Gravesend, May 2017
The Don was the fifth game we played during our escape marathon in Gravesend and is probably the room that grabbed me the least. That sounds more negative than intended so let me explain: While it didn’t present me with any particular standout or ‘wow’ moments, it also doesn’t have any fundamental flaws that I can think of. It is a pleasing, solidly built room with varied puzzles and nice little touches. Though a more traditional type of room, I felt that the puzzles fitted in nicely with the theme and story.
There are definitely more memorable games at this venue that I would recommend over this one. Even so, it is a fun, quality game that offers plenty to get stuck into, in particular for less experienced teams. 
I also found The Don stood out for me less than The Panic Room’s other games. That however is I think more a testament to the quality of the venue than anything wrong with The Don!
The game sees you sneaking into the home of a Mafia godfather, searching for the crucial evidence to get him locked up – with the first challenge being to get into his inner sanctum.
The decor is not so much showy as opulent, in an understated way, and it does a great job of conveying the private den of a wealthy thug who considers himself to have a taste for the finer things. Although the style is different, I’d class this as a similar type of game to Panic Room: that one has the edge on creative puzzle ideas, this one has a somewhat more impressive set.
Contemporary technology is used in some clever and ‘realistic’ ways. There’s a collection task that provides a common thread to the game, and a memorably complicated lock that some will enjoy and others will hate, and the game follows its theme well throughout.
It’s a solid and satisfying game that was great fun to play, and less jaded players will likely find lots that’s excitingly original and surprising. 
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