Room Escape Artist

Dine and dash

Location:  Valencia, Spain

Date Played: April 24, 2024

Team size: 2-7; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 90 minutes

Price:  €100 per team

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  This game includes climbing and crawling. Players will be handcuffed at the start of the game.

Mess Meter:  🧹 (out of 5)

Emergency Exit Rating: [F] No Emergency Exit

Physical Restraints: [F] No Emergency Release

For more on our trip to Spain, here’s our field report.

REA Reaction

Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden had one of the coolest facades that we’ve seen. It looked exactly like a Chinese restaurant from the street. We could see passersby thinking that it was an active restaurant.

Once inside, we found a fairly compelling recreation of a Chinese restaurant, however, it was badly worn. Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden was one of the most beat up high end escape rooms that we’ve played in years. Nearly every critical prop in the game looked like it was in need of repair or replacement.

Additionally, we found ourselves repeatedly thinking, “Hey… is that racist?” And there are plenty of times where cultural perspectives and sensitivities can vary on a subject… but it happened a lot in Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden… and there was at least one time where our whole team confidently agreed, “Yup. This is racist.” One of our teammates described the game as, “an all you can eat buffet of stereotypes.”

As a game, Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden was fine. I wasn’t pulled into the drama of the game, but the wear dramatically reduced the quality of the experience. And the utterly artless deep dive into pan-asian stereotypes felt gross.

Of the 17 games that we played in Spain, Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden was the only one that I felt like I would have been happier sleeping in and skipping. Not because it was terrible, but because I found it dull and in poor taste. I’m certain that there are folks who will relish in the humor of this game and if that’s you, live your bliss.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Crime fans
• Best for players with at least some experience
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• The facade and entrance
• There were a number of well-designed puzzles

Story

We were a team of thieves targeting the head of the Chinese mafia. We entered his base of operations, the restaurant El Jardín de Buda (Buddha’s Garden) to plunder his ill-gotten gains.

Setting

Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden looked like a Chinese restaurant inside and out… albeit a heavily worn one.

The exterior of Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden looked great. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have assumed that I was looking at a Chinese restaurant.

The interior was a different story. The set looked extraordinarily beat up and under-maintained. I can imagine that playing this game when it was new must have felt different… playing it in 2024, the set looked neglected.

Gameplay

Factoría Escape Room’s Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden was a standard escape room with an elevated level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, making connections and puzzling.

A little climbing and crawling was also required.

Analysis

➕ The opening moments were unusual. We appreciated the realism of the outdoor facade (which really looked like a Chinese restaurant!) and the first interaction. The heist was on.

➕ /➖ Once inside, the introduction was confusing. We weren’t sure of the tone… was this character supposed to be menacing or incompetent? We also weren’t sure how to engage with him… to lie or tell the truth? Did he want to improvise with us? (No.)

➕ There were a number of nifty puzzles and interactions built into everything you’d expect to find in a Chinese restaurant. It was fun to see these familiar props turned into inventive puzzles.

➖ This wasn’t just an escape room set in a Chinese restaurant that leaned hard on Chinese stereotypes. Any Asian stereotype was up for grabs… and all of it melted into the decor and puzzles. The haphazardness added an extra layer of eww.

➖ Some of the puzzles lacked feedback. We couldn’t tell when we’d completed a goal, or what it had accomplished. One puzzle violated implied usage, so we spent a long time attempting it incorrectly, but we kept at it because the game had taught us not to expect feedback.

➖ We encountered a lot of worn out and broken props. In one instance a broken display made a puzzle much more challenging. At another point, obvious wear basically handed us the answer to a puzzle.

➖/❓ While this was a game, and we understood a prop-gun to be a prop, and fake money to be fake, scenes with these props were visible to passersby, through the windows of the “restaurant” and when we made our escape. We know of a company in the United States who had a S.W.A.T team arrive because of something just like this. Maybe things are different in Spain, but we felt uncomfortable with these design choices.

➕ The final set was amusing.

Tips For Visiting

• There is street parking nearby, but leave time to find a spot.
• English is available upon request.

Book your session with Factoría Escape Room’s Perfect Shot in Buddha’s Garden, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.