The Cool Space - Séance Review

Hi everyone

In February 2024, I headed to check out the (then) newest escape room outfit in Sydney. Located in Chippendale, the business is called The Cool Space. This time I played with 2 of my enthusiast friends, so we were a team of 3.

The Cool Space is run by friends Josh and Daniel, who themselves are enthusiasts and who each worked previously at 2 of the best escape room businesses in the country. I think it’s always nice to know that the ER owners/designers have played a lot of rooms as enthusiasts, as it usually shows in their attention to detail in their own design (especially if, like most of us, they have been burned by shitty puzzles themselves when playing others’ rooms).

Their first room is called Séance. Here is the room summary:

Contact a spirit and puzzle your way through their story in a unique, seated escape room experience! Calling all ghost hunters! The new owner of the Abercrombie mansion needs your help… Gather your crew, it’s time to perform a seance! After discovering a strange box inside the mansion, the new owner has tasked your team of ghost hunters to make contact with a haunting spirit said to hold the key that unlocks the box. The task is fairly simple, gain the spirit’s trust and get the key.

What could possibly go wrong?

Séance was my 289th room. Here is what I thought: 

• my favourite aspect of Séance was the innovative use of what is a pretty small space. Players are seated throughout the entire experience at a table while a séance takes place; at no point do players walk around the space of even stand up. This is truly unique (I have not heard of anything like that anywhere else) and no doubt this made designing the puzzles and room flow really challenging, but it really paid off;
• from a business perspective, the smaller space would no doubt have been cheaper and quicker to build compared to other much larger rooms. But I think it was a really clever move by The Cool Space, as it allowed them to open quickly and start making money while they then build their second, larger space. I 100% prefer this over the more common practice now of newer ER businesses purchasing room designs and whole fitouts from third party companies like Indestroom – I have yet to play an Indestroom room that I really enjoyed;
• the puzzles and theming in Séance were all strong. When I played back in February 2024, some of the puzzle elements were quite simple. I returned in July 2024 to watch my wife and her family play Séance and Josh and Daniel showed me the various puzzles they had changed and certain puzzle elements that had been swapped out for sturdier materials;
• there was also fun actor engagement in Séance. In fact, I brought along a ‘family heirloom’ with me in an attempt to try to make the actor break character. I had mixed results and will have to try again when I play their next room 😊;
• from a puzzle and room flow design perspective, I thought there were a lot of clever elements in Séance. All facets of the space were utilised (and they were utilised really well); and
• this room is a scary room, so it’s not suitable for kids (their website suggests 16+). I have played many of the scariest rooms in the world and I think the scariness level in this room is very low (so if you don’t like scary rooms, don’t be put off). If you have a real aversion to scares, reach out to them ahead of time and I am sure they will accommodate your request.

I was really impressed by Séance, especially given that it’s Josh and Daniel’s first room. The puzzles were all challenging and rewarding to solve and the use of the space is truly unique and innovative. We really enjoyed this room and look forward to what they have to offer next. Also, everyone who plays Séance walks away with one of the coolest ER pins I have seen to date. The Cool Space’s logo is an ice cube – the pin for Séance is an ice cube seated on a chair (much like players in Séance). I suspect their next room will have a similarly cleverly-posed ice cube (pins are awesome and greatly appreciated).

Where:                    2/134 Abercrombie St, Chippendale

Duration:                60 minutes

Themes:                  1 theme so far (another on the way soon)

Price:                       $55pp (for a team of 4)

Overall Rating:       A truly innovative room, executed really well

More details:           https://www.thecoolspace.com.au/

Labyrinth Escape Rooms - Zen and Outbreak Reviews

 

Hi everyone

In February 2024, I headed back out to Parramatta to play a new room at Labyrinth. We have always had fun at Joan and Frank’s rooms there each of the times we had been before. This time I played not with my usual group, but with other enthusiast friends. We had originally planned on playing just their Zen room, but we escaped pretty quickly and managed to sneak in their Outbreak room too.

There is what I thought of both rooms:

Zen – Room 287

As for theming, this room had a pretty cool impact the second we walked in. The room had a futuristic feel, almost completely devoid of colour. It felt to me like it was a futuristic zen space with possibly hints of an asylum thrown in. There were some cool puzzles in the room that contained a mix of dexterity as well as some really cool, well-concealed high-tech components. This was a fun room – we all laughed at various points. Overall the puzzles were on the easier side – it would definitely suit newer teams and certainly families.

