HomeTown Escapes - "Wizard's Academy"

LOCATION:  Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

Photo above is property of HomeTown Escapes

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝  ETR DECODER

• 🔑 GAME: Wizard's Academy

• 📅 DATE PLAYED: September 25, 2024

• 🎬 GENRE: Magic, Wizards

• 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10

• 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl

• 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.

• 💰 PRICE: $25.00/ pp (Min. 2 ppl) (Children ages 7 and under are free)

• ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private

• 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes
  

📖 THE STORY

The Dark Wizard has stolen the Elder Wand, and Stumbledore has challenged him to a duel. In the meantime, Malifoy has hidden the wand somewhere in the school before going to watch the battle. You must first find the four wands of the four houses of the school, and use their collective power to free the Elder Wand before Malifoy can use it for evil!

🎯  HIT THE BULLSEYE

• You’ll find your wizarding dreams coming true with the fun Harry Potter(esque) theming. You get to partake in a variety of magical interactions and there are even some dress-up opportunities (for up to 4 players).

• Tech has been well-integrated into some key areas of the experience. We expect this to an extent with a magic-themed room, but there was also one new implementation we haven’t seen before.

• Play flows smoothly between different areas of the game. While we realize some people prefer the opposite, we’re always fans of getting to revisit prior sections and integrating various components.

• There’s a nice variety of challenges - from searching to a minor agility test to jigsaws and anagramming. There will be something for everyone.

• While not one of the more elaborate sets we’ve played, the game has several really notable props and bits of set dressing that really add to the ambience.

  Hometown definitely looks to have groups succeed (particularly groups of kids), and they have a mechanism for those that are struggling to earn some extra time. Ensuring players have fun is their paramount goal!

🧩  MISSED THE MARK

• One logic puzzle appeared to have two possible correct configurations. While it was not a major time suck to try both, it would be ideal if there were sufficient info provided to lead to a single possible answer.

• It was not always clear which combo goes to which lock; thankfully, there are limited options of each type so, again, not a huge deal. However, it would be a bit cleaner if there was some obvious link between them.

• There are a few minor red herrings, where we thought we might need a given piece of info but it turned out to be more scene-setting. Just be aware that there is quite a bit of supporting material (which we appreciated!), but you may not use EVERYTHING you encounter.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

As a bit of a Potterhead, I thoroughly enjoyed diving into this somewhat-similar-but-totally-not-copyright-infringing world. Wizard’s Academy is a fabulous room for younger or less experienced players, with lots of experiential components in addition to the puzzling and plenty of parallel projects to keep everybody busy. Yet, it holds enough magic to keep light-hearted enthusiasts like ourselves entertained. So don your cloaks, grab your brooms, and be prepared to be spellbound.

ℹ️  ADDITIONAL INFO

• Free parking spots available in front.

• There is a small lobby, as well as an additional waiting area with seating.

• There are bathrooms, free lockers, and a water cooler available.

• They also have a small meeting room that can be rented out for birthday parties or other events.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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Check out our YouTube video for a sneak peek of the location, an interview with the owner, the room(s) (no puzzle spoilers) and more:

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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BOOK NOW

(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 HomeTown Escapes for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever.

#KristaJones #IRLEscapeRoom #EscapeRooms #HomeTownEscapes #Magic #SouthCarolina #USA