Hey all
A couple of months back, I was
scanning online looking for any new escape rooms that were coming to Sydney
(which is something I do pretty often).
Much to my surprise, I learned that Kingpin Bowling had already opened
up 2 rooms in North Strathfield. I am
usually across most new rooms in Sydney, which was why I was so surprised that
2 had opened up without me knowing. I
asked around on an escape room enthusiasts group on Facebook whether anyone
else had heard about Kingpin opening rooms in Sydney and it seemed like nobody
else had heard either.
So I contacted Kingpin to let
them know that word hadn’t travelled about their rooms to the enthusiasts
community and I offered to come in to review their rooms (to help get the word
out). They accepted and we went in in
early July to check out their 2 rooms, Sweet Secrets and Hunters Cabin.
We managed to get street parking
only a few hundred metres from Kingpin (no doubt because we went mid-week), but
there is also a paid multi-storey car park nearby. I wasn’t able to easily get a babysitter, so my
wife sat these rooms out and it was our “lite” team version of just the 3 of
us.
Kingpin’s rooms are a partnership
by Kingpin and a company called Cryptology.
Here is the summary of Sweet Secrets from their website:
IT'S TOO SWEET...
High in
the Swiss mountains, you've made your way into the factory known to make the
best chocolate in the world. Are your senses acute enough to switch on the
machine and steal its secret recipe? Available at Kingpin North Strathfield.
Cryptofactor: 8/10 (trickily difficult)
Sweet Secrets was our 99th
room in Australia and our 69th room in Sydney.
Here are my thoughts on Sweet
Secrets:
a)
I was really pleased with the production value of the props and
theming in the room. This room did not
look like a typical commercial office space with some op shop items thrown in –
the props were of a really high quality, the lighting was well considered, and the
theming generally was great
b)
the room theme is pretty novel, which is always nice. I can’t remember before doing an escape room
where I had to steal a secret chocolate recipe!
c)
Kingpin’s clue system is one of the better automated clue systems
I have used. There is a tablet in the
room that players use to get clues. I am
always doubtful of these automated systems because I have used similar systems
in the past and the automated clues have often related to aspects of the puzzle
we had already solved (which can be very frustrating). Also, a downside to these kind of systems is
that they typically require a very linear room design (which is not my
preferred room style). That being said,
the clever aspect of Kingpin’s system is that each puzzle has a sensor that can
tell which aspect of the puzzle has been solved already, which greatly
increases the accuracy of the clues given;
d)
I am happy to
report that we had a dedicated game master for our room. When we needed to get in contact with the
game master at one point, they responded immediately;
e)
this room would
suit newer players who like high tech lock mechanisms rather than more
traditional padlocks. I do not recall
there being any padlocks in this room;
f)
there were a couple of puzzles that were a little inelegant – one had
a few possible combinations but we had to work through each of the possible
combinations because it wasn’t clear which combination was correct. We also had an issue at one point with a
magnetic lock not releasing an item (even though we had tried the correct
solution a number of times). Both are
minor criticisms.
By memory, we escaped in about
half the permitted time. As a result, I
would describe Sweet Secrets as an easier room more suited to newer
players. I think the room would benefit
from an additional 2 or 3 puzzles (to make it more suitable to experienced
players). The room is also very children
and family friendly, which is a plus.
That being said, it is a strong
room for newer players, given the quality of the props and theming.
I had doubts going to Kingpin,
given my poor experiences in the past at their main competitor, Strike
Bowling. But I am pleased to say that whilst
we had awful customer service at Strike Bowling, we had great customer service
at Kingpin Bowling. The staff members
were really enthusiastic and accommodating.
As always, the biggest test of a
good escape room for me is whether or not we had fun. Sweet Secrets
was a fun room.
Where:
3-5
George Street, North Strathfield
Duration: 60
minutes
Themes: 2
themes
Cost: $100/$150
per room (depending on time of week)
Overall
Summary:
Great props and theming, but best suited to newer players
