Salisbury Escapists

Our fifth escape room took us into Seven Sins, our first scary/horror themed room. 

Our GM was friendly and explained the rules and the game very well, the theme was good and very "Saw-esque" whilst also being aligned with the 7 deadly sins, the puzzles were good and whilst some involved one person solving them the majority needed a good bit of teamwork to resolve. Many of the puzzles had padlocks to open which felt a little overkill but seeing as the theme was based on the Saw movies it didn't detract from our enjoyment. 

The clue system works very well and instead of simply asking for help there is a penalty system which we used a couple of times, the clues were a bit too much of a giveaway and led to us instantly solving the puzzles we were struggling with however, this is just our personal feelings, smaller hints rather than a larger explanation would have still had us solve the puzzle but would have steered us in the right direction rather than solving it instantly. 

It was nice to have a timer in the room as well as small flashlights to help see in the darker parts of the room. 

For anyone wanting to play but are unsure of the scare level, i'd say the scares aren't quite as bad as we'd expected but there were a few jumps and the overall theme and sounds definitely add to the atmosphere but, I wouldn't let it put anyone off, they're really not that bad but we were always aware the next jump scare was an unopened box away.

All in all we enjoyed Seven Sins and would recommend giving it a go, well worth the price and a good atmospheric experience. 

We entered potions and peril and found ourselves in a world of magic and witchcraft, the surroundings were very nice and the room itself set the tone very well. Our host was good but our team found that there was a lot of information to try and take in that would have helped us had we been able to remember everything.

The puzzles were very well done and they came in different varieties,  there were plenty to do and they were all good from logical puzzle solving to skill  and physical puzzles to solve. 

All in all we'd say this room is very good and definitely fun for all the family but I would imagine some children may find some of the puzzles quite difficult to solve. 

Our only real issues were that the lighting needs to be brighter, even a small amount or even some brighter lamps would help, especially as there is a photo that is part of the experience and it is difficult to see even with the lamps in the room.

One other thing, our host could've been dressed up as several other staff hosting other games were, it's hard to believe someone dressed in casual gear trying to set the story and get you in the right mindset for the room. 

These issues shouldn't put anyone off, the room is good fun and we'd recommend this for newcomers and for those with some experience.

Our third Escape room brought us to Dino Deadlock, upon arrival we found the location a bit tricky to find and some better signs might not go amiss. Our host was a very nervous young lady who did her best but she didn't seem particularly confident and between the reception area and her introduction we were already feeling that we'd made a bad choice.

The puzzles are very linear and very easy apart from one puzzle which had us stuck for a little longer than it should, even though we were a group of three we often found ourselves getting in each others way and at most points watching what our teammates were doing rather than participating.

The room is very dark even after you get the lights on which hindered us at times and If you have any dust allergies or are asthmatic I would not recommend this game as there is a lot of dust and the game is not particularly clean, understandable based on the theme of the game but everything felt dirty and well worn.

Some of the puzzles are quite good but one of the items got jammed whilst we were there and also there is one item that has fallen into its cylinder that you think you may need to get but then realise that is has only fallen off and is not retrievable so some maintenance is required to make this room more appealing and functional.

Overall we'd say that for a first time challenge the game is OK and family friendly but for more experienced escapists I would avoid, the puzzles are too easy and very linear.

Our second escape room based on a recommendation and boy what a great game, as soon as you walk in the door the building is very clean and looks amazing, the actual escape room is also well maintained and looks fantastic.

Alex greeted us and led us to Sub Terra where the three of us had to escape from, the puzzles are very good and non linear which is perfect for larger groups as the three of us were always doing different parts, time absolutely flies in this game but the puzzles keep coming and they are all very well done. We completed the main task within the hour and also managed one more bonus objective just about in time.  

All in all I can honestly say that this room is the standard to which all rooms should be held to, if you've never done it, book now! My only negative comment would be the small video clip at the start of the room didn't seem very convincing but in no way did it spoil the experience.

This was our first Escape Room as we embark on our journey of one escape room per month across the UK.

Our host was very good and played the part well and made us all laugh plenty, the puzzles were quite tricky for a first attempt but nevertheless logical and immersive and showed us that some of the key points are to be thorough when searching for items and also to communicate better as a team. The number of clues given was good in times of need but all in all we enjoyed the experience and would recommend this game, either as a first time choice or for those who may have already played some rooms but, most importantly we escaped with a few minutes to spare :)