Review of Escapism Strike Bowling - The Garden theme

My group of friends (4 adults) checked out Escapism at Strike Bowling at King Street Wharf in April 2015.  This was our second time there, having previously escaped from their most difficult room, Forensic.

This time we tried their Garden room.  This was our fourteenth escape room in Sydney.When you arrive, you hand over your credit card as a deposit (in case of any damage to the room).  We were early but because they didn't have a previous booking in our room, we were able to go in early (which was great).  

Unlike our previous 13 escapes, for the first time, we brought our 2 year old daughter with us to this room.  I knew people who had previously tried this room and they confirmed that it wouldn't be too scary for a toddler (and they were correct, the room is not too scary and our 2 year old had lots of fun).

We were blindfolded (except for my daughter and the person carrying her and were walked down to our room, where our 50 minute count down clock began with a slam of the door...  

First off, I'll say what I enjoyed most about Escapism's Garden room:

• the theming was excellent - the props and room were very well detailed and suited the theme perfectly;
• this room had a little more "hunt and seek" fun than their Forensic room, which I really liked;
• the Garden room is bigger than the Forensic room - there was ample space for 4 adults and one child to move around without constantly getting in each others' way;
• the quality of puzzles and challenges in the room was also excellent.  Although they were all low-tech compared to other escape rooms in Sydney, the quality was very good (everything worked well); and
• we all had fun (even the 2 year old) and we all felt like we each contributed to the escape.

Now, for what I didn't like so much:

• last time we were at Strike Bowling, the staff member looking after us was busy with other things (managing other escape rooms and the bar), and I felt that we were neglected (when we phoned for a clue, the phone rang out twice before I managed to speak with them). I'm glad to report that this time, we didn't have that problem (although to be fair, we didn't ask for a clue this time);
• it's funny looking back at my review of Forensic, where I made the comment that Forensic was by far the hardest room we have done yet (and after 14 escape rooms, that remains true).  My criticism with the Garden room is that it was by far the easiest room that we have done so far.  They rate this room a difficulty level of 6, compared to their Forensic room, which they rate an 8. They tell me that only about 4% of groups escape Forensic room (because it is that hard), so I went into this room thinking it would be a little easier than Forensic but still a challenge. Unfortunately, it was too easy for our group;
• there are far fewer puzzles in the Garden room compared with Forensic.  I also think that they give too many clues within the room in the Garden on how to solve the puzzles - compared to other rooms we have been to, it felt like we were being spoon-fed the answers;
• there was one puzzle that I think should be changed (it's a simple jigsaw puzzle requiring several physical pieces to solve).  The problem is that you can make an educated guess for 2 of the 4 puzzle pieces before you find them (because they give you a little too much of the puzzle early on).  This allowed us to "break" the puzzle (ie we were able to guess the answer rather than solve it in the way that they had designed).  In fact, when we escaped the room, we left behind one box that we hadn't yet opened;
• you are allowed up to 50 minutes to escape this room.  We escaped in 18 minutes and 48 seconds, which I think really does show that there are not enough puzzles in this room to fill out the full 50 minutes.  We were also slowed down by our 2 year old, who helped us to explore the room and wanted to read some books we found along the way.  We are the record holders for this room, which is nice, but we still left feeling disappointed; and
• the price of the Escapism rooms is steep.  You only get 50 minutes instead of the standard 60 and their weekend rate is $150 per room.  This is one of the steepest rates of all escape room outfits in Sydney.  We managed to get a $50 off deal, so we only paid $100.  However, given that we were only in the room for <19 minutes, we paid more than $5 per minute for the privilege...

All 5 people in our group enjoyed ourselves.  However, I would only recommend this escape room to first time players or those with kids who are looking for a kid-friendly escape room.  More experienced players will only be disappointed with this simple room..  

Addendum:  I wrote a note on Escapism's Facebook page that I was disappointed with this room.  To their credit, they have invited us back to try out another room for free.  This has really impressed me.  Although I haven't altered my overall rating below as a result (because I still think this room is a 3.5 out of 5), this escape room outfit does seem to have good customer service and does seem to listen to feedback.

