Present, in March 2022, were: The Ant, Teenage Avenger, Jammy, Belle £

Disclaimer: I had a little bit of input into the creation of this game. I played at a discount and of course I’m predisposed to like the concept as that was in part my idea. So, this won’t be the most unbiased review I’ve ever written. Sorry about that. I will, however, also include feedback from the teenagers, who are more likely to be critical about anything I’ve had a hand in, so we might have some balance…

The Perfect Egg is, as it sounds, an Easter-themed pop-up game, occupying the space that One Way Out usually use for their Robot’s Return game on site. Their previous pop-up, Christmas Tagalong, used the same room and seeing the transformation from the cozy Christmas grotto to the bright and sunny Spring-like den is fun. As a temporary game this is never going to have major structural engineering but still manages to pack an impressive amount into the compact area.

The aim of the game is to help Susie Rabbit create the perfect Easter Egg, by using ingredients you unlock along the way and adding them to the frankly rather fabulous egg machine. This is a 70-minute game (like all at One Way Out) and is designed to be family-friendly so, although there is plenty to do, it is timed to be achievable for most teams within this time. We unlocked our Perfect Egg in around 40 minutes, as a 50/50 split experienced/inexperienced four player-team. Smartly though, One Way Out have ensured a moneysworth experience for even the more seasoned teams by adding a bonus egg hunt on to the end of the game. We got a little stuck on this additional challenge and only managed to collect five out of ten (so nearly six!) before time ran out, and this was a great way of getting the most out of our 70-minute booking slot.

Puzzles generally have the One Way Out science-twist, with the added bonus of fitting the kind of magic chocolate factory theme. These elements are really great for secondary-school aged kids, as even though my cynical teenagers roll their eyes “oh no, science” they instantly show themselves as capable and confident around the equipment – these puzzles can really play to their strengths and get them engaged in the game. Post-game chatter is often based around the tasks that made them feel smart – as well as around taking the mickey over flubs (search fails, as usual) and over the bits that made them laugh.

There is a fair amount of silliness and magic involved too here, with lots of cute props, funny voices, a quirky clue system, and the prospect of sweeties at the end, to keep smaller ones (and the science-illiterate) happy. It is relatively linear (despite our best efforts to jump ahead of ourselves a few times) but everything unpacks so satisfyingly neatly and the puzzles can be solved as a group to keep everyone engaged. Although quite padlock-heavy, as pop-ups tend to be, there is so much creativity involved in getting to the answers. It really adds uniqueness to the game (an Escape Room microwave was new to me…). I might be biased, but I reckon this is pretty much the perfect Easter treat activity for some family-friendly puzzling fun.

• Storyline: Main story and a follow-on plot, all makes sense (but then I would say that).
• Theming and Set: Very cute and sunny in a temporary space.
• Searching: A little bit, enough for us to fail on.
• Puzzles: Some science, some silliness, some clever ideas I’ve not seen before.
• Physicality: None. There is disabled access for this room, although not always for evening games.
• Scare factor: None.
• Company Age Guidance: “suitable for children from about 8+.”
• Age suitability: Some of the puzzles aren’t easy, so would suit a mixed group better than just kids, but is very family-friendly and there would be plenty of bits for small ones to help with.

Also at this venue: Framed; Gas Alert; Christmas Tagalong (room closed)

One Way Out website