Canberra Trip!

Hey Guys,

Just a quick update as we don't have any more rooms planned until the King's Birthday weekend! Unless, of course, something spur of the moment pops up ;)

We're very excited, however, to finally announce that all four of us have booked and locked in a trip to Canberra for that weekend. Our journey begins on Friday, where we'll be traveling for a good part of the day. Our first and only room that night will be at Escape Rooms Canberra: House on the Hill.

On Saturday, we'll be venturing to Riddle Room, who have generously offered us a nice package deal as we take on four out of five of their rooms in one day. We'll start with The Nightmare and The Dungeon before lunch, then tackle The Hideaway and The Hotel in the afternoon.

Our last day before returning home will see us up and at them early, as we take on The Vault and Curio at Escape Rooms Canberra, completing the trio of rooms they have to offer. We might try to squeeze in a quick lunch break before heading back to Riddle Room for the final room of our trip, The Mine. From there, we begin our journey home!

Needless to say, we're beyond excited for this trip, as it's something we've discussed at length but never really put into action until now. Unfortunately, we won't have time to visit Revelation Puzzle Rooms on this trip, but hopefully, we'll be able to make a return trip in the future to experience the beautiful rooms they have to offer.

As always, I'll do my best to keep this blog updated as we progress through the rooms. Until the next post!

[187] Paniq Room: Sen3es

Date: 04/05/2024

Company Name: Paniq Room

Room: Sen3es

Cost:  $55 per person (Team of 4)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://paniqroom.com.au/our-rooms-paniqroom/

Location: 13 Cambridge St, The Rocks NSW 2000

Best Parking: Wilson Parking - 75 Harrington St, The Rocks NSW 2000

Succeeded: Yes, with a 4 minute time extension.

Rating: 

• Hospitality/Gamesmaster: 7
• Room Quality: 6
• Immersion: 7
• Puzzle Design: 6 
• Fun Factor: 7

Overall: 6.60/10

Room Description: 

You enter the abandoned house of a mysterious magician in search of his lost book of secrets. As you continue, the doors close behind you and there doesn’t seem to be a way back.

Is the magician still around? Don’t let him mess with your mind. You need to overcome the magician’s tricks and escape using your senses.

Comments:
After a long hiatus, our team, with Dale filling in for Luke, ventured out to Paniq Room. Our last experience at Supercell 117 back in January '23, coupled with a plethora of other rooms on our list, and a less-than-desirable first encounter at Paniq, had left us hesitant to rush back to the establishment. Nevertheless, after reading numerous reviews and my unwavering determination to convince the rest of the team, we found ourselves taking on Sen3es.

Things started off well as we were greeted by a smiling staff member on a gloomy Saturday night. We were welcomed in, and as usual, we arrived early, fortunate enough to be inside when the rain started again. While not the largest pre-lobby, it made excellent use of the available space, with two other teams waiting alongside us.

Sen3es marked our team's 30th room, which we managed to navigate through with a couple of hints and a slight time extension. The room itself wasn't particularly remarkable, feeling somewhat dated compared to many others out there. Given that it was first released close to 10 years ago, its age was evident. While many puzzles made sense in the space, there were a few red herrings thrown in that our team thankfully didn't spend too much time on, as well as some genuinely challenging puzzles that fit well with the theme. The flow through the rooms felt a bit like an arm-wrestle at times, with instructions to move through the rooms closing doors behind us and taking nothing, only luckily remembering that we were told we needed to take a couple of items back after finishing the third room.

The communication system utilized a "Voice of God" setup where you talk to the walls, and they respond. While this system worked well overall, there were moments when I personally felt our Gamesmaster may have been distracted or not following as closely as we would have liked. On one occasion, he gave us a hint on a puzzle that we had already partially completed, and on another, it seemed he may not have heard us properly.

And finally, the standout moment of the room wasn't a puzzle or theme-related—it was a moment we can now hold against our beloved teammate, Josh. After getting stuck trying to make our way back through the room, Josh had the key to open the door. However, to our surprise, he struggled to use it. After our Gamesmaster hinted that we needed to use the key, I swiftly took it from Josh and tried the door lock again. Lo and behold, the lock clicked, and we were through. The look of disappointment on my face when turning back to glare at Josh, who we usually consider our most reliable and somewhat flawless leader was priceless.

In conclusion, we had a good time as we always do. The room was decent, bordering on just okay. It wasn't a bad room by any means and could potentially be improved with a few tweaks in the game design itself and from the Gamesmaster we had on the night.

[187] Scram Escape Rooms: Motel of Madness

Date: 14/04/2024

Company Name: Scram Escape Rooms

Room: Motel of Madness

Cost: $60 per person (Team of 3)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://www.scramescaperooms.com.au/macquariepark

Location: 2/119 Wicks Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113

Best Parking: On-site parking

Succeeded: Yes with approximately 8 minutes remaining

Rating: 

• Hospitality/Gamesmaster: 7
• Room Quality: 6
• Immersion: 6
• Puzzle Design: 6 
• Fun Factor: 6

Overall: 6.20/10

Room Description: 

You and your team are on a road trip when a terrible storm hits. You decide to find accommodation for the night, but only one bed and breakfast is available in the area.

It is an unusual venue and the host makes it very clear that you're not to go exploring past any red doors.

