

That said, once involved, I did – as used to be the case when I was a regular at MadPea –  become engrossed in working out who had done what (although in the case of The Naughty List Murders, I believed I’d figured the likely culprit roughly half-way through the game, based on a comment passed by one of the characters, and ended-up continuing to see if I was right – which again is half the fun with whodunits (and it turned out I was right, in part)).

A nice touch is the the majority of the games are geared towards group play, so people can work together on them. Check the information kiosks to conform whether group play is intended – just work in IM with friends. One thing I would say is that given these are still the early days of the gift being available (at least at the time of writing). As such, the games can get busy.

“One thing’s sure. Sebastian Blackwood is dead — murdered — and somebody’s responsible!” (with apologies to MadPea and Plan 9 From Outer Space 😀 )

When announced, the offer of MadPea Unlimited access gather some negative responses through various mediums. Personally, I don’t see the harm; MadPea have always provided engaging entertainment, and an arrangement like this is a nice way for LL to both encourage users to have a little fun and making many who many not be aware of MadPea or have never tried their Unlimited subscription to give them a try; and if that encourages some to support MadPea by taking out a subscription for membership after the gift period ends – that can’t be bad, can it?

Related Information

A holiday gift from the Lab: 6 months access to MadPea Unlimited in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
MadPea Unlimited – free access to all SL residents for 6 months

Update: January 1st, 2025, MadPea Unlimited is now open.

On Monday, December 23rd, 2024, Linden Lab announced a special holiday gift for all Second Life users: six months access to the upcoming 2025 seasons 1 and 2 of MadPea Unlimited, which commences on January 1st, 2025.

MadPea is well-known name within Second Life, producing a wide range of interactive games, adventures and experiences in Second Life, some of which I’ve covered in these pages. Unlimited is MadPea’s subscription premium group, providing members with early access to games and experiences, product releases, gifts, and hunts. Membership costs L$6,000 for three months.

With the gift from Linden Lab, residents get 6 months access to MadPea Unlimited – that’s two Seasons of Unlimited activities normally valued at L$12,000 – from Wednesday, January 1st, 2025 through until the end of June 2025. As such, the package includes all of the membership benefits through the first two seasons of MadPea Unlimited 2025.

What MadPea Unlimited brings you
Why We’re Doing This
Second Life is all about celebrating creativity, community, and connection. By teaming up with MadPea Productions, we’re giving our residents the opportunity to experience some of the most innovative and engaging content available in our virtual world. Since 2008, MadPea and its talented crew of designers, writers, developers and artists from all around the world have been creating immersive and thrilling fun across over 100 gaming experiences with a large and active ‘Pea’ Community of well over 26,000 players. Whether you’re a seasoned explorer or new to Second Life, this gift is our way of saying thank you for being part of our vibrant community.

– From the Linden Lab blog post about the MadPea gift

An important note with the gift is that is does not require any sign-up or commitment to any on-going subscription; to participate, all residents need to do is hop along to the MadPea Unlimited region from January 1st, 2025 (the region and its SLurl will be be public on the 1st) and join the fun.

This is NOT one of those things where we give it to you, you sign-up, and then six months later, you’re automatically going to get dinged every month or something like that. This is a pure gift. They’re [MadPea] taking down the paywall for all of our residents for six months. At the end of the six months, we may continue it; at the end of the six months we may stop it – but there’s no obligation; it’s purely a gift, and hopefully people will enjoy it. 

– Linden Lab Executive Chair, Brad Oberwager, discussing the MadPea Unlimited gift with me

From the MadPea Unlimited Season 1 2025 page

Obviously, even should the offer not be extended, anyone who has joined in the fun and enjoyed themselves through the six month gift period can always opt to take out an Unlimited subscription directly with MadPea at the end of that time if they want; but the key thing here is that for the duration of the gift period, no sign-up is required.

As a former MadPea player, I’ll be looking forward to the opportunity to renew my involvement in MadPea’s adventures – so maybe I’ll see you there!

