The Padlock: Mission #53 review

Published by Escape Goats on 12/09/201812/09/2018

Theming

10/10The whole experience is just bang on. We start with a Hollywood styled short movie that sets the scene. We’re then given police vests and hats to wear and told to go through a door. We enter a space that’s themed to be outside. It’s so realistic that you actually think you are outside! It has a grittiness about it which makes you feel you’re in an unsavoury part of town. Later spaces are each themed differently, with one completely contrasting to the rest which threw me. The whole game has a proper story to it. Looking back, that might explain the bumper 99-minute length – to make it more experiential and movie-like.

Paul

9/10These guys have done well on the theming, making an indoor space feel like you are outside. I’ve not seen a room do that before. Also, the story unravels as you get through the game. The video provided at the start was movie worthy and added to the tension of the game. There are also steamy effects which add to the effect of the game.

 Bharath

Puzzles

7/10This is a tough game with lots to do. I wouldn’t recommend playing with just 2 people like we did. We had to ask for more clues than I would’ve liked to ensure we witnessed the culmination of the game. You need to do a lot of searching which makes sense considering the theme. There was a varied mix of puzzles from a mechanical skill one to one involving lasers. There were some negatives though. There were a few too many padlocks for my liking. In particular one cupboard door which had 3 separate padlocks on it. Then there was a puzzle that involved a physical action doing to it that although is a day-to-day thing in real life, I would class as a health and safety issue in an escape room and it wasn’t something I was comfortable with doing until I had confirmation that it was what I needed to do. There was also something with a really weird texture that stood out as it didn’t fit in with the rest of the theming. But overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Paul

8/10Given as this is a 99 minute room, there is a lot to do in this room. You need to be getting through the puzzles quick. There are a lot of padlocks so be ready to go through padlock after padlock. What I liked about this room was that the puzzles were interlinked with everyday activities that you would do. Be prepared to do a lot of searching. There was a mix of skill and logic games that were fun. One puzzle brought out an interesting sensation. I did find at times it was difficult to follow where you needed to go next. There was another puzzle which was a bit different as you wouldn’t get it in the UK due to health and safety laws. This is why it’s good to try rooms outside of the UK as you always get new experiences.

 Bharath

Enjoyment

8/10This felt quite epic with the quality and immersive theming and the extra long game time. It was dark in places but because we had a torch each – once we found them – and it was in keeping with the theme, it didn’t bother me like it often does. The mid-point dragged a little as we hit a road block with the puzzles, but otherwise this was a super 99 minutes. Speaking with the host afterwards, it turned out he was the game creator. This is his only room but he’s planning a cemetery themed one. If ever I’m back in Prague, I will definitely aim to check that one out!

Paul

8/10What was fun about this room is that the puzzles did not seem out of place as they linked to the theme. They were fun to do and different from other rooms that we have done before.

 Bharath

Value

10/10Costing around £32 each for a team of 2 to around £10.50 each for a group of 6, this is fantastic value for money, especially considering it’s 99 minutes long! As well as the huge length, you also get a huge game. As it progresses, you open up extra areas and it just gets bigger and bigger. It seemed like it would never end! There were multiple floors and cool secret spaces. The theming is superb and it actually feels like you’re conducting a police investigation. We overran by 10 minutes as there was too much for just the two of us, but the host let us continue to compete the story which I’m grateful for. Mission #53 is both escape room and experience. I thoroughly recommend playing it!

Paul

8/10This room is all about the theming and is longer than the standard 60 minute room, so there is value in doing this room.

 Bharath

Overall scores