Outbreak – Room 288

I really enjoyed Outbreak. From the perspective purely of theming, I think this is Labyrinth’s strongest room – the props were great, the treatment of every surface was really well done, the mix of high-tech elements throughout was also great. Outbreak felt like a movie-set. I also really enjoyed the puzzles in Outbreak – again, they all made sense in the space, there was a nice mix of hunt and seek fun and some really cool tech in some of the puzzles. I thought this was a cracker room and really enjoyed it. We also broke the record (although I am not sure if that record still stands in the almost 12 months it has taken me to write up this review). Highly recommend this room!

Where:                    1B Victoria Rd, Parramatta

Duration:                60 minutes

Themes:                   6 themes

Price:                       $60pp (for a team of 4)

Overall Rating:       Awesome theming – Outbreak is my new fave Labyrinth room

More details:           https://labyrinthescaperooms.com.au/

Cubic Escape Rooms - Memento & The Recording Device Reviews

Hi everyone

In February 2024, I was invited by the owners of Cubic Escape Rooms to come and play one of their rooms. I ended up playing 2 rooms there back to back with other enthusiast friends of mine. The first room that we played was Memento, which we then followed up with The Recording Device.

There is what I thought of both rooms:

Memento – Room 285

This room involves players delving into the mind of the main character and then learning more about his past and certain events that have shaped both he and his family. It was an interesting story with some interesting puzzles. The theming was also unique in that much of it was reminiscent of a black and white comic book. There was a nice mix of puzzles and though all were on the easier side for our enthusiast team, there were a couple of interesting puzzles that we all enjoyed.

The Recording Device – Room 286

This room is set in a Sydney hospital during a thunderstorm. There has been a murder and players need to figure out what happened. One unique element of this room is that each player is given a role to play, with special information only each player knows about themself. There were some interesting puzzles in this experience (particularly during the first space), but some of the elements that related to each player’s role didn’t quite hit the mark for me. After our experience, our game master took us through the various information in the room that related to the murder and that didn’t quite gel with us either. Overall it was an interesting experience, but we preferred Memento.

Where:                    L1, 741 George St, Haymarket

Duration:                70 minutes

Themes:                  4 themes

Price:                       $55pp (for a team of 4)

Overall Rating:       Reasonably solid rooms – Memento was our pick of the two

More details:           https://cubicescapesydney.com.au/

Escape Plan London - The Adventure Begins, The Battle for Britain and Roll Out the Barrell (London)

Hi all

The next rooms that we played in London on our European trip in January 2024 were Escape Plan. We played all 3 of their rooms back to back (with a short lunch break at nearby Brick Lane - the famous Jewish bakery there was awesome).

Here is what we thought of each of the 3 rooms:

The Adventure Begins – Room 282

The first room that we played at Escape Plan was The Adventure Begins. Each of the rooms at Escape

Plan is set in the 1940s and contains historically-accurate details about key events. The theming in The Adventure Begins was strong but simplistic compared to some of the amazingly themed rooms across Europe. The puzzles were all fun and made sense in the space. My youngest daughter was a little scared during the room due to the loud noises and fear that the guard at our P.O.W. camp was about to return.

The Battle for Britain – Room 283

The Battle for Britain was our favourite of the rooms available at Escape Plan at the time that we played in January 2024. Our game master Sam did a great job at ensuring that our girls were included throughout the experience. Battle for Britain is a largely non-linear room which contains a huge number of puzzles. At times, Sam spoke directly to our girls through the comms to give them help with their own tasks. The quality of the puzzles was great and there was a really nice variety that suited our family team of 4 brilliantly. This was a great game (and previously sat at #170 on the TERPECA list of best rooms in the world).

Roll Out the Barrell – Room 284

Whilst I thought The Battle for Britain was the strongest room, we thought Roll Out the Barrell was the most fun. I really enjoyed the interesting puzzles and room design in ROTB and I thought some of the puzzles in ROTB were amongst the most difficult puzzles at Escape Plan. The theme was fun, the puzzles were fun and the ending was awesome. This was our girls’ favourite of the 3 rooms we played at Escape Plan.

