Halifax, Oct 2023
It seems like Area 51.5 has been tantalisingly under construction ever since I first visited The Escaporium, many years back; it’s been through quite a catalogue of setbacks, but is finally open and receiving considerable acclaim. In it, you’re trying to get into the home of a UFO enthusiast who might just be hiding a live alien – who you’d better find before the alien fleet turns up.
The Escaporium never short-change players on puzzles, in either quantity or quality. As with their other rooms you can expect a wealth of padlocks and other codes to smash through, and despite the strength of the theming, this game is at heart a puzzle room powered by the thrill of quick-fire solving. That’s helped by the structure, which eases you in with some (mostly) simpler puzzles to get going, and also tends to group puzzles in sections where even mid-frenzy you know what you’re working on, what you’re trying to do, and how close you are to doing it.
For one section of the room you have what’s essentially a booklet of clues to steer you through the next set of puzzles. That’s a common trope that I’m never keen on, although it’s done well here: sensibly structured, free from red herrings, as packed with amusing Easter eggs as the rest of the room. Even so, it seemed like it wouldn’t need many tweaks for the game to be solveable without it, at least for enthusiasts in a ‘hard mode’ version, and would be more satisfying to complete that way.
You’re not likely to have a lot of spare time to admire the decor, but it’s well worth doing: it’s packed with in-jokes and Easter eggs and references to several decades of sci-fi pop culture. The light-hearted wit here demonstrates again just how much effective use of humour can add to a game.
I found Area 51.5 to be a rambunctious joy of a game. There’s a reason this game has been getting rave reviews since opening: it’s a puzzle-solving treat all the way through, with the best saved for the very last. 
