Will the animals interfere with game play?
The short answer is no. None of our animals are in the actual game play areas with the players. They can not directly hinder your search for items or pester players in any way during game play.
However we want you to know that our animals are still used as an important part of game play. Without giving away game secrets, let's just say that animals can be a wild card in the game. While we've done our utmost to use our animals in a way that makes it hard for them to hinder or change game play, animals have that tendency to surprise us every day. The game master is available to help you with any live animal issues that may occur during play.
However we want you to know that our animals are still used as an important part of game play. Without giving away game secrets, let's just say that animals can be a wild card in the game. While we've done our utmost to use our animals in a way that makes it hard for them to hinder or change game play, animals have that tendency to surprise us every day. The game master is available to help you with any live animal issues that may occur during play.
Can we use our cell phones?
We strongly urge that your phones remain out of the game play area. All information required to solve a pen (room) will be found in the game itself. No outside knowledge is needed. Picture taking is not permitted during game play.
Are we really locked in a pen?
Certainly not! Players can leave any time they like. We do ask however that players do NOT climb fences to exit the game at any time.
If the weather is bad, can we get a refund?
We will refund ONLY if there is a severe weather warning issued (National weather service)at the time of or near the start of your appointment. (tornado, hail, lightning, severe thunderstorm, wind, etc) Unfortunately at this time we do not do other weather related refunds. We may be able to work with players to reschedule games at reduced or no cost if games become unplayable due to weather but no warnings are issued. This will be on a case by case basis and we reserve the right to NOT offer reschedules. You can request to reschedule your game up to 24 hours before your game starts and we will accommodate those requests.
Will we be expected to play in bad weather?
We will not allow players to start or continue play during severe weather watches or warnings(See above for refund info). While our pens are outside and generally uncovered, we do have the option to cover our game play areas for light rains. Our areas are set up to withstand windy days and overcast days will not interfere with game play. Please dress accordingly for the weather.
What do I need to bring?
A sense of adventure and fun! You may want to bring something to take notes on if you are unsure of how to play an escape room, but our puzzles should not require too much note taking.
What should I wear?
Our pens of course are outside. They are exposed to wind, sun, rain, pollen, etc. You should wear clothes (including things like hats, shoes, sunglasses) that you feel are appropriate for the expected weather. We recommend no open toed or high heeled shoes. Since you will be walking around our pasture areas, your shoes should be as sturdy and rugged as you would expect to wear outdoors.
Can I request a covered game play area?
We do have the option to cover some of the game play area. We will normally only utilize our canopies on days that have rains expected. If you or a member of your team require a more shaded area during sunny days, please let us know in advance by noting this during your order or by emailing us at [email protected] Note that on days with higher winds, use of our canopies may be limited.
What if we get stuck on a puzzle?
You can ask the Game Master for hints at any time. Hints are unlimited. Note: if you are looking to be on our leaderboards see "How do I get on the leaderboards?" FAQ below.
What about Covid-19?
We do not require masks for our players. However we do not have public game areas and groups will only consist of the players you brought with you. We will not pair you or your group with other players. Our pens are cleaned during the reset between games. We do ask that if you are in our Lobby (petting zoo) that you do try to maintain a 6 foot distance from other groups.
IF YOU ARE FEELING ILL WE DO ASK THAT YOU DO NOT JOIN US FOR GAME PLAY. BESIDES THE OBVIOUS POSSIBLE RISK TO THE REST OF YOUR TEAM, WE HAVE CONCERNS FOR OUR ANIMALS. DUE TO THE STILL UNKNOWN NATURE OF WHETHER OR NOT COVID-19 POSES ANY RISK TO LIVESTOCK, WE PREFER TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.
IF YOU ARE FEELING ILL WE DO ASK THAT YOU DO NOT JOIN US FOR GAME PLAY. BESIDES THE OBVIOUS POSSIBLE RISK TO THE REST OF YOUR TEAM, WE HAVE CONCERNS FOR OUR ANIMALS. DUE TO THE STILL UNKNOWN NATURE OF WHETHER OR NOT COVID-19 POSES ANY RISK TO LIVESTOCK, WE PREFER TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.
Will the game master be in the game area with us?
If at any time there is a physical issue with a puzzle or prop that requires hands on by the game master he/she may have to enter your game play area. However as a general rule the game master is only there to observe for any problems and help you with hints if you request them.
