The Forgotten Arcade

YOU SON OF A GLITCH, IM IN. Other World HQ is one of those venues that can be very easily overlooked due to its reliance on the Saboteurs game format but if you look past that you’ll find an escape room or two that actually have quite a bit of charm. How good! The Forgotten Arcade carries a simple yet unique premise, go find the glitch shards and assemble them to topple an evil AI program (how poignant). The experience has a lot of fun utilising its retro arcade consoles and oddly uncommon room layout. While this is by no means a difficult experience, the simplicity and vibrancy of the set and puzzles are actually what won me over. Playing with, and then physically stepping into each game was such a clever format that always kept our objective clear and made for some exciting tactile moments. Room upkeep could’ve been better I admit but I can forgive this in the name of FUN! Overall a surprisingly enjoyable room with a kid-friendly storyline and entertaining execution. Nicely done. 6.9/10 🔏🧩 (nice)

Great concept - amateur execution. I was looking forward to this room but left disappointed. Worn out and broken props, tired and basic set design - maintenance and upkeep is as important as installation, come on people! The arcade machines look good, the entry to the ‘secret’ areas is clever and the gameplay was sort of fun but nothing special. I don’t think it would be suitable for more than two players. Overall an okay room with some interesting ideas, but lazy upkeep and basic set design diminish the experience. Somewhat baffled by the terpeca award nomination.

Theming wise this is a cool idea and something we haven’t seen done before! The use of the old arcade games was unique and we enjoyed the puzzles based on them. This rooms downfall is its aesthetics, it unfortunately feels like it was rushed to completion and there’s a lot of elements that look and feel cheaply made (and not designed or decorated in a way that fits the theme of an abandoned basement). A great idea with some unique puzzles, but a bit more time and care in production of the room would have made it an excellent experience.

Simple yet clever design turns arcade games into real-world immersive experience.

Game master Lucy made us feel very welcome and was very helpful

In ‘The Forgotten Arcade’, the Padlock’d team deliver an enjoyable collection of puzzles within familiar aesthetics. It’s an interesting concept and the puzzle flow is mostly uninterrupted after the experience’s cold-ish start (pre-ample and a premise, but no guidance on where to begin once players enter the room). While some of the sets could benefit from further decoration deepening the ‘forgotten’ element of the space, the puzzle front was a delight. The puzzles are varied and sit well within the collection of ‘Forgotten Arcade’ themes. The experience educates players on each game prior to their respective puzzles, which can be an easy oversight when including pop culture—prior knowledge cannot be assumed, even for some of the most well-known video game franchises. The range of ways players interact with the props is a highlight of the experience—it’s hard to say any more without giving away some secrets of the arcade. The arcade game glitch visuals were charming and really captured the retro aesthetic of the games. All in all, this is my favourite of the escape rooms Padlock’d has released in the last two years. The OtherWorld staff were kind and friendly throughout the experience. I look forward to seeing what the team produce next!

Forgotten Arcade is the newest room opened in Surfers Paradise. The theming of the older arcade and the games give off a really fun retro feel. The puzzles are fun and interactive to get you into the experience. Super fun and enjoyable throughout.

It was fun getting to play a brand new room! Loved the video game atmosphere and the way the room worked was cool. It is fairly linear so it may be hard for larger groups to spread out and find puzzles. The GM and owner were super nice and listened to the feedback we had.