We’ve just returned from trying out MTG Escapes’ latest family game called A Fairy Tale Eggventure, and what an adventure it was! It’s the perfect thing to do during the Easter holidays and without giving too much away, here’s how we got on…
What is an Escape Room Game?
For those that haven’t played an escape room game before, it’s where a team of players have to discover clues and solve puzzles to achieve an end goal, and all this takes place in a series of rooms, whereby you have to complete the challenges in one room to unlock access to the next. The MTG Escapes games are slightly different from usual, as you are not locked in the room, your challenge is to find something that is locked in the room, the door is always unlocked and you are able to go out for a bit of air if required, which reassured all the kids.
A Fairy Tale Eggventure
MTG Escapes’ new game is perfect for families as it revolves around favourite fairytale characters including Red Riding Hood, The Three Bears, Snow White, Rapunzel and more. In our group I was fully outnumbered by the children, we had two 9-year olds, an 11, 15 and 17 year old, so I was interested to see if it appealed to the span of ages.
The games take place at the St Saviour’s Community Centre. Having been to the community centre recently I couldn’t work out where it was, and it’s actually right at the back of the centre, so you need to head to the back of the car park and on your left you will see an MTG sign which shows you the entrance. The youngest kids were so excited that they had found it whilst I was still trying to read the welcome message which had the details on!
Getting Started
We were greeted by Darren from MTG (Musical Theatre Guernsey) who welcomed us and ushered us into the entrance where we were instructed to watch the video and all would be explained. However, having never done an escape room before, the kids were full of nervous energy and kept repeating questions, generally revolving around whether they would have to live the rest of their lives in the room if they didn’t complete it! Reassurances made, it was time to watch the video and the start of the game…Once upon a time…
Once the scene has been set and your mission explained (unlocking the golden egg in under 45 minutes), it was time for the rules that were very clearly explained so all the kids could understand: 1) If it’s screwed or glued then it’s not supposed to move and 2) There is no need to look behind the backdrops and I heard the kids mention this a number of times when we were looking for clues in the room.
The final piece of business before getting into the room was an important one…who was going to be in control of the walkie talkie? This was invaluable as it allowed us to communicate with Darren when we were stuck so we could get clues. And if you’re wondering, Lottie asked, you don’t need to say ”over ” after your message!
Let the Eggventure Begin...
The first room was tiny, and it contained a hob and a sideboard. The room was so small that the kids stormed in and I hung back, they managed to solve the clue and move on to the next room before I even realised what was going on! The next room was much larger with an enchanted feel thanks to the artificial grass floor, fluffy cloud ceiling and very atmospheric lighting. This room was much darker and Tilly did say she felt a little scared, which I think was due to the fact that it was such a contrast to the room before but the whimsical fairytale music that was playing very quickly eased her fears. The kids instantly saw the golden egg locked away in a display case at the far side of the room, and the series of numbered doors that needed unlocking. They got very carried away making lots of noise pointing at everything, until we realised that a clue was being played, so I had the impossible task of getting them all to be silent, so we could hear it!
The first clue seemed very simple, but we still needed to put the walkie talkie to good use and get a clue. Frustrating in hindsight as we should have worked it out, but I like to think we were just warming up! It was great to see the kids working together, and I really enjoyed us chatting as a group as we tried to solve things and I loved their shrieks of excitement as we completed the challenges and one of the doors would open as a result, revealing the next challenge. The rooms off the main room were very small but served the purpose well and offered very different tasks that all the kids got involved with, and they had a real sense of pride when they worked them out. Can’t claim that we did it all ourselves though, we liked to make use of the walkie talkie!
We did it!
We completed the room with a few minutes to spare (of the 45 minute target) and I can’t believe I didn’t get a photo of everyone holding the large golden egg! Probably because as soon as the kids grabbed the egg in excitement, they heard it rattle, and realised there was something inside, It took them no time at all to find the chocolate treats. This was a really lovely reward for finishing the game, and we all left the room on a high.
