tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57611945713688660682024-01-26T08:30:38.904-08:00EscapeRumors.com: Escape Room Reviews For EnthusiastsEscape Room Reviews for beginners and enthusiasts! We played rooms in the US, Canada, the UK, Spain and more and rate them so that you can play the best escape rooms out there.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-45842386402147757312023-04-22T14:13:00.002-07:002023-04-22T14:13:44.897-07:002022 Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1MIogFHjt7N0bzomO2gJMLa1DvyxFmX3lG8LDr9yfMpsusEiZJRMAFxs9eCn-PncBcsFtNhWrRaZMzQzf8bzMDdcNIK4qT-7QyBOUrk7Hhqyv9FeqIEBZ1z7I2mqBUg-IzwYivC50xVOV88_rj4XxYFtuqNfjxp8B0jb8x2-6PM9SUsSwznQiXHm/s1366/Screenshot%202023-04-22%20at%202.04.21%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2022 Escape Rumors Au Awards" border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1366" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1MIogFHjt7N0bzomO2gJMLa1DvyxFmX3lG8LDr9yfMpsusEiZJRMAFxs9eCn-PncBcsFtNhWrRaZMzQzf8bzMDdcNIK4qT-7QyBOUrk7Hhqyv9FeqIEBZ1z7I2mqBUg-IzwYivC50xVOV88_rj4XxYFtuqNfjxp8B0jb8x2-6PM9SUsSwznQiXHm/w640-h486/Screenshot%202023-04-22%20at%202.04.21%20PM.png" title="2022 Escape Rumors Au Awards" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p>In 2022, I was extremely lucky to have played 108 escape rooms in eight countries! This greatly boosted the number of <a href="https://terpeca.com/2022/" target="_blank">TERPECA</a> ranked rooms played to 124.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>Achievement unlocked medals are awarded every year to the top escape rooms played by Escape Rumors. There is no limit in terms of rooms awarded and they are ordered by geography.</div><br />The escape rooms with links have reviews. Feel free to contact us at info@escaperumors.com for any comments or questions.<br /><i><b><br /></b></i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists</b></i></span><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2023/01/best-escape-rooms-in-spain-2023-update.html" target="_blank">CyberCity 2049 (Escape Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain)</a></b></div><div>A wonderfully immersive set with some tense moments that will make you feel like you are in our own movie. Also, take your time in exploring the world with side tasks. If you are in Barcelona, this is a must play.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2023/01/best-escape-rooms-in-spain-2023-update.html" target="_blank">La Cerveseria [The Brewery] (Enigmik, Barcelona, Spain)</a></b></div><div>It doesn't matter if you don't like beer because you will love entering the world of beer making in this super creative and unique game.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2023/01/best-escape-rooms-in-spain-2023-update.html" target="_blank">La Casa [The House] (Insomnia Corporation, Berga, Spain)</a></b></div><div>This game takes you into the world of the unknown because you don't even know where it takes place. When you get there, the fun begins and you're in for a scary adventure!</div><div><br /></div><div><div></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2023/01/best-escape-rooms-in-spain-2023-update.html" target="_blank">Distrito 111 (Unreal Room Escape, Barcelona, Spain)</a></b></div><div>This post apocalyptic game had some fulfilling physical elements that made the experience top notch.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2023/01/best-escape-rooms-in-spain-2023-update.html" target="_blank"><b>Tú también soñarás [</b><b>You'll Dream Too</b><b>] (Mayto Kingdom, Vittoria, Spain)</b></a></div><div>The "IT" movie inspired game will keep you looking over your shoulder for a killer clown in an amazingly huge set. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2023/01/best-escape-rooms-in-spain-2023-update.html" target="_blank">La Santa (Shock Creations, Madrid, Spain)</a></b></div><div><div>Huge Hollywood like action sequences take place in what seems to be a full-sized church (high ceilings, stained glass...), along with a lot of scares that makes for a memorable experience.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2022/07/best-rooms-in-netherlands-belgium.html" target="_blank"><b>The Dome (Mama Bazooka, </b><b>Bunschoten, The Netherlands)</b></a></div><div>The Dome is a technological marvel with great reveals and creative puzzles all blended into a fun theme. The experience is magical and we felt immersed into the world they laid out in front of us. It is hard to be impressed after playing 500 rooms but The Dome was able to do it! If you are an escape room enthusiast, this is a a must play. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2022/07/best-rooms-in-netherlands-belgium.html" target="_blank"><b>Molly's Game (Down the Hatch, </b><b>Voorburg,</b><b> </b><b>The Netherlands)</b></a></div><div>Molly's Game redefines how to create an escape room that delivers on storytelling in a creepy environment with some great moments. I thought I was done with the "creepy house" settings but I was wrong!</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2022/07/best-rooms-in-netherlands-belgium.html" target="_blank"><b>Stay in the Dark (Dark Park, </b><b>Vlaardingen,</b><b> </b><b>The Netherlands)</b></a></div><div>This game takes place in what is likely one of the largest facilities for an escape room in the world. It spans over multiple floors with each floor being larger than 95% of the escape rooms I have played. You "stumble" upon this old factory and then the shenanigans begin.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2022/07/best-rooms-in-netherlands-belgium.html" target="_blank">Illusion (Epic Escape Waalwijk, The Netherlands)</a></b></div><div>There are a lot of magic themed games out there but Illusion was able to make us feel like we were actually in a magician's studio.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2022/07/best-rooms-in-netherlands-belgium.html" target="_blank">Kamer 237 (Kamer 237, The Netherlands)</a></b></div><div>This five years old game was incredible in terms of physical manipulation and story progression. The mechanic used to progress to different rooms was simple yet so satisfying.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2022/07/best-rooms-in-netherlands-belgium.html" target="_blank"><b>The Secret of Saint-Rumoldus (De Gouden Kooi, </b><b>Mechelen, Belgium)</b></a></div></div><div>The game flow of "The Secret of Saint-Rumoldus" was seamless and the unique story line towards the end made us laugh. Definitely a standout in the Belgium market!</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Revolt (Lock Academy, Paris, France)</b></div><div>This time traveling game takes you from the 1970's to the future with some great elements and humor.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Nautilus<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(Unleash, </b><b>Paris, France)</b></div><div>The setting takes place in one of the most physically impressive submarines that I have seen in an escape room.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Règlements De Contes [Fairytale Adventures] (Pandore et Associés, Paris, France)</b></div><div>A creative fairy tale world with a lighthearted theme and a fast paced finale.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Aunt Hilda's Room (Trip Trap, </b><b>Geneva</b><b>, Switzerland)</b></div><div>A wonderful medieval setting with beautiful decor and a lot of puzzles to work your way through.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>Congratulations to all the winners!</div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-37890251523702628772023-01-14T17:58:00.004-08:002023-04-14T16:34:22.766-07:00Best Escape Rooms In Spain: 2023 Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOBWmCSt_SPsm47d9l4Jd_YMgHOOV5n28BmGk8DdYTodlfOQ90rJddTxucML7IqCE9IRB3637WXinmzLVrv3bgTfbLlqzjY-dbR2DFH0_PTI12kooPl-XH4fuQep9NS0OBd3D5j-NtpCqY2W38hveo0aQpgajkWUvzkjCe-TtRbjVVuNI06O1bEE0/s2090/PXL_20221012_182036777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Master chef" border="0" data-original-height="1270" data-original-width="2090" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOBWmCSt_SPsm47d9l4Jd_YMgHOOV5n28BmGk8DdYTodlfOQ90rJddTxucML7IqCE9IRB3637WXinmzLVrv3bgTfbLlqzjY-dbR2DFH0_PTI12kooPl-XH4fuQep9NS0OBd3D5j-NtpCqY2W38hveo0aQpgajkWUvzkjCe-TtRbjVVuNI06O1bEE0/w640-h388/PXL_20221012_182036777.jpg" title="Master Chef" width="640" /></a></div><div>I was extremely excited to play games in Spain as Barcelona was my favorite escape room city in the world. This was one of the most ambitious trips I took with 31 escape rooms across the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Vittoria, Bilbao, Pamplona, Berga and Andorra! If you haven't played any escape rooms in Spain before, have a look at my post, <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/08/best-escape-rooms-in-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Best Escape Rooms in Barcelona: A Traveller's Guide</a>, as that will help you to maximize your itinerary. </div><div><br /></div><div>Special thanks to Dan, Ana, Rich, Kiki, Summer and Jonathan for all the planning and to Sir <a href="https://thelogicescapesme.com/" target="_blank">Ken</a> Ferguson (from the University of Oxford) who is now my escape room BFF. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgqEfOTSOeYb2HquhQZAQCy4MdEXfE-C-CO28JqPTi5k9rZku0gK3QsxypdEsmWePuxAZU5dMbWSx3Yq1tyNAMT0oT_SBNf9-38O83elPtcRxg1h06IbFsHiwmeCY9Xi6o4WNTPeNkrGVFkDLr1pNhsNwa4rSIeq82LEN5ryzV1Cb7nyZz_NV7FDh/s1393/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-02%20at%201.51.54%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Map of Spain" border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1393" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgqEfOTSOeYb2HquhQZAQCy4MdEXfE-C-CO28JqPTi5k9rZku0gK3QsxypdEsmWePuxAZU5dMbWSx3Yq1tyNAMT0oT_SBNf9-38O83elPtcRxg1h06IbFsHiwmeCY9Xi6o4WNTPeNkrGVFkDLr1pNhsNwa4rSIeq82LEN5ryzV1Cb7nyZz_NV7FDh/w640-h436/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-02%20at%201.51.54%20PM.png" title="Map of Spain" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partial Map of Spain: Red Dots = Escape Rooms Played</td></tr></tbody></table><div>In the past, I got around Barcelona by metro or taxi. However, this trip involved a lot of driving (1,500 miles according to Google) that had us venture up to the north of Spain and even Andorra. The good thing was that it was all worth it and I am so grateful for the group of friends on this trip as it was an experience of a lifetime! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Horror Themed Games </b></div><div>There was a higher proportion of horror games played than normal on this trip. "La Casa", "La Santa" and "Tú también soñarás" were among my favorites with amazing sets and some terrifying moments. I am not a horror fan by any means but appreciates the cleverness of those games. For those who really dislike horror, I would recommend skipping these as there are plenty of non-horror games available in Spain. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Spain Escape Room Recap </b></div><div>I gave 11 rooms a 4.5 star ratings or higher which is quite incredible after playing over 500 escape rooms around the world. I tried to be as objective as possible but I believe that some of the ratings are lower due to playing so many world class rooms in one trip. </div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Barcelona </b></span><div><b>Escape Barcelona: CyberCity 2049 </b></div><div>This game was amazing with its Blade Runner/The Matrix vibe. A wonderfully immersive set with some tense moments that made us feel like we were in our own movie. Also, take your time in exploring the world with side tasks. If you are in Barcelona, this is a must play. <span style="color: #ffa400;">★★★★★</span> </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Escape Barcelona: Tomb of Akasha</b> </div><div>Another movie like experience with a decent amount of climbing and physical movement. There were some video game moments that got us running around and once again the set was large and sprawling. ★★★★★ </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Enigmik: La Cerveseria [The Brewery] </b></div><div>What kind of game was The Brewery? At first I wasn't sure what to expect as I am not a beer fan but it was one of the most thematic and unique games I played. You start off in a bar and then head into the world of beer-making with some enjoyable puzzling. <span style="color: #ffa400;">★★★★★</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKMYhEnbHRF5sqzUjMabQ4kDBBTy1Fiy4vyCbgsRoQKPuvJuM3JptTLh9F8V9Gv9b-eXxPu7_kXMVBeRiU3c8gfJZgyJrSD0OgsPz5KzGr7OY06Vgv1pv3oq1QS6kQHF5VNn0netx7TCaZ97xxNtnV3CCKetA0YjPLJeTBzSDC8n0Knu4smKUV-6w/s2688/PXL_20221018_120748801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Brewery" border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2688" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKMYhEnbHRF5sqzUjMabQ4kDBBTy1Fiy4vyCbgsRoQKPuvJuM3JptTLh9F8V9Gv9b-eXxPu7_kXMVBeRiU3c8gfJZgyJrSD0OgsPz5KzGr7OY06Vgv1pv3oq1QS6kQHF5VNn0netx7TCaZ97xxNtnV3CCKetA0YjPLJeTBzSDC8n0Knu4smKUV-6w/w640-h360/PXL_20221018_120748801.jpg" title="Brewery" width="640" /></a></div><div><b>Insomnia Corporation: La Casa [The House]</b></div><div>La Casa had one of the most interesting escape room starts ever. We drove to a "hotel" and explored the premises for a while and were then told to drive to another city. On the way to this city, we received a text with the exact location of a house in the middle of farmland. Then the real game started there. <span style="color: #ffa400;">★★★★★ </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUFX02_GB8kY_qYMQc_tzwPsICq-DL7UIampfOwE7p5izPM8EqglaGfotVrWfu2C6Vab6g1CBiXFB5DZDL_yvHM9IEYrUGuGjSH_m65FI4lp2pOILCZ7NHyeCbbCpzzKSyyqJkoJVYtM1-ugNyc-2DMEDR_0nDNppxXor_b8bssSdozVLGtsaLqFa/s4000/20221017_182106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="La Casa" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUFX02_GB8kY_qYMQc_tzwPsICq-DL7UIampfOwE7p5izPM8EqglaGfotVrWfu2C6Vab6g1CBiXFB5DZDL_yvHM9IEYrUGuGjSH_m65FI4lp2pOILCZ7NHyeCbbCpzzKSyyqJkoJVYtM1-ugNyc-2DMEDR_0nDNppxXor_b8bssSdozVLGtsaLqFa/w640-h480/20221017_182106.jpg" title="La Casa" width="640" /></a></div><div><b>Unreal Room Escape: Distrito 111 </b></div><div>Just like Unreal's La Mina, Distrito 111 was such a fun experience. This post apocalyptic world had some fulfilling physical elements that made the experience top notch. ★★★★★ </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Virus Escape Room: Tao Japanese Message Center</b></div><div>
There was something in this game that jumped out versus any other escape room I played. There are plenty of light hearted moments and this game would be better if the intro (with broken Japanese-English) were modified. ★★★★½ </div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Northern Spain</b></span><div><b>Mayto Kingdom: Tú también soñarás [You'll Dream Too] </b></div><div>The "IT" movie inspired game was the #1 escape room for the 2021 TERPECA's. I played the game without seeing the movie and still appreciated the experience. Another sprawling set that kept us on edge for a good portion of the time. ★★★★★ </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSBzTWKSTs6d1cth1T1uRsD8dAfH9SN09Tyyl4CUDfIx0gxVBhCGaoirxC636gYGykVXyfC6AMo70BAB2qCL7FJ1c2cpE5t31ld4i2XMH6tLLiFI07ezLrXgKAJdz46GESSBqm3es90LVvhB357CsbJc2TOrS8ohvFc8OKhiowM4kNPpmL8nYvIa7/s1350/FB_IMG_1666397574927.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="IT" border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSBzTWKSTs6d1cth1T1uRsD8dAfH9SN09Tyyl4CUDfIx0gxVBhCGaoirxC636gYGykVXyfC6AMo70BAB2qCL7FJ1c2cpE5t31ld4i2XMH6tLLiFI07ezLrXgKAJdz46GESSBqm3es90LVvhB357CsbJc2TOrS8ohvFc8OKhiowM4kNPpmL8nYvIa7/w512-h640/FB_IMG_1666397574927.jpg" title="IT" width="512" /></a></div><div><b>Blindhouse: The Rebellion (Hybrid Version) </b></div><div>This game was based on the film series "Underworld" where vampire and werewolves battle each other. We played the 2.5h full version which combined their two games and the midpoint transition was seamless. The set was enormous and the varied puzzles should satisfy a wide variety of players! ★★★★★ </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Distrito Siete: Noche de perros [Dogs Night] </b></div><div>This game took place in "Texas" which is always funny in terms of seeing how others interpret what life in America is like. The game started off in an American diner and expanded from there but didn't quite end on a high. It was still loads of fun. ★★★★½ </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36W6LrZZagt3EJXIXF-2hQ5erVyxFqyUTakGehWOCdDnmmOmNpgoYEPdWR084nulYjXmoDjbwAX8qDi6hXgJRovBhJCF2BkVXxBmiUgEe5tTYFiSuqzccCYgA-0Gb8quJbmXZNKltxtY3mFm7yXqZkGia15fvA3zRUlQFKFvgQQyh7Thlc8-bGnbZ/s1410/IMG_20221015_083114_330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dogs Night" border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="1128" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36W6LrZZagt3EJXIXF-2hQ5erVyxFqyUTakGehWOCdDnmmOmNpgoYEPdWR084nulYjXmoDjbwAX8qDi6hXgJRovBhJCF2BkVXxBmiUgEe5tTYFiSuqzccCYgA-0Gb8quJbmXZNKltxtY3mFm7yXqZkGia15fvA3zRUlQFKFvgQQyh7Thlc8-bGnbZ/w512-h640/IMG_20221015_083114_330.jpg" title="Dogs Night" width="512" /></a></div><div><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Madrid</b></div><div><b>Shock Creations: La Santa</b> </div><div>La Santa took place in a realistic looking church, complete with high ceilings and stained glass. The payment method at the start of the game was hilarious and you spend a good amount of time avoiding scary stuff. There were huge Hollywood like action sequences that took place that unfortunately some of our players didn't see and overall it was quite a memorable experience. <span style="color: #ffa400;">★★★★★</span> </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Madness Toledo Escape Room (Mad Mansion): The Mystery of Scum Island</b> </div><div>I never played the computer game "Monkey Island" but you could see how this escape room was inspired by a 1990's point-and-click game. I have a soft spot for light hearted themes so I might have enjoyed this game more than most players. ★★★★½ </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bite The Fly: Bites Motel </b></div><div>One might notice that many of the games we played were based on pre-existing IP but not officially licensed to do so. I wonder if being able to that do in Spain made for a vastly different experience when compared to the US. As you might have guessed, this game was modeled after the "Bates Motel" from the movie "Psycho". The astounding part was that a HUGE city area was built but not really part of the game. ★★★★½ </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix__IA9szGvOVpnxOTW0WRkrounmfIL8WwSJdrYHISdP7Ps5-aSEK5dQtFEU3bHtlpwVxjHFTIWKZmw6l20CcZJZYR0qtHBuslTcAFEfS9EJrUvIN14AjdeoQl4HymYq1sPCrp8eTIZXVPH1I3Ob27BBMCPhgQY89NZS2vWhevmJ963HZcI_Hfjmy-/s2413/PXL_20221012_150028290.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bites Motel" border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="2413" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix__IA9szGvOVpnxOTW0WRkrounmfIL8WwSJdrYHISdP7Ps5-aSEK5dQtFEU3bHtlpwVxjHFTIWKZmw6l20CcZJZYR0qtHBuslTcAFEfS9EJrUvIN14AjdeoQl4HymYq1sPCrp8eTIZXVPH1I3Ob27BBMCPhgQY89NZS2vWhevmJ963HZcI_Hfjmy-/w640-h364/PXL_20221012_150028290.jpg" title="Bites Motel" width="640" /></a></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Other Escape Rooms In The Area</span></b></div><div>Some other rooms that are worth playing or reviewed in a previous post: </div><div><br /></div><div><b>In Barcelona: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/08/best-escape-rooms-in-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Abduction: Enterprises and The Exam </a>(Enterprises is based on BATMAN! and one of my favorite escape rooms all time) </li><li>Catelepsia, a 2-player game in coffins</li></ul></div><div><b>In Madrid: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Colors Escape Room: Yellow Experience, a Goonies inspired game</li><li>Colors Escape Room: Blue Experience, played in 2022 and was a greatly reduced version of <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/08/best-escape-rooms-in-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Atrincherados</a> (Trenches) in Barcelona, played in 2019</li><li>Clue Hunter: Megachef for large groups interested in puzzle stations with a cooking theme</li></ul></div><div><b>Northern Spain </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Way Out: Hello Hotel</li><li>Mayto Kingdom: La Cámara del Espíritu y el Tiempo (Dragon Ball Z)</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Spain to play world class escape rooms!</div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-52539774696194841292022-07-06T19:35:00.003-07:002023-04-22T14:10:17.948-07:00Best Rooms In The Netherlands & Belgium: A Traveller's Guide<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVq_toR3S-A2pdkqOGPGjKxlf3XvpGZrcPJS8UL6RhSMQACctXxmSA2652sSiAZ4pFbbgF3ImwIquHZK82CU6OAk5Ip2fb-h1kjc198-aw6wv_nhoPgVx4BAVbFOeQ_PHwBryduUki0YTv-11wHGwEDqJkdl87DIDmw1em5-H9G0SM-nQCFFQtTmN-/s4032/PXL_20220620_110708406.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bruges" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVq_toR3S-A2pdkqOGPGjKxlf3XvpGZrcPJS8UL6RhSMQACctXxmSA2652sSiAZ4pFbbgF3ImwIquHZK82CU6OAk5Ip2fb-h1kjc198-aw6wv_nhoPgVx4BAVbFOeQ_PHwBryduUki0YTv-11wHGwEDqJkdl87DIDmw1em5-H9G0SM-nQCFFQtTmN-/w640-h360/PXL_20220620_110708406.jpg" title="Bruges" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Bruges (Belgium)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I finally made it out to Europe this year to play the top games in The Netherlands and Belgium after the initial trip in 2020 got postponed because of the pandemic. This was part of a larger tour of 39 games played that also included Paris and Geneva (these cities will featured in a separate post). <br /></p>The games in this part of the world were <b>outstanding</b> with some great storytelling and smart uses of physical space. We were thrilled to be able to play so many wonderful games and highly recommend a visit to this area for all escape room enthusiasts. <br />
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Special thanks to local enthusiasts Helena and Sven for joining us for some of the games we played! It is always great meeting new people and so far every single person we have met over the years has been a blast to hang out with.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Impressions & Observations During The Netherlands & Belgium Escape Room Trip</b></h3><p>
<i>Getting Around</i><br />To play the top games in this region, a car was needed in order to get around. Unfortunately, the games were really spread out in various cities so there were no other feasible transportation options. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>English Translations</i> <br />All but one of the rooms we wanted to play were available in English. GM's were perfectly fluent, some videos had English subtitles and there were no major language issues at all.<br /><br />
<i>Cash Is King</i><br />Many games required payment to be made in cash, so it is wise to prepare for this and not be caught off guard. Be aware of daily limit cash withdrawals from ATM's. <br />
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<i>More Action, Less Puzzling</i><br />There were more physical elements in the games in this part of the world when compared to the U.S./Canada but less than what we experienced in Barcelona. You should be prepared to crawl and get dirty.<br />
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<i><br /></i>
<i>Private Bookings</i><br />