Overall comments

I thought the rooms at Escape Plan were all really fun. The game masters were the best we encountered in London (Sam and Sarah) and they both made a real effort to ensure our kids were involved. For anyone who has played some of the top TERPECA rooms in Europe, I suspect you will find (as we did) that the rooms in England are not in the same league as far as scale and set design. The puzzles though in all of the Escape Plan rooms were great and we all had a great time.

*Since playing the 3 rooms on this trip, I returned to London and have now played Escape Plan’s fourth room, Pushed for Time. I will post my review of that one here in due course.

Where: Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Grn Rd, London

Duration:                    60-70 minutes

Themes:                     4 themes (as at 2024)

TERPECA:                 Battle for Britain #369 in 2024 (formerly #170)

Cost:                           £28 per person

Overall Rating:          A fun, family-friendly history lesson with great puzzles

More details:              https://escapeplanltd.com/

 

Official Sherlock Escape Rooms - Sherlock and Mind of Moriarty (London)

Hi all

The next rooms that we played in London on our European trip in January 2024 were both the Sherlock Escape Rooms official Sherlock “Live Game” and its sequel game, “The Mind of Moriarty”. We played both rooms back to back. I had read online that they were officially licensed by the BBC and contained video elements of some of the cast members from the BBC show, so I figured why not?

Here is what we thought of each room:

Sherlock Holmes – The Official Live Game – Room 280

The best part of the Sherlock Escape Rooms experience for me was the very beginning, well before the game started. The experience is located in a shopping centre. You might be confused when you arrive at the location because in its place you will find a very real looking optometrist/glasses store. From the outside, it looks exactly like a modern optometrist – glasses everywhere, advertising on the wall, etc. However, the door is locked and entry is only gained when you say the magic phrase on the intercom.

The experience itself felt a little mass-produced to me. After signing in, you are able to sit in the bar (which was also very well-themed) until it’s your turn to play the room. You are then taken in larger groups to a sitting room where group photos are taken (which you need to pay for if you would like a copy, which for the record, I didn’t like). You then separate off and walk into your own private experience.

Sherlock was a reasonably strong escape room. There were interesting (although quite simple) puzzles. The main drawcard though is the quality of the sets and if you’re a fan of the TV show, the familiar faces that appear on the videos.

Sherlock Holmes – The Mind of Moriarty – Room 281

After the same process as above (check in, sit in the bar, take a group photo in the sitting room), we were ushered to the second experience, The Mind of Moriarty. This experience was very similar to the first Sherlock experience, although I enjoyed the puzzles more in Mind of Moriarty. The same comments as above apply – the puzzles were on the simple side (which is not surprising given the target audience) but the sets were great and the videos with the actors from the BBC tv show were fun.

Overall comments

If you are a fan of the Sherlock BBC series, I think you would likely enjoy these experiences. If you only have time for one of them, I would go with Mind of Moriarty. Great sets and fun video cut scenes, but overall it definitely felt a little too mass-produced and the puzzles were too simple. From memory, we escaped both rooms easily within our time window (especially the first Sherlock experience). Our girls did have fun though.

Where:                    West 12 Shopping Centre Shepherds Bush, West London

Duration:                60 minutes

Themes:                  2 themes

Cost:                        £99 for a family of 4 (depending on day/time)

Overall Rating:       BBC Sherlock-y fun but a little mass-produced for our tastes

More details:           https://thegameisnow.com

 

Secret Studio, London - Escape from the Golden Hinde (London)

 

Hi all

After checking out Borough Market, the next escape room venue that we checked out on our Europe trip in January 2024 was Escape from the Golden Hinde. This was a really unique room, as it is located on a ship in dry dock in London. The room is run by Secret Studio. By day, The Golden Hinde can be viewed by the public – it is effectively a museum piece; by night, at least on some nights, Secret Studio rents out the ship for its escape rooms.

The Golden Hinde is a replica of the ship of the same name which was launched in 1577. The replica ship, which was built in 1973, has circumnavigated the globe and has travelled more than 230,000km before being berthed in London as an educational museum. The replica ship is where the escape room fun is had. Here is what we thought:

The Golden Hinde – Room 279 (London)

The Golden Hinde was an excellent experience (and by far our favourite room in London)! This room was perfect for families, as the game masters ensured that everyone was involved.

