Review: The Final Door - Grinched

RATING: 4 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: Untimed

Santa NEEDS his cookies.

Story

Oh No! You’ve been Grinched! It’s the night before Christmas and the Grinch has broken into your home and sabotaged Christmas. Can you work together to save your Christmas before Santa arrives?

Recruited by a frantic, strangely human-sized elf, players are tasked with reversing the actions of the mean old Grinch by replacing Santa’s cookies, unlocking the chimney, and mailing the letters to Santa. The mission is simple and clear from the first minutes of the experience with no additional story developments revealed as the adventure progresses.

However, given the shorter duration of the game (45 minutes), being suited to families with children, and the general lighthearted, fun atmosphere of the experience, there isn’t a need to bog Grinched down with superfluous details and unexpected twists. The pursuit of this straightforward goal is more than enough to keep the adventure engaging.

Within this mission to save Christmas, Grinched incorporates personalized touches to immerse players further into the storyworld.

Scenic

Though this is a seasonal (i.e. temporary) game, Grinched does not feel cobbled together. Care was clearly taken in designing and constructing the experience, shown by the attention to detail and strategic use of space.

Despite its relatively small footprint and an assumed lower budget due to its impermanent nature, Grinched delivers a fairly immersive environment. This immersion is achieved through involving all 5 senses- the sights, smells, sounds, feel, and (at the player’s discretion) tastes of Christmas.

The props and theming are of higher quality than might be expected from a seasonal game. These scenic pieces envelop players in all things Christmas – It would be difficult to design a room more capable of inspiring Christmas cheer.

Puzzles

Grinched provides a strong variety of puzzle types that successfully walk the fine line of being accessible to all while simultaneously providing challenge to those with many escape adventures under their belt.

Grinched is a nonlinear game for the majority of the experience, allowing for members of larger groups to stay actively engaged in saving Christmas over the course of the experience. Though Grinched utilizes plenty of traditional lock types (number, letter, and directional), there is never a question as to where a solution must be inputted. This allows for a smooth flow without solution-input mismatch frustrations.

Puzzles to be accomplished make sense within the overall plot and respective settings they are each found. The tasks that must be accomplished provide for some very entertaining interactions and make full use of the Christmas environment(s) and theming.

Overall

Grinched takes all the most fun parts of Christmas and rolls them up into this 45 minute adventure.

Grinched strikes the perfect balance between being accessible and appealing for all ages without feeling “kiddie”. For children, this provides an exciting experience full of Christmas spirit and magical moments. For adults, Grinched is a wholesome good time with a flurry of challenges and surprises that strives to awaken one’s inner child to the sound of jingle bells.

It is important to note Grinched is not rated relative to being seasonal/temporary. Even if this adventure was a “permanent” game, it would still earn a rating of four keys. This is an impressive feat for a temporary experience – Grinched truly shines as an example of what can be achieved without a massive budget or expansive square footage.

Grinched can be played at The Final Door through January 31st. Grinched (presented by The Final Door) is also available at Game On Escapes in Cary, NC (NC location not reviewed). Dash on over to either of these locations to enjoy this fantastic game before it is too late (note: one horse open sleigh not required).