If jail wardens are anything like the friendly staff at Prison Island on Penrith’s High Street, sentence me now.
The indoor adventure destination in the heart of the city contains 30 cells, each with their own unique challenges – some physical and some mental.
I went in with a team of journalists – people who are qualified for their analytical and investigative skills – and we finished our mission with the sound of each other’s laughter forever engraved in our brains, a thorough understanding of how each person acts under pressure, and the new-found knowledge that we aren’t as clever as we thought we were.
The experience started with a video briefing while standing in what looked like a dreary grey prison hall. We were brought into the room by our warden, who committed to their role in the most polite and entertaining way possible.
After we were briefed, our team of four entered through double doors and were faced with a winding hallway peppered with doors where our challenges awaited.
I won’t lie, some of these challenges were quite difficult to figure out. But, if you ever need help understanding what to do, your guards have got your back.
I don’t want to give anything away because you need to try this experience yourself, but I’ll give a vague recap on some of the cells we attempted.
One of the rooms had a floor-is-lava vibe, one had a reimagined whack-a-mole challenge, one made us dance until we (almost) dropped, one had vomit bags in case of motion sickness, one required some geography skills (and I can barely tell left from right), and another required hand-eye coordination.
That’s only a brief snapshot of the cells we attempted in the 45 minutes we spent weaving in and out of them.
Every room was so unique, and each time I walked through a new door, I felt taken-aback by what they were able to create with the space.
An important note for our bespectacled friends out there though, any ball-related game may result in an authentic Velma from Scooby Doo moment. Our political reporter Emily had to hit the deck a couple of times to pat the floor for her specs – all she needed was an orange turtleneck to complete the look!
Overall, Prison Island is just the antidote for those who’ve done one-too-many escape rooms and are ready to try something new.
And just like an escape room, time moves quickly, so prepare to race the clock if you want to top the scoreboard and conquer as many cells as you can.
Scram Escape Rooms is located at 1/535 High Street, Penrith above El Jannah.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.