The Golden Hinde is as much an escape room as it is an interactive experience. During out adventure, we crossed paths with at least 4 different actors throughout the experience, each of whom played their roles very well. This was also one of the few rooms where we enjoyed alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) drinks during the experience. We really liked that the storyline was educational and kept true to the story of Sir Francis Drake (or perhaps the real story of Sit Francis Drake, who we met during our journey). The puzzles were all excellent and the theming was simply off the charts.

There are some dark areas of the ship, but this was still a family-friendly experience. Players are provided with beanies (ie helmets) to wear throughout the experience, as there are many low-hanging beams overhead. I found the helmet annoying to wear (as well as a lot of crouching), but that was the only downside at all to the experience. The actors are great (and especially great in engaging with children) and the puzzles were first rate too.

Where:                    St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, London

Duration:                60 minutes

Themes:                  2 themes

Cost:                       £48 per person

Overall Rating:      Brilliantly themed, highly interactive piratey goodness

More details:          https://www.escapeintime.co.uk/goldenhinde/

Clue Quest London - Review of Revenge of the Sheep, CQ Origines and PLAN52 (London)

Hi all

After checking out Finland (Helsinki and Rovaniemi), Prague and Paris, the fourth and final stop on our European adventure was London. As well as fitting in a number of West End shows, we also managed to hit up a few escape rooms (although to be honest, I was surprised that London doesn’t have a single TERPECA nominated room).

The first venue that we checked out while in town was Clue Quest. We had initially booked just 2 rooms, but we managed to escape in good time and given it was a mid-week booking, they were able to fit us in to play a third room. Here is what we thought of the 3 rooms that we played at Clue Quest:

Revenge of the Sheep – Room 276

We really enjoyed Revenge of the Sheep (in fact, it was our favourite room at Clue Quest in London). The theming was nicely done and we really enjoyed the puzzles. We got off to a good start and flew through the first section of the experience, but the second section was more challenging and slowed us down. We found that having good eyes for detail really helped in this room, as there was a reasonable amount of hunt and seek fun and small details around the room that were very easy to miss. We really liked the theming and the backstory and puzzles were very strong. Our girls had fun too (this was a very family-friendly room with no jump scares or even dark areas) – both girls were engaged the whole time and they each solved their own share of the puzzles.

CQ Origines – Room 277

CQ Origines was a fun room as well. The theming was great and it reminded me in some respects of Lab Rat in Los Angeles (which I played back in 2019). Lab Rat was a better room (both on scale and uniqueness), but we did have fun at CQ Origines. The strongest aspect of the room is the theming, which was really nicely done. We enjoyed many of the puzzles, although I found the room flow was a little stilted and some of the puzzles weren’t entirely logical (or perhaps could have done with a little more signposting). There was also a reasonable amount of hunt and seek fun, which our girls enjoyed. The room is family-friendly (although a little dark in some sections).

PLAN52 – Room 278

PLAN52 was the third and final room that we played at Clue Quest in London. This was another fun room that we all enjoyed. I felt like the puzzles in this room were probably a little harder than in the other 2 rooms. The theming in this room was not quite at the same level as Revenge of the Sheep or CQ Origines, but it did not detract from our enjoyment. Much like the other 2 rooms, we needed very strong attention to detail and a good eye for spotting things in PLAN52 – with each of times that we were stuck, we couldn’t see what was right in front of us. I thought this room had a better flow than CQ Origines, but ultimately Revenge of the Sheep was the standout here for us.

Overall comments

We really enjoyed all 3 rooms at Clue Quest and we were grateful that they managed to squeeze us in to play the third room on the day. They were also kind enough to give me a free magnet with our team photo (because the day that we played was my birthday). All three rooms were family-friendly and the game masters were all great. If you are in London and found yourself with only enough time to check out one of their rooms, Revenge of the Sheep is the pick.

Where:                    169-171 Caledonian Road, London, N1 0SL

Duration:                60 minutes

Themes:                   4 themes

TERPECA:             cQ Origines #316 in 2024 (formerly #87)

                                 Revenge of the Sheep (formerly #99)

Cost:                        £35 per person

Overall Rating:       Nicely-themed, family-friendly rooms

More details:           https://cluequest.co.uk/