Sugar & Spicy
Location: Crawley, England
Date Played: January 9, 2023
Team size: 2-8; we recommend 4-5
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: ranging from £64 per group to £192 per group depending on the number of players and the day of the week
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: There are steps within the game and at least one person will need to crawl. There is also a split-team start.
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock (and in one segment there is push to exit)
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
Spellcraft pulled off a number of impressive feats.
Tulleys Escape Rooms & Games made a collaborative escape room competitive… while still being almost entirely collaborative. We were divided between two houses, good and evil, but we spent most of the game solving as one team. Still, there would be only one winning team. In this way, Tulley’s raised the stakes, but didn’t diminish the escape room thrill of collaboratively solving with friends.
Tulleys also maximized their space with some impressive sets, arranged such that they could pull of a nifty magic trick… and did it more than once. Thus we traversed the space in an unusual manner, which we really enjoyed.
As much as it wowed us, Spellcraft was sometimes bumpy. The gameplay faltered with a ghost puzzle, followed by a puzzle that relied on inconsistent tech, followed by a tedious solve.
Play Spellcraft for the novelty of the game design. We’ve never encountered another escape room quite like it.
It’s not so easy to get to and from Tulleys, although the town of Crawley is easily accessible from London by train. However, if you’re heading in that direction, Spellcraft is a must-play.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Fans of wizardry
- Any experience level
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- The quirky set up was unusual and memorable
- To compete against your friends, but play most of the game together
- A particularly impressive set-based transition
Story
This was a battle of two twin witches: Evillinda and Spellinda. We were caught in the middle of their rivalry and power struggle.
Setting
The two opening sets couldn’t have been more different: bright, tall and cheery versus low, dim, and witchy. This juxtaposition was impressive. Most of the following scenes has their own visual identities.
Gameplay
Tulleys Escape Rooms & Games’ Spellcraft was a standard escape room with a split-team start and a high level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.
After the split-team opening scene, we spent the majority of the escape game collaborating as one group… but even if we escaped, we wouldn’t all win.
Analysis
➕ We’d never encountered good versus evil staged in this manner. In this creative split-team start, we were pitted against our teammates, and initially separated. However, we collaborated for most of the game… until in the final scene we battled again, where only 1 side would prevail, but all would escape. It sounds strange, but somehow it worked quite naturally.
➕ The juxtaposition of the opening two sets really cemented the two sides of the house. One was airy and bright. The other was compact and moody. Furthermore, they were exquisite, with fun detailed props. A whimsical later set was also a joy.
➖ In one late-game set, a central set-piece felt under-used. This was a missed opportunity to imbue the space with competing magical forces.
➕/➖ In the world of magical witches, it was wonderful to twirl our own magic wands. These props felt the part. That said, it didn’t feel that magical when we used them. They needed to give more feedback, and perhaps a bit more pizzazz for a solve.
➖ There were opportunities to add sound, light, and springs to highlight opens.
➕ The large, interactive physical props were especially fun.
➖ Not every puzzle delivered. Hats off to Tulleys for an attempt at conjuring a puzzle before our eyes, but the tech behind this was too finicky. Not long after we wove our way through a tediously long execution of another puzzle. In another instance, Spellcraft replaced a captivating set-based interaction with a cheesy interlude, leaving a ghost puzzle behind.
➕ In the middle of the game, we were moved by an impressive feat of engineering. Few escape room companies attempt this maneuver, and Tulleys made it work brilliantly. Furthermore, they designed the gamespace such that they could pull off the same trick multiple times.
➕/➖ A mythical creature surprised and delighted one of us. Unfortunately only one player got to experience this moment.
➖ The final battle was a seemingly random challenge that didn’t have anything to do with the sets or props that had come before it. It seemed an odd send-off.
Tips For Visiting
- There is a parking lot.
- Although you can get an Uber to drop you off here, you won’t be able to get one to pick you up again after your game.
Book your hour with Tulleys Escape Rooms & Games’ Spellcraft, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Tulleys Escape Rooms & Games provided media discounted tickets for this game.
