"I did order ten thousand shirts, Principal, but... lotta fans..."

overview

Today is the last day of the school year, which means it’s time for the annual Summer Kickoff Kickball Tournament! You’re playing against your arch rivals, the 5th Graders, and you want to win more than anything! However, you and your team are still stuck in class. In order to leave class, you’ll need to finish all of your assignments and get your final report card. The game starts in an hour and if you don’t make it in time, you’ll have to forfeit. So hurry up, work fast, and start your summer as champions!

Playground is a perfect example of how hype can completely change the experience of your game. This story is fantastic and unique, and the mission video is hilarious, which sets up for a very well done room that I greatly enjoyed. 

Playground received numerous awards for being one of the best escape room experiences of all time. The awards were mostly centered around Playground's puzzles. Originally I thought they were well designed, but not award winning. But as time has passed and I've had time to play other games and truly think about it, Playground has some of the most fun puzzles I've ever experienced in an escape room, ever. I loved this game. 

Another big part of the charm of Playground is the vibe it gives off. It is a return to elementary school days, and colorful play structures. Playground has numerous items to play with and have fun, as well as some well-designed and incredibly entertaining puzzles. I would highly recommend playing some other escape rooms first to truly appreciate how enjoyable this one is. 

quick stats

gameplay time: 60 minutes

recommended team size: 4-6 players

difficulty: 3/5

scare level: 0/5

location: various (we went to Nashville, TN)

website: https://theescapegame.com/

considerations: -for the best experience, everyone should be able to climb, crawl, slide, and generally play on a playground. However, the game only requires one person to do these things. 

scenery

It looks exactly like what you're picturing in your mind when you think of second grade. 

Colorful posters, little wooden chairs and desks, colored carpet, and even that Styrofoam-looking ceiling make an appearance in the classroom. Everything is so vibrant and fun-looking that it could easily get away with being a real elementary classroom. 

The actual playground is a whole different kind of joy. Red, yellow, blue, and green plastic walls and poles make for an epic-looking structure, with multiple levels and places to explore. Turf covers the ground, and the school's brick walls and tile roofs loom over the space. But even that doesn't detract from the pure childlike joy this structure resonates. It did seem like the lights should have been brighter in the room, and I noticed one or two that seemed to have died. Making this small fix would greatly improve the scene. 

The walls are painted to show the parking lot and athletics field, in what feels like a very fake and cartoony way. But that doesn't matter- from the moment Playground starts, you understand that you're supposed to suspend your disbelief as far as it'll go. This game is much more about playing around than being immersive. 

A passage through the playground eventually leads players to the field house, crammed full of lockers, awards, and bags of sports balls. The field house is significantly smaller and plainer than the rest of the set, but you don't really notice. Everything about Playground is supposed to capture the feeling of childhood bliss, and everything about the set succeeds in doing so. 

puzzles

Playground's puzzles are well designed, clever, and my lord, are they fun. There are some not so enjoyable ones scattered throughout, but rest assured the rest of the puzzles completely makes up for the stale ones. 

To pass the class, players need to complete all 10 of their homework assignments and get their A+ on the giant report card mounted on the wall. Each of the homework assignments will involve embarking on a small puzzle trail, usually one or two puzzles. It's mostly nonlinear, meaning multiple students can work on multiple assignments at once. 

Once students take attendance, it's recess time, and most of the space opens up for play. Most of the puzzles involve playing with nostalgic toys and looking around at the environment. One puzzle involving birds was particularly clever, and involved running around the space. Nothing was really boring in this game, and everyone was engaged in the puzzles. 

A lot of this game is tech activated, and it works so well in the playground setting. Balls launch out of tubes, desks open up, and the space transforms itself. Many puzzles are more game-like than puzzle-like, making for a unique and clever game. 

Some of these puzzles are revolutionary, introducing entirely new concepts to the escape game world. The creators thought about the interactions more than anything else in this game, and it really shows. 

pros and cons

pro: nostalgic, fun environment!

con: bit overhyped. The awards make it seem just a bit more polished than it actually is. 

pro: many cool interactions and tech infused into the game!

con: it's clear that The Escape Game wanted the last puzzle to be frantic and zany, but their design prevents this from happening. It's far from exciting and not the best ending to the game. 

pro: two of the best (and very in-storyworld) transitions to new rooms!

con: one puzzle can really only have one person solving it due to space, creating heavy bottlenecking. 

pro: hilarious mission video that sets up the scene perfectly!

con: some tech activates props in a different room. Due to this, it is incredibly easy to miss some of the coolest interactions in Playground. 

pro: The Escape Game took something I've wanted to do for my entire life- and put it into their game. It was so satisfying to watch.

pro: although we don't see the Coach for the rest of the game, the lore lives on!

pro: oh my god. Our game master, Drake. One of the best people I've ever met in my life. It's clear that The Escape Game trains their employees to provide the best customer service imaginable. 

overall

Playground is a highly unique, very fun game in various locations. The gameplay in this room is truly like nothing I've ever experienced, and I would be delighted to play this one again if I'm given the chance. It's a clever game with very fun puzzles that takes you right back to your elementary school years, and has some really neat interactions. If this game is around you, play it- it is most certainly worth it. 

I also can't really avoid plugging another of The Escape Game's rooms. While Playground contains some of the most enjoyable interactions I've ever seen, they have another game at the Nashville location called Ruins that stands just as tall as Playground. This absolutely epic adventure is super immersive, massive, and one of the coolest things I've ever done. These are easily the two strongest games that The Escape Game has to offer. 

rating

9/10