A few years ago, I used an accountant for my taxes that worked out of an unassuming office park in Costa Mesa, CA. Little did I know that, years later, I would revisit the same complex to figure out the secrets of Hamilton Asylum at TrapZone Rooms. Nestled deep inside the complex, TrapZone may not look like much on the outside, but inside, there is plenty of fun to be had once you are locked in.
THE ASYLUM, the first room from the folks over at TrapZone, tasks players to find a cure to a disease that Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis has created before it spreads to the rest of society. Lucky for you, Team HorrorBuzz managed to escape with 21 minutes to spare!
What struck me first about THE ASYLUM was its innovative opening. Most rooms throw you in and lock the door, the clock starting as soon as you enter. However, TrapZone begins their room with a bit of flourish. Everyone dons a blind fold and are escorted in, a few at a time, so the room reveal is a surprise. Once my eyes were uncovered, I was very surprised at the theming.
I’ll be honest; I’ve been to a lot of rooms located in random office parks. However, TrapZone does a good job of making it feel like you are NOT in one. The theming overall was pretty cool, with simple, yet effective, set dressings to convey the fact that we were supposed to be in an asylum. In fact, reveals overall are handled nicely here, as addition aspects of the room feature a clever passageway to hide them. This shouldn’t be a surprise at all, as Julie Hom, one of the owners of TrapZone, told me later how much she loves interior design.
Puzzles ranged from incredibly clever to sometimes frustrating. We had a slow start to the room, as we all difficulty trying to piece together where to begin. However, it was nothing a well-timed clue didn’t help. That said, toward the second half of the game, one puzzle involving various objects and a reading was pretty incredibly done, and left many of us very pleased by its logic.
Later, I asked Hom about the story for the room, and was happy to learn that it was after a lot of research into abandoned asylums (a subject near and dear to my heart) that it came up. She also mentioned that the Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis of their story was based on a real doctor.
“In real life, there was a doctor who was admitted as a patient in a psych ward due to his theory that people should wash their hands to prevent illness and disease,” Hom told me. “It’s somewhat humorous that people thought he was crazy, because as we know today, we should wash our hands!”
Overall, THE ASYLUM packed quite a few fun surprised (and even a scare or two) that made it a lot of fun. Definitely one I would recommend for a fun afternoon jaunt when you’re down in Orange County. They are in the process of designing their next game, so be on the lookout for that.
For more information on TrapZone, and to visit THE ASYLUM for yourself, visit them online at: www.trapzonerooms.com