Where:                    22 The Promenade, King Street Wharf, Sydney

Duration:                50 minutes

Themes:                 3 themes 

Cost:                       $100 per team (Mon to Thurs) or $150 per team (Fri to Sun)
                                [2 to 6 players] (Watch out for deals on their Facebook page)

Overall Rating:       3.5 out of 5 stars

More details:          https://www.strikebowling.com.au/escapism

Review of PANiQ ROOM - Abandoned Military Bunker on The Rocks theme

My group of friends (4 adults) checked out PANiQ ROOM's 'Abandoned Military Bunker on The Rocks' room in March 2015. This was our thirteenth escape room in Sydney so far.

This was the second room that we have tried at PANiQ ROOM, having previously tried their Supercell 117 room.

We were given a briefing by the lovely owners, Akos and Martina and then we went into the bunker.

First off, I'll say what I enjoyed most about the Abandoned Military Bunker on the Rocks at PanIQ Room:

• it was a heap of fun - there were lots of puzzles of varying difficulty for all 4 of us to work on at the same time;
• they have a really good mix of high-tech puzzles and low-tech puzzles, many of which are home made and original (which I always appreciate);
• every puzzle works perfectly, which is great (you would think that this should be a given, but after having done so many escape rooms, trust me when I say that not all rooms have puzzles that work properly - and there is nothing more annoying than puzzles that don't work or are ambiguous);
• the theming was excellent - the props were all perfect, they made sense and really added to the overall feel of the room.  Every single item in the room made sense - although they did have some red herrings, those red herrings still worked perfectly with the theme.  I really appreciated that there was so much attention to detail with the props and theme;
• there were some puzzles that we had never seen before and which we all really liked - it's always nice to see something new and different;
• we got out with about 14 minutes left on the clock, which shows that it is not an easy room by any means.  I think some beginners would find this room challenging, which is a good thing in my honest opinion (and newer players could of course ask for more clues if needed); and
• the owners are very passionate about their rooms and it shows from the quality of the room.

As for some of the negatives with Abandoned Military Bunker on The Rocks at PanIQ Room, I don't think there are any - it's a really great room with a variety of interesting and challenging puzzles. The only reason I have scored this room 4.5 instead of 5 is that we really loved the room design of PanIQ Room's Supercell 117 room, which we scored a 5.  By comparison, my group all liked Supercell 117 a little more - but Abandoned Military Bunker on the Rocks is a great room.

To put this into perspective, of the 13 escape rooms that we have tried in Sydney so far, all 4 in my group agree that Supercell 117 is the best room of all.  So 4.5 out of 5 for PanIQ room's Abandoned Military Bunker on The Rocks is still a very high score. 
 

Try both of their rooms - I promise you will love them!

Where:                    40 Gloucester Street, The Rocks (entry Cambridge Street)

Duration:                60 minutes

Themes:                 2 themes 

Cost:                       $35 each (4 players) (Watch out for "Our Deal" discounts)

Overall Rating:      4.5 out of 5 stars

More details:          http://paniqroom.com.au/

Review of The Enigma Room - In Memoriam Theme

My group of friends (4 adults) checked out The Enigma Room's 'In Memoriam' room in March 2015. This was our twelfth escape room in Sydney so far.

We found the place very easily, thanks to an email they sent us the day before with directions and photographs of their entrance.  We were given a briefing by the owners, Matt and Barry before embarking on our attempt to escape from In Memoriam.

They currently have two rooms, Dr Disaster and In Memoriam.

First off, I'll say what I enjoyed most about In Memoriam at Enigma Room:

• it was fantastic.  The room design is very clever and contains many different elements, both high tech and low tech;
• every single puzzle is well considered, well designed and works perfectly;
• the theming was fantastic - the props were all perfect, they made sense and really added to the overall feel of the room.  Every single item in the room made sense.  We all really appreciated that there was so much attention to detail with the props and theme;
• the pre-escape room video is great and really got us in the mood for the escape;
• the use of a tablet for communicating and obtaining clues was also perfect;
• there were some puzzles that we had never seen before and which we all really liked - it's always nice to see something new and different;
• the owners are very passionate about their rooms and it shows from the quality of the room.  They also took the time out to show us every element of the room, the thinking behind the puzzle design, theming and various 'easter eggs' hidden throughout; and
• having done both this room and Enigma Room's Dr Disaster on the same night, we really loved that both rooms were completely different (but both of excellent quality). 

