LOCATION: London, United Kingdom
Photo above is property of clueQuest
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
📝 ETR DECODER
🔑 GAME: Plan 52
📅 DATE PLAYED: March 9, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Spy
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.
💰 PRICE: £30-45/pp (pending on group size and peak vs off peak times)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes
📖 THE STORY
Professor Blacksheep is at it again! The four agents stationed at this facility have gone missing. One of them was a double-agent working for the Professor. Not only did he disappear the other 3, but he has planted a bomb rigged to explode 60 minutes after alarms detect someone has entered. You and your team must enter the facility, determine the identity of the traitor, and disable the bomb before it’s too late!
🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE
All of clueQuest’s games (both in-person and tabletop) take place in the same universe, and it’s fabulous to get little bits of the story with known characters coming out through the different games. Mouse spies? Sheep villains? Why not?! This unique world gives a whimsical twist to a classic spy theme.
While not one of the most elaborate sets out there, clueQuest manages to create a very cool, secret-hideout vibe in keeping with their unique, cartoon-y aesthetic. There’s a mixture of standard office fare and high-tech gadgetry that’s fun and tactile to play with (evidently much of this was a recent upgrade during pandemic times, as this is their oldest room).
There are a variety of puzzles to unravel, including some nice cooperative moments, which are often my fave. It is largely non-linear, so there’s plenty for your team to work on, even if they prefer to divide and conquer. I can’t say it was my finest puzzling hour, as we missed a few things that were fairly obvious. Have your eagle eyes ready, as there is some serious searching and observation to be done!
🧩 MISSED THE MARK
There are a few notable red herrings…so just be aware that not everything may be used!
While the walkie talkies worked ok to communicate with our lovely GM, something a bit snazzier or in line with the room aesthetic would bring things up a notch. We definitely did need a few hints, though a couple others were perhaps given a bit sooner than we would have preferred.
🏹 TAKE A SHOT?
"Plan 52" is a light-hearted, classic escape room that has held up well for its age and benefitted from a recent facelift. It’s rated as one of the easier ones at clueQuest and is a nice choice for newbies, families, or smaller groups. They have multiple copies (as with all of their games), so it’s also great for large groups (or corporate team-building), allowing people to split up but still play the same game! We recommend starting with this one, then going on to play some of their others.
ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO
There are bathrooms available and a lobby with seating, water, and their Print + Cut + Escape games for sale. They have multiple copies of each game, some of which are wheelchair accessible.
Photos above are property of clueQuest
Check out our YouTube video for a sneak peek of the location, an interview with the manager, the room(s) (no puzzle spoilers) and more:
Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
Disclosure: We thank clueQuest for providing a media discount on the tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever.
Despite its age, "Plan 52" is a fun and traditional escape room that has undergone renovations and is still in good condition. geometry dash world