Like most of Europe, all the games we played had
private bookings. You could get away with two players but for
economic reasons you would have to book for three or four players.<br />
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<h3>
The Netherlands & Belgium Escape Room Recap</h3><p><b>Mama Bazooka: The Dome</b><br />The Dome was the reason why we made it out to The Netherlands. It was voted the #1 escape room in the world for a few years on <a href="http://www.terpeca.com" target="_blank">TERPECA</a>. We have played other former #1 rooms and usually, hype kills. Would <i>The Dome</i> also be cursed with unrealistic expectations? I am happy to say that this game lived up to its reputation. </p><p>The Dome was a technological marvel with great reveals and creative puzzles all blended into a fun theme. The experience was so magical and we really felt immersed into the world they laid out in front of us. It is hard to be impressed after playing almost 500 rooms but <i>The Dome</i> was able to do it! If you are an escape room enthusiast, this is a a must play. <br />
</p><ul><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: 169€-189€/team<br /></li><li>Number of players: 4-6, private (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating:<span style="background-color: white; color: orange; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14px;"> ★★★★★</span></li></ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3ozqjyi4smT9rL7XEIBg33QHBOZf7EB-TopOUz_UMsOtKEVLeYV_KPYN-OuHICML-1UjvPT2LsA74BAu1rnBQBkwelIYpFAm5zJ0cJTG46CCRzaErhM6HGFEjL1EDr7MSAwR4IzUR2lOQQQJvFM2ay02_ZTbIzc3Sj7gzEdXpPzAkOeFEPnSaoXE/s3308/PXL_20220622_152639278.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Dome" border="0" data-original-height="2253" data-original-width="3308" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3ozqjyi4smT9rL7XEIBg33QHBOZf7EB-TopOUz_UMsOtKEVLeYV_KPYN-OuHICML-1UjvPT2LsA74BAu1rnBQBkwelIYpFAm5zJ0cJTG46CCRzaErhM6HGFEjL1EDr7MSAwR4IzUR2lOQQQJvFM2ay02_ZTbIzc3Sj7gzEdXpPzAkOeFEPnSaoXE/w640-h435/PXL_20220622_152639278.jpg" title="The Dome" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQkfpEe-Agh8s5GER0bmyAawl-ska8pmaw3xATc8NnsmMEZdl-kya5UMQVFnnIUdcUJzP0-_M2YrY2tl4SDnQ6nYUch-KB3iO95zH2DRdg8UPFUwdpfYYn_mIufBbPSjAwAH53DdUeJjbzcj_49MoFvFVDfaCLdMQ3kxYIG56seoTPx8lFJCOC6gi/s4032/PXL_20220622_124908986.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQkfpEe-Agh8s5GER0bmyAawl-ska8pmaw3xATc8NnsmMEZdl-kya5UMQVFnnIUdcUJzP0-_M2YrY2tl4SDnQ6nYUch-KB3iO95zH2DRdg8UPFUwdpfYYn_mIufBbPSjAwAH53DdUeJjbzcj_49MoFvFVDfaCLdMQ3kxYIG56seoTPx8lFJCOC6gi/w640-h360/PXL_20220622_124908986.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5kXdi3ga0dbMJLGbDyNLdPPmUzh0l5d61xEPGAp1LUoAKV6nEtZc1KesanK1ESr9VGiXQSMe7tgRL7jlWvBI2P2npyTtwpictc3j5beJ3Anf_hXFW35sQT3OBquINBra5moUYB_V3iM_hpwfOPWsCWxA66WW-KeavaLi1OIslgZ6t1OhcDgVilry/s4032/PXL_20220622_124839689.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5kXdi3ga0dbMJLGbDyNLdPPmUzh0l5d61xEPGAp1LUoAKV6nEtZc1KesanK1ESr9VGiXQSMe7tgRL7jlWvBI2P2npyTtwpictc3j5beJ3Anf_hXFW35sQT3OBquINBra5moUYB_V3iM_hpwfOPWsCWxA66WW-KeavaLi1OIslgZ6t1OhcDgVilry/w640-h360/PXL_20220622_124839689.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Bazooka also had a massive lobby with tons of games!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br /></b>
<b>Down The Hatch: Molly's Game</b><br />Another top room with an expansive set and some physical elements that surprised us. Molly's Game redefines how to create an escape room that delivers on storytelling in a creepy environment with some great moments. I thought I was done with the "creepy house" settings but I was wrong!<br />
</p><ul><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: 165€/team<br /></li><li># of Players: 2-5 (we recommend 3-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; color: orange; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14px;">★★★★★</span></li></ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgll8sdGOTuoQ2OirKEiotLYGCESw4E90Np__JEOjwrRiNZBGx0aR0ABzllPZC1d0XpZvq5Ver2UJFtQI0rL0vaWhBnIUNlNk6JV2LY0CVIxW8hnFnp6quN5x0qmHIzE0tA22-NGdJDio-yN8boD4zx-VC-mUZFLd_c189zO_LGDaL1LEwRY7DT9E/s4032/PXL_20220623_145531636.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mollys Game" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgll8sdGOTuoQ2OirKEiotLYGCESw4E90Np__JEOjwrRiNZBGx0aR0ABzllPZC1d0XpZvq5Ver2UJFtQI0rL0vaWhBnIUNlNk6JV2LY0CVIxW8hnFnp6quN5x0qmHIzE0tA22-NGdJDio-yN8boD4zx-VC-mUZFLd_c189zO_LGDaL1LEwRY7DT9E/w640-h360/PXL_20220623_145531636.NIGHT.jpg" title="Mollys Game" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>
<b>Dark Park: Stay In The Dark / The End / The Orphanage</b><br />Dark Park was a premier Escape Room company with multiple high quality games. </p><p><i>Stay In The Dark: </i>This game took place in what is likely one of the largest facilities for an escape room in the world. It spanned over multiple floors with each floor being larger than 95% of the escape rooms I have played. The premise was fun in that we were "looking to purchase real estate" and stumbled upon this old factory and then the shenanigans began. I don't want to spoil this so I will not say more but it was quite an ambitious project that lasted 2.5 hours.</p><p><i>The End:</i> A very interesting story with a twist and a super fun ending that I highly appreciated. There are some fun moments as well that really make this room unique. Sven was also a pleasure to play with!<br /></p><p><i>The Orphanage: </i>This was one of the first rooms that we played in The Netherlands and I was extremely impressed with the lighting effects. The timing and use of effects were great at moving the game along. <br />
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</p><ul><li>Difficulty: Easy-Medium</li><li>Price: +145€/team <br /></li><li>Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: 60-150 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: Stay In The Dark ★★★★★, The End / Orphanage ★★★★½</li></ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB9lly2DykeRNblwkyc_gIg0DAWPgYBGFXjUIFE3O81LpGPTZsazc2KCB0dnaErMhva4UhtIU0vWNbah5lnarocuz9jK4Iecr1rl_K20ZU5QNM2TbskLDSghuMmvVVTTuyjHS3_Ph30JqOcqQ2z4-boNjMvSwO0gpyhRXWkzFA3nDLmFAlTmFAP-A/s2592/escapechallenge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The End" border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2592" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB9lly2DykeRNblwkyc_gIg0DAWPgYBGFXjUIFE3O81LpGPTZsazc2KCB0dnaErMhva4UhtIU0vWNbah5lnarocuz9jK4Iecr1rl_K20ZU5QNM2TbskLDSghuMmvVVTTuyjHS3_Ph30JqOcqQ2z4-boNjMvSwO0gpyhRXWkzFA3nDLmFAlTmFAP-A/w640-h426/escapechallenge.jpg" title="The End" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Epic Escape: Illusion</b><br />There are a lot of magic themed games out there but Illusion was able to make us feel like we were actually in a magician's studio. This game was more puzzle-y than others in the area and I was fine with that. We also had Helena join us and that made it even more fun!<br />
<ul><li>Difficulty: Medium- Difficult<br /></li><li>Price: +135€/team <br /></li><li>Number of players: 3-6 (we recommend 3-4)</li><li>Duration: 90 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: ★★★★½</li></ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmY14SZ5DHRq3IDSohUjyjhVH8n6dcnT4Q9Y9jhMRouzZvxDcRiz6jRPYu22PvrEGkpojbU55GN0osMj8I5T3i8KUEkk0DXLgQojwH23mev6iA2LYLJgn4gcZuQnlzpibdj-S9s6gxiTZYv-dPlhFkFKvQoECsX6fbK-zrWyFfqieXNgoKzCMbBjBL/s2494/PXL_20220619_113614925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Illusion" border="0" data-original-height="2211" data-original-width="2494" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmY14SZ5DHRq3IDSohUjyjhVH8n6dcnT4Q9Y9jhMRouzZvxDcRiz6jRPYu22PvrEGkpojbU55GN0osMj8I5T3i8KUEkk0DXLgQojwH23mev6iA2LYLJgn4gcZuQnlzpibdj-S9s6gxiTZYv-dPlhFkFKvQoECsX6fbK-zrWyFfqieXNgoKzCMbBjBL/w640-h568/PXL_20220619_113614925.jpg" title="Illusion" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>
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<b>Kamer 237: Kamer 237 / The Concierge</b><br />The original room, Kamer 237, was about 5 years old and it was incredible in terms of physical manipulation and story progression. The mechanic used to progress to different rooms was simple yet so satisfying and we slightly preferred this game over <i>The Concierge</i> which can only be played by two players. <br />
<ul><li>Difficulty: Difficult</li><li>Price: 80€-125€ <br /></li><li>Number of players: Kamer 237 - 2-6 (we recommend 2-3), The Concierge - exactly 2</li><li>Duration: 70-75 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: Kamer 237 ★★★★½, The Concierge ★★★★ <br /></li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWbEJ4bhZC1mNXw4-nBQPVNdcm8hfeECAVjUrcTIzdpF3axxD3Ow_dAJvHYYvWWa2qYQJsuvWmS9OxUTfxtxQKhQuDAMznk2muWX7BImMjAc8pKs-cFKaR4ZVKigtJoe6PhVwNWiOfHRtIzcUr6wDNv194fu8LGjm2QMLLaopig29uOGKL1IwFAPa/s2874/PXL_20220621_201917000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kamer237" border="0" data-original-height="2040" data-original-width="2874" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWbEJ4bhZC1mNXw4-nBQPVNdcm8hfeECAVjUrcTIzdpF3axxD3Ow_dAJvHYYvWWa2qYQJsuvWmS9OxUTfxtxQKhQuDAMznk2muWX7BImMjAc8pKs-cFKaR4ZVKigtJoe6PhVwNWiOfHRtIzcUr6wDNv194fu8LGjm2QMLLaopig29uOGKL1IwFAPa/w640-h454/PXL_20220621_201917000.jpg" title="Kamer237" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Time Adventures: Inferno</b><br />This fireman themed escape room had a feature that I don't think I will ever see again. It was quite crazy and it was worth playing just to see it.<br />
<ul><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: +89€/team <br /></li><li>Number of players: 2-6, private (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14px;">: </span>★★★★½</li></ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oh9bi_rq5I4mspa6N0t5alHW8fuEYRCh2u8LCqKWY9npTY3jdH1emekoN1b0_9ASbXR50cnirYkOExUomtZf9HkVkbiZGl5ynGMHRmOpA4c5PKzfaqZRNsjxD83YSevwi4cjaGRWCnAJAttfFyvpBbRXcQmjXJOOuCGFGR3NM5rZ13-z3RZQK6b1/s2190/PXL_20220623_170401571.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Inferno" border="0" data-original-height="1869" data-original-width="2190" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oh9bi_rq5I4mspa6N0t5alHW8fuEYRCh2u8LCqKWY9npTY3jdH1emekoN1b0_9ASbXR50cnirYkOExUomtZf9HkVkbiZGl5ynGMHRmOpA4c5PKzfaqZRNsjxD83YSevwi4cjaGRWCnAJAttfFyvpBbRXcQmjXJOOuCGFGR3NM5rZ13-z3RZQK6b1/w640-h546/PXL_20220623_170401571.jpg" title="Inferno" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Escape Room Katwijk: Here I Am</b><br />This game was inspired by the Spanish show "Vis-a-Vis" and somehow made us feel like we were in a real prison, despite having played so many games of this theme. Make sure you read the email they send you before playing this game.<br />
<ul><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: 150€/team <br /></li><li>Number of players: 2-5 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 70 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14px;">: </span>★★★★½</li></ul>
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<b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoEreAArM4wsmv8mIDaJ2FrNg-xoFbGFP4P4nQaB8mvlKQKV-OcThWUG1au7vmAy7DHI9-7pjPxaOiVp77wkUkKVxpBIEuRoLiFBRxKYPj4hbrsK9XPSDImHcoaBazMc9NWicseYaypltgS71CB16EsX2WsCYNsBwrjG9iaZ8NZJ80MyzwNMLomc5/s2763/PXL_20220618_154444205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Here I Am" border="0" data-original-height="2763" data-original-width="2217" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoEreAArM4wsmv8mIDaJ2FrNg-xoFbGFP4P4nQaB8mvlKQKV-OcThWUG1au7vmAy7DHI9-7pjPxaOiVp77wkUkKVxpBIEuRoLiFBRxKYPj4hbrsK9XPSDImHcoaBazMc9NWicseYaypltgS71CB16EsX2WsCYNsBwrjG9iaZ8NZJ80MyzwNMLomc5/w514-h640/PXL_20220618_154444205.jpg" title="Here I Am" width="514" /></a></div><br /> </b></div><div><b>Rock City Escapes: Soup Du Jour </b></div>
<div>I loved the start of this game and how the GM role played when introducing the team to the room. The first half started off great with some smooth puzzling and it transitioned into more of a traditional escape room setting towards the end. <br />
<ul><li>Difficulty: Easy<br /></li><li>Price: 140€/team <br /></li><li>Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: 75 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14px;">: </span>★★★★½</li></ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv_Cgsv-vH9Uo5QH2XD5Q2mJUGW_vfueCNRxzMDa2LXANSsNrDJcckO7y6pTePRETI6UenG1ZX1zNbaThdgAH1NBIwR0B6LGtciL5i2KdPg6FFT-x6SZdUafvRu8elQJETV7_49j07iYxHLHjjG3ybhg8mkWD70ktNrHexR0JMIqhIDEP8ntxBRpo/s2451/PXL_20220622_104628422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soup Du Jour" border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2451" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv_Cgsv-vH9Uo5QH2XD5Q2mJUGW_vfueCNRxzMDa2LXANSsNrDJcckO7y6pTePRETI6UenG1ZX1zNbaThdgAH1NBIwR0B6LGtciL5i2KdPg6FFT-x6SZdUafvRu8elQJETV7_49j07iYxHLHjjG3ybhg8mkWD70ktNrHexR0JMIqhIDEP8ntxBRpo/w640-h400/PXL_20220622_104628422.jpg" title="Soup Du Jour" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<b>De Gouden Kooi: The Secret of Saint-Rumoldus</b><br />
<div>The game flow of "The Secret of Saint-Rumoldus" was seamless and the unique story line towards the end made us laugh. Definitely a standout in the Belgium market!<br /></div>
<ul><li>Difficulty: Medium-Difficult</li><li>Price: +120€/team <br /></li><li>Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 3-4)</li><li>Duration: 70 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating:<span style="color: orange; font-family: "calibri";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">★★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★</span></span>★</span></li></ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KkPo8iZRxENZUZ9dV6pVCa5EKz4V9mFFFaqoWw-WVtKAYssw7zGBVb5uzTaV6T1yxTZAGIme7iYuPeOlkLHrthAD-l-Qd0bu0iNjaYq4tevfdMrpY90AoWtTdydSL_GAL6OTPES4wWypf8Smum7OC3uiFKV-aZN16x8Wl20nXH9SL9tqBQKE1Ia7/s3689/PXL_20220621_111549593.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rumoldus" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3689" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KkPo8iZRxENZUZ9dV6pVCa5EKz4V9mFFFaqoWw-WVtKAYssw7zGBVb5uzTaV6T1yxTZAGIme7iYuPeOlkLHrthAD-l-Qd0bu0iNjaYq4tevfdMrpY90AoWtTdydSL_GAL6OTPES4wWypf8Smum7OC3uiFKV-aZN16x8Wl20nXH9SL9tqBQKE1Ia7/w640-h394/PXL_20220621_111549593.NIGHT.jpg" title="Rumoldus" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>
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<b>Escaping Belgium: Le Prince</b><br />Le Prince was one of the more puzzle-y games we played on our trip and we were lucky to have Helena for the added brainpower! Overall, it was a clean and polished experience that would satisfy many puzzlers and escape room enthusiasts. <br />
<ul><li>Difficulty: Difficult<br /></li><li>Price: +90€/team <br /></li><li>Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 2)</li><li>Duration: 90 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating:<span style="color: orange; font-family: "calibri";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">★★★★</span><span style="font-size: small;">½</span></li></ul>
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwRa3vXYo4mG294fkn05Gwe4MG-Qj5H2bxMnkFC4EXB0XLXXc8q6V5QAwMZLjm0PN2R6gdRLAj8ORC7m3eDLo7Qewd4iNI0zcR8sQq_WHwOhgcL9W1n1QG2d3oyywWRs_Ww3084xZiWJd13Q0wec1ix_qPFl3Vbmc_b0t1h0Y4i8tmtKN87SrWTbo/s3652/PXL_20220619_171823590.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Le Prince" border="0" data-original-height="2060" data-original-width="3652" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwRa3vXYo4mG294fkn05Gwe4MG-Qj5H2bxMnkFC4EXB0XLXXc8q6V5QAwMZLjm0PN2R6gdRLAj8ORC7m3eDLo7Qewd4iNI0zcR8sQq_WHwOhgcL9W1n1QG2d3oyywWRs_Ww3084xZiWJd13Q0wec1ix_qPFl3Vbmc_b0t1h0Y4i8tmtKN87SrWTbo/w640-h362/PXL_20220619_171823590.jpg" title="Le Prince" width="640" /></a></div>
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Other Notable Escape Rooms In The Area</h3><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFJ5Y938e83YFTh3h7XZjjpuLWM9iJqYjoWm6QNfdJEt-VYl_lys8WxJmZGkRK54pudGSY1-jGDnC4NOoPFrEonqQu_VSE_TgivM9HkjPf_7iUnnP5igSRLbZIxVhsM0fHTmWwmYinsOMdYvFagz-cper3vFqidtoIvmPmeZYXc_JebSp5hh5K9xm/s2792/PXL_20220623_092207438.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2034" data-original-width="2792" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFJ5Y938e83YFTh3h7XZjjpuLWM9iJqYjoWm6QNfdJEt-VYl_lys8WxJmZGkRK54pudGSY1-jGDnC4NOoPFrEonqQu_VSE_TgivM9HkjPf_7iUnnP5igSRLbZIxVhsM0fHTmWwmYinsOMdYvFagz-cper3vFqidtoIvmPmeZYXc_JebSp5hh5K9xm/w320-h234/PXL_20220623_092207438.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> In The Netherlands:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Escape From Wonderland: A colorful room with a ton of puzzles!</li><li>Escape Room The Cube - Triplicate Institute: Great execution in creating a mind-bending experience <br /></li></ul>
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In Belgium<br />
<ul><li>Push Mystery Rooms - The Movies: An ambitious take on the world of blockbuster movies<br /></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPKVafFV1q_oTD2GWc8FgRc7UEFJlNpHu2_M7kyl4Fm1dVYOGrpdhsojmJumuCY9mDMANYj9XrEF8XuXDyHvjWmXzheMfIsN8F8-sfGEKrE6DMcYKVnVazorcLSEApWPRiLE11_LTsHshIapmWa-5oKh6btPVaeifEQhfbZZxv30d5OQ1xRlGMNIH/s2048/received_729283404980039.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1968" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPKVafFV1q_oTD2GWc8FgRc7UEFJlNpHu2_M7kyl4Fm1dVYOGrpdhsojmJumuCY9mDMANYj9XrEF8XuXDyHvjWmXzheMfIsN8F8-sfGEKrE6DMcYKVnVazorcLSEApWPRiLE11_LTsHshIapmWa-5oKh6btPVaeifEQhfbZZxv30d5OQ1xRlGMNIH/w309-h320/received_729283404980039.jpeg" width="309" /></a></div>
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We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to The Netherlands or Belgium to play world class escape rooms!</div>
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<p></p>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-84464711712415250612022-01-31T19:44:00.001-08:002022-01-31T19:44:29.484-08:002021 Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVQU_WuMsJ8vBlUi88IjgT67Ugqt4ACL76vh0KhgPI0eV6AvYJVrx836s8csTnFbxtD5B9ZCLP-lkwXj71-CkLl8LCm0FXT6setidm_Cod2QNEVHH--YrnkyXH8Rq9HtZHQ4A9yJpBidOjEQy417CFAuYUrA3Va9xp64zfueKfejLAzHD493akAYC_=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Escape Rumors Medal" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVQU_WuMsJ8vBlUi88IjgT67Ugqt4ACL76vh0KhgPI0eV6AvYJVrx836s8csTnFbxtD5B9ZCLP-lkwXj71-CkLl8LCm0FXT6setidm_Cod2QNEVHH--YrnkyXH8Rq9HtZHQ4A9yJpBidOjEQy417CFAuYUrA3Va9xp64zfueKfejLAzHD493akAYC_=w640-h480" title="Escape Rumors Medal" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>We had the chance of playing 77 escape rooms in 2021, more than double the number of games when compared to 2020. There were some spectacular games which we believe stood out even compared to games played prior to the pandemic. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>Achievement unlocked medals are awarded every year to the top escape rooms played by Escape Rumors. There is no limit in terms of rooms awarded and they are sorted <b>alphabetically</b>.</div><br />The escape rooms with direct links have reviews. Feel free to contact us at info@escaperumors.com for any comments or questions.<br /><i><b><br /></b></i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists</b></i></span><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Below Zero (Crypto Escape, Toronto, Canada)</b></div><div>Crypto once again delivered on an amazingly immersive experience with clean puzzles and a great A.I. character that really made us feel like we were in a movie.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/09/best-escape-rooms-in-phoenix-arizona.html" target="_blank"><b>Evil Robots (Nemesis Club, Phoenix, Arizona)</b></a></div><div>With Disney quality builds and a whimsical sci-fi theme, this TERPECA winning game had a seamless game flow and great moments!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/07/best-los-angeles-escape-room-guide.html" target="_blank"><b>The Last Supper (Quest Tavern, Los Angeles, California)</b></a></div><div>The Last Supper featured an actor that was witty, played off our interactions perfectly and was the indisputable star of the experience! </div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/09/best-escape-rooms-in-phoenix-arizona.html" target="_blank"><b>Mogollon Monster (Nemesis Club, Phoenix, Arizona)</b></a></div><div>This game (might actually be even <i>better</i> than Nemesis Club's <i>Evil Robots</i>) had an engaging intro and an exciting ending that you will never forgot. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>RAIN Corp (Escaparium, Montreal, Canada)</b></div><div>A science fiction game in a large physical space with the best possible A.I. hint system that I had ever seen.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Robotcalypse (Omescape, Toronto, Canada)</b></div><div>Robotcalypse made us feel like we were in an episode of Star Trek and the finale was great in a silly and awesome way.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/08/best-escape-rooms-in-orlando-tampa.html" target="_blank"><b>Servant of Sleight (The Exit Game, Clearwater, Florida)</b></a></div><div>This magic themed game perfectly blended the narrative and interactions into the environment with some hidden surprises.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/07/best-los-angeles-escape-room-guide.html"><b>Time Machine (Not Another Escape Room, Brea, California)</b></a></div><div>Time Machine was what a proper time traveling game should be and the game mechanics were amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Volcano Views: Aerial Tours (Escape The 6, Mississauga, Canada)</b></div><div>Some great physical elements sets this escape room apart from so many others.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Wardrobe For Sale (Escaparium, Montreal, Canada)</b></div><div>A two hour long experience that took immersion to the next level and really put us in the middle of our own movie!</div><br /><div>Congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to an even better 2022!<br /></div></div><div><br /></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-66938738504166514902021-12-31T09:19:00.002-08:002021-12-31T09:19:23.783-08:002021 TERPECA: Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts' Choice Award<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh3VKCyS2TFlF57a76yMpFnqJmk6L9SK9eyuL4iU6x5GIAnM-5jnAXDiSEvvuFvUbQFirJfzIpk4ENWhJsGJE9KDGnQlu93Yyci5PEO1wa82kIbkcIv_fbo8EUQ_dfWtYdRfVtg4afV4l94o0SlLJ10Ww2wZ9duwpeHzb1TXNhc1RtcfP3VDyQgxzI=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh3VKCyS2TFlF57a76yMpFnqJmk6L9SK9eyuL4iU6x5GIAnM-5jnAXDiSEvvuFvUbQFirJfzIpk4ENWhJsGJE9KDGnQlu93Yyci5PEO1wa82kIbkcIv_fbo8EUQ_dfWtYdRfVtg4afV4l94o0SlLJ10Ww2wZ9duwpeHzb1TXNhc1RtcfP3VDyQgxzI=s320" width="320" /></a></div>If you were ever wondering what the top escape rooms in the world were, <a href="https://terpeca.com/2021/" target="_blank">TERPECA</a> does a pretty good job at aggregating ratings across trusted enthusiasts across the globe. In my opinion, this is vastly superior in comparison to sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google Reviews and even the Facebook Escape Room Enthusiast group. For TERPECA, only enthusiasts who have played +200 escape rooms can nominate rooms and those who have played +50 can stack rank the games they have played. Note that only games that can be played in English are eligible. From <a href="https://topescaperoomsproject.com/" target="_blank">TERPECA's </a>site:<br />
<br />
<i>"...each stack rank was used to create all possible pairwise
comparisons between rooms (or companies) in a given stack rank, and then
those were used to create a matrix of scores between rooms using all
