Trapped! Escape Room Upland - "Down The Rabbit Hole"

LOCATION:  Upland, California, USA

Photo above is property of Trapped! Escape Room Upland

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Down The Rabbit Hole
📅 DATE PLAYED: April 25, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Fantasy
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 7/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins
💰 PRICE: $42.00 - $45.00/ pp (depending on day of the week)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

Your dog has a habit of bringing home mysterious objects. Then one day, as you are out walking them, it dashes off in pursuit of something just out of your sight (as dogs often do). You keep up the chase and end up falling down, down, down a deep hole, to find yourself standing before a door. What lies behind the door, and what happened to your beloved puppy?

Video above is property of Trapped! Escape Room Upland

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

Our GM came out in character immediately for the intro - and then supported us during the game with a second persona. We always appreciate the extra level of immersion brought in by these types of interactions.
This was a delightful room! Whimsy factor ten. It is charming from the first glance, and only becomes more so as it unfolds. This is reflected not only in the gorgeous sets but also some of the props and interactions that you engage with.
The puzzles are physically interactive in a variety of ways - and the only 'lock' that requires a key is anything but! Definitely not your run of the mill 'this code goes here' room.
There are several memorably enchanting reveals along the way, keeping us captivated throughout the experience.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

There is a fairly extensive logic puzzle…while Krista loves logic puzzles and was happy to take it on, it may not be everyone's cup of tea. (Although, it wouldn't be too hard to brute force the answer, which may be a built-in workaround).
We found the GM's character role to be charming and cute, but it was sometimes challenging to comprehend. We imagine that people who are hard of hearing or for whom English is a second language could find it frustrating (though it might be possible to remove the voice effect).
This is an easier room, and we escaped well before the 60-minute mark. This was more of a bummer because we were having such a fabulous time in the game! Of course, this is not necessarily a bad thing for many groups, as it is a very approachable room. However, incorporation of some adaptive difficulty puzzles (as we saw in Trials of Merlin) would extend the gameplay for more experienced players. And we absolutely wanted to stay in the world they created!

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

The whole experience was adorable, so if that is your cup of tea, pull up a chair and join the party! It was definitely right up our alley, and we left with big smiles and full hearts. It may not be ideal for enthusiasts looking for a serious challenge. However, this is a great room for anyone who wants to revisit the wonder of being seven and play with a fanciful environment straight out of the stories from our childhoods. There are sweet surprises around every corner when you travel down the rabbit hole. Bring your kids, your grandparents, and anyone who is still a child at heart to this enchanting room!

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Trapped is on the second floor of a complex and was a bit tricky to find.
GPS got us to the parking lot, we just had to keep our eyes open from there to find it in building B.
Plenty of parking all around, and there is a bathroom around the back (just grab the key from the lobby).
The lobby is small (as were the lockers), with drinks and merch available for purchase and a couple simple puzzles for while you wait.
They have two other locations (San Dimas, CA and Las Vegas, NV) with different experiences at each one, worth checking out if you travel out west.

🔎 HINT

Check with the GM before getting too forceful, but there are two places where you may need to exert a bit more force than you might initially try.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

Photos above are property of Trapped! Escape Room Upland

Check out our YouTube video for an exclusive interview with the owner and more:

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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 Trapped! Escape Room Upland for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.