Most escape rooms give you 60 minutes to uncover their mysteries. This one provides 30, and there’s a lot to pack into that half hour.
The titular Agent November sets the scene (a museum has been robbed and a bomb left behind) before we enter a room with a sinister looking case, a ticking clock and a series of puzzles laid out on three tables. Agent November’s presence in the room also helps, as he gently nudges us in the right direction from time to time.
Even with that assistance, the sheer volume of puzzles makes this intensely challenging. More than once we think we’ve reached the end before a secret panel forces us to hurriedly check the clock. With half an hour, there’s no easing into this and the pace is frenzied from the start.
That volume also means there’s a great range of different problem-solving approaches required. Over 30 minutes we pore over letters, numerals and maps, use lateral thinking and even get on all fours to find hidden pieces under the furniture.
That means it’s useful to have a decent number of participants. Each session can accommodate up to 10 people, and 5 is a good number; a completion rate of 20 per cent speaks to the room’s difficulty.
Because he’s present in the room the whole time, November is able to highlight some aspects of each player’s performance once the room is solved (or not). It’s a nice touch, and a reminder that for all the heart-pumping, panicked problem solving, these rooms are often used as team-building exercises and are most enjoyable when everybody can play to their strengths.
And if you do manage to defuse the explosive, there’s one more twist.
★★★★☆
