LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA
Photo above is property of Monkey Mind Escape Rooms
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
📝 ETR DECODER
🔑 GAME: The Stolen Diamond
📅 DATE PLAYED: August 17, 2023
🎬 GENRE: Adventure
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 4/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins
💰 PRICE: $34/PP
☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes
📖 THE STORY
You have just been contacted by your friend Bob, who is on safari in Africa. Bob is in a bit of trouble after “borrowing” a very expensive diamond and hiding it somewhere in his office, and now his life is on the line as the people he stole from have come to collect. With just an hour left to return the diamond before Bob is killed, it’s up to you to follow the clues he’s left behind and produce the valuable relic to save his life.
Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE
"The Stolen Diamond" does a good job making a lot out of a little, employing a small space and mostly analog puzzle elements effectively.
There are only a couple electronic elements in the room, but these are used strategically for a strong finale.
Puzzles are all simple enough to be approachable for a beginner, without any unfair leaps in logic.
🧩 MISSED THE MARK
As a room designed to be portable, "The Stolen Diamond" is a little limited in terms of the kinds of puzzles it can present, so they get a little repetitive over time. Expect lots of laminated paper clues that open numerous locked containers.
The space isn’t terribly impressive to look at. Some safari-themed accents improve the overall effect, but it still feels largely like a sparse office space. With a window overlooking the street below, string lights dangling from the ceiling, and a large air unit taking up one corner, it’s hard to feel immersed in the story.
🏹 TAKE A SHOT?
Especially when compared to the other rooms on offer at Monkey Mind Escape Rooms, "The Stolen Diamond" is an outlier in terms of its simplistic approach to decor and puzzle design, a result of its portable design. If you go into this room expecting a deeply evocative atmosphere and Disney-World-quality special effects, you’re probably going to leave disappointed. But if you’ve got the mindset to enjoy a room that ditches bells and whistles for simpler fare, you’ll probably have a good time.
The puzzles in "The Stolen Diamond" are analog in the most basic sense, frequently relying on paper clues that give you number or letter codes to open the locks on sealed containers. The exceptions mix things up here and there, but this is mostly a room about noticing hidden clues in pictures or writing. A lot of the puzzles are pretty straightforward in their solutions, which might disappoint a team with lots of experience, but it’s balanced excellently for a group that is new to the concept of solving puzzles on a time crunch. New players are also less likely to have inflated expectations for presentation and pizzazz, so that’s another reason I’d be most likely to recommend this room to a beginner.
Still, that doesn’t mean this room can’t be enjoyed by experienced teams. As much as I enjoy a tense game that takes the timer down to the wire where every second counts and everyone has to be on their A-game to make it out, sometimes it’s just satisfying to blast through some puzzles and feel good about yourself! For that reason, The Stolen Diamond may have been the least pretty room at Monkey Mind Escape Rooms, but it was probably the one I had the most fun in.
All around, this is a room where your enjoyment will depend on what you are looking for, and one where your mileage may vary a good deal from mine. If you’re all about the props and electronics, you’re going to be better off checking out Monkey Mind’s other experiences, all of which are designed for their spaces and focus more on the atmosphere. But if you’re in the mood for smooth sailing through some simple but satisfying puzzles, this might be worth the look for you.
ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO
Merchandise is available for purchase in the lobby.
The lobby area has plenty of comfortable seating with small games, a foosball table, and a TV that was showing Indiana Jones when we visited
While the room itself is largely handicap accessible, the building that Monkey Mind is in may pose a challenge, as we had to climb stairs up to the correct floor. There was also a large step up in the middle of the lobby, which you may have to cross to get to your escape room.
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
Disclosure: We thank Monkey Mind Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.
Update: We also visited Monkey Mind Escape Rooms and played "The Stolen Diamond" and "The Cursed Tomb" in August 2023!!
