Clue HQ Brentwood: Bunker 38

Quite a simple room based around locks and keys. A good room for beginners even if some of the set up seemed a little odd at times. 

We had a blast escaping Bunker 38 with our crew of 6 members in February 2016. The Bunker was not particularly atmospheric but had some really fun puzzles from what I can remember. We escaped in 54.50 minutes.

Billed as their beginner room, this is a padlock fest (I think I counted 18/19?) and has some interesting puzzles that introduces a lot of basic concepts of escape rooms (even if the story makes no sense in context).

How Many Hints?!

I took advantage of another Groupon to get this room at a good price.

Story

A radiation leak forced you into this bunker, where you've been living for years. It's safe to return up top, but now you're locked in and oxygen levels are critically low. Escape before the last sixty minutes of breathable air runs out.

Puzzles

Far too samey; almost all of them involved finding combinations of numbers, which doesn't strike as being creative enough given the storyline. There was an incredibly misleading red herring that can only be described as stupid. One puzzle and its solution were far too tenuously linked for you to know what to do. My biggest gripe, though, was the amount of hints that were being thrown left, right and centre at us. Despite our team being engaged in trying to solve puzzles, the giveaway messages came through thick and fast.

Mise-en-scène

It did feel like a bunker, but I suppose giving compact underground shelter vibes isn't too demanding a task. The damp smell was probably the most realistic part. There was a pointless, unwarranted crawling part that didn't contribute anything to the experience.

Final Comments

At least it was cheap.