It’s got logical, fun puzzles and, pleasingly, there’s enough variety in the lock type to save you from having to test out combinations on a bunch of different padlocks, which is one of the most common frustrations in the more traditional games. Where this game is stronger is on the puzzle side. There’s also almost no development of the story within the game – or, for that matter, really much of a story at all – you’ve just got to find some documents and it’s never really explained why that’s so important, which I think was a missed opportunity. And the big air conditioning duct that ran through the industrial building we were in was a definite eyesore. This isn’t a strongly themed game it’s set in a mansion, so expect oldish-looking furniture but little more to set the scene. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing (hence why I don’t like to talk about generations) but it pushes you towards a certain style of room with few mechanical puzzles and answers in the form of number codes and five-letter words. It’s full of padlocked furniture with very little more advanced technology in sight. Looking back, I think the whole game very much showed its age – I might call it a first-generation room if I believed in that sort of classification. I fully expected to walk into a room in disarray but, quite the reverse, it was all perfectly tidy and the main thought that crossed my mind was that it felt quite bare. I was a little nervous entering the room because the backstory described it as having been trashed. Just remember…Don’t Panic! Inside the room The room is trashed and clearly in the murderer’s haste he couldn’t find the documents. It is now your job to solve the trail of puzzles and riddles left by the conspiracy theorist, find the files and exit code and escape before the 60 minutes is up. He found out something he shouldn’t have and clearly someone wanted to cover it up and hide it. You are a team sent to a crazed conspiracy theorists mansion where he has been found dead. This, however, was far from that and made me realise that it’s perfectly possible to make a recorded intro engaging and fun. The briefing at the Panic Room is given in two parts – the generic “don’t do silly things” part is in the form of a video, while the per-game briefing is given by the host in the room itself. I’m not a fan of video briefings because, while I realise that they’re good for providing a consistent message, they feel a bit dry and impersonal to me. Not to mention a pool table, mini air hockey and table football. Yes, there’s a bar here should you want to have a drink before or after your game, as well as comfy sofas to sprawl out on. We were greeted warmly, though, and shown to the bar area. It’s kind of strange going in at 7pm for an escape room because the laser tag is shutting up and leaving the place somewhat deserted. The venue is in the heart of Harlow in the same building as Quasar. Back at the start of 2016, The Panic Room opened its doors in Gravesend. It was clear from the bookings that it was proving to be pretty popular, and so I resigned myself to enduring the Dartford Crossing at some point and finding out what all the fuss was about. Imagine my delight then, when The Panic Room Harlow opened its doors a mere thirty minutes’ drive away, thus changing it from a weekend day trip to a cheeky after-work trip. As a bonus, with two rooms available we could take a larger than average team across.
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