How do I get on the leaderboards?
Beat the times of others. Each pen has a time limit, to win solve the pen in under the allotted time. If your time is faster than everyone else you top the leaderboard! There are a few caveats though. You get two free hints. After that your overall will go down. You still get a total of 60 minutes on the clock to solve your pen, but for each hint given beyond 2, you will be penalized by adding 5 minutes to your end score. For example: If you finish the game in 52 minutes but you required 4 hints to do so your final "score" would be: 62 minutes 62 = 52 (actual time to complete)+ 0 (2 free hints) + 10 (2 hints @ 5 each). Leaderboards currently do not take into account the number of players on a team. NOTE: Any team using more than a total of 5 hints from the game master will be disqualified from leaderboard placement for that game. Teams are only eligible for the leaderboard based on their FIRST time in a pen.
Can kids play?
Yes. We do not recommend most of our games for kids under 4 and all children should be well supervised if they do play. There are things within the games set up just for kids (although adults will still find the games challenging) so they may do great when in an adult team. We do have a pen designed just for kids to play! Our main pens are neither scary or adult themed so kids can safely play them with an adult.
How many players do we need to play or book a pen?
Our minimum pen charge is equal to three players. Most pens can be played with just two players. However for best play a minimum of three players is recommended. No more than 8 people allowed per room. The only exception to the 8 people maximum is our Little Bo Peep pen. This game can have up to 6 children and up to 4 adults, for a total of 10 players.
I have allergies, will your games be safe for me?
We may utilize props, puzzles, animals and clues within a pen that could cause allergy issues in some people. If you have a known allergy and would like to check before hand if a room contains these allergens, please ask us before beginning your room. **We do NOT use tree nuts or any tree nut derived products in our pens** A list of some things we may use in our pens: Wool (lanolin), corn and other grains, horses, goats, sheep, cows, dogs, rabbits, chickens, cats, hay, straw.
What are the difficulty levels of each pen?
Our pens are labeled with the following difficulty levels: untested, easy, intermediate, hard and expert. We have our pens categorized by difficulty level on our "Shop" page to help you choose what pens you want to try. When you open the information about a pen, you will find a pen's difficulty rating near the bottom.
In very basic terms, our difficulty levels are rated based on time it takes an "average" team to solve a room and the number of hints they need to do so.
The biggest differences in difficulty levels are:
UNTESTED: Please note, that until full beta testing is done on new rooms we are only using our best guess when placing a pen in a specific category. For more accurate ratings, check the information in the listing to see if it beta testing has been completed. Pen's with incomplete data or insufficient play time to determine difficulty rating will state UNTESTED.
EASY: Pens labeled EASY are suitable for younger children and novice players and should take anywhere from 25-45 minutes to solve. You will still have a full 60 minutes for gameplay and "bonus items" can be found in all of our EASY pens. Hints are still available for EASY pens.
These pens can even be fun for more advanced players due to the unique nature of all our games. We even offer a bonus to those more experienced teams playing the EASY rooms - if you can escape in under 15 minutes, we will refund 50% of the team's total pen admission.
Rules to qualify for the EASY room time bonus refund:
INTERMEDIATE: Pens labeled INTERMEDIATE are suitable for novice and expert players alike. However expert players may complete intermediate games well under the 45 minute average.
HARD: Pens labeled HARD are suitable for novice and expert players alike. Remember, you can get as many clues as you want or need. A hard pen may take novice or intermediate players the full 60 minutes while a group of expert players may finish within 45 minutes or less.
EXPERT: So far we haven't felt that any of our games qualify for EXPERT status.
In very basic terms, our difficulty levels are rated based on time it takes an "average" team to solve a room and the number of hints they need to do so.
The biggest differences in difficulty levels are:
- Number of puzzles/clues/games
- The general difficulty of the puzzles/clues/games
- The locations of clues
- The physical games/tasks required. (No task should be impossible for any player, but different players have different strengths. For example, some players may have less hand-eye coordination to complete a task that requires hooking a key with a fish hook, but could manage a task that requires picking up a key with a magnet.)
- The number of players. Most pens are gauged based on a team of 4 players. Two players may make a pen slightly more difficult, while having 7 players may make a pen much easier to solve.