the direct comparisons from any of the participants".</i> <br /><p></p><p>I have played 10 of the top 50 rooms which are listed below (links for reviews). These are all great games and I would say that there are many other rooms that did not make the list that are just as fun as the below. Anything with a 5 stars in my <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/p/escape-room-ratings.html" target="_blank">ratings</a> are all top notch and must play escape rooms.</p><p><b><u><i>Top Escape Rooms</i></u></b></p><p>11. Strange Bird - The Man From Beyond (Houston, TX, USA)</p><p>13. <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2018/08/13th-gate-escape-cutthroat-cavern-tomb.html" target="_blank">Cutthroat Cavern </a>- 13th Gate (Baton Rouge, LA, USA)</p><p>21. <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/10/trivium-ghost-patrol-emeryville-ca.html" target="_blank">Ghost Patrol </a>- Trivium Games (Emeryville, CA, USA)</p><p>25. The Lost Island Of The Voodoo Queen - Escaparium (Montreal, Canada)</p><p>28. Servant Of Sleight - The Exit Game FL (Clearwater, FL, USA)</p><p>31. <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/09/best-escape-rooms-in-phoenix-arizona.html">Evil Robots</a> - The Nemesis Club (Phoenix, AZ, USA)</p><p>32. The Edison Room - Palace Games (San Francisco, CA, USA) <br /></p><p>35. <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/09/best-escape-rooms-in-phoenix-arizona.html" target="_blank">Mogollon Monster</a> - The Nemesis Club (Phoenix, AZ, USA)</p><p>37. The Attraction - Palace Games (San Francisco, CA, USA)</p><p>45. <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2018/09/hatch-escapes-lab-rat-los-angeles-ca.html" target="_blank">Lab Rat </a>- Hatch Escapes (Los Angeles, CA, USA) <br /></p><p>2021 was a tough year to travel and play escape rooms so hoping that 2022 will be a better year!<br /></p><p><br /></p>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-73346751118965485202021-11-28T19:33:00.000-08:002021-11-28T19:33:01.247-08:00Interview: Sarah From Escape Rumors<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6dFJ_p6kZxmVxBI9P86ogXypcBkMIctxBaBrt937EXfqtPfujiV8TWeryCtfXXo8UkMx6l8ceFMd6xlGMjkisTWcv5GS6ZVYyG4YB4WxWsVYMgwKKej3u2CPONgUJvPpZOT6uiK0jY4/s4032/PXL_20210402_184920336.MP.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6dFJ_p6kZxmVxBI9P86ogXypcBkMIctxBaBrt937EXfqtPfujiV8TWeryCtfXXo8UkMx6l8ceFMd6xlGMjkisTWcv5GS6ZVYyG4YB4WxWsVYMgwKKej3u2CPONgUJvPpZOT6uiK0jY4/w300-h400/PXL_20210402_184920336.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br />Technically, Sarah does not consider herself as part of the Escape Rumors blog although she has accompanied me on most of my trips. Even though she has played almost 300 games, she does not consider herself an enthusiast. So how does someone who gets dragged along to play so many rooms, <i>actually</i> feel about escape games? We have the uncensored interview below!<div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">What are your favorite types of escape rooms?</span></h2>I like bright colorful rooms with some silly elements and uncommon themes given that we've done so many rooms. I appreciate crafty sets where the game owners wow us with their creativity. <br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">What was the funniest thing you have seen in an escape room?</span></h2>I remember Lab Rat in LA had several laugh out loud moments. The premise is ridiculous to start with, there's literal puns all over the walls and some glorious celebration moments with accompanying music. Most of all, it toyed with our team dynamics and left us dumbfounded.<br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">How do you cope with playing so many escape rooms and not being an enthusiast?</span></h2>Not being an enthusiast doesn't mean I don't like escape rooms. I just would prefer to do one a day instead of say five or six! I have a good time tagging along, but by the end of the day it's all a blur! It's a puzzle in itself to schedule so many rooms in close succession, so I'm grateful to everyone that is willing to do that amount of planning! I guess in general I'm more of a generalist that does a little bit of everything than a specialist that goes all in like you, but I admire your passion.<br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">What is your favorite escape room of all time?</span></h2>I'll always remember Abduction 4 in Barcelona. Already the rooms in Spain were next level in terms of immersion and physical challenges, but this one brought it to the next level. It starts as you walk in the door and doesn't stop till the last second!<div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">What are your favorite elements in an escape room?</span></h2>As mentioned before, I like funny elements a lot. If I'm going to play an escape room, a big part of it is the social element, so cooperative puzzles are always a win, whether it's being locked in separate rooms and having to communicate back and forth, or having to coordinate triggering multiple elements in succession. Interacting with actors is always memorable too. And finally, I enjoy large physical puzzles, because those are more immersive and take me out of my routine. I spend my days behind a computer screen at work, so when I go to an escape room I'd rather it be real world interactions.<br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">What was the last escape room that you played?</span></h2>We got to play the newest room, <i>The Attraction,</i> at Palace Games in San Francisco. It was super high tech, almost too much, bordering becoming a video game. <br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">What type of escape room would you like to see get created?</span></h2>Maybe an outdoor escape room, that blends orienteering, obstacle courses, and puzzles... But maybe I'm describing a different sport! I'd like to see unusual yet educational themes for escape rooms, like a magic school bus.<br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do you ever follow the story in an escape room?</span></h2>Sometimes, but typically we're too busy trying to get out in time! A simple, easy to follow, plot with an immersive setting typically fares better than an intricate plot that distracts from the action. It's tough to be asked to pause and hold still to listen to story points or to read a whole diary when the clock is ticking.</div><div>----</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for being the best Sarah :)<br /><br /></div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-1836743110706061092021-10-24T18:20:00.000-07:002021-10-24T18:20:22.495-07:00Trivium: Ghost Patrol (Emeryville, CA)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLyhxO7akCEOaJJqMQ_4XB8ti25Va348aWEhaJj0eslyeOsxOgwgJ8o1TJoZjwEhuYdrzV34xjAXoKjdX_wjuYMEqBBuSx083a9EhBWU78fkO9A6EKc-y7XW_yssRiwDBNUVfuamE2oM/s1600/Trivium.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trivium" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLyhxO7akCEOaJJqMQ_4XB8ti25Va348aWEhaJj0eslyeOsxOgwgJ8o1TJoZjwEhuYdrzV34xjAXoKjdX_wjuYMEqBBuSx083a9EhBWU78fkO9A6EKc-y7XW_yssRiwDBNUVfuamE2oM/w640-h480/Trivium.jpeg" title="Trivium" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>What do you get when you combine a beautiful set with clever puzzle design? You get one of the top games in the country! Trivium's "Ghost Patrol" is at the top of almost every Northern California enthusiast's list for a good reason. This ghost themed room was actually not scary at all so we can recommend it for enthusiasts and families alike. From their website:<br /><br /><i>"</i><i>Spirits can be a real nuisance for the living. So how do we deal with these pesky poltergeists? Just trap them, right?! And then what, store them in some big, central containment unit indefinitely?! Imagine the liability! We're not animal control, we’re detectives! If we can figure out why the ghost is hanging around and fix its problem, then POOF! No spirits to store and no messy clean up. "</i><br /><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Set Design, Technology & Puzzles</span></h2>Ghost Patrol's set design was impeccably clean and visually pleasing. The attention to detail was apparent in so many parts of the game ranging from the environment to the puzzle flow. The early puzzles built up the knowledge base needed for the later puzzles which was just brilliant and frankly uncommon in many escape rooms. What we also loved was that it was very clear what objects were "in play" and which ones were not so we didn't lose any time debating if we had all the necessary elements to solve something. <div><br /></div><div>The technology used in the game was well hidden and just like many other aspects of this escape room, seamless. The crafty use of lighting and sound enhanced the gameplay and added to the overall immersion of the game.<br /><div><br /></div><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Memorable Moments </span></h2>The originality and continuity of one of the main puzzle elements was great! Many other items in the room were also custom made which added to the uniqueness of the experience. On a completely different note, the odyssey began with a memorable sci-fi Easter egg. <br /><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Room For Improvement</span></h2>Ghost Patrol did extraordinarily well in most departments, however, I would have loved to have more action-oriented or "wow" moments. This is personal preference as I am not as puzzle oriented as many enthusiasts. <br /><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall Thoughts</span></h2>If you are ever in the San Francisco Bay Area, you should 100% play Trivium's Ghost Patrol. The game is accessible to all skill levels (unlike, say, Palace Games in the area) and is family friendly as well. The puzzle flow was world class and you'll have a blast! For this reason, we have awarded Ghost Patrol with the Achievement unlocked Award for one of top escape rooms played! </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FmeVCjTx88Rc0TUoop-x9CWbIbmSRU8iucXo1GDTLdh8T0EyMUcpdKxgepMZV00333ZBWlMQaS72l1tnCRTrey_OiK4unJs_M82K1zztGHSYDYKFigoecpr3g-sn4T0JAR_0eP-t9yQ/s2048/Au+Medal+Trivium.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Trivium Medal" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FmeVCjTx88Rc0TUoop-x9CWbIbmSRU8iucXo1GDTLdh8T0EyMUcpdKxgepMZV00333ZBWlMQaS72l1tnCRTrey_OiK4unJs_M82K1zztGHSYDYKFigoecpr3g-sn4T0JAR_0eP-t9yQ/w640-h480/Au+Medal+Trivium.webp" title="Trivium Medal" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><ul><li><b>Set design:</b> Great!</li><li><b>Difficulty:</b> Average</li><li><b>Price:</b> $225-275 for 4 players, +30$/ additional player</li><li><b>Number of players:</b> 4-8 (recommend 4)</li><li><b>Duration:</b> 90 minutes</li><li><b>Overall Rating:</b> ★★★★★</li></ul>See their website here: <a href="https://www.triviumgames.com">https://www.triviumgames.com</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-18278386144483808132021-09-27T19:41:00.005-07:002021-09-27T19:44:21.541-07:00Best Escape Rooms in Phoenix, Arizona<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqtQjo2EITVP8lQVtVsxZJOD4CSensWhXN-Fo3X7oUxNaqGDhaBSs_MDrPDG5arcOJObCCtdtvyTZjxFkd8hyOOwzrgtlMiRjwuSj2S1QVbBoqkmBGix0c9BYb7EtCtbtUps1LGlpq6c/s2000/ETR+Theater.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqtQjo2EITVP8lQVtVsxZJOD4CSensWhXN-Fo3X7oUxNaqGDhaBSs_MDrPDG5arcOJObCCtdtvyTZjxFkd8hyOOwzrgtlMiRjwuSj2S1QVbBoqkmBGix0c9BYb7EtCtbtUps1LGlpq6c/w640-h480/ETR+Theater.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>During my latest trip to Phoenix, I teamed up with the amazing Scott who was a local enthusiast. Even though it was the first time I had met him, it felt like Scott was an old friend that I had not seen in a while. I have met so many great folks in the escape room community and I encourage everyone to reach out to play with new people! </p><h3>Phoenix Escape Room Standouts</h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The Nemesis Club: Evil Robots (Phoenix)</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUL12ScnrrUqwD-HK7lvoin7YVeDaagNBu3rfuJHy8QeCz5UWfRaDJbz85nL8_306wUeTxzdaRKW0AcCPWo6bayyorWqTBI62zGQVcAc23BZrqhqgnArJK-bltvg5jeNHEMiNgGaUwns/s4032/PXL_20210718_003732309.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Evil Robots" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUL12ScnrrUqwD-HK7lvoin7YVeDaagNBu3rfuJHy8QeCz5UWfRaDJbz85nL8_306wUeTxzdaRKW0AcCPWo6bayyorWqTBI62zGQVcAc23BZrqhqgnArJK-bltvg5jeNHEMiNgGaUwns/w640-h360/PXL_20210718_003732309.NIGHT.jpg" title="Evil Robots" width="640" /></a></div>The Nemesis Club had an ice cream shop called "Soda Jerk" as a "front" and you needed a secret password to be let into the back of the store and into the escape room area. The funny part about this was that the ice cream shop served actual desserts. It had a massive line up out the door and most clients didn't even know there was an escape room in the back! It was a sweet set up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3c_2pOdH9LlQqTW7QUHAUiPHdykG3AIXReoUogQZ0cFs4hk0qHp80E5o3txOYvlDc-ybF7WIDPtBii7QkC-PkaHUUdMmDd6tXgadnHyJ73-Vr5MM4j8G307SSN01z0I7_8nN9bUrprw/s4032/PXL_20210718_023639710.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soda Jerk" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3c_2pOdH9LlQqTW7QUHAUiPHdykG3AIXReoUogQZ0cFs4hk0qHp80E5o3txOYvlDc-ybF7WIDPtBii7QkC-PkaHUUdMmDd6tXgadnHyJ73-Vr5MM4j8G307SSN01z0I7_8nN9bUrprw/w640-h360/PXL_20210718_023639710.jpg" title="Soda Jerk" width="640" /></a></div><div>The first game we played, "Evil Robots", was fantastic. The overall build out was top notch and on par with Disney attractions. The immersion and tech were solid and the overall experience was a couple of levels above anything else in Phoenix. My only complaint was that I wanted more! I have a soft spot for whimsical sci-fi themes so this game really checked off a lot of boxes for me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmJIszdsL2h4KeR-NLiDvlk1lI8TjhMX-FESYVKkxpc6y3WOrc4jtif7rvtjS7rk0pQQGioGdKKPNhwaXbsJsHKViLckoGBao0Ze52TtHDLATGkhx1zGGyfsTV1t2u48R1mFlIp8htAU/s2048/Soda+Jerk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ice Cream" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmJIszdsL2h4KeR-NLiDvlk1lI8TjhMX-FESYVKkxpc6y3WOrc4jtif7rvtjS7rk0pQQGioGdKKPNhwaXbsJsHKViLckoGBao0Ze52TtHDLATGkhx1zGGyfsTV1t2u48R1mFlIp8htAU/w640-h480/Soda+Jerk.jpg" title="Ice Cream" width="640" /></a></div><div>We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of their second game, "Mogollon Monster". This monster was the local version of "Big Foot" and our role as scouts was to find him. The creativity in terms of the use of technology in storytelling was something I had never seen in over 400 escape rooms played. The start and the end were incredible and such a pleasure to experience. Both games at The Nemesis Club were highlights not only in Phoenix but in the country as well!</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $35/person </li><li>Number of players: Up tp 8 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span>★★★★★</span></li></ul><div><br /></div><b>Great Room Escape: Spellbound (Tempe)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We played this game back when the company was called "Mindspark" and it was the highlight of our trip back in 2018. A great "cabin in the woods" atmosphere along with some satisfying puzzling and a very thematic finale made for a must play in the Phoenix area. There was a time where this game was also available in Louisiana.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Difficult</li><li>Price: $29/person </li><li># of Players: Up to 10 (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating:<span style="color: orange; font-family: calibri;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span>★★★★½</li></ul><b><div><b><br /></b></div>North Valley Escape Room: Big Top Circus (Anthem)</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>A colorful circus game with some cute puzzles made this escape room a good choice for players of all ages. There were a few other solid games at this locations, such as "Alcatraz", but it had been a while since we played it and we weren't sure if the game was still the same.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Fine</li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: $30/person</li><li>Number of players: 8 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: ★★★★</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Eludsions: Mad Matter's Tea Party (Phoenix)</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0RIlwvk_SiwLtTBV72ReqLMWyBBOSaCs6_LvJXcoY_2EGZUrwue45mVDijalqIDsGJCWEdaEkCHiv74EcGU-5Gh564vXOrhcXrVMqjlh3bAD5g0-aG69TKHNa46qzAQNxeL5a8-xt28/s1200/Mad+Matters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mad Hatters" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0RIlwvk_SiwLtTBV72ReqLMWyBBOSaCs6_LvJXcoY_2EGZUrwue45mVDijalqIDsGJCWEdaEkCHiv74EcGU-5Gh564vXOrhcXrVMqjlh3bAD5g0-aG69TKHNa46qzAQNxeL5a8-xt28/w640-h480/Mad+Matters.jpg" title="Mad Hatters" width="640" /></a></div></div><div>This game had one of the largest footprints out of all the games we played in Phoenix. While a few puzzles were a bit tedious, overall the game exceeded my expectations and bonus points if you like the Alice In Wonderland theme.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Good</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $33/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 10 (we recommend 3-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span></li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Paragon: Return of the Pharaohs (Mesa)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Paragon had a really spectacular set design and some clean tech in their game. Although I was not too excited by the theme, there were some fun elements that excited the beginners in our group.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Amazing</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $30/person</li><li>Number of players: 4-10 (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: Dream 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span></li></ul></div></div></div><div><h3>Other Escape Rooms In The Area</h3>Here are some other honorable mentions:<br /><ul><li><b>Dare To Escape: X-Child </b>(Tempe): Played back in 2018 and it was fun back then but could be dated today. There was a homemade feeling to this game but we enjoyed it nonetheless.</li><li><b>North Valley Escape Rooms: Escape Alcatraz</b> (Anthem): Back in 2018, this was our favorite in the area with a massive set that might have been reduced to make space for new games. There was a super memorable element near the beginning of the experience that we didn't expect.</li><li><b>The Escape Game: The Theater </b>(Phoenix): A very nice looking theater set with charming elements and at least one tedious puzzle. The game was relatively easy for us.</li></ul><div>We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Phoenix to play escape rooms!</div></div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-76954531177793522062021-08-23T17:37:00.000-07:002021-08-23T17:37:58.910-07:00Best Escape Rooms in Orlando (+ Tampa)<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmZ9l94xsdLAyaHAbspBxr79vFSc8H-kjNe3UnC7MN_DfpDsKeutYAB8Ad1JfyLhPGuoyrBp48ns4TglIQ58wr8SQFBUa79RyW-9MVEa7vuxiEGYI6LELqS4QcSDVrwqEA4mT_vC6XCY/s4032/PXL_20210716_171641311.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Escape Artist" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmZ9l94xsdLAyaHAbspBxr79vFSc8H-kjNe3UnC7MN_DfpDsKeutYAB8Ad1JfyLhPGuoyrBp48ns4TglIQ58wr8SQFBUa79RyW-9MVEa7vuxiEGYI6LELqS4QcSDVrwqEA4mT_vC6XCY/w640-h360/PXL_20210716_171641311.jpg" title="Escape Artist" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p>Orlando is known for its theme parks like Disney World and Universal Studios but as true enthusiasts, we came here to play escape rooms! We played 24 games in the Orlando area and four in Tampa (90 minutes east of Orlando by car). While the area is not known to be an escape room hot spot, there were a few games that were great and definitely worth playing. </p><div><br /></div><h3>Orlando and Tampa Escape Room Standouts</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><b>The Exit Game: Servants of Sleight (Clearwater, Tampa Bay Area)</b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQK80jjWkk6Occ_cxfsLRNRP31s50eDGvxizvkg0ZZVCfLB143eZtwV78eNlo5KEPHT1aixb1kNLr3HrDcbaOEb0bepVbhXPCl2kuweuoU_xWlGjIXtnSMwGLtiYNBJa6BZ-ogjkTIas/s4032/PXL_20210716_004926998.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Servants of Sleight" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQK80jjWkk6Occ_cxfsLRNRP31s50eDGvxizvkg0ZZVCfLB143eZtwV78eNlo5KEPHT1aixb1kNLr3HrDcbaOEb0bepVbhXPCl2kuweuoU_xWlGjIXtnSMwGLtiYNBJa6BZ-ogjkTIas/w640-h360/PXL_20210716_004926998.jpg" title="Servants of Sleight" width="640" /></a></div><div>There are a lot of magic themed escape rooms out there but none are quite as spectacular as "Servants of Sleight". The overall narrative and unique interactions perfectly blend into the environment. This game did a good job across pretty much all escape room elements such as set design, puzzles and fun factor! Based on other enthusiasts reviews, this game could be the top game in Florida!</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Good</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $34-$51/person </li><li>Number of players: Up tp 6 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 90 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span>★★★★★</span></li></ul><div><br /></div><b>Doldrick's: Captain Spoopy Bones and the Magnificent Quest For Some Other Pirate's Treasure! (Kissimmee, Orlando Area)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4HE-kHi4f425EHV5w_vTlFa41cxpNWdUTmLpP1vVZ2hA6aInxvA_2V5SNfD9t7sF7z0GVWrNoW39oNlaGopU3OwyAr8iHYlPeGbOlE8keBxCh6FdTg6ptquCBhtvw2ZpMKWGwykO028/s4032/PXL_20210713_235059805.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Doldrick's" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4HE-kHi4f425EHV5w_vTlFa41cxpNWdUTmLpP1vVZ2hA6aInxvA_2V5SNfD9t7sF7z0GVWrNoW39oNlaGopU3OwyAr8iHYlPeGbOlE8keBxCh6FdTg6ptquCBhtvw2ZpMKWGwykO028/w640-h360/PXL_20210713_235059805.MP.jpg" title="Doldrick's" width="640" /></a></div><div>Doldrick's was a standout in the Orlando area with multiple great games. This game was their largest creation and it had a wonderful final act with nice tech that set this game above all the other games we played in Orlando. All the games at Doldrick's were whimsical and I thought that the Captain Spoopy character was pretty funny and I am sure that this played a role in my rating. While at this location, you should also play "Spoopy's Ghoulish Graveyard" and "Super Bomb Squad" which were also solid games.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Difficult</li><li>Price: $40/person </li><li># of Players: Up to 12 (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: 75 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating:<span style="color: orange; font-family: calibri;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span>★★★★½</li></ul><b><div><b><br /></b></div>Escape Venture: Bros For Life, Fraternity Heist (Orlando)</b><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldBQVBdTvwn6CusGHl83amK2FCrqFFO8nEL2oKSbVs23gL5ZsG2S5oJ_8ujc4Grz8fKcag63r27_6jKqIOv6c552VhhuqbPOa_JumkzZ5x-sbtNlfBRCYv33E7db6Hxg5uWZ-PqxtNec/s4032/PXL_20210712_220641448.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Escape Venture" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldBQVBdTvwn6CusGHl83amK2FCrqFFO8nEL2oKSbVs23gL5ZsG2S5oJ_8ujc4Grz8fKcag63r27_6jKqIOv6c552VhhuqbPOa_JumkzZ5x-sbtNlfBRCYv33E7db6Hxg5uWZ-PqxtNec/w640-h360/PXL_20210712_220641448.NIGHT.jpg" title="Escape Venture" width="640" /></a></div>Having a theme that I have never seen in 400+ rooms was a bonus in my book. The start of this game was the highlight and it made us feel like frat boys doing stupid things which was very fitting. While at this location, you should also play their Christmas game, "Satirical Miracle", which we almost liked as much as "Bros For Life".