LevelUp Escape Rooms: Operation: Overload (Shrewsbury)

Deja Vu?

STEP INTO THE CHAOS OF WAR-TORN YORK, 1942.

The Blitz has left the city in ruins, its streets echoing with distant explosions and the urgent cries of civilians. As elite agents, you are the last hope for Britain: you have just 60 minutes to recover and evacuate TOP SECRET intelligence before the next wave of Axis bombers arrives. Time is your greatest enemy – every second lost brings destruction closer.

Navigate debris-strewn alleyways and shattered buildings, where each shadow could hide a clue or a threat. The enemy is everywhere, and the stakes have never been higher. Can you crack the codes, outmanoeuvre the opposition, and secure the future of the nation?

In this pulse-pounding escape room, the fate of the war and of Britain itself rest in your hands. Will you rise to the challenge, or will Operation: Overload end in disaster?

LevelUp Escape Rooms in Shrewsbury is a company that we have been hearing nothing but good things about, over and over again. So of course, when we discovered that we wouldn’t be far from Shrewsbury on a recent venture northwards, it was a given that we’d be stopping by to play. We booked all four games, arranged for Amy from Brit of an Escape Habit to join us, and were very much looking forward to our visit when we received an interesting message from LevelUp regarding our booking for Operation: Overload.

Because they had read some of our reviews, LevelUp wanted to warn us that this game is actually Inbound, formerly of Escape Hub in Maidstone. This doesn’t appear anywhere on their website due to the fact that the two locations are roughly four hours apart, so the vast majority of players in Shrewsbury will have never visited the previous iteration of the game, and would be none the wiser. But we had played the game before, so we were given the option of cancelling. However, our visit to Maidstone was over five years ago, so we decided to go ahead with playing, and if we remembered anything in particular, we’d just step back and let Amy take the lead on those puzzles.

Operation: Overload was our second game of the day at LevelUp, having already completed Mystery Manor. We took a moment between games to chat with our host, Nye, and rehydrate in the small seating area at the front of the venue, but it wasn’t long before it was time to receive our mission briefing, along with some rather crucial health and safety pointers, and undertake Operation: Overload.

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

Had LevelUp not thought to warn us that Operation: Overload is, in fact, Inbound with a new lease on life, it would have become very apparent to us that something about it was familiar from the moment we clambered up the ramp to begin; the set is pretty much identical, even down to the very impressive set piece that necessitates a proper health and safety briefing, as it is rather tempting to the more idiotic adventurous players (and very nearly allowed me to claim Gordon’s life insurance policy the first time we played it.)

But it wasn’t just that aspect of the set that was impressive. The entire thing is well built, making it easy to envision we really were collecting some all important information from the streets of York. The game had a non-linear flow; ideal for enthusiasts and larger groups, especially given the close quarters of some of the spaces. But it was the added special effects, sound design, and lighting that truly helped fully immerse us in the world that LevelUp have created, and transported us back in time. Operation: Overload isn’t a game that’s heavy on the narrative, but all of these elements combined to give the game a fast pace that built in intensity, before it finally reached its dramatic (and I really do mean dramatic) conclusion.

PUZZLES

Surprisingly, although we vaguely remembered some bits of the puzzles, we didn’t actually remember much about the mechanics of solving the puzzles, but that may also be due in part to the fact that I have a memory like a sieve. (Plus it’s been five years, and I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday). But my vague recollections make me think little has been done to modify any of the puzzles. Tasks and challenges still fit well within their surroundings and  there were still plenty of observational and logical deduction challenges, along with a reasonable emphasis on scavenging, and plenty of satisfactory “Ah-ha!” moments along the way.

While the puzzles are all thematic and fit well into their surroundings, it is a game that heavily relies on padlocks to bar the way. But the thing about padlocks is that they’re effective. And the puzzles themselves fit seamlessly into their surroundings and the theming. The signposting was spot on; there, but subtle enough that we did actually have to take a moment to think about things as we made our way through the various challenges throughout the space.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

Nye was just as charming and enthusiastic in his hosting for Operation: Overload as he was for our first game, delivering our mission briefing with style. Hosting wise, we gave him a relatively easy job, as the puzzles were intuitive enough that we didn’t need any intervention on his part to ensure that we made it successfully through our Operation.

However, if players do need assistance, it is on hand. The hint system is another bit that has been kept from the original game, and could be a highlight of the game for some. It fits well within the theming and atmosphere, and could provide a bit of entertainment to some teams. (Which actually makes me a little sad that we missed it, to tell the truth.) And that’s not to mention the addition of a rather dramatic ending that is certainly an impressive feat for the host, and was also totally unexpected (and slightly insane).

ANYTHING ELSE

LevelUp have added their own little twists on what was already a good game at its former home in Maidstone to make Operation: Overload great. The grand finale is certainly spectacularly bonkers, in the very best way (which seems to be pretty on brand for the company to be honest.)

Success / Failure

Final Rating:

Team: 3 players

Address: Unit SU33, Middle Level, Darwin Shopping Centre, Shrewsbury SY1 1BW

Website: https://levelupescapes.com