In the days leading up to my Mindgame Escape Room experience, I felt the anticipation building…
What could I expect and would my party of friends and I be able to escape in time?
The day arrived and four of us set off for the Mindgame Escape Room experience which is situated on the 2nd floor (room 205) of 16 Chartwell Drive in Umhlanga, Durban.
We were promptly greeted by our very professional and friendly host, asked to sign in and then watch a brief introductory video explaining the rules surrounding the activities that lay in wait for our nimble minds to solve.
The reception area is decorated with puzzles and a set of brightly coloured doors, which lead into each of the three themed escape rooms on offer.
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We had chosen to attempt the Baker Street room, a Sherlock Holmes themed escape room, on the day – and there are two additional themed rooms to test one’s wit, including Houdini’s Basement, and The Forgotten Temple (coming April 2018).
With the introductory matters out of the way, our escape room was opened, and the four of us entered cautiously… The door closed behind us and the audible click of the locking door was heard and the timer was started… the game was afoot.
The room is fairly cosy and dimly light – Wallpaper that is reminiscent of what one could imagine a Sherlock Holmes era was like, decorates the walls.
There are a number of themed furniture-pieces placed in the room, and one immediately gets the sense that everything is there for a reason and purpose, even if that purpose is not entirely clear at first.
Your game is being watched by your host through a camera placed in the room, and there is a phone which may ring at times to offer you clues if you are seen to be stuck.
You may also elect to use the phone to speak to the games master who will be able assist you if needs be.
Another stand-out prop is the game clock, which is a nixie tube countdown clock and while very beautiful, serves as a stark reminder that time is ticking and there are still many puzzles to solve.
The puzzles include challenges of logic, algebra (super simple), physics, arranging and ordering information and often purposing newly gained information into a series of alphanumeric combination locks which gain you additional clues and lead you to even more puzzles.
Speaking collectively for my group, I can say that we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.
This style of game play lends itself to a small group of friends (2-6 players), couples, and is also very relevant for team building exercises as it involves good communication and working together.
Also in my party were gamers, and computer programmers and while no special skill set is required to play the Mindgame Escape Room, I imagine people who love puzzles or are highly logical will enjoy the game even more.
If you are a first time escape room player, it is recommended that you do the Baker Street challenge first – It is the smallest of the three rooms and offers a challenging introduction into the world of escape rooms.
Mindgame Escape Room DETAILS:
PRICING
Various pricing according to the size of the group!
2 PLAYERS
R250 Per Person
3 – 4 PLAYERS
R225 Per Person
5-6 PLAYERS
R200 Per Person
Directions to Mindgame Escape Room – Durban:
