Room Escape Artist

The Mole of the Mountain is one of the best games in Massachusetts. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in Massachusetts.

Open Sesame!

Location:  Mashpee Commons, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Date Played: January 20, 2025

Team size: 3-6; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 75 minutes

Price: $35-$45 per player depending on team size

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  None as far as we could tell.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

In my 11 years of exploring escape rooms, few things have brought me more joy than playing a game that elevates a good escape room company into a fantastic escape room company. It’s a rare phenomenon. The Mole of the Mountain was that game for Upside Down Escape Games.

In the past, we saw Upside Down Escape Games exploring dark comedy and strange uses for technology, and their games were always good, but from my perspective, they didn’t quite feel like they came together as intended. The Mole of the Mountain feels like they realized their unhinged dreams.

The Mole of the Mountain was an insane blend of strange technology and off-kilter humor, all wrapped in utterly weird adventure… and I loved it. So much.

If I had one big note for the game, it’s that the clue structure could be better baked into the game itself.

Overall, The Mole of the Mountain represents a massive leap forward for Upside Down Escape Games. It’s a must play in New England (although beware that it’s out on Cape Cod and the traffic can get rough during the warmer months). Massachusetts has a number of must-play games and The Mole of the Mountain is by far the oddest addition to that list.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Comedy connoisseurs
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Uniqueness: there’s nothing like Mole of the Mountain
• Novel set design
• An unhinged story
• It’s both funny and strangely endearing

Story

Grandpa disappeared a long time ago. The only clue to his whereabouts was a journal filled with notes about a holy guru known to his followers as “The Mole of The Mountain,” and promises of enlightenment. After carefully following the notes in the journal, we found ourselves at the base of a massive pile of garbage. We’d made it this far, why not venture forth?

Setting

Upside Down Escape Games promised a mountain of garbage, and oh my did they deliver. Mole of the Mountain wasn’t just junk, it felt like highly curated junk. I spent a lot of time just wandering the set, taking things in, and was rewarded with an abundance of Easter eggs. Some of the items that I found were nostalgic, while others were hilarious.

Additionally, Upside Down Escape Games used technology to breath life into the space.

Gameplay

Upside Down Escape Games’ The Mole of the Mountain was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, solving puzzles, exploring the mountain of trash, and enjoying an unhinged game world.

Analysis

➕ The Mole of the Mountain opened with a hilarious video intro that set the tone for this ridiculous adventure.

➕ The set was insane. We’ve never seen anything like it. Everywhere we looked, there was something new to see and appreciate, from the largest set piece to the tiniest embedded detail. The effort was evident, but the effect was a world that felt effortlessly tossed into existence.

➕ Furthermore, while the unusually busy setting could have easily been overwhelming, Upside Down Escape Games artfully focused our attention, illuminating our journey.

➕/➖ The set came to life. Upside Down Escape Games fused technology and set design for a startling, amusing effect. With a select few animations, they created a compelling character. They minded the details. Plus, the camouflage was top notch. We only wished that this character was as big a presence in the story as they were in the space.

➕ The plot twist was wholly unexpected, but also so well clued. We loved that solving a puzzle completely pivoted the game, rather than a set or technology-driven reveal.

➖ As we entered The Mole of the Mountain, we were handed a runbook to direct our attention to the different puzzles, in order. The cluing was stellar, but the small, handheld item was frustrating. We suggest using this mechanic only to get a team started on the very first puzzle in an unfamiliar environment, and work the rest of the cluing into the fabric of the game. Given that we were also holding lights, the player responsible for the runbook felt trapped with no hands free for puzzles.

➕ The writing was on point. Upside Down Escape Games landed their plot twist with delivery that felt true to the source material, while being entirely of their own creation.

➕ The interactions were fun. Every puzzle was worked into the set and props, and by solving, we appreciated the game world that much more. Plus, most interactions required at least two players, and traversed the space well.

➕The Mole of the Mountain was packed with Easter eggs. They fit seamlessly into the world, eliciting chuckles from observant players.

Tips For Visiting

• They are located in Mashpee Commons, among shops and restaurants, and plenty of parking.
• We enjoyed dinner at Estia and cupcakes at Cupcake Charlie’s.
• This room contains dark humor, and is likely not appropriate for kids.

Book your hour with Upside Down Escape Games’ The Mole of the Mountain, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Upside Down Escape Games comped our tickets for this game.