A few things to know
This is an escape game designed for children 8 to 17 or so. It is a limited engagement, and will only be around for a few more weeks.
Full disclosure: The folks at Mission Escape Games let us play this one for free.
We tried to commandeer some of our friend’s children to play this with us, but schedules didn’t quite work. We still wanted to try the game so that we could get a sense of what a room escape for kids could be like. This was for science.
Plot
This game is a promotional event produced in conjunction with DreamWorks to support the movie “Penguins of Madagascar.” It’s a great idea for both room escapes and movies. I hope to see more of this.
“The Penguins need your help to make their escape.
Help Skipper, Rico, Private and Kowalski to solve puzzles and complete their Mission!!“
Kids Game
This really is a room escape game for kids. It’s brightly lit. The room is pretty beautiful and completely unintimidating.
The game is deliberately linear, and each step along the way introduces you to a new character from the movie.
It’s an escape game with training wheels, and it works really well.
Challenge
While this game is designed for the under 18 crowd, there is still some noteworthy challenge.
Our four person team of experienced room escapees breezed through 95% of this game in very little time… Then we spent FOREVER trying to solve the final puzzle.
The big TV in the room displays clues provided by the game master (who is always watching via camera). He kept giving us vague hints:
- “Think like a kid”
- “Think more like a kid”
- “You’re still thinking like adults”
- “Stop thinking like you’ve done a room escape before”
- “You’re on the right track”
- “Keep playing with the method you’re trying”
We eventually figured the thing out, but only after a mortifying amount of time elapsed.
Our the game master told us afterwards that the trend with the final puzzle is that adults can’t figure it out, and kids have a whole lot less trouble with it.
No hyperbole, I don’t think I’ve ever had this much trouble with a door puzzle in a room escape. It was hilarious.
Should I play this game?
Bearing in mind that this game will only exist for a few more weeks…
There aren’t many room escape games for kids. If you have kids who would enjoy a bit of brainy adventure, go do it. It’s a unique; physically interactive; and fun.
We never expected to recommend this game for a team of adults, and we aren’t going to. However you can have fun with this as an adult in the same way that you’ll enjoy watching a good animated movie with a kid, even if it’s not a movie you would pick if you didn’t have children with you.
After this room closes, the Mission Escape Games team has plans to transform the room into something a bit more serious. I’d say wait for that if you don’t have any offspring to bring along.
Book an hour with Mission Escape Games, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