Related Information

The MadPea International Food Fair in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Logo via MadPea
Logo via MadPea

Now open through until Saturday, March 4th, 2017 is the MadPea International Food Fair, in aid of Live and Learn Kenya (LLK) / Feed a Smile. Featuring shopping, music via live performances and DJ and an art exhibition, the Food Fair has a very worthwhile cause in mind: to raise  L$9,879,000 (US $37,000) to fund the construction of a kitchen for impoverished school children in the Rhonda Slums of Nakuru, Kenya.

Creators and designers participating in the event include The Cube Republic, Little Llama, Vagabond, Riot, Plastik, Supernatural, Speakeasy Tattoo, Velvet Whip, Refuge, Serenity Style, Razor, RandoMatter, PFC, Nox, Nomad, NOeditON, Ninety, Minimal Jewellery, Mesh India, Lushish Poses, Kargo, Imeka, ITI, Lucas Lameth, Goose, Junk Food, Mello, Merak, Studio, Fiasco, Krescendo, Fetch, La Baguette, Entice, Duvet Day, Eve, Cutie Cakes, Etnia, Cwitch, Disorderly, Cubic Cherry, Chez Moi, Cheeky Pea, Black Bantam, Big Bully, Balaclava, Apple Fall, Atooly-Rockaroo-Gossip, Bellequipe Design, Identity, Adored, Drot, Senses, 1313 Mockingbird Lane and Vengeful threads.

Each designer has made an exclusive item for the Food Fair (single item or a whole gacha set)  There will be decor to clothing, poses to accessories and plenty of food!  The sky is the limit but everything is for the same amazing cause.

MadPea International Food Fair
MadPea International Food Fair

You can see the entertainment line-up on the MadPea International Food Fair web page, together with a running total of funds raised (also shown in-world at the event).

If you would prefer to give money directly to Live And Learn Kenya / Feed A Smile, yo can do so via the following links:

MadPea International Food Fair
MadPea International Food Fair

About the Project

For many children living in slums their future is desolate with illiteracy, AIDS, child prostitution, child brides, starvation and worse awaiting them.  But you can help change that. Feed a Smile is part of the Live and Learn in Kenya charity that aim to break the cycle of poverty that plagues the slums by giving a brighter future for the children that live there.  Not only do they provide education, but the clothing and supplies needed to learn, healthcare, food and just as important, safety.

Live and Learn in Kenya (LLK) are able to make a difference thanks to the donations that fund-raising can bring them, especially through Second Life.  Our virtual world can make a big difference to the real world of these children and their families too. Did you know, for example, that over a third of the money raised by Live and Learn Kenya to provide daily nutritious warm lunches for over 400 children comes from donations received through Feed a Smile in Second Life?

Recently, Live and Learn’s temporary, out-door kitchen was wrecked by bad weather and is no longer fit for purpose.  The new kitchen will provide the means for LLK to continue to prepare nutritious meals in a hygienic in-door environment, safe from the rigours of the weather and complete with proper food storage facilities. It’s a vital part of LLK’s continuing commitment to helping the children they support.

SLurl Details

MadPea announce UNIA to close: “Every dream has to end”

Posted on by Inara Pey
UNIA
UNIA

MadPea Games has announced that UNIA, their ground-breaking experience-based game of nightmare and mystery, is coming to an end. The final sleep with come on July 31st, 2016.

UNIA opened just over a year ago after more than two years of extensive development work, and presented perhaps the most immersive, broad-ranging horror / mystery game yet seen in Second Life.  I was privileged to be both witness to the development work and had the  opportunity to visit and explore UNIA ahead of the official opening, and so can vouch both for the amount of work poured into it and the intense, rich nature of the game.

UNIA
UNIA

Combining mystery with first-person adventure and combat activities, UNIA can require between 10 and 12 hours to complete, and players can tackle the adventure in stages, free to leave and return / resume whenever they like (up until the closing date!). There is much to be found and collected as players progress through the game – and gathering items, surviving attacks, etc., all accumulate points (recorded by the game HUD) which can later be traded for prizes.