I have nothing negative to say about In Memoriam.  We did significantly better in this room than in their other Dr Disaster room - I think we just got luckier in this room.  So from my personal experience, I think this room was the easier of the two (but I understand from Matt and Barry that other teams who have tried both rooms at Enigma Room have had the opposite experience to us).

We enjoyed every minute of In Memoriam.  High tech puzzles unlike anything we have seen, a great theme (that was really well-executed) and a heap of fun.

I personally think the puzzles are pretty tricky (compared to the other 10 rooms we have done elsewhere Sydney).  I think first-timers might find this room pretty difficult (although a heap of fun either way).  I'd suggest warming up on some easier rooms (at other escape room outfits) before tackling this one if you're an escape room newb.  In so doing, you will also really appreciate just how good this room is compared to most of the competitor escape room outfits.  It is a truly excellent room.

My group really enjoyed In Memoriam and we all agreed it was a 5 out of 5 room.

Where:                    Suite 602, Level 6, 262 Pitt Street 

Duration:                60 minutes

Themes:                 2 themes 

Cost:                       $35 each (4 players) (We got an opening special)

Overall Rating:      5 out of 5 stars

More details:          http://enigmaroom.com.au/

Review of The Enigma Room - Dr Disaster Theme [CLOSED]

My group of friends (4 adults) checked out The Enigma Room's 'Dr Disaster' room in March 2015. This was our eleventh escape room in Sydney so far.

We found the place very easily, thanks to an email they sent us the day before with directions and photographs of their entrance.  We were given a briefing by the owners, Matt and Barry before embarking on our attempt to defeat Dr Disaster.

They currently have two rooms, Dr Disaster and In Memoriam.

First off, I'll say what I enjoyed most about Dr Disaster at Enigma Room:

• it was fantastic.  The room design is very clever and contains many different elements, both high tech and low tech;
• every single puzzle is well considered, well designed and works perfectly;
• the theming was fantastic - the props were all perfect, they made sense and really added to the overall feel of the room.  Every single item in the room made sense - we really enjoyed how they had paid homage to various villains from movies, TV, video games, etc.  We all really appreciated that there was so much attention to detail with the props and theme;
• the pre-escape room video is great and really got us in the mood for the escape;
• the use of a tablet for communicating and obtaining clues was also perfect;
• there were some puzzles that we had never seen before and which we all really liked - it's always nice to see something new and different; and
• the owners are very passionate about their rooms and it shows from the quality of the room.  They also took the time out to show us every element of the room, the thinking behind the puzzle design, theming and various 'easter eggs' hidden throughout.

I have nothing negative to say about Dr Disaster.  

Unfortunately for us, the puzzles were too good for us on the day.  Although we did manage to escape with 4 seconds on the clock (technically we escaped!), we had to ask for lots of clues to get out in time.  This was a shame (and completely our own fault in not being able to solve what were completely solvable puzzles).  The real shame was that we had to rush through the last 10 minutes and didn't get a chance to stop and enjoy those last few puzzles - we instead were madly running around.

I personally think the puzzles are pretty tricky.  I think first-timers would be pretty hard-pressed to escape this room (unless they ask for lots of clues).  It might be best to warm up on some easier rooms (at other escape room outfits) before tackling this one - but you should definitely give it a go.  It is an excellent room.

My group really enjoyed Dr Disaster and we all agreed it was a 5 out of 5 room.

Where:                    Suite 602, Level 6, 262 Pitt Street 

Duration:                60 minutes

Themes:                 2 themes 

Cost:                       $35 each (4 players) (We got an opening special)

Overall Rating:      5 out of 5 stars

More details:          http://enigmaroom.com.au/

The Sydney Great Race (Amazing Race)

Hi everyone

Whilst this is not an escape room post, it does relate to something that I think would be appealing to many escape room fans.

On my birthday this year, my sister bought me tickets to go on an Amazing Race in Sydney with her, my wife and our friends.  We were a team of 5 adults.  The race is run as an homage to TV's The Amazing Race (although they carefully avoid any copyright infringements).

On the day (March 2015), we arrived at our meeting point in Wynyard Park to find 16 other teams (who looked much fitter than most of those in my team, myself very much included).  There were teams dressed up in cool outfits, there were small teams (of 2) and larger teams (of 6).

