Tales of Torchdale - "The Toy Factory"

Updated: Apr 17

LOCATION:  Zoersel, Belgium

Photo above is property of Tales of Torchdale

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: The Toy Factory
📅 DATE PLAYED: February 24, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Thriller
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 6/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 75 Mins. (+15 Min. intro) 💰 PRICE: Є165
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [52:00]

📖 THE STORY

The old toy factory of the Harsh family was the leader in its industry for 5 generations, making the best toys which rivaled even those from China. Unfortunately, the factory has fallen into decline and the cracks are showing with machines breaking and employees disappearing. The factory is always looking for additional staff willing to work for cheap, so why don't you apply to work there for an hour? After all, the chances of being turned down are slim.

Video above is property of Tales of Torchdale

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

\Let’s start at the beginning, the intro! This is perhaps one of the most creative experiences we have encountered upon entering an escape room facility. We were immediately reprimanded for being late and instructed to get into our work overalls by the shift manager. Whilst changing he would occasionally come back to interact with us until we were finally ready, at which point a short theatrical event took place to set the scene for what was to come inside the factory… and this was all before the shift (our game) had even started! Make sure to spend time checking out your surroundings, you might discover some easter eggs.
The high standards of the changing room were maintained throughout the experience. Only the highest quality materials were used to create a truly immersive experience which could easily have come straight out of a movie set. There was not an abundance of props, but those on show served a purpose and pushed the theme to an even higher level. We loved how even the toys on show appeared to have a dark and somewhat decayed appearance, like the factory itself.
The puzzles were also a big hit for our team, mainly because they were thematic and frequently required a high level of team work to complete, perhaps more than most other escape rooms we have played.
Puzzles were imaginative and dynamic. There was little reading or searching but a lot of ‘doing’. Every puzzle we encountered involved interacting with something and they were far more creative than the normal ‘find an object and place it on a sensor to unlock something else.
After the game we were afforded time for a debrief and got to walk back through the game.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

There is really nothing to say here. We gave the game full marks in all areas!

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

This game is an absolute must for anyone in the area. It will appeal most to those who appreciate strong storytelling, set design and dynamic puzzles. The ‘dark’ side of the story is more tongue-in-cheek and humorous, so players shouldn’t worry that there is anything scary inside. Although playable with 2, I would recommend playing with either 3 or 4.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Parking is free onsite
There isn’t strictly speaking a lobby inside, just the changing room. Once we had completed our game there was already another team waiting to enter so we had to leave immediately, although the other game Hunting Season does offer a small lounge area, so I suppose if needed you could chill there.
Not wheelchair accessible due to uneven surfaces and stairs