</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Good</li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: $40/person</li><li>Number of players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: ★★★★½</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Mind Masters: Strange Magic (Orlando)</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUJQrYVhf4m-6-i6KCW_XbtnCK7WAxhm_wFWIrUNaqVQAHRWNS5fhdCQ-jZT91J0xecIPwG8gPJikG_UJ_RyAqZjsAJQ9qMLf6ospjPcQLelzrOyGa2AGCDfdjkmsUlAYeBFGNpmdXpw/s4032/PXL_20210712_170335056.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Strange Magic" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUJQrYVhf4m-6-i6KCW_XbtnCK7WAxhm_wFWIrUNaqVQAHRWNS5fhdCQ-jZT91J0xecIPwG8gPJikG_UJ_RyAqZjsAJQ9qMLf6ospjPcQLelzrOyGa2AGCDfdjkmsUlAYeBFGNpmdXpw/w640-h360/PXL_20210712_170335056.MP.jpg" title="Strange Magic" width="640" /></a></div>Strange Magic was one of my top single-room experiences. Some really clever integrations of puzzles into the environment made for a lot of cool moments that tricked us. If you are in the area, you should check Mind Masters out!</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Average</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $30/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 2-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span></li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Escape Artist: Dream (Orlando) & Protocol Zero (Sanford)</b><br /></div><div>These two games are actually located in different locations that are about 30 minutes apart. Dream, A 90 minute game had some funky room concepts and some novel interactions throughout a large physical space. Protocol Zero had a great space station setting that you rarely see. I recommend playing both these games in Orlando.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $29-$45/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: Dream 90 minutes, Protocol Zero 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span></li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The Escape Game: Mission Mars (Orlando)</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkwNmCTaUtMDm2zz9FC96uNfYfiHMuU_ck5Etm6bKeVWUM2aEd9runoUp881BQuDXH-zjdSFnSER9Cf-DxhqYQ82g6vA0LSbga7PjDPf579Z_u801Yul-9hU9kRlbZ2KdyVdXn3h7gao/s4032/PXL_20210713_153405236.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mission Mars" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkwNmCTaUtMDm2zz9FC96uNfYfiHMuU_ck5Etm6bKeVWUM2aEd9runoUp881BQuDXH-zjdSFnSER9Cf-DxhqYQ82g6vA0LSbga7PjDPf579Z_u801Yul-9hU9kRlbZ2KdyVdXn3h7gao/w640-h360/PXL_20210713_153405236.MP.jpg" title="Mission Mars" width="640" /></a></div>Another solid game, as with many of the other "The Escape Game" escape rooms. It's rare to see a super clean, sleek space environment which is exactly what this room offered. I also played "The Playground" in Houston and Special Ops in Minneapolis and San Francisco and assuming the Orlando location has identical copies, these games are also great. </div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Amazing!</li><li>Difficulty: Difficult</li><li>Price: $38/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 8 (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span></li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The Bureau: Puppet Heist (Orlando )</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKvQVviNu89yMOl35JTl1aaCk_ZjWxvpCxVxuhqVwRupPu8CTa5QCLBasp5PreNxKhhh6RwFF79dWWPo5ueEydFJbD7ayM17-ZTwhkgBhdQ8EIBHqJAnH1Etg0wjn3aYg9STpteOcmxc/s4032/PXL_20210713_211110745.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Bureau" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKvQVviNu89yMOl35JTl1aaCk_ZjWxvpCxVxuhqVwRupPu8CTa5QCLBasp5PreNxKhhh6RwFF79dWWPo5ueEydFJbD7ayM17-ZTwhkgBhdQ8EIBHqJAnH1Etg0wjn3aYg9STpteOcmxc/w640-h360/PXL_20210713_211110745.MP.jpg" title="The Bureau" width="640" /></a></div><div>This will undoubtedly be a controversial pick! My teammates didn't like this game but I applauded the unique style of it. First of all, we were in a Muppets-style universal and interacted with Muppet-like characters. We had to do things that we probably wouldn't do in other escape rooms. Some of the puzzles were not intuitive so going into this game and knowing this would help a lot. I also like whimsical themes, something my teammates did not generally enjoy. The lobby is also enormous and nice just to visit.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: ???</li><li>Price: $35/person</li><li>Number of players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="font-family: calibri;">★★★½</span></li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div><h3>Other Escape Rooms In The Area<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp4qe2zW7OcsnbtXXvj3vsWXV-IVElRKe4YoAX0M9qi-lILBgncuf7dpttfJ-D7yGaJ66AbyXFmtVae60fotsM7aA_ryAPybmpsCj2vbECaIVUn4Y5SdKwb2iyKlAYxKijE_VAHOhj0c/s4032/PXL_20210711_214120771.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Video Store" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp4qe2zW7OcsnbtXXvj3vsWXV-IVElRKe4YoAX0M9qi-lILBgncuf7dpttfJ-D7yGaJ66AbyXFmtVae60fotsM7aA_ryAPybmpsCj2vbECaIVUn4Y5SdKwb2iyKlAYxKijE_VAHOhj0c/w640-h360/PXL_20210711_214120771.MP.jpg" title="Video Store" width="640" /></a></h3>Here are some other honorable mentions:<br /><ul><li><b>Dare2Escape: The Video Store </b>(Orlando): A lighthearted and nostalgic video store game that would be fun for all ages.</li><li><b>Mystique Escape: Murder London</b> (Lake Mary): The game really makes you feel like you are on an old school London Street. Great for those into nice sets.</li><li><b>The Bureau: Loch Ness</b> (Orlando): A great set with nice props to play with but lacking in terms of content. </li></ul><div>We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Orlando to play escape rooms!</div></div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-32924748755956312182021-07-27T19:02:00.003-07:002021-08-18T19:32:34.731-07:00Best Los Angeles Escape Rooms<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2Pp1AohSDEWgzn2GYPdojBHRBFJlyZ_BHlbOL5Q2b76xWVJ8XOIc4r6vvrvZ4PiEQIAxumyuWsTZWVoY3Ft6giQKNDkAgssIvu9mGgLjE4bmXYPQs6VVcNupxiAMps4igNCVWQg9-DM/s4032/PXL_20210606_202902739.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="LA Escape Rooms" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2Pp1AohSDEWgzn2GYPdojBHRBFJlyZ_BHlbOL5Q2b76xWVJ8XOIc4r6vvrvZ4PiEQIAxumyuWsTZWVoY3Ft6giQKNDkAgssIvu9mGgLjE4bmXYPQs6VVcNupxiAMps4igNCVWQg9-DM/w640-h480/PXL_20210606_202902739.MP.jpg" title="LA Escape Rooms" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LA is full of amazing games!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Los Angeles is known for having some of the best escape rooms in the United States in terms of quality <i>and</i> quantity. I've had the opportunity to play about 100 games in the LA area, including nearby Orange County (OC) and have compiled this guide to help you choose which escape rooms best suit your needs. Note that LA is huge and getting from one room to another can take well over an hour so you should plan accordingly. </p><div>Note that I've tried my best to list what I believe to be the best rooms as of <i>July 2021</i>. This means that rooms I played a few years ago might no longer be a top room when compared to newer rooms but I did not retroactively change the ratings in my <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/p/escape-room-ratings.html" target="_blank">official ratings list</a>. Also, I prefer rooms that focus on adventure and I typically give bonus points for anything comedic. </div><div><br /></div><h3>Los Angeles Escape Room Standouts</h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Hatch Escapes: Lab Rat (Los Angeles)</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQzqSZL-kz5ii377xucgGsqI4FhazIPCghKuX69WA4jhpmnAUVCmSSl_l0m2lNSv6dbZ_cCQ6m_ipBXB3yzDH23YYACgVIsMEO6_GL0w3kwCT3Q4ANXXVAoXzROsHqAJfIYjMR38-tsM/s835/Lab+Rat.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lab Rat" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="835" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQzqSZL-kz5ii377xucgGsqI4FhazIPCghKuX69WA4jhpmnAUVCmSSl_l0m2lNSv6dbZ_cCQ6m_ipBXB3yzDH23YYACgVIsMEO6_GL0w3kwCT3Q4ANXXVAoXzROsHqAJfIYjMR38-tsM/w640-h438/Lab+Rat.PNG" title="Lab Rat" width="640" /></a></div>If you are a fan of escape rooms, you have likely heard of Lab Rat. This whimsical game was extremely creative: you are the "rat" and the rats are conducting experiments on you! The immersion was great and we laughed a lot throughout the experience. The puzzles were on the difficult side so don't expect a walk in the park. I would say that 95% of enthusiasts highly recommend this game for all types of players. See our in-depth review <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2018/09/hatch-escapes-lab-rat-los-angeles-ca.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Excellent</li><li>Difficulty: Difficult</li><li>Price: $40/person </li><li>Number of players: 2-8, private (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Played in 2018</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="color: #ffa400;">★★★★★</span></li></ul><b><br /></b><b>Quest Tavern: The Last Supper (Pomona)</b><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcaf2YI9JCJc9rHDG2JXIyfKboSyZKTah5sLJ8rGxcktaAxEx2WsVhxCuvDaYOoIlVQ7fo8s-d5_zOY6Xi2DHTuva3xdCJw0OsIt0Pba_ST7LdGuqB97Q3eZIXm3-iSOyS0IzZVp5-xo/s4032/PXL_20210607_015914760.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Last Supper" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcaf2YI9JCJc9rHDG2JXIyfKboSyZKTah5sLJ8rGxcktaAxEx2WsVhxCuvDaYOoIlVQ7fo8s-d5_zOY6Xi2DHTuva3xdCJw0OsIt0Pba_ST7LdGuqB97Q3eZIXm3-iSOyS0IzZVp5-xo/w480-h640/PXL_20210607_015914760.NIGHT.jpg" title="The Last Supper" width="480" /></a></div><div>LA games often have actors and I was fortunate enough to have one of the best actors I've ever seen in an escape room in "The Last Supper". He was witty, played off our interactions perfectly, and was the indisputable star of the experience! There were some genuine adrenaline rushing moments with some fine puzzles that made for a fantastic game. I tend to love rooms with actors and always give bonus points if they make me laugh. I would recommend playing this game with a lively group!</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Good </li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: $38/person </li><li># of Players: 3-8 (we recommend 3-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Played in 2021</li><li>Overall Rating:<span style="color: orange; font-family: calibri;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span></li></ul><b><div><b><br /></b></div>Not Another Escape Room: Time Machine (Brea)</b><br /><br /></div><div>Not another time machine room...or was it? Time Machine was what a proper time traveling game should be and the game mechanics were amazing! It takes a lot to wow a seasoned group of players (the team played between 200-800 rooms each) and this game was a joy to experience. We couldn't stop talking about this game even after we left because it was so clever and unique. </div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Good</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $40/person</li><li>Number of players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-4)</li><li>Duration: 75 minutes</li><li>Played in 2021</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>★</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Maze Rooms: Magic Kingdom (Los Angeles)</b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPQ6yvezLBjO1dXftPIXdJgK52uUFEuRypIq5_ZfMZmKY-hGne_eeZAsl3mIIcNlKitv6J2-iFxrgLR2w1XKvHY7jkloXhmwolae34PN37_PEtG0fXai-QKPoJadZ_xN3do5h2Pj2I30/s927/Magic+Kingdom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="927" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPQ6yvezLBjO1dXftPIXdJgK52uUFEuRypIq5_ZfMZmKY-hGne_eeZAsl3mIIcNlKitv6J2-iFxrgLR2w1XKvHY7jkloXhmwolae34PN37_PEtG0fXai-QKPoJadZ_xN3do5h2Pj2I30/w640-h538/Magic+Kingdom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>I played this a while back but it still stands in my memories as a beautiful and magical fairy tale experience. There were a lot of memorable moments that awed us and hopefully the experience remains the same some four years later. . The set was great, that physical element was really cool and the use of tech in that building...you'll have to play it to see what I mean. See our full review <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2017/11/maze-rooms-magic-kingdom-los-angeles-ca.html" target="_blank">here</a></div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: $33-49/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 2-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Played in 2017</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>★</li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Quest Room: Amnesia (Redondo Beach)</b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzw58AJuBk1imq5fPEjgzym5lk0mUks1CF-MpPUhyphenhyphenCBxoHLIv7A1bZ_Gb9FEtp7R7E_PBqltDvNhCiqLA8BS77TwTqz9kz1KMXYPL33g2ZF1-fN6yy2eG0wof_GRF8t1Yd3i5Mf-SOgBU/s1920/Amnesia.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Amnesia" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzw58AJuBk1imq5fPEjgzym5lk0mUks1CF-MpPUhyphenhyphenCBxoHLIv7A1bZ_Gb9FEtp7R7E_PBqltDvNhCiqLA8BS77TwTqz9kz1KMXYPL33g2ZF1-fN6yy2eG0wof_GRF8t1Yd3i5Mf-SOgBU/w640-h360/Amnesia.jpeg" title="Amnesia" width="640" /></a></div><div>This was an experience driven room that focused on storytelling and tasks with some light puzzling. What I appreciated about this game were the elements of surprise and of course the comedic twist. There aren't many puzzles so going into the game knowing this should help you decide whether this style suits your preferences. Also, it would be more fun with four or more people, which typically isn't the case with normal escape rooms.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: $37-$60/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Played in 2021</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>★</li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Stash House: A Los Angeles Crime Story (Los Angeles)</b><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTSe-l-Q2AmECSLDuxbXx1yL9hTwRUtN-Wl6knthyOPUjKnbjz29_bscpvW2xxXjB7qyYH54CfKXEiGssMQJs7d7P1awFFQkFMFhFnsmGkUPg9j7BUxgIwLZYtJsXNKRiB3lnNSFvVxo/s4032/20180630_173510.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stash House" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTSe-l-Q2AmECSLDuxbXx1yL9hTwRUtN-Wl6knthyOPUjKnbjz29_bscpvW2xxXjB7qyYH54CfKXEiGssMQJs7d7P1awFFQkFMFhFnsmGkUPg9j7BUxgIwLZYtJsXNKRiB3lnNSFvVxo/w640-h360/20180630_173510.jpg" title="Stash House" width="640" /></a></div><div>This game was pretty different from a storytelling perspective and if you are ok with some of the adult themes you should probably play this game. The set takes place in a relatively large space and the concept of the game was that you are proving your worthiness to some criminal entrepreneurs. Overall, this game set itself apart with its unique theme and funny ending.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Difficult</li><li>Price: $30-40/person</li><li>Number of players: 4-11 (we recommend 5-6)</li><li>Duration: 90 minutes</li><li>Played in 2018</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>★</li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Breaking Point: Headcase (Rancho Cucamonga )</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQkofqx4fuAcp7AKOIum9dwY3IYjkUGwzSRaBLoTPP5NbPhw6VLecOHFhiv12ZvtJZ0sjUIeuJ23hbiPSdW2E_27sXi4KEKKwagpW-19pUIifjSwZaby8jUTlRurYE84k20y_aL5zfK0/s4032/PXL_20210606_024731848.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Headcase" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQkofqx4fuAcp7AKOIum9dwY3IYjkUGwzSRaBLoTPP5NbPhw6VLecOHFhiv12ZvtJZ0sjUIeuJ23hbiPSdW2E_27sXi4KEKKwagpW-19pUIifjSwZaby8jUTlRurYE84k20y_aL5zfK0/w640-h480/PXL_20210606_024731848.NIGHT.jpg" title="Headcase" width="640" /></a></div><div>Breaking Point had two great rooms with "Headcase" and <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/02/breaking-point-escape-games-whitmore.html" target="_blank">"The Whitmore Estate"</a>. Their Headcase room was a revamped version of their old Patient 17 room and I think if you never played Patient 17, Headcase would be even more fun due to experiencing the physical space for the first time. You should play both of their games if in the area! </div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $35/person</li><li>Number of players: 2-10 (we recommend 2-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Played in 2017</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="font-family: calibri;">★★★★½</span></li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Escapade: Zoe (Fullerton)</b><br /><br /></div><div>While I am not the biggest fan of anything horror, I must give props to Zoe for making a memorable experience. The actor interaction was pretty horrifying so if you are into this type of experience, then it's a must play. See our full review <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2017/11/escapade-games-zoe-fullerton-ca.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: $33-49/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 2-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Played in 2017</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>½</li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>60out: Houdini (Los Angeles)</b><br /><br /></div><div>There are a million Houdini games out there but there was one moment that made this game really stand out for me. I didn't see it coming and it perfectly fit the magic theme. This game is on the easier side and if you like magical moments, you will enjoy this game.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: $38-40/person</li><li>Number of players: 2-5 (we recommend 2-4)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Played in 2017</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>½</li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><b>The Basement: The Study (Los Angeles)</b><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP5iD5MqFyAbjZ-DEvhxOHIoWGHJ9MY-7HE3phnuUuitQUS2LfyrPxVODsX6DqJJBVWRZRkgb5-wNyDK5u4kbVQ0928PtMPpvA17m8HWckkdrW2BC6NJuxOV1SmKKuAjMv2iFp5RBX0M/s992/The+Study+Revised.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Study" border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="992" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP5iD5MqFyAbjZ-DEvhxOHIoWGHJ9MY-7HE3phnuUuitQUS2LfyrPxVODsX6DqJJBVWRZRkgb5-wNyDK5u4kbVQ0928PtMPpvA17m8HWckkdrW2BC6NJuxOV1SmKKuAjMv2iFp5RBX0M/w640-h484/The+Study+Revised.PNG" title="The Study" width="640" /></a></div><div>For the longest time, <i>The Study </i>was my favorite room of all time. I played the version of the game in Las Vegas but I was told the LA game was pretty much the same. This game has actors and overall does an amazing job with immersion. There are some electrifying moments that you will likely never experience in any other rooms. While at "The Basement", you should also hit up "The Courtyard" and "The Elevator Shaft" which are also solid. See the full review <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2017/04/the-basement-study-las-vegas-nv-los.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great</li><li>Difficulty: Medium-Difficult</li><li>Price: $30-50/person</li><li>Number of players: Max 10 (we recommend 4-6)</li><li>Duration: 45 minutes</li><li>Played in 2017</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>★</li></ul></div></div><div><h3><br /></h3><h3>Other Escape Rooms In The Area</h3>There are so many other noteworthy games to play in LA and you can see my entire list of LA escape rooms played <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/p/escape-room-ratings.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Honestly, you could play +30 games and have a great time in every single one of them. Nonetheless, here are some other honorable mentions:<br /><ul><li><b>Scenario Escape: Mad Rapper</b> (Brea): The creator of this game is an actual rapper so the theme and the custom soundtrack for this game make it very different compared to everything else out there. </li><li><b>Black Market Escape: Murder Co.</b> (Los Angeles): I played a version of this game in 2019, and it seems that it might be different now but if you are able to stomach this intense, gory game, then it'll be quite the gruesome experience. </li><li><b>Escape Revolution: Escobar</b> (Los Angeles): This game made us do things we would never ever do an an escape room and if you are willing to cough up the steep entry price of $90/person to play and want to see something new, try out "Escobar".</li></ul><div>We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Los Angeles to play escape rooms!</div></div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0522342 -118.24368495.7420003638211554 -153.3999349 62.362468036178846 -83.0874349tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-82154160193488427912021-06-12T15:28:00.000-07:002021-06-12T15:28:12.729-07:00District 3: Haunted (Regina, SK)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt2WlNqHeB4R6ETURyt_6NwIEHtBxf8AczmDEvbzS8pzQsmRqpiRhGyBPIDrMmyVF_6ShjvnXqGqwVXumERdNgjf6oBKYfwh-qtzbF241i5NzsqHP4Y8cb1vDSLh3vD4IgBkwBuLWY0w/s1000/online47.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Haunted" border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1000" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt2WlNqHeB4R6ETURyt_6NwIEHtBxf8AczmDEvbzS8pzQsmRqpiRhGyBPIDrMmyVF_6ShjvnXqGqwVXumERdNgjf6oBKYfwh-qtzbF241i5NzsqHP4Y8cb1vDSLh3vD4IgBkwBuLWY0w/w640-h578/online47.png" title="Haunted" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>We have not heard of many rooms from the Province of Saskatchewan (Canada) so when District 3 reached out to us, we were excited to see what they had to offer. From their site:</p><p></p><i>"The family of this home is searching for a good trustworthy group of people to housesit their manor for the Winter. During your time there, you learn about the caretaker and the family, the manor's secrets, and that maybe this isn't the dream stay you were after.</i><div><div><i><br /></i></div><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Set Design, Technology & Puzzles </span></h2><div>Haunted was a physical escape room that was adapted for online play. The set that the game took place in was ordinary but the host was extraordinary! He was comedic and quick on his feet, all while holding the webcam and opening locks for us. We particularly liked how the game was set up and the little touches that moved the story along. The puzzles themselves were standard and consisted of quite a few padlocks. The telescape technology, which we have started to become accustomed to, allowed us to examine clues at our leisure via a web browser and we also used it to enter some codes to solve puzzles. There was also an intricate story line that drove the story but as usual, I personally find it difficult to follow when trying to solve things. </div><div><br /></div><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Memorable Moments </span></h2>I have a sweet spot for when actors in a game try to be funny or dramatic. It's almost an extra bonus to see someone playing a fun role in a game and this was definitely the most memorable part of the experience. <br /><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Room For Improvement</span></h2>There were a few instances where we had to listen to audio clues that, if taken out of order, made things complicated. <div><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall Thoughts</span></h2>A great gamemaster/actor really made the difference in this game. If you are looking for a somewhat creepy (but not really), puzzly experience you should try out Haunted!