[187] Paniq Room: Supercell 117

Date: 27/01/2023

Company Name: Paniq Room

Room: Supercell 117

Cost: $55 per person (Team of 4)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://paniqroom.com.au/our-rooms-paniqroom/

Location: 13 Cambridge St, The Rocks NSW 2000

Best Parking: Wilson Parking - 75 Harrington St, The Rocks NSW 2000

Succeeded: No

Rating: 

• Hospitality/Gamesmaster: 7/10
• Room Quality: 6/10
• Immersion: 6/10
• Puzzle Design: 4/10
• Fun Factor: 6/10

Overall: 5.80/10

Room Description:

You find yourselves in a prison-cell handcuffed and blindfolded with stifling smoke. You have no idea how you got here. Your team has been separated into two neighbouring cells. You quickly realise you’re going to have to work together if you want to make it out.

But hurry – the guards will be back in just one hour, and who knows what will happen when they arrive!

Comments:
Kyle: *Spoilers* This was our fourth room as a group and the second one that Luke was unfortunately unavailable for. The premise of the room, the set-up with being lead to our own cells (split in groups of 2) in handcuffs and the simplicity of being almost exclusively in the one (two if you count the two cells) room(s) was nice and well thought out. The first puzzle of trying to find the key for our 'cuffs had us scratching around for way too long only to find out it was literally sitting on the ground left little for the imagination. There were some nice quirky puzzles and locks but overall apart from being in handcuffs and in a cell, there was not much else to the story and/or immersion. Failed the room with seemingly not much left to go.

Josh: For our fourth room we tried a new company again, Paniq Room. The room we chose to do was Supercell 117. If I had to sum it up in a word it would be disappointing. What makes it disappointing is the premise and the opening. We arrived and were placed into handcuffs. Not plastic, or my usual fluffy ones, but real steel. The stage was set for a great room. Led in blindfolded we were separated into pairs (Unfortunately Luke could not join us so we had another substitute from our usual) and handcuffed into two cells. Again, the scene was set for a great time. I loved the method of both cells being close enough that we could still communicate and pass things to one another, but from there I felt the room really suffered. Many of the puzzles didn't fit the prison cell theme and some puzzles felt like they had run out of ideas with no imagination used. I still think this room could be a good room and you may enjoy it but it just wasn't for us, particularly after having last done the fantastic Mr Peppers Toy Shop. One other notable element of this room is that what you see is what you get, meaning that there is no second or subsequent rooms. While you do eventually get access to the cell that the other pair has been in there is no surprise moment or further exploration which lacked a bit of excitement that we've seen from other rooms. 

Simon:  The idea behind this room is very thought provoking and really piqued our interest. The concept of a jail break was really exciting and in parts, was executed very well. Starting off in the room blindfolded and handcuffed was very immersive and those handcuffs were on tight and felt heavy! This was the real deal! Whilst many puzzles were well thought out and fit the style of the room very well, there were other puzzles which left a bit to be desired. We were unable to complete the room which disappointingly was due to being stuck on a puzzle which was purely challenging but seemed out of place with the overall theme of the room. It was a fantastic idea for an escape room and really embodies the primality of escaping a room in which you could otherwise be locked in for a lifetime. Sadly it wasn't the Shawshank Redemption story we were hoping for with several points where immersion was lost through some puzzles not fitting in with the overall setting and feeling of being imprisoned and trying to escape from a jail cell.