The Bunker

Fox in a Box (Bowral, Australia)

Time limit: 60 minutes

Age limit: Recommended 11+ (child adaption available)

Player limit: 2-6

Difficulty: Hard

Date visited: June 2026

We returned to Fox in a Box on our second day in Bowral, just before our drive back to Sydney, to play their hardest room, The Bunker. Having broken the all-time record for 2 of their other rooms, we really put the pressure on ourselves to do well again. How did we do?

• Not great! Well, I suppose it's all relative. The Bunker was definitely the most challenging of the 3 rooms we did at Fox in a Box Bowral, but I think our struggles were more self-inflicted than anything because the puzzles were fair.

• Again, this was a solid room in terms of set and atmosphere. The bunker theme is one we've seen quite a few times now, and this one was more than adequate, similar to the likes of Launch at Narrow Escape and 1950s Cold War Codebreaker at The Locked Room in New Zealand, but a step below Outbreak at Labyrinth Escape and of course a tier below Metamorphosis at The Cipher Room.

• The puzzles — a mix of tech and traditional locks — were less mimetic in this one; they matched the overall theme but some of them didn't make the most sense in the space. On the positive side, they were a lot more challenging (which we like). Several involved multiple steps and re-using certain props, adding an additional layer of complexity. Mathematic skills, in particular, came in handy in this one.

• This was a linear room, which meant we had to work together on all of the puzzles rather than divide and conquer, putting a cap on how fast we could complete the room. To improve signposting and flow, various symbol stickers were placed throughout the room so we would have an idea of which puzzle related to which combination lock. This skewed the balance of the room more toward "puzzle focus" than "immersive experience".

• Interestingly, I was told that there was a particular puzzle in this game that frustrated a lot of players who played it in Queensland because of the poor audio quality. I believe they have improved this puzzle in Bowral, because we found the audio clear, though it still stumped us because we were applying the solution to the wrong puzzle!

• In the end, despite finishing with more than 24 minutes remaining, we asked for one clue and just missed out on the leaderboard entirely, which was a bit of a disappointment. That, however, did not detract from the overall quality of the room and the fun we had. Fox in a Box Bowral delivered 3 solid, family-friendly rooms out of 3 bookings, and I would recommend anyone visiting the area to try them out!

Escape time: 35 minutes and 32 seconds

Theming	Atmosphere	Puzzles	Creativity	Fun
B	B	B+	B+	B+

Verdict: A classic Fox in a Box room that delivers solid theming and tougher puzzles. Great for more experienced players or teams looking for a challenge.

OVERALL RANK:

H	E	Z	J
B+	B	B+	B+