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><br /><ul><li><b>Set design:</b> Average</li><li><b>Difficulty: </b>Average</li><li><b>Price:</b> +$19/player</li><li><b>Number of players:</b> +2, (we recommend 2-4), private</li><li><b>Duration:</b> 60 minutes</li><li><b>Overall Rating:</b> ★★★★</li></ul>See their website here: <a href="http://www.district3.ca/">http://www.district3.ca/</a><br /><br />Disclosure: District 3 comped the tickets for this game</div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-54632382737025553512021-05-19T20:05:00.003-07:002021-05-19T21:01:29.162-07:002020 Escape Room Enthusiast Survey<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9orGkvf0FxtrdTA9be4HXacSZq3xke_qqgWu-wT8oENWYhmOEPdPVs0Jl9akW9-FKJ0T0RGHW0ZrPtEW98Qf9ww1GWiAq8W92XZKAr1pw8AcuglzHHJuU0yB5reTrUeW7tOHAL5DVCgQ/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-05-16+at+8.30.55+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2020 Survey" border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="2048" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9orGkvf0FxtrdTA9be4HXacSZq3xke_qqgWu-wT8oENWYhmOEPdPVs0Jl9akW9-FKJ0T0RGHW0ZrPtEW98Qf9ww1GWiAq8W92XZKAr1pw8AcuglzHHJuU0yB5reTrUeW7tOHAL5DVCgQ/w640-h356/Screen+Shot+2021-05-16+at+8.30.55+PM.png" title="2020 Survey" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">Screenshot of the Interactive Dashboard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Lee-Fay and Errol have once again compiled the results of the annual Escape Room Enthusiast Survey and this time the focus was on online games. I tried to recreate the results and insights that Lee-Fay and Errol captured in the <a href="https://thecodex.ca/2020-online-escape-room-enthusiast-survey/" target="_blank">PDF report</a> which is quite a different take from the <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/12/escape-room-enthusiast-interactive.html" target="_blank">2019 visualization</a> version that was much more of a creative endeavor. </p><p>As always, the visualization is best viewed on a large screen and you should click around on various charts and filters to see how things turned out.</p><p>Click the this link to access the <a href="https://l.messenger.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.powerbi.com%2Fview%3Fr%3DeyJrIjoiMmM3NmVmOWEtOGFjNS00NGNkLTgwMjUtYmFjOGEwZTg2OTE2IiwidCI6Ijc0YzVjN2EyLTUwNjctNGY2ZC1iZDc4LTAzMWMzMDgxMWM3NiIsImMiOjZ9&h=AT3qunlv6nVrB_AOMqIVijDDeausp8S2i6fKql6yq_wku-ZHxtUZd6x4H-gRmucu8FiapLkJWHBHIpJQch5bTZ2ToSHD6s8g0iozAHX9Xx0ZcfdpdtrTLB45xI5unG1VoSznDSk" target="_blank">2020 Online Escape Room Enthusiast Visualization</a></p><p>Click this link to see <a href="https://thecodex.ca/2020-online-escape-room-enthusiast-survey/" target="_blank">the survey results document</a>.</p>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-77236107427631279492021-05-09T14:25:00.001-07:002021-05-09T14:25:19.604-07:00EscapeSF: King Arthur & Gingerbread House (San Francisco, CA )<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCT4pR09BLlDvo37fgx3MjQE6Is5-iYPrLd8Nicfkipey5-N2CD0GunYSxz-6urS0Pc2yxaB-28jjreAJVKmM2WZtY9YsULCQJtglY3rx9hIQp4q64adH86csEP9KxP0KdMNnQNVAZXCI/s4032/PXL_20210402_182126477.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCT4pR09BLlDvo37fgx3MjQE6Is5-iYPrLd8Nicfkipey5-N2CD0GunYSxz-6urS0Pc2yxaB-28jjreAJVKmM2WZtY9YsULCQJtglY3rx9hIQp4q64adH86csEP9KxP0KdMNnQNVAZXCI/w640-h480/PXL_20210402_182126477.MP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />We got to play our first in person escape room of the year at EscapeSF, located in Chinatown in San Francisco. It was such a great feeling to be able to physically touch things in an escape room rather than just viewing it through a computer. We ventured out to play the newly released King Arthur's Legacy and also a Christmas popup, Gingerbread Cottage Escape, that was never released due to Covid-19 shutdowns last year. From EscapeSF's site:<p></p><br /><i>"King Arthur's Legacy</i><div><i>Ages past and the Knights of the Round Table are no longer in Camelot. </i><i>The gift of Lady of the Lake is waiting for the hero and Merlin the Magician keeps its secrets. </i><i>You must assemble a company and get to the Excalibur. </i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Gingerbread Cottage Escape</i></div><div><div><i>Ding! Nothing beats the smell of fresh baked gingerbread cookies around the holidays...except when YOU are the gingerbread cookies. </i><i>*Kids friendly"</i></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Set Design, Technology & Puzzles </span></h2><div><b><i>King Arthur's Legacy</i></b></div><div>The set design in this game was on par with what one would expect in an office space right in the middle of Chinatown, however, the props that were used were great. The swords that were used were custom made from Russia and they were really heavy to lift! There were some neat surprises that we didn't expect and this reminded us of how much we loved playing physical escape rooms. EscapeSF was also the company where we played some of our very first games back in 2016 so it was great feeling to come back. Many of the puzzles were based on observation and ciphers that are prevalent in escape rooms.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Gingerbread Cottage</i></b></div><div>This game was designed for kids and we were told it was super easy but we loved the Christmas theme and how cute it was! The set was basic, but effective given that it was made for children. Experienced players would get out of this 45 minute room in 15-20 minutes so it's best to play with kids.</div><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Memorable Moments </span></h2>King Arthur's Legacy had a fun physical puzzle that fired us up and made our day. Gingerbread Cottage was just really cute and it's hard to forgot the Gingerbread man that you are trying to build. It reminded me of the same character in Shrek.<br /><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Room For Improvement</span></h2>We felt that the ending of the rooms lacked a grande finale that we often crave from an escape room. Also, the set design could have been more elaborate to provide a more realistic feeling of being in King Arthur's world. <div><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall Thoughts</span></h2>We enjoyed the first in person room we played in 2021 and while the games were not groundbreaking, they were definitely some solid fun.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><br /><ul><li><b>Set design:</b> Average</li><li><b>Difficulty: </b>Average</li><li><b>Price:</b> +$115/game</li><li><b>Number of players:</b> 2-7, (we recommend 2-3), private</li><li><b>Duration:</b> 60 minutes</li><li><b>Overall Rating:</b> ★★★★ (both games)</li></ul>See their website here: <a href="https://escapesf.net">https://escapesf.net</a><br /><br />Disclosure: EscapeSF comped the tickets for this game</div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-27307255490181170132021-04-18T13:50:00.001-07:002021-04-18T13:50:16.989-07:00Claustrophobia: Dream Factory (Online, Moscow, Russia)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WFlEPbpBJF7RQXBrKLnBF4HaF63gut9sYctpEAexpwaxWbhi_jHJqbL3reW0XTXumu6QwgSxor7N7LPIWF9EJvJt9XkIZsjZb2Gd2sI7uraGdYp_8c0zyXALpt7PSaPA-RbFARdc2-4/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-04-11+at+8.37.07+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dream Title" border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="2048" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WFlEPbpBJF7RQXBrKLnBF4HaF63gut9sYctpEAexpwaxWbhi_jHJqbL3reW0XTXumu6QwgSxor7N7LPIWF9EJvJt9XkIZsjZb2Gd2sI7uraGdYp_8c0zyXALpt7PSaPA-RbFARdc2-4/w640-h370/Screen+Shot+2021-04-11+at+8.37.07+PM.png" title="Dream Title" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://moscow.claustrophobia.com/en/quest/" target="_blank">Claustrophobia</a> invited us to play another large scale Zoom game called "Dream Factory". Like their first game we played (<a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/02/world-domination-online.html" target="_blank">World Domination</a>), there were six teams (four-five players per team) but this time each team represented a different <i>movie studio. </i>Each studio plotted towards achieving the biggest box office hits. This was more of a strategic game and not a traditional escape room as there were no puzzles to solve. We also teamed up with Room Escape Artist Hive Mind reviewers because of the scale of the game (see their review <a href="https://roomescapeartist.com/2021/04/07/claustrophobia-dream-factory-review/" target="_blank">here</a>). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In every round of this game, each studio had to choose the genre of movie they wanted to produce, attempt to sign a celebrity to play the star, invest in advertising, tap into the paparazzi or buy marketing forecasts for industry intel. Teams would meet in Zoom breakout rooms to discuss their selections in secret and then at the end of each of the five rounds, all teams would meet up and present their ideas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here is a breakdown of what each team had to be aware of.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ul><li><b>Movie Stars:</b> Each round you had to submit a single bid for one of four celebrities. If you were outbid, your movie would have no star and be adversely affected in terms of ticket sales. We asked if we could bid on two stars but were told that we probably shouldn't.</li><li><b>Genre</b>: Each round, a genre was also chosen and the box office forecasts for each genre could be known ahead of time if money was spent on a marketing forecast. The tricky part was that the box office dollars were split equally by all studios that had the same genre so it could be better to choose a less popular theme in order to get the full earnings potential.</li><li><b>Paparazzi</b>: Some celebrities would be caught in some scandals, thus affecting their movie box office performance. A studio could avoid this actor if they paid money for some intel.</li><li><b>Advertising: </b>This somehow affected your revenue as well but it wasn't quite clear as to how much of a difference it made.</li></ul></div><h3>Highlights and Memorable Moments</h3><div>Every round, each team had to present their film and it was fun but also quite stressful to come up with anything coherent in as little as eight minutes! At the end of the presentations, teams voted for what they thought was the best movie of the round and a score was presented. The goal of this game really wasn't to "win" but more to have fun with some ridiculous story telling. Once a studio had a box office lead, we noticed that they never got any votes for best movie, despite getting the most laughs or having the most clever punch lines. This was one of those games where everyone could team up and slow down the leader by simply not awarding them any votes. Nonetheless, this experience provided a ton of laughs and was highly dependent on the personalities of the individuals who participated. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of the movie hits was an extremely inappropriate, but hilarious NC-17 rated blockbuster that was concocted by some dirty minds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFPOJJsCMWD3a2GccnkzfIVKzAkrINpfo3Of_kS4v7kd5sMcNXC38RWW3-EbVjCMVx2m9tj__Qi0wPk4dx_wlmS5GyPQEzBPorYTKMibzAy_QootdWMI_W2j5ibRxuLN6hygEcgoBOM4/s2048/Dream+Factory.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dream Factory" border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="2048" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFPOJJsCMWD3a2GccnkzfIVKzAkrINpfo3Of_kS4v7kd5sMcNXC38RWW3-EbVjCMVx2m9tj__Qi0wPk4dx_wlmS5GyPQEzBPorYTKMibzAy_QootdWMI_W2j5ibRxuLN6hygEcgoBOM4/w640-h366/Dream+Factory.png" title="Dream Factory" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really amazing group of people!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><h3>Room For Improvement</h3></div><div>While there was a scoring system in the form of box office revenue, it wasn't quite clear how this was affected by the different elements in the game. How bad was it to not have a movie star or to not put any resources into advertising? We didn't have a clue. There was also some text that was still in Russian but we were able to Google translate it pretty quickly. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another aspect that should be considered was that shy people found themselves standing back as an observer. Perhaps a game mechanic that made everyone present something could have mitigated this?</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOn4QVcL5X_f0ZYn0_4x1zpn9knz1XzrD5oM2cqeWCZxch9TqS-Y0NUTofgsQuJ9EGFNTYV0Qx_fUQ5sq0Hsx6Efi5-oxbd59nJJAXqMnHp5umsNC0uffQR6BfCqy_845bbKCMwpa9kXc/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-04-11+at+8.36.41+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dream Score" border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="2048" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOn4QVcL5X_f0ZYn0_4x1zpn9knz1XzrD5oM2cqeWCZxch9TqS-Y0NUTofgsQuJ9EGFNTYV0Qx_fUQ5sq0Hsx6Efi5-oxbd59nJJAXqMnHp5umsNC0uffQR6BfCqy_845bbKCMwpa9kXc/w640-h370/Screen+Shot+2021-04-11+at+8.36.41+PM.png" title="Dream Score" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From Claustrophobia</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><h3>Overall Thoughts</h3></div><div>I always appreciate the large style online games (+30 players) as it's incredibly difficult to craft an activity where so many people, for the most part, can actively participate in. Dream Factory's free flowing structure opened the door to whatever was in the minds of its participants which led to something entertaining and hilarious. It was almost like watching an Improv show where all the participants were winners. We recommend playing this game with people who don't take themselves too seriously and who perhaps have a tad of silliness in them.</div><div><ul><li>Difficulty: Just have fun!</li><li>Number of players: 12-35 (we recommend 24)</li><li>Duration: 1.5-2 hours</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><i>Disclosure: Claustrophobia comped the tickets for this game</i></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-58702189550670776562021-03-27T15:59:00.002-07:002021-03-27T15:59:47.048-07:00The Secret Library: Escape Atlantis (Online)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KV2m84qpRlLwC-wIRzDAfpkyS-Lc1hQbha5Vw3g8SXbdfNOGWrqFCZ6uYEv3zpP1t5BsC1BEeIgVX4KIX3hBFOLR4cW8Qv5N3ZSRIsBAOhtGainuy_ectVhnwJks4YeGqDnNvezJf1I/s1675/Escape+Atlantis.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Escape Atlantis" border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1675" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KV2m84qpRlLwC-wIRzDAfpkyS-Lc1hQbha5Vw3g8SXbdfNOGWrqFCZ6uYEv3zpP1t5BsC1BEeIgVX4KIX3hBFOLR4cW8Qv5N3ZSRIsBAOhtGainuy_ectVhnwJks4YeGqDnNvezJf1I/w640-h300/Escape+Atlantis.png" title="Escape Atlantis" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Secret Library's newest game, "Escape Atlantis", was the first escape room game that we played in 2021. It has been a slow year and we are really hoping that things pick up soon and that everything returns to normal. Nonetheless, we happily took our group of six players into this game with no prior knowledge of what to expect which was a rarity for us! From Secret Library's site:<div><br /><i>"</i><i>Escape Atlantis is a traditional escape room with challenging puzzles and a unique storyline within the Secret Library narrative universe. This experience ventures beyond the common videoconferencing experience to include an integrated floorplan to encourage immersion and autonomy. Search for clues and work collboratively as you uncover the mysteries surrounding this ethereal realm of knowledge. This experience utilizes interactive features to bring you into the story even before the event even begins."</i><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>The layout of the game was something that we had not seen before in the previous online escape rooms played. There was a mini-map of Atlantis where we could click on different locations in order to "travel" there. Once at the location, we had access to puzzle elements and the input mechanic was typically typing in the answer. The novel part was that people in the same room were able to see and talk to each other with what seemed to be some sort of Zoom video integration. When players left the room, you could no longer communicate with them so this was a pretty realistic way of simulating a physical escape room. The game also utilized videos in order to tell the story throughout the experience. </div><div><br /></div><div>The puzzles in the game were standard for escape rooms and involved logic, ciphers codes and pattern recognition. </div><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Highlights and Memorable Moments </span></h2>The technology used to move people around the virtual space was great. Popping in and out of a location and seeing who was in the room with you provided a strong sense of connection that we normally take for granted when everyone can always see each other. The finale also provided some inadvertent laughs as we botched the last riddle with some ridiculous logic. <br /><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Room For Improvement</span></h2>The puzzles were similar to puzzles that you would find on paper in an escape room. The puzzles were all fair and logical but we felt that they didn't leverage the online medium in a way that other online escape rooms did. Also, looking at puzzles pieces on multiple tabs was a bit clunky.<div><br /><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall Thoughts</span></h2>This game would be great for players who like a traditional "point and click" game and who are itching to get back into playing escape rooms. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><br /><ul><li><b>Set design:</b> 2D Map</li><li><b>Difficulty: </b>Average</li><li><b>Price:</b> $100/game</li><li><b>Number of players:</b> Up to 8, (we recommend 3-4), private</li><li><b>Duration:</b> 60 minutes</li><li><b>Overall Rating (For Online games):</b> ★★★★</li></ul>See their website here: <a href="https://www.secretlibrary.io">https://www.secretlibrary.io</a><br /><br />Disclosure: The Secret Library comped the tickets for this game</div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-57637583484130770472021-02-01T20:17:00.005-08:002021-02-01T20:18:15.067-08:00World Domination (Online, Claustrophobia/Tulleys Escape)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwb0Ju2_CC_sErsIb6dVjZwAFl6uAuB-ffpyNEkc0I7ryBbj-Fo4Gb52H3iCa9Kn4BkeyPEU4zA9z2KgU2eQkGIY7bLmBiKPklD1lbkkqJlesL0WXccYjUHQTtcKgmByEQ6g08uPlWQg/s2795/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+5.05.34+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Global dominance banner" border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2795" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwb0Ju2_CC_sErsIb6dVjZwAFl6uAuB-ffpyNEkc0I7ryBbj-Fo4Gb52H3iCa9Kn4BkeyPEU4zA9z2KgU2eQkGIY7bLmBiKPklD1lbkkqJlesL0WXccYjUHQTtcKgmByEQ6g08uPlWQg/w640-h258/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+5.05.34+PM.png" title="Global dominance banner" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One of the world's largest escape room creators, <a href="https://moscow.claustrophobia.com/en/quest/" target="_blank">Claustrophobia</a>, has created an online game called World Domination, where six teams (four to five players per team), each representing a different country, plot towards achieving...world domination. We played the English version of this game via Tulleys Escape Room in London, where we actually had the pleasure in 2019 to play their wonderful <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/07/tulleys-escape-dodge-city-nethercott.html" target="_blank">physical escape rooms</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In this game, each country can focus on growing their economy, which in turns gives them more money to spend on actions the next round, or developing a nuclear program and bombing other cities. There are 6 rounds and before each round, there is a 15 minute negotiation period where teams can decide how to spend their money and also visit other countries to negotiate whatever nefarious plans they may have. As countries develop their cities, their average standard of living score increases but if a city is bombed, that city's score goes to zero. The country with the highest score after six rounds is the winner. This online game takes place via a Zoom conference call.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Each country can spend their money on the following actions:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Develop their cities and helping grow their economy (more $ for the next round)</li><li>Put a shield on one of their own cities</li><li>Research nuclear technology (eventually make and launch bombs)</li><li>Improving the world ecology</li><li>Sanction another country to reduce their economy</li></ul></div><h3><br /></h3><h3>Highlights and Memorable Moments</h3><div>The game is not an escape room but more like a game of Risk mixed in with a lot of behind the scenes negotiations. The people that you play with will have much more of an impact on how entertaining the game is even when compared to an escape room where your teammates are really important. The fun really happens when you act as an ambassador and visit another country's zoom chat to try and strike a deal or get insights. Improv and charm will go a long way and if you are not comfortable with that, it might be a bit awkward. At the end of each round, the UN Speaker (i.e. game master) will show the status of the standard of living for every city and this is how everyone can see if some countries have been investing their economy or...weapons!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxoMEg8r2UlsxwYw77dz_MgzqfJeMDSHFovtXIrK9rQ_YX-1eZR9gI7nPP_ABhGqyg44_AqEukLvyYINe1YBqxAhcKQaRErP23ncSwFZV53r6IbVtPBHAiuwNvvY-ra8mNzy-2oAikh4/s2553/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+4.55.12+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Zoom screenshot of the group" border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="2553" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxoMEg8r2UlsxwYw77dz_MgzqfJeMDSHFovtXIrK9rQ_YX-1eZR9gI7nPP_ABhGqyg44_AqEukLvyYINe1YBqxAhcKQaRErP23ncSwFZV53r6IbVtPBHAiuwNvvY-ra8mNzy-2oAikh4/w640-h308/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+4.55.12+PM.png" title="Zoom screenshot of the group" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As the President of each country voices their opinions for the state of affairs, many things can be taken out of context which is actually how real life politics works. For example, our President was making small talk and congratulating the countries with the highest standard of living with no ill intentions, yet we found out that those countries thought we were trying to paint a target on their backs. It was really fun to see some people doing their best to act Presidential and everyone in our game happened to be really polite and almost too nice. It would have been funnier to have a bad boy who did crazy stuff. