Peanuts In My Pocket

We played The Playground at the newly opened The Escape Game in the City of Orange, located in the outlet mall. This was our second time playing a room by this national chain. My wife and I had previously solved Gold Rush at the Las Vegas location a few months ago. This time, we played a room that allowed us to bring along my son, his wife, and their kids, aged 9 and 12. Only the eldest had played an escape room before.

The Playground was set to easy mode so that the younger players in our group could fully participate. The room was challenging for everyone. Considering our team had two highly experienced players, I think it balanced the experience well. The adult version has harder puzzles.

The room is a mix of linear and non-linear puzzles, keeping everyone engaged. I appreciated that most of the puzzles could be solved by either kids or adults, making it easy to keep the kids involved. It made for a perfect experience. We solved the room with a little over 2 minutes to go.

I noticed some similarities in the approach to game design between the two rooms I’ve experienced. The Escape Game rooms definitely have a feel to them that I appreciate. Also, the production quality is quite high. Everything felt authentic and delivered on the promised immersive experience.

Pass our class: Light-hearted, nostalgic, and playful, Playground is a favorite of both first-timers and enthusiasts. Your game will start in a classroom where you’ll have to finish all of your assignments before the end of the day, or you can forget about summer break. And these assignments are unlike anything you actually encountered in school.

The hint mechanic was integrated well and made play easy and rewarding. The room also does a good job of helping you understand your progress. My youngest grandson was thrilled with every incremental reward. The overall experience was wonderful. The hour flew by, and because of how the game was run, we never felt stuck.

I have a tip for this room: Bring your kids along and encourage them to solve as many of the puzzles as possible. Become an enabler. Watch and guide the magic that follows. The simple joy of watching their faces light up was enough to classify this room as one of the best I’ve ever played.