40 Thieves is one of the best games around Anaheim, CA. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in the area.
There’s a snake in my pot!
Location: Temecula, CA
Date Played: October 3, 2022
Team Size: 2-8; we recommend 4-5
Duration: 70 minutes
Price: $33-$51 per player, depending on group size and day of the week
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: One player will need to crawl.
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
40 Thieves stole our hearts the moment we were transported into the game space. With a vastly sprawling adventure brimming with character, Mind Trap has created a unique world perfectly fit for their mystical bazaar. The utmost attention to detail was integrated around the drop-dead gorgeous set, involving a multitude of different game areas; they just kept opening up!
Each puzzle was multi-layered, yet approachable. With smooth game play, 40 Thieves was never overwhelming regardless of being presented in non-linear fashion. There was the perfect amount of content packed in the 70 minutes. The game included some light searching, but it felt fair and was justified given the setting, never leaving our team looking for long. Newer players will likely want a slightly larger team.
40 Thieves incorporated tons of reactive surfaces when we interacted with or solved puzzles. This included vibrations, sound effects, springs, and deep rumbles. The feedback was both a fun tactile response and a useful mechanic to demonstrate the cause and effect of a solve. These effects were backed with varied (and never boring!) input mechanisms fitting for the expansive, crazy-detailed world.
Temecula is about a 90-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles… more with traffic. However, Mind Trap Escape Room is well worth that detour. You would regret skipping 40 Thieves if you were even remotely in the vicinity. Take your time in the experience; it’s worthy of being savored.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Story seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Best for players with at least some experience
Why play?
- Drop-dead gorgeous set design and transitions
- Fantastic puzzle design with fun and exciting feedback
Story
Our group of travelers had been transported to the far-off lands of a mystical bazaar to find and protect a powerful artifact before it could fall into the hands of the 40 Thieves.
Setting
40 Thieves began in the entryway of a stunning bazaar hidden deep within the desert. Every shop was fully stocked with magical, mysterious objects and curiosities. The set unfolded drastically as the game progressed, revealing new and equally gorgeous, packed spaces.
Gameplay
Mind Trap Escape Room’s 40 Thieves was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around observation, making connections, teamwork, dexterity challenges, sensory usage, puzzling, and communication.
Analysis
➕ 40 Thieves‘ introduction created a memorable opening sequence fit for the world we were entering. It set the tone for the experience and caused just enough of a ruckus to intrigue us to journey further.
➕ The reveals in 40 Thieves were spectacular. We usually can anticipate when things will happened… but this time, we didn’t. Mind Trap managed to flawlessly integrate every little reveal into their sets with unique cluing.
➕/➖ Across the experience, the puzzles were especially strong, apart from one interaction. This simple counting ‘puzzle’ was at home in the setting, but we would have liked to see more innovation beyond the simple extraction, as the rest of the game implemented so well.
➖ Along one of the journeys, a few spaces could have benefited from extra padding.
➕ Mind Trap designed a fantastic puzzle, utilizing the players’ senses in a unique and innovative way. This was one of the strongest implementations we’ve seen. It allowed for approachable gameplay for everyone involved regardless of how heightened each person’s senses are.
➖ In one puzzle, some elements fit less precisely than others. This discrepancy was enough to cause us pause, wondering whether we were solving the puzzle incorrectly.
➕ The last scene of 40 Thieves was a proper, show stopping finale – complete with so many elements which made it memorable and special. This end sequence, including the final puzzle, was so incredibly cool our team paused to just take in the entire experience for a few moments even after the game had finished. We were left speechless.
➕ Mind Trap did not just design an escape room; they designed a world for 40 Thieves. This world was full of creatively voiced characters with rich stories, along with the beautiful interactions between the physical and digital universes to further portray these characters and their world.
Tips For Visiting
- There is plenty of parking on-site.
- Please note that this game is in their Temecula location.
Book your hour with Mind Trap Escape Room’s 40 Thieves, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Mind Trap Escape Room provided media discounted tickets for this game.
