The Mystery Rooms: Chapter 2 – The Medieval Quest [Review]

Location: The Mystery Rooms, Fitzroy (Melbourne), VIC, Australia

Date completed: June 2017 (4 players). Succeeded escaping!

Creativity: 10; Difficulty: 7.5 to 8.5; Atmosphere: 8; Fun: 9.

Requirements:

• Fluent English
• 4-6 players
• One player not colour blind

In the second part of Mystery Room’s adventure to restore the separation between the real world and fantasy world, players are invited to join the Knights of the Round Table and discover what happened to the legendary sword, Excalibur. Chapter 2 – The Medieval Quest is a huge game set in Camelot,  and players must use Merlin’s magic to help King Arthur and recover Excalibur, a talisman for Strength.

Although it is called Chapter 2, Medieval Quest was the first game we played at Mystery Rooms. The three first chapters can be played in any order and the numbers are more of an indicative of “era” (older history first) and difficulty (easiest first). We ventured through Avalon with a couple of friends who were facing an escape room for the first time, and the four of us had a blast until the last thrilling seconds!

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The Mystery Rooms: Chapter 1 – The Lost Tomb [Review]

Location: The Mystery Rooms, Fitzroy (Melbourne), VIC, Australia

Date completed: June 2017 (4 players). Succeeded escaping!

Creativity: 10; Difficulty: 8; Atmosphere: 9; Fun: 9.5.

Requirements:

• Basic English
• 4-6 players
• Acute senses
• Full mobility

The borders between the Fantasy World and the Real World are crumbling. To restore them and avoid an invasion by ill-intended magical creatures, a secret organization called GRIMM recruited you and your friends too look for the talismans of Strength, Knowledge and Courage and restore the separation between realms.

This is the story behind all Mystery Rooms games, in Melbourne. Chapter 1 – The Lost Tomb is the adventure to recover the Book of Dead, talisman for Knowledge, lost in the Ancient Egypt eras ago. Players are sent back to Cleopatra’s time, and the first thing they will notice is that the desert has a lot of sand. According to our GM, Mystery Rooms used seven tons of sand to build this room. We recommend exploring it barefoot!

Keysroom: Rabia [Review]

Location: Keysroom, Pontevedra, Spain

Date completed:  April 2017 (2 players). Succeeded escaping!

Creativity: 8; Difficulty: 10; Atmosphere: 8.5; Fun: 8

Requirements:

• Intermediate Spanish
• 2-5 players
• One player not colourblind
• One player with full mobility

A group of scientists started researching with human manipulation and developed the Proozol, a virus that at first seemed to give new abilities to its carrier… before turning it into a zombie! In Rabia, you have to enter the lab to search for an antidote. The problem is that the venue was shut down for security reasons, with all its subjects still inside.

Keysroom created a very complex lab with layered tasks galore in Rabia. The room is also in the edge of scary/gore, so parental guidance is advised. Although the mad scientist plus zombie combo is fairly common in escape rooms, it is refreshing to see this type of story turned into a high quality game such as this one.

Keysroom: La Fortaleza [Review]

Location: Keysroom, Pontevedra, Spain

Date completed:  April 2017 (2 players). Succeeded escaping!

Creativity: 8.5; Difficulty: 9.5 (10 for 2 players); Atmosphere: 8; Fun: 9

Requirements:

• Intermediate Spanish
• 2-5 players
• One player not colourblind
• One player with full mobility

When a nuclear disaster is about to happen, what do you do? You infiltrate your enemies headquarters, steal the plans and save the world, right? Not really. In La Fortaleza (“The Fortress”), you and your team try to do it and get caught! Now you are in double trouble: you need to find a way to unlock yourself AND avoid a huge explosion!

La Fortaleza is one of the most intense and puzzle-overloaded games we’ve played to date. It is really hard to finish in time with 2 people, not because the puzzles are ultra-hard (they are more on the medium level), but due to the enormous amount of them. We managed to unlock 2 minutes of bonus time and really needed it! But you know what? Loads of puzzles also mean loads of fun! We enjoyed every minute and blasted through the fortress, where Trapspringer’s perfect aim was really handy!

Adventure Rooms Adelaide: Mad Scientist [Review]

Location: Adventure Rooms Adelaide, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Date completed: Mar 2017 (2 players). Succeeded escaping!

Creativity: 7.5; Difficulty: 7; Atmosphere: 7; Fun: 7.

Requirements:

• 2-7 players
• Intermediate English
• One team member not colourblind

The basic premise of Mad Scientist is incredibly simple. There is a scientist. He is mad. You are trapped in his laboratory and must escape in 60 minutes or you will become his next experiment.  Scientific ethics? What ethics?

According to Adventure Rooms, this game was their original creation for the international franchise and now it can be played in the vast majority of their venues around the world. We decided to give it a go during our visit to Adelaide, determined not to end inside a test tube!

Adventure Rooms Adelaide: The Gaol Break [Review]

Location: Adventure Rooms Adelaide, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Date completed: Mar 2017 (2 players). Succeeded escaping!

Creativity: 7; Difficulty: 6.5; Atmosphere: 7 Fun: 8.5.

Requirements:

• 2-7 players (we recommend 4)

I am a very lawful and well behaved lady, who has never been in trouble with the police. But I have to admit, since the escape addiction took over me, I’ve been in prison more times than anyone would expect. Maybe because prison break is one of the most popular escape games’ themes?

After a positive experience with Adventure Rooms overseas, we decided to check how the rooms in the Adelaide branch of this international company would look like. For Gaol Break, Trapspringer and I were separated into (seemingly) identical cells and had to use the best of our communication skills to reunite and escape!

Powerhouse Museum: The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes [Review]

Location: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney CBD,  Sydney, Australia

Date completed:  August 2017.

Creativity: 6.5; Difficulty: 3.5; Atmosphere: 8.5; Fun: 7

Requirements:

• Fluent English
• Adult: $27; Concession: $25; Child (4–16): $16

I’ve always liked visiting Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum since I was a kid. With it’s enormous displays on all manner of transport, space travel and other technology, I was never bored. Over the last decade, the museum has had a number of interesting exhibitions which cater to my geeky side: Star Wars, Harry Potter…  and now, The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes. 

Admittedly, interest in the Great Detective was always a thing with Pá but I’ve come to appreciate Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation through the last few years if for no other reason than the mysteries being set in one of my favourite settings – Victorian England. This exhibition takes visitors back 200 years to the era of the Industrial Revolution, rampant crime and incredible developments in science through an interactive adventure. Time to put on a quaint accent, a hat and a carry a walking stick.