Our Verdict... 5 Stars!
This was genuinely a great experience, like nothing else I have done with my girls. The game is pitched very well for children of different ages and kept them all thoroughly entertained and engaged throughout. Even as an all adult group, I would have struggled to solve quite a lot of the puzzles, so it’s certainly not only a game for families with children. The good thing is that there is a lot of support, so you can ask for as many clues as you like. The biggest challenge we found was getting everyone quiet enough to hear the clues each time we unlocked a new room!
Top tip: I don’t want to give anything away, but to save you the frustration we had, when you enter the main room, do not let anyone touch the small puzzle pieces. Lottie took them all off the board, and we were hopeless at solving it once the initial set-up had been removed. We ended up having to give up with the puzzle, but luckily Darren knew a spell that the kids could cast which would magically open the Red Riding Hood door instead of it automatically opening as it should when the puzzle was complete.
On to Game 2...Murder on the Dance Floor
Darren very kindly said we could try out the other escape game they have running, Murder on the Dance Floor and everyone was very keen to try another one. We were told that this one was longer, with a target of 60 minutes to complete it and that we would be penalised by 30 seconds everytime we asked for a clue!
The format was the same, in terms of watching a short video to set the scene and inform us of the mission. The room is based on Bugsy Malone however, there has been a murder not by a gun but a splurger that fires custard pies! We set off into the room armed with torches to complete 2 missions, first turn on the electric, and then find the splurgers that had been locked away.
A Totally Different Experience
This game couldn’t be further removed from the fairytale game. It is set in a nightclub which is very dark until you turn on the electric, which we managed with a swiftness that shocked us all! However, our confidence was short-lived as we needed so many clues, that with the time penalties, we probably only ended up with about half the time!
This game is pitched at older children and adults and I would say it was too old for my girls who are 9 years old. They enjoyed the lights and props but didn’t get very involved in solving the challenges, even though they did like entering codes into locks etc once they had been worked out.
Splurgers!
We were absolutely hopeless at this game and ended up being told the answer to the final puzzle so we could find the splurgers and end the game. I found out very quickly what splurgers are, when I saw 2 guns with spray foam cans attached to them being swiftly picked up by my friend and her 11 year old son. It was carnage in no time and safe to say, she lost the fight with her son and ended up looking like this!!…
The splurge guns add a completely unique element to the end of the game, and Darren was saying that if there are 6 adults playing the game, they will provide 6 splurge guns. I cannot imagine the mess that would make, this is what the room looked like after us!…
The foam does dissolve very quickly and it certainly was a great talking point afterwards.
Those with Additional Needs
For us, the game did not end as expected. I had not told Darren that my girls have autism, so he must have had the shock of his life when Tilly got fired at with the splurge gun and had an epic meltdown because she doesn’t like getting wet, especially as it was unexpected. She ran out of the place screaming uncontrollably. Darren was exceptionally kind as I explained what had happened and when Tilly had calmed, he said that had he known, there are numerous things they can do in both games to help people with additional needs. That could be sensory, adding more lights, turning off music etc, or just preparing us for what the game involved, so I could have removed Tilly from the room before the splurge guns were found. So if you do have anyone in your group with an additional need I would definitely mention it at the time of booking so that accommodations can be made as they want it to be an experience enjoyed by all.
Thank you MTG Escapes for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and one I recommend to anyone looking for something fun to do as a family. The new Fairy Tale Eggventure game costs £15 for adults, £10 for secondary school age children, £7.50 for Primary and under 5s are £5 which goes towards an Easter Egg and all teams must have one adult player. Note that the new game isn’t just for the Easter holidays, it is running until November. For more info and to book CLICK HERE.
MTG Escapes contact details;
>>> MTG Escapes Facebook page: CLICK HERE to view
>>> MTG Escapes Website: CLICK HERE
