A room like no other… one of the best rooms in England… probably not a good idea with a hangover…
Unfortunately, I had missed the memo on one of the above three key pieces of information, when I suggested booking Curio at Escpologic for my bestie Ellie’s hen do. But the fact remains that this is probably the best room I’ve ever done.
Escapologic
It was day two of the hen do, and thanks to prosecco pong and some jagerbombs, it had been quite a heavy one the night before. We had gone for brunch at Copper Cafe, and while the eggs royale and cups of coffee did their best to soak up the hangovers, some of us (the bride in particular) were a little worse for wear when we rocked up at Escapologic, a close walk from the centre of the city.
We headed inside, down some stairs, past menacing signs, to a lobby filled with old-fashioned film posters. Roz, maid of honour, sorted us into teams. She and some of Ellie’s cousins went to do Robin of Lockskey, and myself, the bride and two friends were set for Curio.
Before we started the game, we went to the loo and admired the exterior of several of their other rooms, but then it was time to head over the road to their secondary site, and the home of Curio. The briefing took place inside the room, and it was hard to resist peering around while listening…
Curio
Be careful what you wish for…
An Englishman’s home is his castle. Or his curio if he’s a treasure hunter who’s spent a lifetime collecting trinkets from all four corners of the globe. Alexander Curio was a true eccentric. A legendary explorer who left no stone unturned in his search for gems and gimcracks. To him, life was a gamble, with fate to be decided on a whim or a flip of a coin. A mysterious loner who loved to raise the stakes until they could be raised no higher.
Alexander’s life was one big puzzle. Only a select few ever got beyond his front door. You’re about to join their exclusive ranks. At first glance, Curio looks like the home of an explorer whose passion for chasing treasures has taken him from the Thames to Timbuktu. But the clue lies in the name. Secrets lie within her seemingly innocent walls and trinkets hold the key to untold riches. Fortune favours the brave but riches come at a price.
Who is the man behind the enigma? Was his death the result of some cruel, cosmic irony? And does he really want to share the treasures hidden away within the labyrinth he calls home?
This is no ordinary home. Alexander is anything but an ordinary man. Now he’s inviting you into his world. But once you enter, there’s no going back.
~ Curio, Escapologic
Theming
Curio is a stunning set – that’s a fact. Gleaming bronze, dark wood, curious artefacts. Lots of satisfying-looking levers and buttons. When the game starts, there is almost too much to explore, and our team of four split up to investigate every nook and cranny.
It definitely wasn’t set dressing. Many of the curiosities were deeply integrated into the puzzles, and I don’t think there was a single bog-standard lock in the entire place.
There were one or two small flaws with the room – a cupboard that didn’t quite open right, a letter that had fallen off its placement. While these small issues didn’t ruin any puzzles or break the flow of the game, it gave me the impression that Curio is getting on a little in age.
But the thing that makes this room so special isn’t something I can tell you. It would ruin the entire experience. All I can say is, pay attention to your games master. There are a few slightly complex instructions, but the increased complexity is so worth it for an experience of this magnitude. And yes, this is related to the reason why it’s not so good with a hangover…
Puzzles
I loved these puzzles. There was no guesswork, no logical leaps, nothing to make you feel foolish: just a lot of fantastically diverse puzzles with some excellent “a-ha!” moments thrown in.
The room is very linear – understandably so, given the specific twist this room has. Normally I find linear rooms frustrating with a group larger than 3, but this room had so much physicality and required so much thinking, that it totally engaged our group of four. Every single person on the team had the lightbulb moment for at least one puzzle, and a number of puzzles were made easier or quicker by us all working together.
I’ve already mentioned that the room was very busy. But it wasn’t red herrings – Curio is a very logical room, and once you got going it was normally pretty clear which section of the room was next to be tinkered with. Similarly, there was always audio or visual feedback when you solved a puzzle – a simple touch that made the room a lot less frustrating than some I’ve been to.
Summary
Stop what you are doing right now, go to Nottingham, and play this room. Play it before you get spoilered about the special twist. Play it before you play any other escape rooms. And most importantly, play it before drinking – not afterwards!
Theme: 5/5 | Puzzles: 5/5 | Difficulty: 4/5
Clue system: in-character clue system, no penalty
Success: yes, 12:09 remaining