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>It was amazing to get such a big group of people together and to interact with them in such an engaging manner. My country, the Bahamas, was able to coordinate precise attacks on two of the top cities in the game to radically change the leaderboard. The final round had TONS of bombing with basically every country losing at least one city. Here were the results of the game:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZe8sWNSWfss0bHpCG8f_GEJRSjwahhrXONbZZNqUnne65ObXgsy5pcq8MlYVlw3fLE9i6b4faZFxCR6fW2N_6R0xMBU13u0YYqlQiRsNaNOct_k2yQAxLPU-mQuMIwylExdU3FZiTBY/s1632/Screen+Shot+2021-02-01+at+8.12.17+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Game Leaderboard" border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="1632" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZe8sWNSWfss0bHpCG8f_GEJRSjwahhrXONbZZNqUnne65ObXgsy5pcq8MlYVlw3fLE9i6b4faZFxCR6fW2N_6R0xMBU13u0YYqlQiRsNaNOct_k2yQAxLPU-mQuMIwylExdU3FZiTBY/w640-h574/Screen+Shot+2021-02-01+at+8.12.17+PM.png" title="Game Leaderboard" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGY0axjP6H1sjRZ0gT3_h0SgLZjgY3orMtX8T585xR5aWoNJSPkk6Q0XEFUWzVTLMkm1GDYwZiLVEaWuKFl8W6EH6HL_yuzBVg1-oBSqwTUDIoYNmSN8DrnQWrvBBaIBDv6wJDnb-vG0/s1768/Screen+Shot+2021-02-01+at+8.14.45+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Game Results" border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="1768" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGY0axjP6H1sjRZ0gT3_h0SgLZjgY3orMtX8T585xR5aWoNJSPkk6Q0XEFUWzVTLMkm1GDYwZiLVEaWuKFl8W6EH6HL_yuzBVg1-oBSqwTUDIoYNmSN8DrnQWrvBBaIBDv6wJDnb-vG0/w640-h452/Screen+Shot+2021-02-01+at+8.14.45+PM.png" title="Game Results" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3>Room For Improvement</h3></div><div>From a technical aspect, some players got stuck in another country's Zoom meeting as you had to press the help button and wait for a UN representative to transfer you back to your own country's Zoom break out room. This was generally fine for all but the final frantic round where everyone was trying to strike deals. It was difficult to get a meeting with another country because the UN representatives were super busy and it was nerve wracking to see the clock ticking down while your game depended on reaching out to another country to take down the leaders.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was some dead air in between rounds when the Presidents of each country were allowed to openly discuss things. I think that more prompting by the UN for each country to at least give some words each round would have made things more interesting. Of course, this is where having colorful people in the game makes things super funny.</div><div><br /></div><div>One more round, for a total of seven rounds, would have been preferable as all the action takes place towards the end. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h3>Overall Thoughts</h3></div><div>World Domination was a unique and entertaining experience. The group dynamics is even more fun when you know the majority of the people in the game. While there were some frantic moments and some logistics that can be improved upon, the game really worked well with such a large group and the more extroverted the people, the funnier it will be! If you can wrangle a sizable crowd or want to celebrate an event, this would surely be memorable and enjoyable.</div><div><ul><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: £9.95/person</li><li>Number of players: 12-35 (we recommend 24)</li><li>Duration: 1.5-2 hours</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><i>Disclosure: Tulleys Escape Rooms & Games comped the tickets for this game</i></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-31420670461333465502021-01-05T20:08:00.004-08:002021-10-24T18:22:26.130-07:002020 Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgK-Ht4ffgyhzm1F7E5hGsYLWFZas2lTcsV3lGnao7rUfJUS5WsY3gXLRkkV-jILTM_20ioxiWvb2j5-eBupnp89_tQYo_-71FQ5A0sBD2S-aoW2w38Z4VKQ9_IEyq4zwffVP6E9pyl0/s1188/2020+Au+Medals+Header.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1188" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgK-Ht4ffgyhzm1F7E5hGsYLWFZas2lTcsV3lGnao7rUfJUS5WsY3gXLRkkV-jILTM_20ioxiWvb2j5-eBupnp89_tQYo_-71FQ5A0sBD2S-aoW2w38Z4VKQ9_IEyq4zwffVP6E9pyl0/w640-h564/2020+Au+Medals+Header.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2020 was a crazy year and we wanted to look back at the positives and announce a short list of top escape rooms that we played. The winners below are a mix of both traditional physical rooms and online based games.<br />
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Achievement unlocked medals are awarded every year to the top escape rooms played by Escape Rumors. There is no limit in terms of rooms awarded and they are sorted <b>alphabetically</b>.</div>
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The escape rooms with direct links have reviews. Feel free to contact us at info@escaperumors.com for any comments or questions.<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists</b></i></span><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/11/denver-escape-room-recap.html" target="_blank">Frost Base Z (Rabbit Hole, Denver, Colorado)</a></b><br />Frost Base Z takes place on a magnificent frozen base straight out of the movies!</div><div><br /></div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2021/10/trivium-ghost-patrol-emeryville-ca.html" target="_blank">Ghost Patrol (Trivium, Emeryville, California) </a></b><br /><div>The clean design along some great puzzle evolution all the way to the finale makes Ghost Patrol a satisfying experience from beginning to end!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/11/denver-escape-room-recap.html" target="_blank">Plight Of The Margo Part 1 & 2 (ConTRAPtions, For Collins, Colorado)</a></b><br />This puzzle-heavy escape room has the most intense starship set design we have ever seen, along with some serious equipment to go along with it!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/12/2020-online-escape-room-recap.html" target="_blank">Pursuit of Assassin Artist (Omescape, Online)</a></b><br /><div>Pursuit of The Assassin Artist delivers a top of class experience with a novel game mechanic that will reset your expectations of an online escape room!</div><div><br />
<b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/10/north-carolina-south-carolina-escape.html" target="_blank">Starlight Motel (Escape Artist, Greenville, South Carolina)</a></b><br />Some fun actor interaction, sprinkled with some tense moments within a creepy motel is what makes this room standout when compared to others in the genre!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/12/2020-online-escape-room-recap.html" target="_blank">The Truth About Edith (Mad Genius Escape Co., Online)</a></b><br />The Truth About Edith blends a whimsical storyline, fun mini-games and a 97 year young lady all into a comedic and delightful experience not to be missed!<br />
<br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/12/2020-online-escape-room-recap.html" target="_blank">Virtual X-Caper (Agent November, Online)</a></b></span><br />
If you are looking for a lighthearted, witty and genuinely hilarious online escape room, you should definitely play Virtual X-Caper!<br /><div><br /></div>
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Congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to 2021!<br />
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</div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-53300325973243581302020-12-05T15:21:00.004-08:002021-01-04T20:44:41.720-08:002020 Online Escape Room Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrf7N-0Ofm1rUVDjkdzlUnglxKyZ6YbIBoLyjqGmbKjPVSxX9ED9SjLS4C_5JWD7P5sHLFSwNxmpp1eN1IRSeHMjqUMfxUShSvkUN1X5E2ey8ohcQ2EpCR_cEGWhfOMCQRBhJKpRSzFHg/s1180/112504.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1180" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrf7N-0Ofm1rUVDjkdzlUnglxKyZ6YbIBoLyjqGmbKjPVSxX9ED9SjLS4C_5JWD7P5sHLFSwNxmpp1eN1IRSeHMjqUMfxUShSvkUN1X5E2ey8ohcQ2EpCR_cEGWhfOMCQRBhJKpRSzFHg/w640-h564/112504.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many fine online games played this year!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Over the course of this crazy year, we had the opportunity to play a few more online escape rooms, in addition to some great ones like <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/05/mad-genius-truth-about-edith-online-game.html" target="_blank">"The Truth About Edith"</a> and <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/09/the-escape-game-ruins-forbidden.html">"The Ruins"</a> earlier this year. Here is our recap of new games played</div><h3><br /></h3><h3>Play-At-Home Escape Room Recap</h3><div><br /></div><div><b>Lost Escape: The Steampunk Adventure (Lithuania)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This was a physical room that was available for online play via an avatar who was extremely friendly and welcoming. Prior to playing the game, we were sent an email with some images that provided a closer look at some elements in the actual room. While the gameplay was standard for a linear escape room, the contraptions and steampunk devices were just wonderful to see and "play" with. It was one of those rooms that would have been great to play in person because of all of the tactile puzzles (no padlocks) and cool gadgets to fiddle around with. There were some nice special effects (again, wish we saw them in person) and you could the passion that the creators had in producing a nicely polished game. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Steampunk Adventure game transports you into an immersive world with tons of delightful and interactive mechanical devices. To top it off, we had a superb Avatar that perfectly helped us along the way and we can't wait to play their next adventure!</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great!</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: €10/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Os5gAFU7kFu413h-QnrWD2hyphenhyphenR_0kM_d9hANmAH98uR4gLgqq2EyN_OOSwkyoZyltMiaF94EZSTFqpZzDj-GmJGTjDxdCeFv2um-1mQqT_xgcMD0tNa3rYeCRLbRBznfLb33pZ-JT18I/s1605/Screen+Shot+2020-11-15+at+10.52.11+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Steampunk Adventure" border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="1605" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Os5gAFU7kFu413h-QnrWD2hyphenhyphenR_0kM_d9hANmAH98uR4gLgqq2EyN_OOSwkyoZyltMiaF94EZSTFqpZzDj-GmJGTjDxdCeFv2um-1mQqT_xgcMD0tNa3rYeCRLbRBznfLb33pZ-JT18I/w640-h474/Screen+Shot+2020-11-15+at+10.52.11+AM.png" title="Steampunk Adventure" width="640" /></a></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span></div><div><b>Agent November: Virtual X-Caper (London, UK)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Based on previous experiences, I believe that games in London always have great actors. This could be due to either of the following reasons: Actors are London's greatest export / Anyone with a British accent sounds prestigious. Virtual X-Caper was no exception as the actor in this game was brilliant in a comedic and whimsical fashion. The game starts off with you seeing/hearing everything that your avatar sees and they did a great job in making us feel that we were in his head.</div><div><br /></div><div>As you might have guessed, the highlight of this game was the actor interaction that took place in what was otherwise a basic set and a common spy theme. Sometimes we would laugh as our spy proceeded to be silly while in the back of our minds we wanted to shout out "we don't have time for this you fool!". There were a decent amount of padlocks to open, paper puzzles to solve, some meta video games nods and some nice touches of real life elements. While this game might be a bit on the lighter side for puzzlers, I think that anyone with a good sense of humor will appreciate the game for what it is. I tend to prefer immersion over puzzles and I quite thoroughly enjoyed this experience because of the puns and the witty character at hand. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you are looking for a lighthearted, witty and genuinely hilarious online escape room, you should definitely play Virtual X-Caper! Can we have more of Agent November please?</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Basic</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: ~$20/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JtWosYNDbAyb1EjTc-q2L38h8NEwIIs4WwqHv8SFg1to2It2yCp11ogtGcfbCG6fKCwBKlUqEDxXNR4lGKDf-iEMk9SciFecAceRCHuZdccc8FzTCZ-kiJ1jpdKZWSOHGLa6-V87VeY/s2048/Screen+Shot+2020-11-23+at+5.30.24+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Virtual X-Caper" border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JtWosYNDbAyb1EjTc-q2L38h8NEwIIs4WwqHv8SFg1to2It2yCp11ogtGcfbCG6fKCwBKlUqEDxXNR4lGKDf-iEMk9SciFecAceRCHuZdccc8FzTCZ-kiJ1jpdKZWSOHGLa6-V87VeY/w640-h386/Screen+Shot+2020-11-23+at+5.30.24+PM.png" title="Virtual X-Caper" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div><b>Omescape : Pursuit of The Assassin Artist (Sunnyvale, CA)</b><br /><div><br /></div><div>This is another really fascinating online only game where we had a video game-like mechanic of having "multiple lives". The decisions we made could lead to our Avatar's death and the game would start over from scratch and we'd have to repeat our actions in order to advance again. The element of role-playing was big so if you are into that, you would definitely like this game. While the puzzles were not overly complex, there were a few times where we had to do things that are not permissible in an actual escape room. Overall, the unique format and the great dynamics of having two actors makes this a great room if you could swallow the price tag of $190/game. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pursuit of The Assassin Artist delivers a top of class experience with a novel game mechanic that will reset your expectations of an online escape room!</div><div><ul><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $190! flat fee per game </li><li>Number of players: 2-8, (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 90 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span>★★</li></ul></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw5hSVehSmddDf_fZo7-5IooGZ5pAA6EyZ5_pQP-qt2nqeXcr1v0N09oTwxQrgjwIFByVQ1SkF-GVyirt3BW_07-JIrjcwBefYXWJ0Jb6XilQwNIsey7mqSL_AknXx5hxkbBSQoKaB4E/s2048/Screen+Shot+2020-11-25+at+12.27.04+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw5hSVehSmddDf_fZo7-5IooGZ5pAA6EyZ5_pQP-qt2nqeXcr1v0N09oTwxQrgjwIFByVQ1SkF-GVyirt3BW_07-JIrjcwBefYXWJ0Jb6XilQwNIsey7mqSL_AknXx5hxkbBSQoKaB4E/w640-h382/Screen+Shot+2020-11-25+at+12.27.04+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>60out : Orion's Ridiculous Revenge (Los Angeles, CA)</b><br /><div><br /></div><div>This was a free game offered by 60out and was a mix of a point-and-click game with cut scenes that were used to move the story along. There was a live game master that helped with setting everything up but was for the most part not part of the game. At first when I heard about the format, I had my doubts but the game was well done and funny if you are ok with some raunchy humor. There were a lot of adult-only references so keep that in mind if you are thinking about playing this game. We had a lot of laughs and your enjoyment will be a lot more dependent on who you play even with compared to other games. At times, we could fast tracked our way through or half-heartedly play along with some of the sillier elements but we were all fully engaged!</div><div><ul><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: Was free but now $15/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 8, (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span>★★</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><b>Society of Curiosities : Mysterious Map Heist (Online/Physical)</b><br /><div><br /></div><div>We received an envelope in the mail that brought us on a treasure hunt for. The contents of the envelope were some paper puzzles and some clues to help find an artifact of some sort. What was really clever about this game was how they integrated real life concepts that blurred the line between game play and reality. One of the most gratifying aspects involved interacting with one of the characters in the game via actual text messaging. We didn't know if we were texting a bot or an actual person so we tried some off topic messages and it really felt like there was a real person on the other end. If we can't tell the difference, then does it really matter?</div><div><ul><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $30-$40/person </li><li>Number of players: 2-8, (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZc_QMCDQvxQtSNEf4d9XBQKRs2ILW4lKcNOjgy5907AYbwuv5jQDJrq_VWrHYgjA70n7hm3rvMR9O9WbNNm_g-wRvvrHf_SRTG7LBwWa8DKJMoAw3zMo_KLzvbeXVaPRYgkWYc2VF20/s1622/Screen+Shot+2020-11-23+at+2.38.01+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mysterious Map" border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1622" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZc_QMCDQvxQtSNEf4d9XBQKRs2ILW4lKcNOjgy5907AYbwuv5jQDJrq_VWrHYgjA70n7hm3rvMR9O9WbNNm_g-wRvvrHf_SRTG7LBwWa8DKJMoAw3zMo_KLzvbeXVaPRYgkWYc2VF20/w640-h314/Screen+Shot+2020-11-23+at+2.38.01+PM.png" title="Mysterious Map" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Image from societyofcuriosities.com</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><br /></b><b>The Escape Game: Truth Seekers (Nashville, TN)</b><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This game was a modified version of The Escape Game's "The Heist" room and a tie-in to a new show, "Truth Seekers, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on Amazon Prime. Just like their other game (<a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/09/the-escape-game-ruins-forbidden.html" target="_blank">Ruins</a>) that we played, we had a live avatar who took directions from the group and played through a physical room. The same 360 degree room view and inventory was used which really helped with any sort of motion sickness that one might experience. Our avatar was helpful and very professional and The Escape Game seems to always excel in this aspect. Overall, the game was pretty short (32 minutes) but a great entry into the world of online escape rooms.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Fine </li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: Free</li><li># of Players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 45 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating:<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";"> ★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span>★★</li></ul><br /><div><br /></div><b>Wild Hare Escapes: Serf's Quest (Online Only)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This retro-style point-and-click game was a parody of games like King's Quest. The 8-bit look along with the old school feeling were spot on. One of the highlights of this game was all the puns which gave the team a few good laughs. One room for improvement would be to automate hints with text boxes as opposed to having a live game master read them out to you. We were two remote groups that were essentially playing the game independently so any tasks that one group did, the other would have to backtrack and do the same. This format would be better suited as a single player/connection game. </div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Nice 8-bit graphics</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $25/person</li><li>Number of players: Up to 10 (we recommend 2-3 with one connection)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="font-family: calibri;"><span style="background-color: white;">N/A, not an online escape room</span></span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOT5Ac-qezNAPwbZx8J7xM87VGDlH3US_baxLipyuLIerQTXwbCIFeowsUFFKTk_ce-Nf62CgexqTs0B3J93fZjVHQTMp7JLjtVWcLVo5U8CF36g-3FmwfDGPREVcFeiymj7SRl6Yous/s784/SQLogo_BlackBackground+copy.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="784" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOT5Ac-qezNAPwbZx8J7xM87VGDlH3US_baxLipyuLIerQTXwbCIFeowsUFFKTk_ce-Nf62CgexqTs0B3J93fZjVHQTMp7JLjtVWcLVo5U8CF36g-3FmwfDGPREVcFeiymj7SRl6Yous/s320/SQLogo_BlackBackground+copy.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div> </div><b><div><b>The Room VR: A Dark Matter (Oculus Quest)</b> </div></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>This multiple award winning VR game was extremely polished and clean. So far, this game was the closest a virtual game could get in terms of replicating the feel of a physical escape room. While the old school theme wasn't one of my favorite, the game play was so gratifying and smooth that I kept getting sucked back into it.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Amazing VR sets</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $30</li><li>Number of players: 1</li><li>Duration: 4-5 hours</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";"><span>★★★★★</span></span></li></ul></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" height="500px" src=" https://momento360.com/e/u/8f6370392dd342de920cd61e276b2221" style="border: 0 none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16) 0px 3px 20px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.23) 0px 3px 20px; display: block; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 880px;" width="90%"></iframe></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><h3>Other Online Rooms Previously Played</h3><ul><li><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/05/mad-genius-truth-about-edith-online-game.html" target="_blank">The Truth About Edith Review</a></b>: A top notch online only game that is highly recommended!</li><li><b><a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/09/the-escape-game-ruins-forbidden.html" target="_blank">Ruins Review</a></b>: Another top game that we also want to play in person.</li></ul><div>We hope this post helps out anyone who is looking for some online escape rooms to play!</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Note that some of the above games may have been complimentary to our team.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-14701255956505570852020-11-21T12:23:00.003-08:002021-01-09T14:22:04.569-08:00Denver Escape Room Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Sx8qcxzu36urUMIYAd0MxfAz0bu41FdEPB10y0Uf70Lb2lhmrVVVxNkQ9oxt7MVAmsW3ODNjknql31IFABp5aV-lxIHU2sAb2xtu4RUet_bDSL5X-O_WbF7qi366pGwfz9KLKGWkXQ8/s4032/PXL_20201004_181122132.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rabbit Hole Paradox" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Sx8qcxzu36urUMIYAd0MxfAz0bu41FdEPB10y0Uf70Lb2lhmrVVVxNkQ9oxt7MVAmsW3ODNjknql31IFABp5aV-lxIHU2sAb2xtu4RUet_bDSL5X-O_WbF7qi366pGwfz9KLKGWkXQ8/w640-h360/PXL_20201004_181122132.MP.jpg" title="Rabbit Hole Paradox" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>A short stop over in Denver allowed us to play a handful of really fun games. We did not have much time but we were still able to hit most of the top locations in the area. We were also fortunate enough to make our way to Fort Collins for a day as well and the below will recap our experiences.</div><h3><b></b></h3><h3><b><br /></b></h3><h3><b>Impressions & Observations During Our Denver Escape Room Trip</b></h3><i><div><i><br /></i></div>Getting Around</i><br />We opted to use ride apps to get around because renting a car for some reason was almost $100/day. It worked out cheaper for us this way and were lucky to get a lift up to Fort Collins.