As well as featuring the work of the incredibly talented MadPea team, the dream / nightmare scenes experienced throughout UNIA have been created by some of SL’s foremost artists: Rebeca Bashly, Caer Balogh, Zachh Barkley, Jaimy Hancroft, Fuschia Nightfire, Bryn Oh, Wildcat Snowpaw, Lindsey Warwick, Abramelin Wolfe, BlueSean Yiyuan and Silex Zapedzki. make UNIA a truly unique experience.

UNIA
UNIA

The announcement of the closure reads in part:

UNIA was a dream come true for us at MadPea but every dream has an ending and UNIA’s end is nigh!

July 31st UNIA will close and the zombie chickens will be returned to their pens, the sandworms will bury themselves forever and the Dreamers will drift off to restful sleep forever more.

To mark the closure, MadPea have abolished the Silver and Bronze player packages and slashed the cost of the Gold package in half to just L$500.

So, if you’ve not found a reason or felt you’ve had the time to try UNIA for yourself – now is the time to do so, before all the strange, mysterious and sometimes deadly inhabitants leave us to forever sleep in peaceful dreams…

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The Windlight / MadPea Interview photo contest

Posted on by Inara Pey
Will you take the call and join The Interview contest?
Will you take the call and join The Interview contest?

Windlight and MadPea Games have teamed up for a new photo competition using MadPea’s latest grid-wide mystery puzzle game, The Interview.

Up for grabs are three cash prizes with the winner also getting a couple of nice bonuse prizes:

  • 1st place – L$2,500, together with a L$1,000 MadPea gift card and a double page ad in Windlight Magazine
  • 2nd Place – L$1,500
  • 3rd Place – L$1,000.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is join in with The Interview, and then photograph yourself at any of the locations used by the game.

HUDs for the game can be purchased from the WindLight Gallery or from the MadPea Base.  General information on playing the game can be found on the MadPea website.

When you’ve purchased the HUD, await further instructions – and get ready for your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the very secret Goliathus Society, and not only have a chance of winning the prizes in the Windlight Magazine Photo Contest, but also reap the rewards of your successes in surviving taking The Interview!

General Guidelines

  • All photos have to be posted in the official MadPea-Windlight Interview Photo Contest Group
  • No more than 2 submissions per entrant
  • When posting your photos please use the following naming convention: MadPea Interview Photo Contest – Photo #1-Your SL Name (please do not use display names). Add a #2 if you are submitting a second photo
  • All photos must:
    • Include the SLurl of The Interview location that you used (please make sure you obtain the permission of the venue owner to use their location in your submissions, and be respectful of region rules and covenants)
    • Be new and original, but you can add the photo to other groups
  • Nudity or adult behaviour is not allowed
  • Editing via Photoshop, Gimp, or any other graphics tools is permitted.

All entries must be submitted by midnight, Sunday May 15, 2016, and the Flickr date and time stamps will be used to assess whether or not entries meet this criteria, so check your time zones. Winners will be announced on Wednesday May 25th, 2016.

Judges will be independent of the contest and cannot enter this contest. Entries will be judged on the following criteria: creativity, originality, technique, incorporation of the location in your photos and following of submission and guideline rules.

Are you ready for The Interview in Second Life?

Posted on by Inara Pey

madpea-logoMadPea games open the doors on their latest grid-wide mystery puzzle game, The Interview on Sunday, April 3rd. Details on what it is all about have yet to be revealed – but there is a clue in the title, and it involves an organisation called the Goliathus Society. This appears to be a very secret society (one no doubt with a very dark secret!), everyone want to join – and a rare opportunity to be a part of the organisation has arisen.

Ahead of the official opening, the lucky winners the recent Interview Photo Contest and Interview  Writing Contest will have 24 hours access to the game before the doors open to the public, as well as access to the MadPea team for help and support. You can read about the winners and see their entries on the MadPea result pages for the photo contest and the writing contest – and I have to say, the winning entry in the latter makes for entertaining reading 🙂 .

To further whet appetites, Kess Crystal from MadPea e-mails with a short note to say the trailer for The Interview is now out, and I’m embedding it below.

So, if you’ve always wanted to be a part of a secret society, and gain a benefits package (aka prizes) for some of SL’s popular designers,  get ready to take part in the Interview.