Hull, Mar 2022
Only having time to play two games of the three at Enigma Rooms Hull, the second one we chose was their Chocolate Factory game. On telling us about the chocolate factory’s owner, Mr Enigma, our host pointed out that there was no copyright infringement going on; and there wasn’t. But the influence of a certain famous movie is clear throughout this loving homage. Your team isn’t plunged into the factory, but instead reach it after a build-up that mirrors the plot of the film.
In comparison to the other game we played at the venue (Impact), the design relies more on padlocks – though these are concentrated nearer the earlier sections, which actually fits the theming rather well as long as you overlook the modern style of the locks.
I felt that a couple of the puzzles here weren’t quite as intuitive as most of those at Enigma Rooms, in a way that I suspect means many (but certainly not all) teams end up needing a hint from the host to solve. That said, the step that we got stuck on for the longest was entirely reasonable, and we kicked ourselves hard for failing to connect the dots – sometimes a set of clues just falls into a mental blind spot. Also, if the flow felt a little more bumpy here, that was partly because this game often gives players clue items before the point they can be used – which is fine, though means you have more opportunities to confuse yourselves.
You’d expect a colourful, cheerful set for a chocolate factory game, and this one delivers. What I really liked though was the contrasts and transitions between areas, with techniques as simple as differences in lighting being used to great effect.
Both of us preferred Impact over Chocolate Factory, which felt like a clear step up; but Chocolate Factory was a very enjoyable game too. With its familiar fun theming it’s a family-friendly choice that also has an approachable start to get teams going, with one or two nicely humorous moments. 
