Those mobsters and their puzzles.
Location: Syracuse, NY
Date played: January 20, 2017
Team size: up to 4; we recommend 2-3
Duration: 20 minutes
Price: $15 per ticket
Story & setting
In a cabin behind the Hotel Whitmore (the fictional setting of all Escape the Estate games), Prohibition-era mobsters have hidden their loot. We had 20 minutes to find the valuables before the police or the gangsters returned.
The set was a small wood cabin in the back of the Escape Estate’s former Petco retail space. We had to break into the cabin and then puzzle our way to the loot.
It was an adorable, little space.
Puzzles
While The Hideout was a short game in a tight space, it required a surprising amount of searching. It was amazing how much could be hidden in such a small area.
There were only a few puzzles, but one of them took a little bit of doing.
Standouts
The Hideout, like all other games at Escape the Estate , was gamemastered by an in-character and in-costume bellhop. Our gamemaster was never in the way. The character was used to introduce the game and as a general presence outside of the cabin, adding a wonderfully whimsical flavor to the experience.
Breaking into the cabin to get the game going was an excellent way to start the adventure.
The exterior of the cabin looked great.
Escape the Estate managed to do a lot with a small space.
Shortcomings
The Hideout was a little heavy on searching and light on puzzling for my taste.
The technology used in the game telegraphed some of the puzzle solutions. While this won’t be evident to newbies, experienced players and techies could reverse engineer some puzzle solutions.
Some of the important props lacked heft and felt like toys in an environment that was otherwise robust. Granted, given their original location in the cabin, more heft might have been dangerous. I’d recommend reworking one segment so that The Hideout‘s props can all feel like they belong there.
Should I play Escape the Estate’s The Hideout?
I love when an escape room company looks at a small corner and decides to turn it into an intimate little game.
The Hideout was small, but dynamic. It had two sets, searching, and puzzles. It looked good. While I think a small space is more conducive to a more puzzley experience than a searching one, I cannot argue with the results.
Escape the Estate’s The Hideout was small, challenging, and fun. I wouldn’t visit them explicitly to play it, but if you’re already playing one of their other full-length games, you’d be wise to tack on this 20-minute adventure.
Book your session with Escape the Estate’s The Hideout, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Full disclosure: Escape the Estate comped our tickets for this game.
The next Room Escape Conference is taking place in Niagara Falls, NY from May 1-3, 2017. The conference organizers sponsored our trip to Buffalo, New York, Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, to play this game and others in the region. We strive to help conference attendees visit the room escapes that are best for them.