<br /><br /><i>Game Impressions</i><br />The level of polish for the games that we played was high and the puzzling was also challenging. One of the games we played had such a stunning atmosphere and another was difficult to the point where I could see a lot of people struggling to enjoy the moment. More on this to come.<br /><br /><i>Do Other Things </i><br />We really did not have much time but many people have recommended a visit to Colorado Springs. Perhaps the next time we visit we will be able to see a little more of the area and the surroundings.<br /><h3><br /></h3><h3>Denver Escape Room Recap</h3><div><br /></div><b>Rabbit Hole (Louisville, CO)</b><br /><i>Games played: "Frost Base Z" and "Paradox"</i><div><br /></div><div>"Frost Base Z" took place on a magnificent frozen base straight out of the movies! While the "virus in the lab" theme was far from unique, the execution of this game was at another level compared to most games out there. The puzzles were thematic and it made us feel that we were in a different world. It might be because I am a huge sci-fi fan but I really enjoyed the tech used to integrate the puzzles and move the story along. This was our favorite room in Denver.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Paradox" had an inventor's theme and the central gameplay revolved around a sleek looking centerpiece. The game started off in an ordinary fashion and there were some really visually spectacular effects that took place. Solid game play, similar to "Frost Base Z", but with less discovery.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Amazing!</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li><li>Price: $30-$40/person </li><li>Number of players: 2-8, (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: Frost Base Z <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span>, Paradox<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>½</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLegr70x46vXzVRN2gaTg5st4BZalE_s1cHntIG66Ngvv19h_WP_ks7UzKj3W3I093IecF8xcN9SYuKPZQ__ztaF1-AJlQKVKD1u13rfYzvDUy2qzKoeS-Ovh_gKkaBJIX1X3i-ros4TY/s4032/PXL_20201004_181353405.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Frost Base Z" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLegr70x46vXzVRN2gaTg5st4BZalE_s1cHntIG66Ngvv19h_WP_ks7UzKj3W3I093IecF8xcN9SYuKPZQ__ztaF1-AJlQKVKD1u13rfYzvDUy2qzKoeS-Ovh_gKkaBJIX1X3i-ros4TY/w640-h360/PXL_20201004_181353405.NIGHT.jpg" title="Frost Base Z" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMOdMO6MPQKR0ihl4n7rIaFH2aZ75ugGQxfQxhHktjj4n2m6Z3uEMz24okt5CAGmb3IJe-OZu77wi8DM_kEnGyduGYOSVVI3r-9jyD0MAuNhfDWIPVw3Y90rYOQEOickKaytfUVKmlAE/s4032/PXL_20201004_180912526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rabbit Hole Lobby" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMOdMO6MPQKR0ihl4n7rIaFH2aZ75ugGQxfQxhHktjj4n2m6Z3uEMz24okt5CAGmb3IJe-OZu77wi8DM_kEnGyduGYOSVVI3r-9jyD0MAuNhfDWIPVw3Y90rYOQEOickKaytfUVKmlAE/w640-h360/PXL_20201004_180912526.jpg" title="Rabbit Hole Lobby" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><b>Conundrum (Arvada, CO)</b><br /><i>Games played: "Experiment C73", "Hollywood Mystery"</i></div><div><br /></div><div>"Experiment C73" was a psychological experiment that had a lot of "aha" puzzles. There wasn't anything flashy but the gameplay was clever, clean and different enough to be a very enjoyable room. I am biased towards rooms that make me chuckle. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Hollywood Mystery" was a standard room meant for beginners and it would actually be a great starter room for anyone. It's easy and gets your feet wet in the world of escape rooms.</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Average </li><li>Difficulty: Easy/Medium</li><li>Price: $25-$40/person </li><li># of Players: 2-8 (we recommend 2)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating:<span style="color: orange; font-family: calibri;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">Experiment C73 ★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri;">★</span>½, Paradox ★★★</li></ul><div><br /></div><b>303 Escape (Thornton, CO)</b><br /><i>Games played: "Homicide Hotel"</i></div><div><br /></div><div>"Homicide Hotel" was the new kid in town and almost nobody we knew had the chance to play this game. I normally skip horror rooms but was assured this was more creepy than scary. The room turned out to be a pleasant surprise with great immersion and discovery. It was on the easier side but it is defintely work playing if you are in the area.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great!</li><li>Difficulty: Easy</li><li>Price: $30-40/person</li><li>Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 2-3)</li><li>Duration: 60 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>½</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_UyMDcxo011TOOwxPULgAl7lLFmU2c098Fdd3vNn-estFi12uiQb45pnuEFT_qaimUFEtiwm_ocSJjF_tmr0yimNWw3F02Rl6RQ3AZ-Nwya6X2cGkI5HR3N-iqsK1SPgRjM0hjwdnj4/s4032/PXL_20201005_002352795.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="303 Escape" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_UyMDcxo011TOOwxPULgAl7lLFmU2c098Fdd3vNn-estFi12uiQb45pnuEFT_qaimUFEtiwm_ocSJjF_tmr0yimNWw3F02Rl6RQ3AZ-Nwya6X2cGkI5HR3N-iqsK1SPgRjM0hjwdnj4/w640-h360/PXL_20201005_002352795.MP.jpg" title="303 Escape" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div> </div><b><div><b>ConTRAPtions (Fort Collins, CO)</b> </div></b></div><div><i>Games Played: "Plight of the Margo Part 1 & 2"</i></div><div><br /></div><div>"Plight of the Margo" was an interesting game. The set felt like an actual industrial spaceship like what you see in the movies. The computer interface was something out of a movie. The props were great and there were so many things in the room that...we often did not have a clue what to do. This 3 hour game had a LOT going on and the level of difficulty was very high. We played with two newbies and you could tell that it was just too much. At times, some teammates would spend 20 minutes on a task where they <i>knew </i>exactly what to do, it just was hard to get right. Indeed a polarizing game but nonetheless quite impressive for seasoned veterans looking for something different.</div><div><ul><li>Set Design: Great!</li><li>Difficulty: Very Hard</li><li>Price: $76/person </li><li>Number of players: Up to 10 (we recommend 4-6)</li><li>Duration: 180 minutes</li><li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";"><span>★★★★★ (for the puzzle inclined only)</span></span> </li></ul></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXznoIv5vCXPbdwqkG5oDyBtakzLn3uX-gYkDlcVClTBaiSdXUQvq7yi4SZc3NS1kxgVaA3uIl-vnlPAhC_VPSWa5x42J2P1y1NYOZcIIF5ZNgGaJ5arGPTZXCeCedvWx_PSUVvc4CQg/s1440/Margo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margo Group" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXznoIv5vCXPbdwqkG5oDyBtakzLn3uX-gYkDlcVClTBaiSdXUQvq7yi4SZc3NS1kxgVaA3uIl-vnlPAhC_VPSWa5x42J2P1y1NYOZcIIF5ZNgGaJ5arGPTZXCeCedvWx_PSUVvc4CQg/w640-h480/Margo.jpg" title="Margo Group" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div></div><div><h3>Other Escape Rooms In The Area</h3>Some other rooms that we heard great things about during our research and talks with locals but did not play were:<ul><li><b>Rabbit Hole</b>: We didn't get to play "Ruins of the Mystic Temple"</li><li><b>Fort Collins Escape Room</b>: Just a few blocks from ConTRAPtions but we didn't have time to swing by.</li></ul><div>We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Denver to play escape rooms!</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-29299755859458451692020-10-18T21:10:00.002-07:002020-11-21T12:06:59.717-08:00North Carolina & South Carolina Escape Room Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xc8K-ur7neFx44anWdHjvlGQ_tk38g1LLvNQE-VxANY69FOc0bliS02Of69zMYJ8bIG5AlCBY6jT-wcb_EZhSuT9tH7MIdeAKNE1NAVl2knfO4jRbYAjgfWNWDXRj_lCNUzHnucpwZM/s4032/PXL_20200916_005731306.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Crystal Cave at Valcarol" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xc8K-ur7neFx44anWdHjvlGQ_tk38g1LLvNQE-VxANY69FOc0bliS02Of69zMYJ8bIG5AlCBY6jT-wcb_EZhSuT9tH7MIdeAKNE1NAVl2knfO4jRbYAjgfWNWDXRj_lCNUzHnucpwZM/w640-h360/PXL_20200916_005731306.jpg" title="One of the escape room stand outs, Valcarol, in the Carolinas" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
One of North Carolina's escape room stand outs: The Crystal Cave @ Valcarol</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The Carolinas are often touted for having great Southern food but how is their escape room scene? Not many people in our network have played games in the area and this was not planned as an escape room trip but, as usual, I threw in a few games here and there :) There was a prominent local blogger (<a href="http://www.escapeadventurer.com">www.escapeadventurer.com</a>) that we relied heavily on for recommendations so here is a shout out to Brandon for answering all our questions!</div><div><br /></div><div>We based ourselves in Charlotte, NC and traveled to a few cities that were all within a two hour drive, as noted below. Based on our research, we believe we hit up pretty much the best rooms that were open in the area.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Concord, NC - 30min northeast of Charlotte</li><li>Indian Trail, NC - 30min southeast</li><li>Greenville, SC - 1h45min west</li><li>Columbia, SC - 1h35min south</li></ul></div>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Impressions & Observations During Our Charlotte Escape Room Trip</b></h3>
<br /><i>Responsive Escape Room Owners & Employees</i><br />
We sometimes reach out to owners/employees in order to facilitate the booking of back to back rooms and almost every single one was super responsive. Not only were they responsive, they were also extremely kind and friendly and more so than almost any other city that we have been to! It must have been the Southern hospitality you hear about! <br />
<br />
<i>Getting Around</i><br />As you would expect, a car is needed in order to get around. Traffic seemed to be light, even during rush hour except when we were driving back to Charlotte from Greenville (Sunday evening) where the opposite direction was backed up for miles.<br />
<br /><i>Local Charm</i><br />
All the games that we played were crafted with TLC. Some ranged from high quality homemade to some pretty elaborate sets. While the themes we encountered were not original, we still had a lot of fun playing every game.<br />
<br />
<i>Do Other Things </i><br />
If you are visiting Charlotte for the first time, here are some ideas of what you can do other than escape rooms:<br />
<ul>
<li>U.S. National White Water Center (Charlotte): This is a must visit if you love any sort of outdoor activity. You can choose over 30 different things to try, ranging from a man-made white water rafting course, rock climbing over a pool, treetop climbing, ledge jumping, zip-lining, etc. Plan to spend the whole day here!</li></ul><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4_XkZPc2eOS4oESIiMp1MvbJ4D-xOPZ1UlKBmuvCGkhUCvy4xMcBMR9Iy9sNGT8VrsNyyOLTme48w-76zMF2baNyJbT4fzmhShePJ7cNnA-iAsNV6vE_Cx_A30c3bonu1IjfbCBTwWI/s2578/WhiteWater.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="White Water Center" border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="2578" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4_XkZPc2eOS4oESIiMp1MvbJ4D-xOPZ1UlKBmuvCGkhUCvy4xMcBMR9Iy9sNGT8VrsNyyOLTme48w-76zMF2baNyJbT4fzmhShePJ7cNnA-iAsNV6vE_Cx_A30c3bonu1IjfbCBTwWI/w640-h302/WhiteWater.jpg" title="White Water Center" width="640" /></a></div><ul><li>Food (Charlotte): Try out "Oh My Soul", a South African plant-based comfort food restaurant with a nice outdoor seating area. It is located in the NoDa neighborhood, which is absolutely charming to walk around.</li><li>Food (Columbia, SC): "A Piece of Soul Vegan Kitchen", arguably the best chicken sandwich I've ever had in my life!</li></ul>
<h3><br /></h3><h3>
North Carolina & South Carolina Escape Room Recap</h3>
<br />
<b>Escape Artist Greenville (Greenville, SC)</b><br /><i>Games played: "Starlight Motel", "Classified" and "Zero to Hero"</i><div><br /></div><div>"Starlight Motel" was a favorite amongst locals, including other owners, and had the traditional creepy serial killer theme. It had the largest footprint of all the games we played at this location and the highlight was the actor interaction. I typically find that a good actor enhances the immersion of a room and that was definitely accomplished in Starlight Motel. Other than a few light jump scares, it was not that scary relative to other rooms we have played in cities like LA.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Classified" was the preferred room by some team members as the theme was cute and more unique. I did not know what the theme was before booking and I think it would be more fun going in not reading anything about it. I would say that this room is just as fun as Starlight but in a lighthearted way. I highly recommend doing this room along with Starlight Motel if you are passing by the area.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Zero to Hero" was a split room game that was fun but there was a lack of adventure. Think of it as a test or a trial of sorts, which fit the theme perfectly but then took away from the immersion. Like the other two rooms, there was actually a good amount of technology embedded in the puzzles.</div><div><br /></div><div>All three games we played were extremely polished and clean. Set designs were great and puzzles were all pretty fair. Escape Artist was definitely one of the highlights in the area!<br /><ul>
<li>Set Design: Great!</li><li>Difficulty: Medium</li>
<li>Price: $30-$35/person </li>
<li>Number of players: 2-8, private (we recommend 2-3)</li>
<li>Duration: 60 minutes</li>
<li>Overall Rating: Starlight Motel & Classified <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>½, Zero to Hero <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span>½</li></ul><b><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKaqLAVlOZiktA0KOlP-Qu7vxNW5bocoD5bAp1uTcRhyphenhyphen7mkQHeudH0e5-zKzNtjzXD3PyERMz0QPF3030YLUi1nNHdOcVHh3V0JODCibqpP80EGkGuG5DD44s5V8ycz25j0UJl71hmQI/s2048/StarlightMotel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Starlight Motel" border="0" data-original-height="1396" data-original-width="2048" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKaqLAVlOZiktA0KOlP-Qu7vxNW5bocoD5bAp1uTcRhyphenhyphen7mkQHeudH0e5-zKzNtjzXD3PyERMz0QPF3030YLUi1nNHdOcVHh3V0JODCibqpP80EGkGuG5DD44s5V8ycz25j0UJl71hmQI/w640-h436/StarlightMotel.jpg" title="Starlight Motel" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starlight Motel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBzakUi_maiFqTpvq-quTXmuhZt6vH0XJUxYSge_GguWz5w0pioQvEW2bqLk4o9HjCKRhD1_GAyoXlKNnl3gVu_cFODubTwI9YAaMHqbgQWKXg_Cf2c-bXW2C6Agj_s1TTa9hI4xInEk/s2048/ZeroToHero.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Zero To Hero" border="0" data-original-height="1396" data-original-width="2048" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBzakUi_maiFqTpvq-quTXmuhZt6vH0XJUxYSge_GguWz5w0pioQvEW2bqLk4o9HjCKRhD1_GAyoXlKNnl3gVu_cFODubTwI9YAaMHqbgQWKXg_Cf2c-bXW2C6Agj_s1TTa9hI4xInEk/w640-h436/ZeroToHero.jpg" title="Zero To Hero" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zero To Hero</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></b>
<b>The Final Door (Columbia, SC)</b><br /><i>Games played: "Down The Rabbit Hole", "The Vampyre"</i></div><div><br /></div><div>"Down The Rabbit Hole" was one of the top rooms that we played on our trip! We do tend to favor lighthearted themes and games with a large footprint which both fit this game perfectly. I've played a few Alice in Wonderland games and this so far has been the best one. I have never seen the movie so there were probably some references that flew over my head but I knew enough to have a really good time. Most of the puzzles utilized padlocks but that didn't detract from any of the gameplay. A must play in Columbia!</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Vampyre" was also a high quality room with some nice effects. I would say that this room had a similar calibre in terms of execution to "Down the Rabbit Hole" but with more technology wrapped in a more common theme. There were some nice customized elements in this game though that will be sure to make you smile.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both rooms had a great sense of discovery as you moved along the game. Ratings are for both rooms.<br />
<ul>
<li>Set Design: Great! </li>
<li>Difficulty: Easy/Medium</li>
<li>Price: $30-$35/person </li>
<li># of Players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-4)</li>
<li>Duration: 60 minutes</li>
<li>Overall Rating:<span style="color: orange; font-family: calibri;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>½</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmEbHPmbW-OzTkLa5W8VMXn_S7AjWa8Av8Lh0fTTDWFmqCsxPmurqMnkamHTvjESDd6I-TEtYE1ewLYSY6SRTlPG-wW6rxA580y6n6cT4tCC1mktVEzJcuRzWhJH2F7NJ-zorisrVKkc/s1728/TheFinalDoor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Final Door" border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1728" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmEbHPmbW-OzTkLa5W8VMXn_S7AjWa8Av8Lh0fTTDWFmqCsxPmurqMnkamHTvjESDd6I-TEtYE1ewLYSY6SRTlPG-wW6rxA580y6n6cT4tCC1mktVEzJcuRzWhJH2F7NJ-zorisrVKkc/w640-h480/TheFinalDoor.jpg" title="The Final Door" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down The Rabbit Hole & Vampyre</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><b>The Valcarol Missions (Concord, NC)</b><br /><i>
Games played: "The Hidden Lab", "The Crystal Cave" </i></div><div><br /></div><div>"The Crystal Cave" was set in the year 3049 and we were a crew trying to repair a water filtration system in a post-apocalyptic world. This game was a real treat as we were greeted with a spectacular set with some awesome technology. With a good variety of puzzle types and spacious area, the game was a standout in the market.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Hidden Lab" had us search for a vaccine to save humanity. Once again we are in the year 3049 where padlocks no longer exist! As you develop the vaccine, you get to interact with a futuristic centerpiece that you don't often see in escape rooms. Along with some nice reveals and some nice effects, this game is on par with "The Crystal Cave". </div><div><br /></div><div>Both games are part of the same storyline and form two parts of a trilogy created by the owners of Valcarol. The set design and immersion were one of the best in the Charlotte area and the amount of automation that was programmed was impressive. We got to peek at the control center for all the games and what was created by a team of two people was unbelievable. Ratings are for both rooms.</div><div>
<ul>
<li>Set Design: Amazing!</li>
<li>Difficulty: Medium/Hard</li>
<li>Price: $26/person</li>
<li>Number of players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-4)</li>
<li>Duration: 60 minutes</li>
<li>Overall Rating: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★★</span>½</li></ul><div>Valcarol graciously provided complimentary games for us!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNFxUt8YzPbvgJ2YBSv7Teg__VoAamIyVmjOf2hbZcAnVZ3AAxNaE1WllMoy3vqR8VfOu7zIA7096Ggsz8cQmPVsifsxMPQtFeKJGUjkNpWfYS5SDQp8lH7iMieoY6J2aybT6WkCgoOk/s4032/PXL_20200916_010002192.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Lab Valcarol" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNFxUt8YzPbvgJ2YBSv7Teg__VoAamIyVmjOf2hbZcAnVZ3AAxNaE1WllMoy3vqR8VfOu7zIA7096Ggsz8cQmPVsifsxMPQtFeKJGUjkNpWfYS5SDQp8lH7iMieoY6J2aybT6WkCgoOk/w640-h360/PXL_20200916_010002192.MP.jpg" title="The Lab Valcarol" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hidden Lab</td></tr></tbody></table>
<b><div><br /></div>Masterpiece Escapes (Indian Trail, NC)</b> </div><div><i>Games Played: "Deadwood Saloon" and "Drained"</i></div><div><br /></div><div>"The Deadwood Saloon" had a standard theme but was more involved them many of the other Western games that we played. For a group of two, we were pretty busy figuring out how to solve everything. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Drained" was designed for kids and while there were some out of the box puzzles, there were many things in the room that were not to be touched. Given that there was searching involved, this rule made it somewhat awkward with the in-room GM.</div><div>
<ul>
<li>Set Design: Deadwood Salon - Great, Drained - Average </li>
<li>Difficulty: Medium/Easy</li>
<li>Price: $25/person </li>
<li>Number of players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-4)</li>
<li>Duration: 60 minutes</li>
<li>Overall Rating: Deadwood Saloon <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";"><span>★★★★, </span>Drained</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSXQeI654ljlVhjZzwPwZZC4CMxuL7MWc3g9i6sxSzI0XZRPiQDUONO1TtGbJALKE5ShNjpsrHK8NxFGIG3scgyD_FWpWCRgpbqXLguseOQwOnCshydkoLkV79lSwXMVuMEnCsjUD_gA/s4032/PXL_20200918_010401617.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadwood Saloon" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSXQeI654ljlVhjZzwPwZZC4CMxuL7MWc3g9i6sxSzI0XZRPiQDUONO1TtGbJALKE5ShNjpsrHK8NxFGIG3scgyD_FWpWCRgpbqXLguseOQwOnCshydkoLkV79lSwXMVuMEnCsjUD_gA/w640-h360/PXL_20200918_010401617.jpg" title="Deadwood Saloon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deadwood Saloon</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg32JDjLZ7j949fsGWe7m1SJvXv-InrPmIFSX5u1MetIGIQGzyMcfoNskOha0pls9Er172qzk1mGb0rEj86zXQoSbz0vt6Uy6uS_FVC0gzk36w3Du0qfRQ4T-uxxFv5PkLUR0j0GRsfs/s4032/PXL_20200918_000809082.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Drained" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg32JDjLZ7j949fsGWe7m1SJvXv-InrPmIFSX5u1MetIGIQGzyMcfoNskOha0pls9Er172qzk1mGb0rEj86zXQoSbz0vt6Uy6uS_FVC0gzk36w3Du0qfRQ4T-uxxFv5PkLUR0j0GRsfs/w640-h360/PXL_20200918_000809082.jpg" title="Drained" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drained<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The Box (Charlotte, NC)</b></div><i>
Games Played: "Cold Case Killer", "The Ventriloquist"</i></div><div><br /></div><div>"Cold Case Killer" had a nice start where we were greeted by the GM in character. The room itself took place in a standard home with a nice twist along the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>"The Ventriloquist" takes place in a single room but with some nice puzzles in a somewhat unique take on the serial killer theme. </div><br /><div>Both rooms are great for those starting to get into escape rooms.<br />
<ul>
<li>Set Design: Average</li>
<li>Difficulty: Average</li>
<li>Price: $28/person </li>
<li>Number of players: 2-8, (we recommend 2-3)</li>
<li>Duration: 60 minutes</li>
<li>Overall Rating:<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri";">★★★</span>½</li></ul><div><h3><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOfrCgVShwWwUZ5HytN974xJEGAYNvmbi4uSmNCCK9eT52tY2ISszto8Jb6wV2Jf1jrjZyKVf6ABjxDYFPkTpzimnSodEWjA-aJ1gdT1hjsfwxex2EfaQe-S6EcjVHlhTsUkxOrKDcKs/s4032/PXL_20200920_191010520.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ventriloquist" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOfrCgVShwWwUZ5HytN974xJEGAYNvmbi4uSmNCCK9eT52tY2ISszto8Jb6wV2Jf1jrjZyKVf6ABjxDYFPkTpzimnSodEWjA-aJ1gdT1hjsfwxex2EfaQe-S6EcjVHlhTsUkxOrKDcKs/w640-h360/PXL_20200920_191010520.jpg" title="Ventriloquist" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ventriloquist</td></tr></tbody></table></div></h3></div></div><div><br /></div><b>
Timed Out (Charlotte, NC) </b><div><i>Games Played: "Precinct"</i><div><br /></div><div>This started off as a standard "whodunit" mystery and with the help of a few plot twists, became much more exciting. Solving cases had never been more fun and even the opening of padlocks were enjoyable because of the theme. There were quite a few things that some enthusiasts will have seen many times before but the satisfying ending sets it apart from other games with the same theme. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Set Design: Average </li><li>Difficulty: Above
