Escape the Hydeout is great game in Anaheim, CA. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in the Anaheim area.
Location: New York, New York
Date played: March 23, 2015
Team size: up to 8; we recommend 6-8
Price: $28 per ticket
Plot
The good doctor has been acting strange in recent months and has now disappeared.
You have been asked by his friend to go into the doctor’s study and investigate his strange behavior.
You have one hour to discover what is happening before it is too late.
Full Disclosure
We didn’t pay for this one. A reporter from a national publication took us to this room, and observed while we played it (more on that in the future).
This room was selected from the ever-shrinking list of Manhattan-based escape games that we haven’t played, and was one of the few that had availability at the time we needed.
Mission’s Most Refined Game
This is by far Mission Escape Games’ most refined escape experience. Each game we’ve played with them has been better than the previous one, and this game represents a dramatic leap in quality.
This room escape looks good, plays well, and feels polished in a way that few escape games are.
Theme
“Hydeout” is not a typo. This is a Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde themed room (this isn’t a horror room; it’s not scary at all).
It looks great; everything is on theme.
It tells a reasonably compelling story.
It’s loaded with metaphors. Some are obvious, others are not.
Variety
In the past we’ve knocked Mission for an over reliance on locks. That’s not a thing in this room.
The variety of puzzles in the Hydeout is superb. Each puzzle offers its own unique challenge and solution.
Non-Linear
Escape The Hydeout is one of the least linear escape rooms that I’ve played. There are a few puzzles that have to be solved at specific parts of the game, but for the most part, it’s up to the players.
This is refreshing and it kept all seven of our people busy throughout the entire experience.
Challenging, Not Impossible
This game has a 17% success rate, and we made it out with 17 minutes, 40 seconds left on the clock.
We made two silly errors that resulted in us asking for hints, however this was a very tough yet solvable room.
Every puzzle in this room is completely fair, even when it’s presenting a significant challenge.
Lightbox
This game needs a light-box to help solve one of the puzzles. The Mission crew assured me that they are going to build one.
I used my height to my team’s advantage and used their television (which serves as the countdown clock and hint delivery system) as a light-box. It got the job done.
Great Moments
The Hydeout is filled with great moments. There are at least five instances in this game that our team loved.
One of them is very early in the game and it’s just really damn cool.
No Climax
This is a wonderful game that is lacking one important piece. It needs an awe inspiring climactic moment. A moment that everything builds up to in an unforgettable and unreal instant. It needs that moment that everyone who plays it will remember for years after they finished it.
Few escape games find their epic, cinematic moment, and this one comes so close so many times, but never quite gets there.
If history is any indicator, Mission’s next game is going to do it.
Should I Play This Game?
This is a no-brainer. I would put this game in the top two games in New York City (that I’ve played so far).
If you’re new to escape games, you can play this. It will be hard, but it’s doable. I think this is best once you have one or two under your belt.
It has great ambiance, gameplay, and is so incredibly fair while maintaining its difficulty.
This is a must play room.
Book your hour with Mission Escape Games’ Escape the Hydeout, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Based on your experience with chains, how likely do you think it is that we’ll have this amazing of an experience in Philly?
With Mission, you’ll have a great experience in any of their locations.