RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 5:19
With Christmas Eve fast approaching, it’s time to give the old sleigh a tune-up. But don’t worry – two crappy elves have got it covered. Wait. WORRY!
Santa’s Big Red Sleigh is knocked out of the sky. It’s up to you and a few bumbling elves to rebuild the sleigh so you can help save Christmas! You’ll help Richie and Mikey, the world’s lousiest sleigh mechanics, at the world’s crappiest garage: ‘The Holly Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair’.
And naturally, that brings us to our story. Santa’s sleigh is kaput – and without repair, there’s no way it will make that long, long flight from corner to corner around the globe. Luckily, The Holly Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair is open late; of course, “luckily” is a word which, here, means “because all the good places are closed.”
Let’s be honest – this place is really, really crappy. And things are about to go from ho-ho-ho to oh-no-no for old St. Nick, because tonight, the only mechanics on staff are Richie and Mikey. It’s not that those two are naughty – they’re still elves after all; but they just aren’t the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree.
So, who’s up for posing as magical sleigh mechanics and saving Christmas? Every little kid around the world is kind of counting on you to not screw up. No pressure though.
If Christmas has any hope of being saved this year, a true Red Sled Redemption will need to take place at the old Holly Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair. This isn’t exactly the magical type of place one might expect to find at the legendary North Pole.
A fairly small one bay garage (that means room game – try to follow along!) is dominated by Santa’s magical sleigh parked (read: stranded) in the center. Grungy white brick walls, trimmed in green and red give a “festive on a budget” flavor.
Mismatched tools jumbled amid lackluster holiday decorations further the narrative, helping to bring the storyworld of The Holly Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair to life. This place isn’t fancy – nor should it be. And that’s exactly why it feels authentic.
All things considered, the best way to describe this crappy garage is “…that will do.” It can get the job done, if need be, but there’s just much more qualified places to bring your sleigh.
Red Sled Redemption puts would-be mechanics center stage as the most important part of its heavily story-driven adventure. Every single puzzle step furthers the narrative, thanks to tasks that are completely in theme and often full of eye-roll-inducing holiday puns.
Each step along the way focuses on repairing the sleigh – and doing so makes it clear that for all his preparedness, the one thing old Chris Cringle isn’t so good at is magical automobile maintenance. There’s a lot wrong – and not much time to fix it at all.
And with Richie and Mikey no where to be found, it’s now the responsibility of completely untrained mechanics (who are somehow actually more qualified) to get under the hood and make use of various tools to figure out how to get this old sleigh reindeer-ready.
Red Sled Redemption at the Holly Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair glides logically and intuitively from start to finish, maintaining a flow that’s equal parts fun and funny – while holding with the highest of stakes: presents!
Doldrick’s Escape Room has made a name for themselves by crafting attractions powered by their clear sense of humor. Their first outing, Super Bomb Squad: Commandos Awesome! sets the tone for the silliness to come, and Captain Spoopy Bones and the Magnificent Quest for Some Other Pirates Treasure sets sail for a whole other level of wackiness. It probably will come as no surprise that Red Sled Redemption at the Holly Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair follows down that zany path.
Despite their ineptitude when it comes to all things sleigh-repair, Richie and Mikey definitely make our Nice List once again with another story-driven gem. Perhaps best of all, Red Sled Redemption at the Holly Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair is here to stay, creating a Christmas-themed adventure so clever and engaging that it can be enjoyed year round.
In an industry full of life-or-death urgency and over-used tropes, Doldrick’s Escape Room continues to give us refreshing reasons to laugh, and sometimes that’s the very best gift of all.
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Venue: Doldrick’s Escape Room
Location: Kissimmee, Florida
Number of Games: 4
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 45 minutes
Capacity: 6 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $29.99 per person
We thank Doldrick’s Escape Room for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.