Cave Escape: Project Iceman (Nottingham)

A cool game

The year is 2052 and the world is in peril!

Having learnt from past mistakes and with the aim of creating a utopian society, governments and corporations worldwide have now successfully ended the use of fossil fuels and abolished weapons of war. MEGAMEAT, the world’s largest corporation has found an innovative solution to end world hunger…or so we thought!

Bio-engineered to have no fart gland and producing zero emissions, the Woolly Mammoth IS BACK!!!

Ever since we heard about Project Iceman by Cave Escape we’ve been itching to make a trip to Nottingham and get it booked in. Having previously played, and thoroughly enjoyed Carfax and Monuments we had very high hopes for Project Iceman.

Oddly we were down in Brighton for a couple of days and we decided that it was a great idea to tie that trip in with a trip to Nottingham. It made no sense at all, but it actually worked.

When we arrived at Cave Escape, we were greeted by our host and shown into the familiar, and beautifully decorated waiting area. After a short wait on the comfortable couch, it was time to get down to business.

Our host took us over to the locker area where we could drop off our belongings, and then escorted us down the stairs to the caves. In the entrance to Project Iceman, we were given both the health and safety and our mission briefings. I must admit, there was a lot to take in, but once we got in, it all made sense.

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

As you’d expect from Cave Escapes, their games are actually in a cave! It’s a really unique setting that certainly adds to the experience, and with the theme of Project Iceman it worked perfectly.

First impressions were good, a clean and modern area which, although a bit cosier than one may have expected, gave enough room for us to move around without treading on each other’s toes. This is one of those games where there aren’t many surprises in terms of the space, as everything is visible when you step foot in the room.

I don’t know why, but being called Project Ice Man, I think I was expecting low tech and a more basic room (I should have known better), but what we found was almost clinical with tech everywhere.

Being in a cave, with ambient noises being played throughout, this was a lovely space to be. I can 100% confirm that it’s much better being in this cave rather than a real dark, dank cave (*fun fact: Gord actually camped in a cave in his youth, and it was indeed dark, and dank).

PUZZLES

We’ve always enjoyed the puzzles at Cave Escape. Ok, when we played Carfax, we struggled. But we were much less experienced then. Monuments we really clicked with and got through it in no time. Fortunately, we also clicked with the puzzles in Project Ice Man.

Teamwork, communication, observation, auditory, pattern recognition, and I think perhaps some decoding and logic made an appearance. I was working on a longer puzzle and Liz seemed to go into overdrive and solved lots without me knowing what was going on. At least she was having fun.

Another nice thing about Project Ice Man is that the threshold to complete the mission is likely achievable for most teams. But for those teams who are more competitive, you can keep working until you complete everything.

Solving the puzzles resulted in receiving a key, a code, or triggering tech somewhere in the room. Plenty to keep you guessing.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

Clues in Project Ice Man came from Oracle, the AI computer system in the lab, and it was always watching. We clicked with the puzzles so didn’t need any help, but if we did, it would have been given either visually on the screen, or over the speakers.

Our host was just as great as you’d expect from Cave Escape (we’ve never had a bad experience). After our game she gave us a thorough debrief, so it was clear she was paying attention to our progress.

ANYTHING ELSE

Our time in Project Ice Man was short, but sweet. I love how diverse the themes are at Cave Escape, yet they all manage to feel part of the environment they are in.

With fun puzzles, a quirky theme, and a great set, Project Ice Man is a great choice for an escape room in Nottingham – whether playing as two experienced escapers, or on family fun day.

Success/Failed

Final Rating:

Team: 2 players – 35 mins

Address:63 Mansfield Rd, Nottingham NG1 3FN

Website: https://www.caveescape.co.uk/