Escape from the Room - "The Mixed Up Mind of Mr. Crabheal"

LOCATION:  Epsom, United Kingdom

Photo above is property of Escape from the Room

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: TheMixed Up Mind of Mr. Crabheal
📅 DATE PLAYED: March 15, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Multiple Personalities
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 8/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl (Recommend 3-6 ppl)
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.
💰 PRICE: £20-27.5/pp
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

You’ve been called in to try to determine the target for Mr. Crabheal’s dastardly plan…his other five personalities are eager to help. But will the clues they’ve left behind (and some notes from their psychiatrist) be enough? If you can’t figure out which Tube station he’s rigged in the next 60 minutes, London will never be the same…

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

This game has quite an unusual structure, where you must access 6 spaces, each belonging to one of the personalities. You are introduced to 6 puzzles per area, for a total of 36! Each one allows you to rule out a station as the target; so, the more you solve, the better off you are. However, you can still “win” the game by solving the last puzzle (the targeted station) and hitting the button before time runs out, at which point you’ll receive a score based on how much you solved correctly and in how much time. (We got 82.02% as a team of 2, and I had a rockstar partner!) There’s a lot to love about this format! They take a light-hearted approach, and having six different mini-themes keeps things fresh as you move along. It’s also a great way to keep a “win” accessible to many while providing lots to do for enthusiasts and/or larger groups.
Puzzle, puzzles, and more puzzles! Yep, there’s lots to do here! And a nice variety of difficulty levels for the puzzles. It’s quite non-linear, so (after the very beginning) there would be room for larger groups to divide and conquer. It also means that if you get stuck (particularly given that you may not have time for all the puzzles), you can just move on to a different puzzle for the moment.
As you progress through the game, you are introduced to all six of the personalities and get to learn a bit about each of them. This is a nice addition to bring more life to each of the characters as you enter their spaces.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

There are a couple of big, fun pieces, but for the most part they are not looking to impress with elaborate sets or extensive tech. The decor is largely quite simple, and there are plenty of padlocks to be found. While this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the game, it may disappoint some folks who prioritize the high production values found in many other TERPECA-nominated rooms.
Although controversial, dissociative identity disorder is considered a serious mental health issue. While the theme was capitalized on well to create an entertaining experience, some may consider the theme itself to be in poor taste (as seen with a number of more common escape room themes, such as prisons, asylums, true crime, etc.).

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

"The Mixed Up Mind of Mr. Crabheal" is a great choice for players who value puzzles over production value. Escape from the Room brings whimsy and theatricality to what could be a very dark theme. The creative structure is refreshing and smartly has a lot to offer for a wide variety of groups of different sizes and skill levels. So, if you’re ready to work on your speed game and up for something a little different, head on over to Epsom and keep London safe!

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

The Epsom location is about an 8 minute walk from the Epsom train station. There is a small lobby and bathroom available. There is limited wheelchair access; it sounds like their Wallington location is more accessible.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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Disclosure: We thank Escape from the Room 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.