A Christmas Adventure not just for Christmas!
There’s always that one elf that takes it too far at the Christmas Party! Drunkett is that elf! He drank too much egg nog, and got way too merry! He then thought it was a funny idea to sneak into the Elves den on his own and hide all of the Christmas tips and bonuses that everybody has been working hard for!
The Elves are asking for human help to find all their PUD’s (Polar Union Dollars) before Santa comes in one hour!
There’s nothing quite like playing a Christmas game in February. But it’s such a joyful time of year, that there’s no reason why the joy shouldn’t spread around to the rest of the year. Now, we normally shy away from Christmas games, even during the festive period, for one simple reason: we’re almost always terrible in them. I’m not sure if it’s because most are pop-up games that perhaps aren’t open long enough to make it worthwhile fixing their teething troubles, or whether it’s that they’re typically designed as a family friendly activity (i.e. “easier”) and we just get cocky and over complicate things, but in almost every seasonal game we’ve played, we’ve found that there is at least one moment where the frustration outweighs the fun, tainting the entire experience.
But, we wanted the full set of Escaporium games, which meant we would be facing our demons and tackling Christmas Advent-ure. We had just just successfully raided Al Capone’s Chicago hideout in Operation Moonshine, so we were feeling pretty good about our chances of helping the elves recover their Christmas Bonuses that had been hidden away by their prankster colleague.
IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN
Our Christmas Advent-ure took place in a single, cosy room, but that room was absolutely jam packed full of content. Like an advent calendar where you can (well, should) only open one door a day in sequence, the puzzles could only be solved in sequence, making the main game totally linear. But, The Escaporium are prepared for this, and for larger teams, or experienced puzzlers (or just because) there are bonus puzzles. They won’t help you progress, but they do allow the team to split up if they wish to, and earn more Polar Union Dollars (aka, PUDS) along the way.
Stepping through the door to the North Pole and being presented with an onslaught of puzzles felt almost overwhelming at first, but with a clear starting point for the main game, we quickly found our footing. The festive soundtrack accompanied us along the way, giving the entire experience a fun, almost party-like atmosphere, as we solved our way through Drunkett the Elf’s merry game.
We had been given the key to the exit door before we even walked through the door, so there was no pressure to escape, only to solve as many puzzles as we possibly could to collect as many of the elves’ hard earned PUDS as we possibly could before Santa returned. Although Drunkett had only hidden the PUDS in one room, there was no shortage of hiding places, and secrets to be had within the space.
PUZZLES
With 25 puzzles for the main game, plus a number of bonus puzzles and hidden PUDS to find, I think it’s safe to say there’s something for everyone in Christmas Advent-ure. Don’t like wordplay? That’s okay, let your teammates tackle that puzzle while you tinker with a bonus that’s more your speed. Are codes your thing? Great, there’s bound to be one or two for you to crack. Do you like a good scavenger hunt? Excellent, because Drunkett has a few sneaky hiding places for you to find.
Whatever their style, the puzzles followed a sort of Escape Room style logic, that will make some feel familiar to enthusiasts. But every puzzle is completely unique from the next, with plenty of variety in the styles. There are challenges that are more tactile, and some that are more cerebral. Some puzzles require a healthy dose of logical deduction, others require a bit more lateral thinking. Puzzles were fair, and satisfying, as well as fun, with plenty of great “Ah ha!” moments.
GM/CLUE SYSTEM
As always, clues are available if needed. These appeared on the screen displaying the timer, accompanied by a festive “Ho Ho Ho,” just to ensure any help didn’t go unnoticed.
Angela, one of the owners of The Escaporium and our GM, was a perfect host. We received our mission in the comfort of reception before making our way to our Advent-ure. I can’t remember actually hearing the “Ho Ho Ho” announcing a clue, but the puzzles were intuitive enough that if we did actually receive help, it was just a nudge back in the right direction. Either way, the thorough debrief following our game made it clear that Angela was paying very close attention and would have been ready to chime in at any moment.
ANYTHING ELSE
Normally, we at Review the Room do not mesh well with games themed around the jolly holidays, but Christmas Advent-ure doesn’t feel like your typical Christmas game. Instead, it’s a puzzle palooza with a seasonal theme, and is most definitely a challenge. Whatever it was, it was thoroughly enjoyable, and may have even broken our Christmas Game Curse. (Maybe…)
Success/Failed
Final Rating:
Operation Puzzles Room Design GM/Clues Excitement
Team: 4 players – escaped in 45:00 – with 5,230 PUDs
Address:The Mill, Ground Floor, Berwick St Mills, 23 Square Rd, Halifax, HX1 1QG
Website: https://www.theescaporium.com/
*Disclaimer: we weren’t charged for this experience, but this has not influenced our review
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