Room Escape Artist

Irvine School of Wizardry and the Golblin’s Secrets is one of the best games in Anaheim, CA. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in the Anaheim area.

I had a great day at school!

Location:  Irvine, CA

Date Played: September 7, 2024

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

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $40 per player, 3-4 minimum depending on day

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  One section needs players to step up to and down from a platform. Those unable to do so have the opportunity for an alternative experience during that section.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock / [A] Push To Exit (in one section)

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The Irvine School of Wizardry is a delightful place. Irvine School of Wizardry and the Goblin’s Secrets is the second game set in this universe, and it was just as wonderful as the first game, Irvine School of Wizardry and the Dragon Wand (Room Escape Artist review by Matthew Stein.)

The Hidden Donkey lobby was bright and industrial, but by contrast, stepping into the game space, immersed me immediately in a faraway magical castle, with its floor to ceiling detail, rich decorations, warm lighting, and solidly built set and props. It was also easy to play along and pretend we were actually wizards, as each player had been given a wand at the start of the game, and a number of the puzzles required us to creatively apply the magical knowledge we accumulated as we progressed through the game. There were some traditional padlock-based puzzles, but there were quite a few others that when solved, yielded a fun magical result. From start to finish, I felt as though I was having a magical adventure!

The gameplay was fairly linear, so I personally felt that our group size of three was ideal. The puzzles were diegetic, polished, and would be fun for all experience levels.

Goblin’s Secrets compares favorably with Dragon Wand, in the beauty of the set, and the design of the puzzles. It has also has found new ways of creating the feeling of being in a magical space, so if you enjoyed that aspect of the earlier game, the newer game will give you even more of that.

If you are anywhere in the Southern California region, this game is worth an excursion to play.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Fans of Wizarding School-themed games
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Beautifully immersive set
• Thoughtful and effective use of magic effects in the experience
• Well polished puzzle design and flow

Story

We were students at the Irvine School of Wizardry,  tasked to retrieve a missing Goblin ring. We had to break into areas of the castle that were off-limits to students in order to find the ring.

Setting

Goblin’s Secrets took place in the Irvine School of Wizardry. The nondescript outer lobby belied the lovely interior that instantly transported us to a timeless magical castle. The stone walls felt solid, the lighting was thoughtfully located, and the set was enchanting.

Gameplay

Hidden Donkey’s Goblin’s Secrets was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Gameplay revolved around solving puzzles, some of which involved casting appropriate spells with magic wands to conjure a magical result. Others required solving traditional escape room puzzles in order to unlock padlocks.

Analysis

➕  The magical theme was effectively and wonderfully incorporated into the story and the puzzling experience in numerous ways. 

➕/➖ The puzzle design was thoughtful and well-polished. The flow was linear, which made it easy for us to focus our efforts, but may be a bottleneck for larger teams.

➕ Hidden Donkey really shook things up midway through the game, with a fun, large-scale set interaction.

➖ We were warned that certain elements in the room would not be used in our game as they were there in preparation for a different game in the same space. They were slightly distracting, as I forgot the warning at first. On the other hand, I look forward to coming back and playing that alternate game!

➕  The set design showed exquisite attention to detail throughout, and it was easy for me to suspend disbelief and engage fully with the story. We were having so much fun with our magic wands that we did not want to give them up!

Tips For Visiting

• Parking: Parking was ample and free.
• Food: Hidden Donkey is located in a business park and there are not a lot of close food options. 

Book your hour with Hidden Donkey’s Irvine School of Wizardry and the Goblin’s Secrets, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.