We were invited to explore and puzzle our way through Time Mission in Center City this past month. Our group of four had no idea what to expect, and wow, it turned out to be so much fun!
What is Time Mission?
Time Mission describes itself as an “immersive social gaming venue.” In less official terms, it’s a place where you wander through different rooms and take on a mix of puzzles, arcade-style challenges, and physical feats. There are 25+ rooms, each with its own theme and game to figure out.
How does it work?
Walk-ins are accepted, but we’d recommend making a reservation online. You choose your start time and session length (60, 90, or 120 minutes). We did 90 minutes, which gave us plenty of time to explore.
When you arrive, you check in, stash your stuff in a locker, and get a bracelet that lets you into the rooms. From there, you’re on your own to pick your path. See a room that looks interesting? Scan in and give it a go.
What to expect
The rooms themselves are pretty cool, with themes ranging from an Egyptian tomb, a submarine that barks out orders, to a jungle where the floor is lava and a wonderfully wacky oversized ball pit. Each room has a quick set of instructions to get you started. Then you scan in and see what happens.
Some games were pretty straightforward. Shoot the balls at the planets and bust ’em up. Avoid the lasers in the jewel heist. Hide from the skulls watching you with their sneaky little eyes.
Others? Not so much. We had a few rooms that left us scratching our heads, and we had to try more than once to figure out what we were actually supposed to do, but that was all part of the fun! Decoding messages, spotting and repeating patterns, mapping routes using math. Most of our group agreed that the puzzle rooms were the real winners, though we could see how some of them might be a little tricky for younger kids.
Every room earns you points, which show up on a leaderboard in the main hallways. You can see how your team stacks up against others currently playing, which adds just enough competition to get everyone a little more invested.
When should you go?
As concierges of the city, we love having new activities to recommend to our clients. We already have endless lists of walking tours and Philly sights to explore, and Time Mission is officially joining the list. We’d especially recommend it for a rainy day or as a fun stop before or after dinner.
We did wonder whether it was more of an adult activity. When we visited around 5 p.m. on a weekday, most of the other people there seemed to be adults on dates. But our group had a couple of different perspectives on that.
One PHG mom, whose son is six, thought he would have a blast in plenty of the rooms. Another agent shared that her 10-year-old had attended a birthday party there. When she went to pick him up, parents and kids were popping out of rooms talking about how much fun they were having and encouraging her to join in.
So, kids or adults? It sounds like there's fun to be had either way, depending on the games you gravitate toward and the ages in your group.
We all agreed we’d go back, and we’re already thinking about which friends and family members we want to bring along next time. We’ll see you there!
We were invited to explore and puzzle our way through Time Mission in Center City this past month. Our group of four had no idea what to expect, and wow, it turned out to be so much fun!