A visit by some escape room-loving relatives from Australia provided the perfect excuse to finally try out The Hideout escape room in Maldon, aka Rob the Bank 3 – especially as this game requires a minimum of four players.
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The Hideout escape room storyline
From the Maldon Escape Rooms listing:
After the bank robbery (Rob the Bank 1), and the getaway (Rob the Bank 2), Cousin Angie fled with some of the gold, disappearing deep into the woods … to The Hideout.
You and your team of birdwatchers are tucked away in a bird hide when the calm is shattered. Loud bangs echo through the trees. A figure bolts past. Angie is making a run for it.
The hideout itself appears deserted… except for some very strange noises coming from a nearby toilet. Someone is clearly locked in … and very much on edge of their seat.
You leave the bird hide and head into the forest.
The adventure begins.
What did we think of The Hideout escape room in Maldon?
The Hideout has been on our to-do list ever since we completed Rob the Bank 2 in April. But this is the first time we have been able to assemble a team of four.
As before, the story picks up from the end of Rob the Bank 2 – with a twist. This time you’re not playing Angie’s team of bank robbers, you’re a group of birdwatchers. The intro video provides a surprisingly long story about how you witness hear a rumour about hidden gold – and set about finding it for yourselves. You have 60 minutes to track down six gold bars. Simple.
This is another ‘large’ game with multiple rooms – a birdwatchers’ hide, a dwarf’s cottage, a chicken coop and a grotty toilet (another running theme in the Rob the Bank story). There’s also a random pizza delivery guy to get the game started.
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We made a fairly fast start, the puzzles flowing in a logical order. As always, there are plenty of padlocks – and several novel puzzles to solve in order to find the locations. Eggs, poop, frogs and snails all appear in the semi-woodland setting.
Sadly there is no musical interlude in this game – but there is a chicken. There’s also a fiendishly complex puzzle that requires a lot of teamwork. Yes, it’s technology-based, but the game makes sense and, most importantly, it works.
We did manage to retrieve all six gold bars and complete the game before the robbers returned for their loot. Winners!
Our game stats:
Number of players: 4 (aged 38 – 62)
Time taken: 52:06 minutes
Number of clues: 1
Did we escape? Yes
Did we have fun? Yes, very much so.
Price: £88.00 (£22.00 per player)*
Gamesmaster: Robyn
Would we recommend? Yes
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
* After a 20% discount using the code play20
Check out the Complete Escape Room Discount Code List for more codes and offers
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Criticisms? Quirks?
There’s nothing to criticise about The Hideout escape room. As usual, any failings were down to the players not paying attention, rather than any kind of design issues.
As part of the Know Escape Franchise, The Hideout contains a couple of sly nods to elements that appear in their other games. Those who have played the previous instalments will appreciate these in-jokes.
Maldon Escape Rooms suggest this as a game for up to ten players. There’s plenty of physical space, but if the team is too big, some people will end up standing around doing nothing while three or four cram into a small space to look at a tiny padlock. This is important because the game is played linearly, with each puzzle needing to be completed before starting the next.
The Hideout escape room – conclusion
We have held off playing this room for several months – and the wait was worth it. As with the other Rob the Bank episodes, the Maldon Escape Rooms design team have gone all out. They have made full use of the available space, and haven’t cut any corners or skimped on the details.
Everywhere you look, there is something new to discover – even if the details are not directly related to the game. Overall, Rob the Bank 2 is probably still the strongest entry in the series, but The Hideout is still well worth playing.
Other important stats for The Hideout escape room:
Time limit: 60 minutes
Mobility rating: 3 out of 5
Live actors: Yes
Maldon Escape Rooms difficulty rating: 4 out of 5
Official website: Escape Rooms Maldon
Thanks to Caleb Greyman of BrisQuiz for helping unmake up the numbers.
Where are the Maldon Escape Rooms?
The escape rooms are located on the upper floor of a retail unit in White Horse Lane, Maldon – just behind the High Street.
Can you park at Maldon Escape Rooms?
Yes. There is a large car park directly opposite the Maldon Escape Rooms entrance in White Horse Lane.
Accessibility info
The Hideout is located on an upper floor, so you must be able to navigate a flight of stairs to reach it. There are a few steps in the game along with one section that requires crawling, However, there are workarounds for both once one of the more mobile team members has done the hard work.
If in doubt, contact Maldon Escape Rooms for further information.
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