Speedy Pirate Fun
AHOY THERE ME SCURVY SHIPMATES! It’s 1765, the time of King Findaskeeperrs! A time of tremendous peril, heroic adventures, and untold riches! THE PERIL: The King’s legacy scrolls have been stolen! If a King does not possess their legacy scrolls, then their reign is no longer legitimate! THE ADVENTURE: You are the King’s most skilled mercenaries and information has passed to you that notorious Pirate Captain Quickfingers, of the Mayflower Dagger, has the legacy scrolls in his possession. THE RICHES: Should your team retrieve the legacy scrolls within 60minutes a possible place on our leader board awaits you!!
We blinked, and somehow before we knew it, it had been six years since we had played a game at Pressure Point in Ashford. We definitely enjoyed our last visit so we were very much looking forward to seeing their ‘new’ games. Although it was the imminent closing of Candyland 1 and 2 that gave us the kick up the arse we finally needed to get booked in.
To make the most of the trip we had booked in for all their games, back-to-back. First was Candyland 1, swiftly followed by Candyland 2. Then was a trip to the jungle for Monkey Mayhem. The final game of the day was a little different, it was Mayflower Dagger.
Yes, Mayflower Dagger is still a full length escape room but it’s currently being run as their special edition leaderboard challenge game. This comes with extra rules that our host, Alisha explained to us before we entered the room – and it was a lot to take in.
We didn’t have to play for the leaderboard, but we thought we may as well. The rules seemed fair and it’s always nice to have a challenge! So with the rules understood, and agreed to, we entered the room and focussed solely on the TV where Pirate Pete gave the mission briefing. Once the video finished playing, the lights raised, and our time began.
IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN
I’m always a fan of pirate rooms, not sure why, maybe it’s because of my beard, and Mayflower Dagger had the usual piratey decor – wooden walls, maritime ephemera, and plenty of fun.
We played as a team of two and had plenty of space to move around, although there were a few tighter spaces to discover. In terms of accessibility, at least one member of your team will need to be comfortable with crawling – although the venue itself is up some stairs, so if that’s a concern, check with the venue before you book.
PUZZLES
There were a couple of simultaneous puzzle paths in Mayflower Dagger so Liz and I spent most of the game working on different things, until there were the inevitable puzzles that brought us back together.
I can’t recall any tech in Mayflower Dagger, so all puzzles resulted in combinations or keys for padlocks. But signposting was decent so we always knew what went where.
As you’d expect from a family friendly room, there were puzzles of varying types and difficulties: searching, observation, maths, logic, teamwork, communication and skill. One or two of the puzzles also heavily relied on colours.
GM/CLUE SYSTEM
The key thing about playing the leaderboard edition of Mayflower Dagger is that you’re only allowed a maximum of three clues. You’re also not allowed to look around the room before the game officially starts, or spin any digits on the padlocks. Of course if you’re not fussed about the leaderboard, you will get all the clues you need.
In this mode, clues are only given if you ask for them. Fortunately, we found the puzzles to be fair, and they clicked with us. As such, we didn’t need any clues. If we had required help, they would have been delivered on the screen.
We gave Alisha an easy ride, but her briefings, both pre and post-game, were enthusiastic, fun, and thorough. She was clearly keeping an eye on us as she did a great job of walking through our game.
ANYTHING ELSE
Thanks to good signposting, and perhaps the pressure of playing the ‘leaderboard challenge’ our time in Mayflower Dagger was short at only 20 minutes – which was apparently quick enough to get us to the top of the leaderboard, not bad for a team of two!
Whether you play this game in the Leaderboard Challenge mode, or in normal mode, you’ll likely have a good time. Not the most challenging for experienced enthusiasts, but it seems to be keeping families occupied for a good amount of time.
Success / Failure
Final Rating:
| Operation | |
| Puzzles | |
| Room Design | |
| GM/Clues | |
| Excitement |
Team: Two Players – escaped in 20:00
Address: 1st Floor Offices, 2C New Rents, Ashford TN23 1JH
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