Average Price: $28/person </li><li>Number of players: 2-5, private (we recommend 2) </li><li>Duration: 60 minutes </li><li>Overall Rating:★★★½ </li></ul></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>
<b>Escape Plan (Columbia, SC) </b></div><div><i>Games Played: "Floor 23" </i></div><div><br /></div><div>This game took place in an elevator and the setting was superb. There were some quality effects and jump scares all packed into a tight space. The puzzles however, often required leaps of logic on more than a single occasion so takes hints liberally. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Set Design: Great! </li><li>Difficulty: Hard </li><li>Price: $28/person </li><li>Number of players: 2-5, private (we recommend 2) </li><li>Duration: 60 minutes </li><li>Overall Rating:★★★½</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><h3>Other Escape Rooms In The Area</h3>
Some other rooms that we heard great things about during our research and talks with locals but did not play were:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Exit Strategy</b> (Charlotte): With 2 locations, this was the first company in Charlotte to open up escape rooms. They were unfortunately closed when we were in town.</li>
<li><b>Mind Games</b> (Rock Hill, SC): CarnEvil was also recommended by owners and is directly in between Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC. </li><li><b>Escape Plan</b> (Columbia, SC): We didn't get to play Mutiny here</li>
</ul>
<div>
We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Charlotte to play escape rooms!</div>
<ul>
</ul>
</div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-27191067401746170912020-09-07T15:07:00.004-07:002020-11-21T12:06:41.468-08:00The Escape Game: Ruins Forbidden Treasure (Online)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLbzlVm9rwogpLd3qLWMw6K6oTlWUvaLN3Li7cVthVc4_escesF4AFgj2ruC5BGuxCthzVCm_f9oTKbb6IooVGX_0FbkDIAgNj8xy5N9xXTVbLS8hnnAJlVEIINlJpbQ7Vt_n18qfR5A/s1080/9.45_Hum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLbzlVm9rwogpLd3qLWMw6K6oTlWUvaLN3Li7cVthVc4_escesF4AFgj2ruC5BGuxCthzVCm_f9oTKbb6IooVGX_0FbkDIAgNj8xy5N9xXTVbLS8hnnAJlVEIINlJpbQ7Vt_n18qfR5A/w625-h625/9.45_Hum.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
I have not played many online games and was debating whether I should play any rooms that were converted from a physical escape rooms to an online one. Would I be doing myself a disservice by playing a top notch game (in-person) that was reduced for a virtual audience? Given the current state of affairs, I decided that I would play The Escape Game's latest room online with some friends who have not played many escape rooms before. From The Escape Game's site:<br />
<br />
<i>"You’re on a relaxing aerial tour of a remote jungle when everything suddenly falls apart. You’re </i><span style="font-style: italic;">stranded at the foot of ancient and mysterious temple ruins – home of a massive fabled treasure. </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Adventure has come knocking and the treasure could be yours for the taking! </span><i>Fortune favors the bold. Will it favor you?"</i><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Set Design, Technology & Puzzles </span></h2><div>This game was played via an in-game actor with a webcam. The actor would take directives from our group to solve various puzzles in a similar fashion to other online games we played. The main difference here was that once you entered a room, you had access to a 360 degree photo of it and could peruse the space at your leisure in order to determine what was important. That made a HUGE difference in terms of not getting motion sickness which basically forced me to quit games in the past. Having everyone search through this virtual interface was fantastic and an amazing way to recreate the escape room feeling at home. There was also a virtual inventory box where items would appear when the in-game actor found something, and then disappear when it was no longer needed. </div><div><br /></div><div>The set looked amazing, and did make me feel that I was missing out a bit on the immersion by not playing the physical room. There were some fun tactile puzzles and room transitions that would definitely have been better to play in real life but playing them virtually was still a great experience. </div><div><br /></div><div>The use of the technology was excellent, just like in their <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/05/the-escape-game-special-ops-minneapolis.html" target="_blank">Special Ops</a> game. We really did feel like the game took place on a movie set. Some enthusiasts might find the puzzles to be less challenging but for 98% of players, including myself, they were perfectly fine for the theme. </div><div><br /></div>
<div>If you are able to play this game in person, I would highly recommend that you do, otherwise playing this game online would be the next best thing.</div><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
Memorable Moments </span></h2>I love how The Escape Game perfectly immersed us into the world of adventure and the journey from room to room was seamless and exciting. Some of our teammates were in awe about what actually happened before our eyes!<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
Room For Improvement</span></h2>One of the puzzles towards the end would have been much easier to perform in-person with multiple hands. Given this was adapted for online play, there wasn't much that could have been changed so it's understandable given the circumstances.<div><br /><h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
Overall Thoughts</span></h2>
I would think that this room is up there with one of the tops rooms I have played at The Escape Game (the other being <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/05/the-escape-game-special-ops-minneapolis.html" target="_blank">Special Ops</a>). I might actually even replay this room in person if I ever get chance!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Set design:</b> Excellent</li>
<li><b>Difficulty: </b>Average</li>
<li><b>Price:</b> $28/person</li>
<li><b>Number of players:</b> 3-8, (we recommend 3-4), private</li>
<li><b>Duration:</b> 60 minutes</li>
<li><b>Overall Rating (For Online games):</b> ★★★★★</li>
</ul>
See their website here: <a href="https://theescapegame.com">https://theescapegame.com</a><br />
<br />
Disclosure: The Escape Game comped the tickets for this game</div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-32153310641042664302020-08-03T17:35:00.000-07:002020-08-03T17:35:08.988-07:00Escape Rumor's Vlog #1: Room Escape Artist + Special Guests<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b2O8-E3oEeE" width="480"></iframe>
</div><div><div><br /></div><div>We are happy to present our first vlog with David and Lisa Spira from RoomEscapeArtist (REA)! Some topics covered:</div><div><br /></div><div>- Escape Rooms in Athens, Greece</div><div>- Upcoming RECON event hosted by REA</div><div>- Us playing games and laughing...this is the best part :)</div><div><br /></div><div>We also had some guest appearances by some personalities that escape room enthusiasts would definitely know about.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are wondering what the next topic should be. Given this vlog was really fun to create, we'd like to create more and are open to suggestions in the comments.</div></div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-57004545975557130422020-07-07T16:02:00.004-07:002020-11-21T12:04:57.606-08:00Logic Locks: The Secret Of Eliza's Heart (Online Game)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N2r83SJECFAK7sSIlhRaYj1kDLkV-uKim7kS_osnmxVKb-raibNweKgsWFf8ayEaqt2-qCsSFFJ-t3Itxyp2NbN7jqs2XaS6EdpYeoEM-zBYddo0fT645dnytDwPwBr1REzxrLcRNJE6/s1864/Screen+Shot+2020-07-07+at+3.32.33+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1864" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N2r83SJECFAK7sSIlhRaYj1kDLkV-uKim7kS_osnmxVKb-raibNweKgsWFf8ayEaqt2-qCsSFFJ-t3Itxyp2NbN7jqs2XaS6EdpYeoEM-zBYddo0fT645dnytDwPwBr1REzxrLcRNJE6/w625-h350/Screen+Shot+2020-07-07+at+3.32.33+PM.png" width="625" /></a></div>
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<i>This post was written by Daniel M., who we had the pleasure of playing this game with. He has played escape rooms all around the world and one of our best teammates!</i><br />
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This was our first experience doing an escape room remotely and it definitely scratched my escape room itch while sheltering in place! The physical room is in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and was completed via video call with our game master/companion holding a camera as we instructed him on what we wanted to do in the room. The game master was in character throughout the escape which really added to the experience. We played as a team of four from two different locations which worked well.
From their website:<br />
<br />
<i>"Greetings Investigators!
My name is Richard Fimblewood and soon we will meet face-to-face - or at least screen-to-screen. I am quite relieved you signed up for the task of helping me to explore the study chamber of the infamous explorer Elizabeth van Leeuwenhart. I do have to admit that I am still a bit nervous. We have only one shot and a limited time to make this work… However I'm sure that with your assistance it should all work out."</i><br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Set Design, Technology & Puzzles</span></h2>
One of the biggest downsides of doing a physical escape room remotely is that you lose a bit of atmosphere by not actually being in the room. That said, our game master’s narration (and trepidation!) as he interacted with the room and puzzles, and his quips and humor did help keep us fully engaged. Technology and set design were similar to what you’d expect in higher end generation one rooms. The puzzles were clever but overall there weren’t very many of them. However this is probably required since you can’t divide and conquer different tasks or even search due to the remote aspect of the game.
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Memorable Moments </span></h2>
This room will always stand out for me as our first endeavor with remote escape rooms. It's amazing to be able to experience an escape room halfway across the globe from the comfort of your home. Additionally the finale of the room definitely built suspense and left me satisfied.
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Room For Improvement</span></h2>
The only slight complaint was how the video was filmed. While the GM tried their best to keep the camera steady one of our team members became nauseous and wasn’t able to complete the game. However, the rest of us felt ok.
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall Thoughts</span></h2>
Eliza’s heart was a great introduction to remote escape rooms and I love the fact that we can now play rooms that we probably would never get the chance to go to. One other pleasant surprise is that they mail you a few additional puzzles for completion at home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbAZntNdwRI8b6As20F50WZ5xQ7sq05ybXiaA535zLpMNDmqbsaqXcdLhpCSsjw55FuSJ9Z9lEz_1ESD8sheUTfwoBxkSLwgMdNCW1qgdYc2SzatiHU-2YAfzR433zSAe6M2t0er5U4Lm/s4032/20200609_114216.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbAZntNdwRI8b6As20F50WZ5xQ7sq05ybXiaA535zLpMNDmqbsaqXcdLhpCSsjw55FuSJ9Z9lEz_1ESD8sheUTfwoBxkSLwgMdNCW1qgdYc2SzatiHU-2YAfzR433zSAe6M2t0er5U4Lm/w500-h375/20200609_114216.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Envelope with a bunch of goodies!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
These were fun and on par with upper end puzzles from box escape games. These were a great way to revisit the theme and have some more fun!</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Set design:</b> Fun and in line with Gen-1 rooms
</li>
<li><b>Difficulty:</b> Medium
</li>
<li><b>Price:</b> 23 Euros per person/private
</li>
<li><b>Number of players:</b> 2-7 (recommend 2-4)
</li>
<li><b>Duration:</b> 80 minutes
</li>
<li><b>Overall Rating:</b>
★★★★ (½★ bump for extra gameplay at home)
</li>
</ul>
See their website here:
https://www.logiclocks.com/live-video-escape-rooms
<br />
<br />
Logic Locks graciously provided complimentary tickets
</div>
Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-22024529588836092992020-06-13T16:17:00.000-07:002020-06-13T16:19:55.385-07:00The Escape Game: Unlocked (Online Game) <div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="2048" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvaO_8VMOjbm5yBKMQsBJhy-dhyKMsOWamIbXm70LlTF6xOlf94OCYyAIGzXBJTCDOST1K1ioeRtatCLQwPk5-C8QzwaI8n5eEI6TS-w02hFBHsSqEXPQ8zkEJWbQWCGVg-aLbUGjqH4/w640-h278/Web_Unlocked2.0_Banner-2048x891.png" width="640" />
</div>
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<div>
The Escape Game is one of the largest corporate escape room companies in the world. Over the past two years, I played five of their games and if you are ever in one of the 17 cities they are present in, you should make an effort to stop by. My favorite rooms were <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/05/the-escape-game-special-ops-minneapolis.html" target="_blank">Special Ops</a> and Playground and both were some of the <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2020/01/2019-achievement-unlocked-medalists.html" target="_blank">top rooms</a> I have ever played. We jumped at the opportunity to play a brand new, digital only game: TEG: Unlocked VOL 1 & 2. From their site:</div>
<div>
<i><br />"The Heist - Vol. 1: Chasing Hahn </i></div>
<div>
<i>W</i><i>ork as a secret agent to thwart the infamous art curator and suspected art thief, Vincent Hahn. You’ll need to uncover his true identity, connect him to a crime, and work with the International Police to finally exact justice. With the help of your Intelligence Agent, you’ll need to stop Hahn before another masterpiece goes missing.
*This volume, “Chasing Hahn”, is a continuation of The Heist story, but you don’t need to play The Heist escape game first. The experience will be the same whether you’ve played The Heist or not. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The Heist - Vol. 2: The Silk Road: </i></div>
<div>
<i>Vincent Hahn just barely escaped, but Intel has noticed some suspicious activity in Hong Kong. According to reports, Hahn is dealing with artifacts related to the Silk Road. Your mission is to go there, find Hahn, and capture him before he can get away.
</i><i>"</i><br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Design, Technology & Puzzles</span></h2>
<div>
The format of these games were as per the below:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoBYWNOBlQIixLVCUPJOuR2k1Rrs_D_RAnyqcGp2FNtDqqjX9Gt1xpTU4hjLCVweDaPih7L_16_9gbsqdq7MYfVuMYeenBg-gGmq0ehw-0yZ5jlxEWMZ4mN8wjrf7vERWXT-QHRgouAg/s2240/Screen+Shot+2020-06-04+at+3.55.41+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="2240" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoBYWNOBlQIixLVCUPJOuR2k1Rrs_D_RAnyqcGp2FNtDqqjX9Gt1xpTU4hjLCVweDaPih7L_16_9gbsqdq7MYfVuMYeenBg-gGmq0ehw-0yZ5jlxEWMZ4mN8wjrf7vERWXT-QHRgouAg/w640-h366/Screen+Shot+2020-06-04+at+3.55.41+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
The dossier was comprised of PDF files that acted as the evidence from the heist. There were quite a few files to go through and the game utilized an online terminal to verify your solutions to various puzzles. As you correctly determine answers to the mission, things opened up and you are granted access to more material to study. </div>
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<div>
The Dashboard interface was slick and it reminded me of the what I have seen in one of their physical escape rooms. Think of it like something that you would see in a Mission:Impossible movie. Here is their trailer to give you an idea of how the game looks:</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7qdsJfoVTKk" width="560"></iframe></div>
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Vol. 1 was actually a physical kit that went sent out to people and then digitized and offered online. The puzzles were focused on examining evidence from a crime scene and somewhat similar to what you would find in a standard escape room that had paper puzzles. The overall gameplay was definitely not as exciting as a physical room and going into it knowing this would help set expectations.</div>
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<div>
I believe that Vol. 2 was conceptualized as a digital only game which was why we felt that it was a lot stronger in terms of immersion and gameplay. There were some interesting puzzles that involved multimedia elements that really made it a lot of fun. We enjoyed the presentation and the flow quite a bit.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Memorable Moments </span></h2>
Vol. 2 was definitely an improvement on its predecessor and the way that the story unraveled with the use of video was very clever. It seems so real despite not having a live person acting in the game! The feeling of being a remote secret agent and working with field agents was fantastic!</div>
<div>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Room For Improvement</span></h2>
There was an instance in Volume 1 where outside knowledge was needed and it was not known to the group until we were forced to take a hint. I think we spent a good 20 minutes trying to figure it out and it was pretty frustrating to find out that we had to Google the answer.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In Volume 2, we almost missed a critical segment of the story by pressing the "back" button on the browser. We tried to go forward but the story was gone and we were able to get it back by going into incognito mode. <i>Phew!</i></div>
<div>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall Thoughts</span></h2>
Online games are definitely not the same as physical but for $10, we highly recommend playing Vol 2.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8UZIbL1fbBPY9LO_QY-0JjkCs5zsHmvBvwM_qXfwxTbioe5U75KsguLOTFoIzRIvgNNk0SMuUyxHTEC_a9wVyLjWDa1hmfaMl0aqPj3YlvYwzD0fMNww5bgnVi4c8EueZpnwvwmHMuk/s1600/murdoch_sh_poster-1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Design:</b> Clean Input Interface</li>
<li><b>Difficulty:</b> Above average for Vol. 1, Below average for Vol. 2</li>
<li><b>Price:</b> $10/game</li>
<li><b>Number of players:</b> 1-4</li>
<li><b>Duration:</b> Play at your own pace but likely 60 minutes</li>
<li><b>Overall Rating:</b> TEG Vol 1 ★★★, Vol. 2 ★★★★ </li>
</ul>
See their website here: <a href="https://theescapegame.com/unlocked/">https://theescapegame.com/unlocked/</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761194571368866068.post-25347971503011455142020-05-13T20:15:00.002-07:002020-11-21T12:05:23.030-08:00Mad Genius: The Truth About Edith (Online Game)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhCnD6HUbcCOFw-RRNT1LKSSoW_uQg2J-Is-m18nLLntKbf4U_5DwVzdtoqGQG7I-cu4wdjj3t9cJCADnPF2SWUieR_eBgdnzih0JTtrgVO85saYF0KY8qQLc55ddB0IPfJ1JKoSQCDE//" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1717" data-original-width="3464" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhCnD6HUbcCOFw-RRNT1LKSSoW_uQg2J-Is-m18nLLntKbf4U_5DwVzdtoqGQG7I-cu4wdjj3t9cJCADnPF2SWUieR_eBgdnzih0JTtrgVO85saYF0KY8qQLc55ddB0IPfJ1JKoSQCDE/w640-h318/team_golf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>This post was written by Melanie R. from Montreal, Canada.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>This online escape room is perfectly suited for the current circumstances of the COVID-19 quarantine. It was a 4 player game and we played it as 2 players from Montreal (Melanie/Jay) with 2 players from California (Randy/Sarah). We were unsure of how an online escape room would work, but we were pleasantly surprised, to say the least! Randy and Sarah played the precursor to this game, <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2018/06/mad-genius-cat-lady-portland-or.html" target="_blank">The Cat Lady</a> (a physical escape room in Portland OR that won the honors for a top <a href="https://www.escaperumors.com/2019/01/2018-achievement-unlocked-medalists.html" target="_blank">Escape Room in 2018</a>) and they loved the comedic elements and creativeness of it all. From the Mad Genius website:</div><div><br />
<i>"You may recognize Edith Humphreys, your sweet neighbor with 24 cats. You may have even helped her out, snooped around her apartment. But there's something about Edith that doesn't quite add up... she looks way younger than she is, she says she was born in 1902 but that she's 97 years young... and she lives at a business called Mad Genius Escapes?! What is going on here...
"</i><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Set Design, Technology & Puzzles</span></h2><div>The game takes place over a Zoom meeting and even though my husband and I were in the same room, it was necessary to have separate computers to complete certain puzzles. It was truly a game for exactly four players who all need their own computer in order to play. </div><div><br /></div><div>There was a wonderful mix of prepared content, online navigating, dynamic puzzles and live online interactions. The game flowed extremely well, and with all the technology involved, there were absolutely no malfunctions. Mad Genius' description of "an eccentric mix of a video game, an escape room, and a great who-done-it story" was spot on and because it was created as an online game (versus adapting a physical room for online play), there were absolutely zero "shaky camera" elements. </div><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Memorable Moments </span></h2>
The whole experience was very memorable. You can tell that there was a significant amount of energy that was put into preparing all the components of the "room" in order to give people an original and fun experience. It was fun to be able to play this with friends out of town, without hopping onto a plane! If we had to single out one part, it would be the finale where the more you play along, the more fun it is!<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Room For Improvement</span></h2>
It is hard to suggest areas that would require improvement because it was such a different type of escape room experience. It probably would have been better to know in advance that players living in the same household should play in different rooms to avoid echoes and feedback. Some components were also meant to be played without seeing each other's screen. <br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall Thoughts</span></h2>
We thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Within the category of online escape rooms, as of now we can't imagine anything better than this. This game was very well organized, challenging and highly interactive. An effort was made towards the teamwork component, which was very fun and interesting. Bravo!<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Set design:</b> Excellent for an online game
</li>
<li><b>Difficulty:</b> Medium
</li>
<li><b>Price:</b> $80/team, private</li>
<li><b>Number of players:</b> 4
</li>
<li><b>Duration:</b>
60 minutes
</li>
<li><b>Overall Rating:</b> ★★★★★
</li>
</ul>
See their website here:
https://www.madgeniusescapes.com<br />
<br />
MODIFY Disclosure: Mad Genius graciously provided complimentary tickets
</div>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123015319504179040noreply@blogger.com0