Review: Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf? | Escape Room LA

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Los Angeles, CA, USA

OFFICIAL SPEC

🕹️ Stay At Home Games » Host Led Experience » Audio-Led Escape Game

💪 Difficulty: 5/10.

⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit.

🔢 Capacity: 2 to 7 players. Private booking.

💬 Hints: Given by game host when requested, presumably. (Note: My team did not use any hint.)

📝 Experience requires Zoom, or more. Check for details.

📝 Careful--note potential time difference between your location and the host's when booking.

🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;)

MATTSTER'S REC 🙂

💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 1 to 2/10 (team of 5). Game is meant for families, therefore understandably easy.

🔢 Ideal team size: Most escape room lovers can clear the game easily with 2. Up to 4 for holidays celebration purpose.

OFFICIAL PREMISE

This all-new holiday game will be fun for the whole family as well as for experienced players. Your summoned to the wintery Elf Village, where you’ve got just one hour to complete the elves’ tricky challenges and prove that you’ve got what it takes to be a real elf! You’ll solve many different types of puzzles – using your brain, your wits, and your friends – while you uncover and complete all the fun, tricky challenges – proving that you’ve got what it takes to be a real elf!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

"Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf?" is a fun little holiday special, 5-week limited-run game from the minds of Escape Room LA. Like its previous other online options, such as The Curse Of The Dark Raven, Escape From Planet X, and The Lost Pyramid, this is an audio-led escape game accompanied by a game master (or more accurately, just their voice), who's there to narrate the story, present puzzles, and provide hints when needed. But you know, make it Christmas! Because it's December, baby!

"Elf" indeed offers a premise that most other online holiday games are not going for this year. While other competitors seem to be obsessed with the "Save Christmas from being ruined" theme, Escape Room LA just wants you to audition to be a minion for the jolly Santa Claus. Oh! I am sorry, I mean elves, not minions! It's an honor to be part of the team that brings joy to millions of children at the of each year. ("Now get back to work!" yells the big red one.)

Jk! Jk!

Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf? | Escape Room LA

I was initially confused on how the game would go about. Is this like "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" Because the title sure sounds like it. Is this a competition to see who's the best elf candidate? As it turned out, the plot is pretty straightforward: your team of 2 to 7 can ALL become part of the crew, you just have to prove your abilities by passing 8 challenges ahead at various locations of the North Pole Village. So not exactly a groundbreaking narrative, but for the target demographics of families and young children, it's easily digestible, and therefore a decent choice.

Say... why is the map of Elf Village so strikingly similar to a pentagram...?! (Is he... umm... Is he actually recruiting possibly demonic minions? So was my initial hunch actually correct?!)

Jk! Jk! ...I think.

The selection of puzzles around the 8 objectives are more or less standard, though the wintery noel theming is pretty spot-on for every mini game.

In the Village, you can earn gumdrops at the candy factory by answering a slew of holidays-related trivia question, which despite involving outside knowledge, is one of my favorite sections of the game. (Gumdrops are currency, hint hint, you may need some to complete the game.) Next, there are some classic Christmas songs challenges, which is almost unavoidable since singing is such a big part of our celebration culture. And then there are some classic "escape room vibe" brainteasers that would satisfy those who want a more traditional puzzle fix.

Nothing too out of the ordinary here, but there's enough variety to keep my entire team busy thinking, chatting, and laughing--and that's precisely how this game should be played. Grab your dear family, or a close-knitted group of friends, and just act silly and run with it. The puzzles, honestly, may not be the strongest, but approaching them with a carefree and silly attitude (while being a little buzzed if you're legal) could make this an ideal holiday game night.

Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf? | Escape Room LA

If I were to make some suggestions, it would be for the company to enhance the images to higher resolution and better quality, since they were a little too small to read, and the art style a little too scattered, and previous games did not have such issues. The game host could possibly sound more energetic and hyped to get their customers into a festive mood. My game host was super polite, but I don't mind him loosening up a bit! It's an elf party, after all.

The finale, by far, is most unintentionally funny because some very suspiciously demonic-looking elves actually showed up with what looks like alcoholic beverages to celebrate our graduation as the newest members of the pack. I guess my pentagram theory is holding some weight, after all...?

And with that note, have a safe and merry Christmas, everyone!

Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf? | Escape Room LA

EXTRA TIPS

★ Googling may be needed for puzzles requiring outside knowledge. (If you don't know it, then you really don't.)

★ Avoid "cheating" by self-prohibiting screenshots during gaming. Or else some parts may become super easy. ;-[

READY FOR FUN?

"Have You Got What It Takes To Be An Elf?" is available for booking HERE.

If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;)

Signing off,

ESCAPE MATTSTER

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Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. ERLAElf.