But what do you do... you go exploring... And this bed and breakfast makes it very hard to go back.

Comments:
Motel of Madness was the second and final room our usual team, minus one member, tackled at the Scram Venue in Macquarie Park. This also marked the team's 29th room and my 33rd overall. As previously mentioned in our review of Murder in the Mob, this room notably deviated from the typical Scram-style rooms that we have grown to appreciate.

Throughout our experience in Motel of Madness, we found a noticeable absence of a strong, cohesive story. We were simply advised, "Don't go through the red door," with little consequence attached. The puzzles felt somewhat disjointed, requiring us to backtrack through rooms we had already explored, but they definitely pushed us to think more deeply than usual. While the set design was aesthetically pleasing and captured the desired vibe, the lack of a consistent narrative made it challenging to fully immerse ourselves in the experience.

Fortunately, we had the same Gamesmaster as earlier in the day, ensuring we were in capable hands. However, we did encounter a slight hiccup towards the end. Despite completing the majority of puzzles, we found ourselves missing one crucial item needed to escape. Our Gamesmaster handled the situation professionally, offering assistance and even providing us with a 10% discount voucher for our next Scram visit.

Overall, Motel of Madness ranked as our least favourite of the three rooms at the Macquarie venue. Nevertheless, our group still appreciated the enjoyable time and hospitality provided by Scram.

[187] Scram Escape Rooms: Murder in the Mob

Date: 14/04/2024

Company: Scram Escape Rooms

Room: Murder in the Mob

Cost: $60 per person (Team of 3)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://www.scramescaperooms.com.au/macquariepark

Location: 2/119 Wicks Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113

Best Parking: On-Site parking available

Succeeded: Yes with approximately 8 minutes remaining

Rating: 

• Hospitality/Gamesmaster: 7
• Room Quality: 7
• Immersion: 8
• Puzzle Design: 6 
• Fun Factor: 8

Overall: 7.20/10

Room Description: 

In an attempt to gain power over the city's underworld, you and your fellow gang members have broken into the hideout of the Castello gang and executed a hit on several key mobsters.

After your escape, you realise that you've dropped your glove, which could lead police straight to you! Go back, get the evidence, get out.

Comments:
Our team, minus one member, lined up for our remaining two rooms at Scram's Macquarie Branch. After being thoroughly impressed with our earlier encounter of The Witching Hour and considering Scram's solid reputation for providing high-quality rooms, we were beyond excited.

Our understanding was that Murder in the Mob was a room inherited from the previously owned Parapark and had undergone some tweaking. Nevertheless, it proved to be a solid room. The theming was spot on, maintaining a clear story as we progressed through the room, and the puzzles mostly aligned with the overarching theme. There was one particular puzzle that posed a challenge, requiring someone fairly tall or flexible on the team to navigate effectively. With Josh's contortion skills, we eventually managed to crack it. This puzzle was the only one we needed a hint for, but with the three of us working together, we successfully escaped with about 8 minutes left on the clock.

Despite the enjoyable experience, there was a subtle feeling that Murder in the Mob didn't quite have the distinctive "Scram-like" essence, which may be difficult to articulate but could be understood by those who have completed numerous rooms across Scram's venues, particularly at Church Street and Penrith. Our Gamesmaster added to the fun and welcoming atmosphere, and the pre-room lobby provided ample space and comfort. All in all, Murder in the Mob proved to be another enjoyable addition to Scram's repertoire.

[187] Expedition Escape Rooms: Mission: Identity

Date: 07/04/2024

Company Name: Expedition Escape Rooms

Room: Mission: Identity

Cost: $55 per person (Team of 4)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://www.expeditionsydney.com.au/gladesville

Location: U23b/33-37 College St, Gladesville NSW 2111

Best Parking: On-site parking available

Succeeded: Yes with approx 10 mins remaining

Rating: 

• Hospitality/Gamesmaster: 7
• Room Quality: 6
• Immersion: 5
• Puzzle Design: 6
• Fun Factor: 7

Overall: 6.20/10

Room Description: 

You have realised that your whole life and purpose as elite Section 9 agents has been a lie. To uncover your true identities and Section 9's darkest secrets you have evaded all security to Section 9's top secret underground facility. There lay the answers you seek. However.. Section 9 agents are searching for you. It is only a matter of time. This is your last chance. 

Can you expose the lies and escape with your lives?

Comments:
Our team spontaneously decided to tackle an Escape Room on short notice. With two of our four members having previously enjoyed Sabotage the Enigma from Expedition Escape, we opted for Mission: Identity. Upon entering the lobby, we were impressed by its charming antique vibe and ambient lighting. Our Gamesmaster was courteous and allowed us to begin early, as the previous team had just finished and we were eager to dive in.

While the room boasted a variety of puzzles and locks that seemed to align with the theme, I found the story to be somewhat lacking. We received a brief debriefing upon entering the room, but from there, it felt like a series of puzzle-solving tasks without much narrative depth. Towards the end, the experience began to feel somewhat repetitive. Despite this, the room was packed with content for a single room, and our team remained fully engaged throughout, staying busy with the multitude of challenges presented to us.

Overall, we had an enjoyable time, and given our positive experiences with Sabotage, we're eager to explore more offerings from the Expedition Escape outfit.