clueQuest: Revenge of the Sheep (London)

Yet another fun time had at clueQuest

Professor BlackSheep is back again to destroy mankind as we know it by turning us all into complacent sheep! And this time he is not alone – he’s got an evil side-kick and together they have built a dangerous device: the SheepMutator.

We’re very familiar with clueQuest and it’s quite surprising that it took us as long as it did to complete all their games. On previous trips we’ve played Operation Blacksheep, and cQ:ORIGENES, but this trip we were finally back to complete the set by playing Plan 52 and Revenge of the Sheep.

clueQuest is one of those venues that always seems to be busy, which is not surprising considering they have multiple copies of rooms and do a good job of targeting the corporate market. Fortunately, their lobby is large and has plenty of seating, so despite being busy we could still get comfortable while we were waiting for our game.

Our GM for Revenge of the Sheep was Josh. Josh gave us the usual slick and enthusiastic clueQuest welcome and then escorted us downstairs to a second, quieter waiting area. In this extra waiting area we had more of a chat and then were given the mission, and health and safety briefing. Then we were led down the corridor and our mission began!

By the way, this game is 100% accessible. There is a wheelchair lift to get down the stairs, plenty of space to move around, and we didn’t spot any steps that could cause problems. In fact, they have at least one copy of each of their games on this level, making all of the games accessible. Well done clueQuest! (Just remember to contact them to let them know ahead of your game to make sure you’re able to play if you require this facility.)

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

I always enjoy the sets at clueQuest, they’re always fun and whimsical and regardless of age they always seem to be kept in good condition. Revenge of the Sheep was no exception, despite having been around for a number of years now.

Revenge of the Sheep has plenty of surprises and the design was spot on. There was a great sense of exploration and the set evolved with the story. With ambient noises and creative lighting, we felt fully immersed in the world they had created and as much as we were enjoying the game, it was bittersweet knowing that this was the last clueQuest game we would play (until they hopefully build another, hint hint clueQuest…).

clueQuest like to blend padlocks with high-end tech that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Bond villains lair; Revenge of the Sheep was no different. I love a mixture of padlocks, especially when the signposting is done right (and it was), but the tech was really cool and a joy to interact with.

It was dark at times, but generally the lighting was enough to see what we needed and managed to add to the atmosphere. clueQuest added to the atmosphere/tension even more as we approached the finale to ensure that this game ended with a bang.

PUZZLES

clueQuest are the complete package; great sets AND great puzzles. Revenge of the Sheep is a great game for both small teams and large thanks to the mix of linear and non-linear puzzles – so if you want to split up, you can.

Puzzles were satisfying, logical, challenging and made sense – the perfect combination. They generally fitted into the following categories; searching (some heavy searching), observation, logic, and audio.

It’s nice that after over 400 games we can still see puzzles that are both new and impressive. clueQuest have been incredibly creative with their puzzles, and have managed to turn some everyday items into very satisfying puzzles. Equally, they’ve added some extra modern day tech which was impressive although a tad tricky to interact with at times.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

Nothing exciting for the clue system, just the tried-and-tested walkie-talkies. But that actually fitted into the theme so no issues there. Clues were also displayed on the screen with a message stating ‘intel incoming’.

I can’t recall if we needed any help in Revenge of the Sheep, so I’m going to go on the assumption that we didn’t. If we had, I had no doubt that Josh would have been on the button and ready to help when needed – we’re yet to have a bad GM experience at clueQuest.

ANYTHING ELSE

Despite being an older game, Revenge of the Sheep is still in very good condition and not showing its age at all. Puzzles were solid, the tech was impressive, and set design was the high standard we’ve come to expect. If you’re looking for escape rooms in London, then clueQuest is always a contender and any of their games are a good choice.

Success / Failure

Final Rating:

Team: 2 players (escaped in 44:23)

Address: 169-171 Caledonian Rd, London N1 0SL

Website: https://cluequest.co.uk