UNTESTED: Please note, that until full beta testing is done on new rooms we are only using our best guess when placing a pen in a specific category. For more accurate ratings, check the information in the listing to see if it beta testing has been completed. Pen's with incomplete data or insufficient play time to determine difficulty rating will state UNTESTED.
EASY: Pens labeled EASY are suitable for younger children and novice players and should take anywhere from 25-45 minutes to solve. You will still have a full 60 minutes for gameplay and "bonus items" can be found in all of our EASY pens. Hints are still available for EASY pens.
These pens can even be fun for more advanced players due to the unique nature of all our games. We even offer a bonus to those more experienced teams playing the EASY rooms - if you can escape in under 15 minutes, we will refund 50% of the team's total pen admission.
Rules to qualify for the EASY room time bonus refund:
- NO hints can be taken from the game master
- NO cheating
- NO by-passing clues, all clues must be found and used
- Bonus is only open to those playing a specific pen for the first time.
- Bonus items can be found during the 15 minutes of game play, but time may not be extended past the 15 minutes to find more if you are taking advantage of the special refund offer.
- All players must leave through the appropriate exit (no climbing fences) in under 15 minutes to qualify.
- Team size when competing for the bonus is limited to 4 adult players
- You must tell us BEFORE you enter your pen that you are attempting to go for the bonus refund. (There are no penalties if you do not succeed, just keep playing and find all the fun bonus items!)
INTERMEDIATE: Pens labeled INTERMEDIATE are suitable for novice and expert players alike. However expert players may complete intermediate games well under the 45 minute average.
HARD: Pens labeled HARD are suitable for novice and expert players alike. Remember, you can get as many clues as you want or need. A hard pen may take novice or intermediate players the full 60 minutes while a group of expert players may finish within 45 minutes or less.
EXPERT: So far we haven't felt that any of our games qualify for EXPERT status.
What are bonus items?
More info coming soon! We hope to incorporate bonus items into each room. Items that when found and combined properly will get you a special bonus. This will give some players a bit more of a challenge if they happen to finish a pen with time to spare.
I've never played an escape room, what do I do?
Even though we are not a traditional escape room, the premise behind our pens is strongly tied to the escape room models. You can use your search engine to look for things like "escape room walkthrough" to see what you might experience. Also try searching "what to expect in an escape room" for some minor spoilers on puzzle types and game types you may find in a room. Sometimes it's a bit hard for escape room owners to give players too much information on what to expect without actually giving away the room's secrets.
Here are my suggestions for our pens:
Here are my suggestions for our pens:
- Look for patterns
- Numbers, letters and symbols usually have importance
- Work WITH your team members
- Keep your mind open and hone all five of your senses
- Think outside the box
- Watch the time
- Don't be afraid to ask for hints
- If you are new or unsure of yourself, you may find it helpful to bring a notebook and pen/pencil to keep notes with. (We will have a few notebooks and pens available for purchase before your game begins, but we do not furnished note taking items in any of our pens.)
How long does a game take?
Most of our pens have a 60 minute time limit. You must solve the pen within that time frame to win. When booking a game, unless otherwise marked, it will be a 60 minute pen. The kids room, The Farm, is 60 minute room, but most likely will be completed in less time.
What happens if we don't escape in time?
Well you don't win. It's okay though! It will give you a reason to come back and try again! We will let teams reschedule the same room at least one more time. (To be considered for the leaderboard, you must make a winning time on your FIRST try.)
Can I play a pen alone?
Unfortunately the answer is no. All rooms require a minimum of 2 players to play with at least 3 players being the recommended number. We can not pair you with anyone here at the farm, you must bring/plan your own team prior to arrival at the farm.
In what language is the game played?
As of the asking of this question, we only offer the games in English. If you do not speak or read English you may find some difficulty with our games.
Note: If you are a bilingual person who would like to help design some puzzles, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
Note: If you are a bilingual person who would like to help design some puzzles, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
Are the pens wheelchair accessible?
The short answer is yes. Our pens are set up with room for a wheel chair. Players in wheel chairs may find some trouble accessing all areas of the pen, but can definitely still help with gameplay. The difficulty may lie more in maneuvering a chair from our parking area out to the pasture as it is grassy and uneven terrain. As of the writing of this we have not checked to see if larger motorized wheelchairs will fit easily into the pens.