Throughout Level99’s 43,000-square-foot space, visitors will find unique murals from 25 selected visual artists.

By Ronni Newton

When Level99 opens to the public later this fall, visitors will be able to test their skills while tackling dozens of mental and physical challenges spread throughout the 43,000-square-foot immersive social gaming venue – with the sensory experience augmented by the presence of 32 pieces of original artwork created by 25 selected artists from throughout the world.

In preparation for the grand opening – which will be announced soon – artists were given free rein to express themselves, and have spent several days each filling previously blank walls with a diverse collection of murals ranging from colorful, to humorous, to thought-provoking, and all intended to showcase Level99’s affinity for visual art and bring energy and playfulness to the space.

Boston-based artist Blind Fox was assigned a corner spot. “I am painting a 3D mural of a leopard jumping through a wall to try and catch some swallows that are flying around on the other side,” she told We-Ha.com. The idea was her own inspiration, and she said she has painted leopards in the past and they are animals that people are drawn to and are “captivating to the eye.”

She still needed to add the shadows for the 3D effect, but said once that’s complete and the lighting is set, it will appear as if the leopard is actually leaping off the wall.

Five of the chosen artists are from Connecticut, including Michael Rice, a resident of the Parkville section of Hartford and the artist who this summer created the mural in Blue Back Square celebrating the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Rice has also created murals at Bugbee School and Charter Oak International Academy in West Hartford – as well as the highly visible “Reawakening Wonder” mural at 50 Morgan Street in Hartford.

At Level99, Rice was nearly done creating a mural that he thought would complement the venue’s concept. “It’s of a magician, holding his hand out, kind of breaking through the plane of a TV,” Rice said.

“What’s really cool about [Level99] is that they actually give the artist complete creative freedom,” added Rice. He said the business is unique, and he’s never before done a project like this.

David Paradowski, who goes by WOSKERSKI, is based in London and excited to be part of the project. He’s been painting original backgrounds, spray-painted creations, for about 30 years.

“I’m creating a giant fried egg,” he said of the piece he was working on at Level99 in West Hartford. It’s actually a mix of a fried egg and fabric, because it’s hanging by wooden pegs on a clothesline. “Obviously it is very surreal,” he said, adding that eggs evoke positive emotions, and he hopes people will enjoy seeing it put into an extraordinary setting and form.

WOSKERSKI is also completing a second piece of artwork at Level99 – a design concept that he has used previously based on words where one word appears to be cut out of paper and folding down but in the multi-dimensional image becomes a different word. “Good” is cut out, and as it falls becomes “luck,” he said as an example, noting that the words must have the same number of letters.

Muralists often work outdoors, on large walls, and use spray paint. The more confined space at Level99 has challenged some of the artists to choose alternative means and reference points to plan their designs. Some use virtual reality headsets, and then sketch out the images, said Jax, who curates the art for Level99.

Boston-based artist Sophy Tuttle was working in a narrow, tunnel-like space – and although she normally uses a grid she decided to create her work freehand. She’s created art for other Level99 locations, and has previously inspired by constellations. In West Hartford, her mural “is based on the Draco Constellation, so its a dragon, and going to have some stars and some UV elements,” which will change color when the UV lights are on.

The West Hartford Level99 location will be able to accommodate up to 600 players in the gaming arena, which features more than 50 real-world, interactive physical and mental challenges and mini-games, as well as the adjoining Two Roads Kitchen and Tap. Level99 has partnered with the Connecticut-based Two Roads Brewing for the 250-seat counter service restaurant and bar, which operates as a standalone space and can also accommodate guests who are not participating in Level99 games.

ILL.DES, a Denver-based artist, was excited to be assigned the space just opposite Two Roads. “It’s fun to have it and to be front and center, so we’re trying to make it as perfect as possible,” he said of the mural, which is an “abstract geometric rendition of some of Connecticut’s local flora,” including the state flower (Mountain Laurel) and the Bluebell Bellflower.

“It’s a massive playground for adults,” said Troy Andrian, director of Operations for Level99, who moved from California to join the company and is now a West Hartford resident.

The games are intended to be social, and played in groups of two to six, with competition taking place within the groups and the overall space. Some challenges are physical, while others are mental.

The artwork is an important part of the environment, transporting players into an overall vibrant and energetic setting. “The artwork’s amazing,” Andrian said.

The art has more than visible appeal, however, and will become part of the experience “via an interactive art scavenger hunt called ‘Hunt Art.’ Players can look for specific objects within the art, referred to as Glyphs, and then by identifying those objects at the Hunt Art kiosks, they can earn Stars to climb the Level99 leaderboard. All artists are thoughtfully selected to create an environment that brings energy and playfulness, with each artist contributing their own unique personality to the space,” Level99 said in an announcement.

The complete list of artists includes:

• WENT PAINT AKA Brian Wentworth (Colchester, CT)
• Kevin Bauccio AKA The Lock-Mine Kontrol (Griswold, CT)
• ARCY AKA Ryan Christianson (North Haven, CT)
• Micaela Levesque (East Hartford, CT)
• Michael Rice (Hartford, CT)
• Ernest D’Elia (Millbury, MA)
• Dan Leo (Ireland)
• Ally Caitlin J. (Providence, RI)
• Adam O’Day (Abington, MA)
• Brian Lewis (Greensboro, NC)
• Thomas Turner (Atlanta, GA)
• Ernesto Maranje (Miami, FL)
• Blind Fox  (Boston, MA)
• WOSKERSKI / Dawid Paradowski (London, UK)
• Jonathan Conway (Millbury, MA)
• Matt Moore / PuckMcgruff  (Charlotte, NC)
• Miss Birdy / Mandi Caskey (Columbus, OH)
• Naomi Haverland (Orlando, FL)
• Jerel Dye (Boston, MA)
• Sophy Tuttle (Boston, MA)
• Tiffany Chin / TWKCHIN  (Toronto, ON Canada)
• ILL.DES (Denver, CO)
• Pneuhaus (Providence, RI)
• Michaela Devon Kary (Los Angeles, CA)
• New England Prop Makers (Boston, MA)

According to Andrian, Level99 will be open Monday through Friday at 11 a.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. They will stay open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 10 p.m. on other nights.

The opening date for Level99 will be announced soon, along with further details about the experience.

Level99 is led by CEO and founder Matt DuPlessie, an engineer who attended MIT and Harvard Business School and worked for Disney and Universal Studios before forming the company 5 Wits. He later founded the Massachusetts-based production company Box Fort, which is now part of Level99, which is headquartered in Natick, MA. The business is backed by Act III Holdings, led by Panera founder and former Chair and CEO Ron Shaich, who is currently the chairman and lead investor of Cava, and a significant investor in other leading restaurant and entertainment businesses.

Level99 continues to expand across the East Coast and nationally, and currently has four other locations – Natick, MA; Providence, RI; Tysons Corner, VA; and Disney Springs, FL. Plans are to open in Paramus, NJ; Raleigh, NC; and King of Prussia, PA in 2027. More information about Level99 can be found here.

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