LOCATION: London, United Kingdom
Photo above is property of Phantom Peak
Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
📝 ETR DECODER
🔑 GAME: Platypus Parade
📅 DATE PLAYED: April 30, 2023
🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Theme Park
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 6/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: N/A
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: Up to 4.5 Hours
💰 PRICE: £46.43/PP (Standard ticket), £67.07/PP (VIP ticket)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes
Many of our friends and readers have posted on their social media about Phantom Peak and they all seem to have an amazing time there. We were eager to check out this season's show "Platypus Parade" on our UK tour. As we arrived at the location, we were joined by our friends James & Charlie (Owners of Deadlocked Escape Room). Since they've been to the last show, it was great to have them as guides. Before we entered the world of Phantom Peak, we were greeted by several actors giving us a little introduction to the rules to follow. It was quite difficult to hear so our advice is to perhaps add a speaker mechanism for the outside area. Once we got in, we had a little bit of time to get some yummy food and drink before the show officially started.
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
There was a web-based portal that was used to follow the available trails and submit answers. The great thing about the portal was that you don't actually have to download anything or have wifi in order to participate in this experience. The trails were randomized so that not everyone will cram into the same mystery.
Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
This place instantly made me feel like a kid at the Frontierland in Disneyland. There were so many different sites to explore and people to interact with. The actors were fantastic. Even if they were taking a break, they would still be in character. I would say, "The more you give to Phantom Peak, the more you will receive". Each trail gave us a bit more information about either a character or an event. Everyone will walk out of the place with a different theory pending on how much they found out. This experience definitely leaned heavily on narrative rather than puzzles. The puzzles were meant to be easily solvable so that you could get to the next part of the story. I love the fact that this venue gave the players the freedom as to how they wanted to experience Phantom Peak. If you are a beginner puzzler and want to come with family and friends to just have a relaxing fun day, you could do that. And if you are an experienced puzzler and want to see how many trails you can complete and maybe even complete with your other teammates, you can do that as well. There is something for everyone at Phantom Peak!
Below are some tips that could help you during your next visit and be sure to check out our Youtube video for a sneak peek of the venue!
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
ℹ️ Tips on How to Maximize your time at phantom peak
Take a photo of the town map and the town's bulletin board. It'll save you time from going back and forth to find locations and information/clues on the trails.
You'll probably not have time for food/drink during the show since there are about 11-12 trails to cover. Make sure to take the time in the beginning (you'll get about 30 minutes) and during the intro of the show to energize up.
If you are coming with a big group, take different trails and go for the divide-and-conquer approach. Meet up after the show to discuss and merge information together to get the most out of the experience. Of course, you can always come back and play the ones you've missed as well. Note: They do take the last 30 minutes to close up the show with a final performance so you won't be able to explore during that time.
The tea and sweets area are reserved for people who have prepaid for the experience. You can't purchase them at the event. But there might be clues hidden within the tea shop still, so make sure to check it out.
Get familiar with where and how to input answers on the machines at the venue. You'll be using those multiple times.
Interactions with the actors are very important. You might not be able to solve a trail if you don't chat with them or carry out a mission assigned by them.
There is a show that will go on every 30 minutes starting from a designated time. Do not miss this! I believe there are only 4 shows during the time frame so make sure you get there early and get into one of them. There's a cut-off on how many people can go into one show so if there are too many people, you might have to wait for the next one.
The venue has alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. But there is NO COFFEE! You should bring some energy shots. Near the outdoor bar area, there is free water and cups.
The best toilet area would be the one inside behind the "Spector & Vox" office. It's big and very clean.
This is a cashless venue so make sure to bring your credit card as there are video games, food, drinks, and souvenirs that might interest you.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothing since there will be a lot of walking and at one point you might have to crawl.
Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game:
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 Phantom Peak for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.
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