[New post] Amazon Escape – Hansel and Gretel [Review]
Matthew Stein posted: " Confectionary capture Location: Holon, Israel Date Played: May 15, 2022 Team Size: 3-6; we recommend 3-4 Duration: 60 minutes Price: 135 NIS per player for 3 players to 115 NIS per player for 6 players Ticketing: Private Accessibil" Room Escape Artist
Price: 135 NIS per player for 3 players to 115 NIS per player for 6 players
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: Players must walk through a narrow passage and over an uneven surface (there is a way around)
Emergency Exit Rating: We're unsure what fire escape measures there were, if any. More Info.
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
The concept behind Hansel and Gretel was adorable, delightful, and delicious.
Starting off in a quaint, wood-paneled library, we entered into the story of Hansel and Gretel, through a magical candy forest and into a witch's sweet abode. Along the way, simple puzzles were intermixed with the construction of some edible (and utterly cute) confections and light actor interactions.
However, at the time of playing in May 2022, the set of Hansel and Gretel was in a state of significant disrepair. The library was sparse and looked as though nearly all the books had been checked out. The candy forest, while colorful and attractive from a distance, appeared to have been partially consumed. Large foam-molded props had many visible scuffs and breaks, having been hastily hot glued back together multiple times. The mag-locks on compartments were either weak or falling apart, and it was often difficult to tell whether or not the compartment had actually been opened yet. We repeatedly asked the gamemaster for confirmation before opening almost everything, not wanting to accidentally break sequence.
Our visit fell just a month after Passover, a major holiday during which escape rooms experience a surge in traffic from families. Hansel and Gretel is especially popular amongst families, and when you put a bunch of kids in a brightly colored room full of candy and candy-like objects... well, some damage is bound to happen. That said, the set wasn't built solidly enough to withstand this sort of expected wear and tear. In particular, applying some sort of hardened exterior to the molded foam could better protect it from this sort of abuse.
There was so much in Hansel and Gretel that I loved, and much more that I wanted to love, but it is hard to recommend in its current form. Amazon Escape was planning a major revamp of the game soon after our visit, upgrading the set, replacing the live-actor interactions, and making some of the puzzles more challenging. I truly hope that these changes restore Hansel and Gretel to its previous glory and future-proof it against players of all ages.
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