For the last room in 2025 before our Christmas games, we decided to try out The Nixon Escape's Asylum, for Whittier's proximity to our most recent waterfall "hike" (West Fork Falls - it was dry, but the walk there was gorgeous). Also, fresh from bingeing Yellowjackets on Paramount, we wanted to get out of our comfort zone and do a little crazy. The Nixon Escape, located in the heart of Uptown Whittier, opened up just about a year ago, and is a great starter room for couples and small groups. In our case, we had no idea that our reservation was made for right after the Annual Christmas Parade and even less idea as to how big that event is in Whittier, so it was a bit of a drive-around before we finally parked and started walking ...
The entire area is a pretty nice neighbourhood and very conducive to strolling: we had time to check out Central Park and the Hocus Pocus house, as well as the Friends of the Whittier Public Library store before our game, and catch scrumptious lunch at the California Grill and Bar. Unfortunately, the Whittier Museum was closed due to a plumbing issue; but otherwise, The Nixon Escape couldn't have found itself a better spot. On non-parade days, as it turns out, there is ample parking off-street, so it's no problem at all if you arrive early for your game or decide to stay late.
The Nixon Escape, on the Bailey side of Bailey and Greenleaf, has a nice cosy lobby where we could sit and fill in our waivers. We were met by Gael, who also served as our gamemaster and was as hospitable as he was attentive during our game. Lockers were provided for our phones after we watched the introductory video, which is for us by now something like the safety videos before takeoff from the airport, and we did not get to check out the restrooms before the game, but Gael gets five stars for being pro-active and fun to play with during our game.
Asylum's story is straightforward: What do the inmates of a mental institution (us) do when they are abandoned by the staff in a nuclear apocalypse? First, don't panic, obviously - which is easier said than done because our initiation into the room was a little anxiety-inducing and very in keeping with the theme indeed - giant eww! Once again, Gael did a wonderful job putting us at ease - and the room really isn't scary-scary, but it was very faithful to the theme of insanity, and dim (flashlight provided, thank goodness), and the space, while perfect for four, was tight even with just the two of us, especially with some crowding required. We were mindful that our gamemaster, far from abandoning us completely, took it upon himself to check in when we had not asked for a clue after 15 minutes - which was very much appreciated because there was no timer until we were further along in the game. Crazy people have their own logic but we should be able to figure that logic by the time the game is done - and it was very easy to get lost trying to track the mouse droppings ... Our favourite puzzle was the thermostat one, and with the tile stacking, it helps if you're a little cross-eyed!
We've played the gamut of games, from the G-1 games which focused mainly on conventional locks and puzzles, to the super hi-tech games we consider G-3 - third generation - games, where things seem to open without you even touching them, and lights and sirens go off like champagne. Asylum is what we would categorize as G1 - low tech, with conventional locks and keys, so it is expensive for a duo because booking online, we were charged as a trio (although there is some kind of holiday offer going on - just ask: for a group of four, one person is free). We've enjoyed most of the rooms we've done, however, from G-1 to G-3, all on their own merits, but we definitely have the best time when we feel the gamemaster is on our side. In this game, we finished with 9:43 left, and we really enjoyed the hot cocoa after the game. Asylum gets four stars from us, rounded up from three, with at least 1.5 stars earned by our gamemaster. The photo emailed to us from their camera post-game was nicely done up as well. We are really looking forward to checking out Outpost and the new rooms they have planned the next time we're in town.
This review is duplicated on Yelp and Google (truncated). read more