On a trip to Jindabyne earlier this year, a friend told us about the Jindabyne Escape Rooms. For those unfamiliar with Jindabyne, it is a popular alpine town in New South Wales, Australia, that sits on the shores of the picturesque Lake Jindabyne at the edge of the Snowy Mountains. During the winter, it is an extremely busy hub for those exploring the nearby snow resorts of Perisher and Thredbo.
Earlier this week during a rainy day on the ski fields, we ended up skipping the slopes and trying our hand at one of the escape rooms on offer. We weren’t sure what to expect so we thought we’ll start with the Treasure Chest room. As it was a 30 minute game, we thought it should give us a feel of the quality of the game before we splurge out on a longer game.
I thought it was really clever of the owner to have a 30 minute game that’s priced really well. It’s a great introduction for families and other people who may not be familiar with escape rooms, or have a certain budget that they’re working within for entertainment, or those that can’t commit to a full hour.
Theme
From their website:
Landlubbers beware – there are pirates in these waters! Get to the treasure in 30 mins or you’ll need to walk the plank.
Jindabyne Escape Rooms
This is a bit of a reverse escape room – rather than breaking out, you’re breaking into a pirate’s chest to retrieve the treasure. The game makes good use of a nook that might have otherwise gone unused. While the theming was simple, it was on point with the design. The immersion could be enhanced with some background noise or music (maybe some sea shanties? Or sounds of waves on a beach?). I like how they have provided some pirate hats so you can get into the spirit of the game.
Game breakdown
The game begins with an introduction by the gamemaster. You get unlimited hints but as always, it’s best to give it a good shot first.
Don’t be put off by the simple look of the game. We didn’t expect a huge variety of puzzles so was pleasantly surprised when we broke into the chest…..and discovered a range of other puzzles to solve! We ended up running over the 30 minutes as a result (and also trying to wrangle the 4 and 6 year old at the same time – the 6 year old was fine and took part in all the puzzles. The 4 year old kept getting distracted).
The puzzles are linear in nature, and are a good mix of visual, deductions, physical, and logic. I enjoyed the variety although I struggled with one origami style one that I needed a clue and then a double check whether I was on the right track. There were a couple of puzzles that we were simply overthinking it and another puzzle where we had some trouble with the gold paint and ease of readability. But on the whole, a good variety for both new and veteran escape room people.
My family were very excited to break into the final chest with the treasure! Arg me hearties!
Out of room experience
Service
The service is super friendly! All the staff were lovely and would check in frequently to make sure we were ok. If you wanted a hint, just grab one of the passing staff. Our gamemaster, Sav, was absolutely delightful.
There were lockers to store items but since this game was held in the open, you can bring your items in with you and pop them on the side. There’s even hooks on the doors to hang up jackets so you’re not cluttering up the game area.
Safety
Not a problem in this instance, as the game is played in a nook within the escape room business.
Getting there
Jindabyne Escape Rooms is located on Snowy River Avenue out the back of Nuggets Crossing. There are lots of free parking in the area but if you’re here during the winter season, parking is always going to be challenging for any of the shops in the area, so please leave enough time to find a car park.
The easiest thing to do is to walk in if you’re staying in or close to the town centre.
Summary
- Overall: 4/5
- Fun: 4/5
- Atmosphere: 3/5
- Difficulty: 3/5
- Creativity of puzzles: 3.5/5
- Game duration: 30 minutes
- Cost: $30/game
- Team size: up to 8 but we recommend 3-5 people
- Escaped ? Yes but we ran overtime and needed a few clues to check that we were on the right path
- Played: 4 July 2023
Overall, a fun activity that’s suitable for all ages (but probably best for kids aged 6+). Well worth playing if you’re in the area and supporting a local business who are doing a great job.
The shop also doubles up as a gift shop with lots of cool puzzles and lollies!
About Jindabyne Escape Rooms
Jindabyne Escape Rooms was opened in September 2022 by Judy, a local of the area who also runs the local supermarket. There are currently 3 rooms, with a fourth being designed based on the Snowy Hydro (I love it when escape rooms have a strong local flavour – my favourite!)
Where: Shop 4/19 Snowy River Ave, Jindabyne NSW 2627
Website: Jindabyne Escape Rooms
Feature photo credit: Jindabyne Escape Rooms
Escape Room Explorers 