Key Info
- Puerto De La Cruz, Tenerife, Spain
- 60 Minute Game
- 2 - 6 Players
- Escape Rate not Stated
-
€27.50 per Player
- Free On Site Parking
- 6/10 Difficulty
We Escaped In
42 Minutes 55 Seconds
- Pete, Nate
- March 2024
Room Brief
According to the legend in the 1980s outside of Puerto de la Cruz operated an unregistered psychiatric, where illegal investigations of the human mind took place. Perfectly healthy people were subjected to cruel experiments and drug abuse, turning them into mental patients. You have to experience the horror of staying in an asylum and, using only logic skills, try to find a way out and discover where the patients of the psychiatric hospital disappeared one by one.
Arrival
The Asylum or El Sanatorio by The Clue was to be our first taste of Escape Rooms in Tenerife and it was one that had returned in Google but wasn’t yet on other review sites or Tripadvisor so we were taking something of a risk starting with this game and it setting the tone for other games we would play during our stay.Â
The Clue is found in a small retail unit within a local shopping arcade, a short drive away from the main area of Puerto De La Cruz, a popular tourist resort. We were staying in Los Gigantes so this was about a 30-40 minute drive away but there are plenty of other sites in town to make a day of the trip.Â
As ever with Escape rooms, those we played in Tenerife tended to be in completely random locations so turning up to a unit with a dedicated shop front was actually a bit of a surprise. There was no waiting area however so we waited on the wall outside for our GM to let us in.Â
When the door opened we were greeted by our host who was wearing a lab coat and took on the persona of a doctor at the asylum. He had absolutely mastered the crazy eyes and we found the whole experience somewhat uncomfortable, but in a great way. Fully in character, we were led to where the game begins, given brief and not too in depth instructions and our escape began!Â
Immersion
Pete
Nate
From the outside The Clue looks like a small private clinic, a vets perhaps or a dentist office. It’s quite clinical, very white and the frosted glass means waiting outside not much is given away. On account of the lack of online reviews we were somewhat sceptical of what might lie inside El Sanatorio but once inside the game space we were pleasantly surprised with the level of immersion that has been created.Â
The room space is uncomfortably bleak, its barren and there isn’t much in the way of furniture to take in but it is exactly what we picture when thinking of a vintage insane asylum so absolutely fits the brief. What little furniture is included seemed to be genuine hospital equipment which only added to the creepy feel that has been created. It was somewhat scuffed giving the impression of heavy use. Complimenting the bleak furnishings was a padded wall as seen in movie asylums and decoration that can only be described as Crazy as well as dim mood lighting. No question this room looks the part!Â
Throughout the game, the room is playing a soundtrack which made us as players feel uncomfortable and on edge during our playthrough. Even though we were told there were no actors, we never quite trusted this for some reason – we won’t share spoilers as to whether we were right or wrong with this assumption.Â
Gameplay opens up additional areas within El Sanatorio which have a distinct, yet equally as immersive feel about them. Going from the complete sense of madness to a slightly more organised and “sane” space. Despite these changes in decor, these areas remain true to the scenario throughout the story. More importantly, the environment was true to the scenario throughout.Â
Puzzles & Challenges
Pete
Nate
As our game was about to begin, our games master highlighted to us that this game had three missions. First, escape the Asylum. Second, identify the drug formula used in the asylum. Thirdly, uncover the identity of the patient still residing in the asylum. At the time this felt like quite a lot to remember but all three of these aim’s are achievable and not as complicated as it sounds – though finding them all was a challenge!Â
Within the asylum, we’d thought a sparsely furnished room might mean puzzles were easy to find. Whilst there were some obvious items we knew we’d need to explore there were plenty of clues hidden in plain sight. This meant getting off to a racing start wasn’t as easy as we’d initially thought and gave us a fun challenge. The decor provides plenty of red herrings despite its minimalist feel. Most of the puzzles we came across in the first stages of the game were revolved around hidden objects, searching and unlocking padlocks. There were however, some novel puzzles we’d not played in previous games which we really appreciated. Namely one which made our eyes go a little funny after a while, though be careful not to put your nose too close.Â
After successfully completing the first stages of the game and advancing into other areas, the puzzles within El Sanatoria became a bit more complicated with increasing nods to the environment we were in. Psychological references for instance and more sophisticated clues which required more logical thinking to solve. It felt as though the solutions had been created by two different people, which is exactly what the story needs.Â
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Games Master & Clues
Pete
Nate
Our games master, if we can call him that, was fantastic. We actually questioned before the game started whilst waiting outside if he was in character or just a little bit crazy. Not once did he break character even when explaining the game, taking photos afterwards, giving us hints or even asking about other games we had played. Absolutely set the scene for the game we were about to play.Â
The clue system within the room was a digital screen that received typed messages from the host when requested. In order to request them we needed to both agree that we wanted a clue and raise our hands whilst speaking to the camera’s about what hint was needed. We did make use of this a couple times and mostly the clues were subtle enough to lead us gently in the direction we needed to go in.Â
Our only complaint about this system would be that the camera space for the games master did not cover the entire space, which meant one of the clues at a later stage of the game where we did need some help took quite a bit longer to solve as we had to explain what we had already done – though this did make for some quite funny exchanges with the display.Â
After finishing the game, the GM gave us some hints for other escape games on the island. Clearly an enthusiast himself – great to see!
Value for Money
Pete
Nate
€55 euros for 2 players was quite reasonable by Tenerife pricing, it worked out at about £25 per person in UK sterling which we’re quite used to paying back at home. Given The Clue is the only English speaking escape room in the Puerto De La Cruz area this price feels very reasonable. With free parking right outside we can’t complain about the rates here at all. Across the island the games in more traditional tourist areas along the south coast are a bit more expensive generally.
There is only one room on site currently, so no multi room discounts.
Enjoyment
Pete
Nate
We had an awesome time playing El Sanatorio which was our first experience of an Escape room on the Island. The mix of a dedicated and in-character host, combined with a brilliant immersive set and a challenging but fun set of puzzles really helped create a memorable escape for us. The creepy ambience and occasional jump scare meant we were laughing throughout. Safe to say if they had another room on the venue we’d have been booking to play it straight away.Â