We had lots of fun throughout the day - taking photos with various items in the city, trying to work out some puzzles and challenges as quickly as possible, embarassing ourselves by singing and dancing in public in the city, etc.  It's amazing how you lose your inhibitions when you're in a race and have your eyes on the prize!

Three of our team know the city pretty well (and I probably know it the best, having previously worked in the city for 10 years).  This definitely helped in finding the locations and puzzles.

In the end, our team was pretty fast.  We managed to finish the race in about 80 minutes (with other teams crossing the finish line over an hour after us).  However, they cleverly give you bonus puzzles throughout the day, which if successfully solved will give you time off the clock (eg one puzzle might give you 10 minutes off your total race time, etc).

In the end our total time, when factoring in all of the bonus puzzles that we did, totalled negative 19 minutes and we came in first (much to our own surprise).  There was only 6 minutes in it though, so we just scraped through!

It was a heap of fun.  As the winners, we are now invited to the "invitation only" Champions Great Race race later this year, which should be fun.

When I received the tickets for the Great Race on my birthday, I thought that it would either be really awesome or really naff.  Thankfully, it was the former.

I recommend this race for all ages, although you have to be relatively fit to (literally) run around the city for a couple of hours.  One of my team was wearing a pedometer and she counted that we had done about 12,000 steps (many of which were staircases and on uneven ground).

It's definitely a fun day out.  For more information, you can find the Great Race website here.

My sister managed to get a Groupon or Scoopon, which meant that the per head cost was around $25.  As always, it pays to be registered on Groupon and Scoopon.

I'd be interested in hearing anyone else's comments if they have been to the Great Race as well!

Thanks
Scott

Discount voucher - PANiQ Room at The Rocks - Abandoned Military Bunker at The Rocks

Hi everyone

PANiQ Room is one of my favourite escape room outfits in Sydney and for a limited time, you can get a discount to one of their rooms!

The discount is available here through Our Deals (I had never heard of Our Deals before stumbling across them online).

The discount is a good one - the price is $35 for 2 people, $59 for 3 people, $69 for 4 people, $79 for 5 people and $89 for six people.  This is more than 50% off!

The discount is only available for PANiQ Room's Abandoned Military Bunker at The Rocks room (and is not available for their Supercell 117 room).

It's not clear how long this deal is good for, so probably best to act quickly.  Once you get the voucher, you have until June 5 to use it (and bookings must be made by 22 May 2015).

I absolutely loved their Supercell 117 room, so hopefully the Abandoned Military Bunker is just as good!

Enjoy!

March 2015 Update – Discount vouchers and coupons for Escape Rooms in Sydney

This is the updated page listing all known vouchers and coupon, scoopon or groupon codes that provide discounts for escape rooms in Sydney.   If you are aware of any new codes (or if you own an escape room and want to publish a code here), please feel free to post a reply below with the code.  I'll try to update this list once each month. Thanks.

Place	Website	Discount Code
Mission Escape Sydney	http://www.missionsydney.com/	No current codes that I am aware of.
Escape Hunt Sydney	http://sydney.escapehunt.com/	Student 15% discount Monday to Thursday only use code “STUDENT15”. Special 15% discount Monday to Thursday for anyone use code “MID15”.
Room Escape	http://roomescape.com.au/	No current codes that I aware of.  They are commonly on Groupon and Scoopon at around 50% off (see here for a recent Groupon offer). Note though that the Groupon/Scoopon excludes their newest rooms. You can also become a “member” on their site (it’s free, you just have to share/like them on Facebook) and you then get the members’ only prices.
The Mystery Puzzle	http://www.themysterypuzzle.com/	No current codes that I am aware of.  They have been on Groupon and Scoopon before @ $15 per person (see recent expired offer here - click on "More Info" and you can sign up to receive an email when another offer is available).
Clock Locked	http://clocklocked.com.au/	No current codes that I am aware of. They are often on Scoopon and Groupon at around 50% off @ $15 per person (see recent expired offer here - click on "More Info" and you can sign up to receive an email when another offer is available).
Parapark	http://paraparksydney.com.au/	No current codes that I am aware of.
Escapism	https://www.strikebowling.com.au/escapism	No current codes that I am aware of.
Paniq Room	http://paniqroom.com.au/	They also have a 15% off weekday special for student (see their website).
Enigma Room	http://www.enigmaroom.com.au/	No current codes that I am aware of.