Clue Chase, Escape Room Review

Clue Chase

New York, New York

Pros: The room was decorated to theme and had some generally clever and mostly logical puzzles. The game master did their job and assisted as needed. We would have said this was a solid escape room experience had it not been for the company's unfortunate policy of grouping strangers together and most specifically adult players with random groups of children. See further gripes below. 

Cons: We were once again in what is becoming a disturbing trend, placed, without our prior knowledge or consent, with a group of children. This was my face:  :-(  

The children ranged in age from 8 to 12. The point is that most of the time was spent trying to ignore their high-pitched, excited screaming followed quickly and repeatedly by their plaintive wailing about being bored or confused. When they weren't generally breaking things or moving essential clues and tools, they were simply: there, quite literally standing in the way, impeding all progress. So again we ask escape room owners: Why? Seriously, why? We know, we know it's about money. But seriously create a separate, kid-friendly escape room experience for these birthday parties and allow child-less adults to play separately. Otherwise, you will essentially drive adults away from escape rooms and end up moderating children's birthday parties FOREVER. Think about this: FOREVER. Oh and don't forget to childproof your new kid-friendly rooms, we noticed that they tend to break everything. 

https://cluechase.com

Ryptic Room Escape, Escape Room Review

Ryptic Room Escape

Mountain View, California

Escape from the Madhatter:  We found ourselves caught in the Madhatter's twisted game to keep us trapped in Wonderland.

Pros: Escape from the Madhatter introduced us to a whole new approach to the escape room concept. Our team could compete against up to three other teams in this intense intellectual exercise that had us scurrying from one room to the next every five minutes. Our goal was essentially to successfully solve four individual puzzles in each of the four rooms before the other teams completed the same four puzzles. The trick was that we had to rotate from one puzzle to the next every five minutes and avoid leaving hints for other teams to pick up on. Sounded like a great idea in theory, right?

Cons: The problem was with the reality. We loved the concept, but found the process extremely frustrating. Essentially it was like working on a multilinear room with multiple puzzles at once but being interrupted and forced to move to another puzzle and then back again every few minutes. This was challenging for the brain and frankly mostly ridiculous at times. The process was even further complicated by the game master who interrupted frequently to give us answers and hurry us along. We found ourselves rushed, distracted, confused, and angry especially by the end of the game. We "successfully" escaped but felt it was more a result of the free answers provided by the game master than by any success on our part. As the primary puzzle solver in each of the four rooms, I left feeling like my brain was in complete meltdown mode as a result of overuse. This was one of those rooms that had us shouting to escape room owners again: "Enough with the gimmicks already! Just focus on creating good, logical puzzles and we promise we will have a great time!" Time to take the madness out of this Madhatter game. 

https://www.ryptic.com

Mission Escape Games, Room Escape Review

Mission Escape Games

New York City

The Initiation: We had one hour to solve the puzzles and pass the test in order to earn admission into a secret society. 

Pros: The puzzles were simple and mostly fun and easy to solve. We played as two people and finished in record time with lots of time to spare. 

Cons: Simplistic, minimalistic set design. Basic storyline. Generally easy puzzles. Nothing to rave about. Nothing to complain about. Recommended for first-timers.  

http://missionescapegames.com

Escape the Room NYC, Escape Room Review

Escape the Room NYC

New York, New York

The Dig: Tasked with unraveling an ancient mystery, we channeled the spirt of Indiana Jones to make our escape.

Pros: The set design in this room was beyond excellent creating a fun, immersive escape room experience. The game master was enthusiastic and went above and beyond in her quest to make our experience a memorable one. The storyline was simple but sufficient. We struggled with some of the puzzles but found them generally logical and solvable. 

Cons: A few of the puzzles had some issues in design that created difficulties at time. Using bolder colors and visual markers to help players make links between puzzle elements could help clarify the process. A few overly convoluted puzzles also slowed our progress and required game-master intervention.  

We applaud Escape the Room NYC for setting a high standard and going above and beyond in set design. Nice work!

http://static.escapetheroomnyc.com/index.html

60 Out Escape Rooms, Escape Room Review

60 Out Escape Rooms

Los Angeles, California

Ghost Ship - Held against our will on a cursed ship of angry ghosts, we hand to find away to escape fast.

Grandma's Master Plan - Granny had left cryptic clues about our inheritance. If we wanted to cash in on the deal we had to discover Grandma's darkest secrets.

Wizard's Workshop - As students of a talented wizard we were tasked with helping our scatter-brained teacher reunite his soul with his body. 

Titanic - This ship was going down. Our goal was to save the sinking crew.

P.U.T.I.N. Bunker - A dictator sent us on a crash course toward a nuclear holocaust. Our mission was to stop the launch sequence of the nukes before it was too late.

Dr. Psycho - Trapped in the room of a psychotic doctor/serial killer, we had to solve the case before we became the next victim.

Pros:  The rooms at 60 Out vary quite a bit making it difficult to talk generally about them as a group. The set design on some of the rooms (Titanic for instance) is stellar and far exceeded our expectations. Others are more typical of middle-of-the-road escape rooms. The puzzles are all generally logical with some games being more physical than mental. Yet, all the rooms were enjoyable to play and the puzzles mostly solvable. We had a great experience with all of the game masters who monitored our progress closely and provided assistance when needed. Overall we enjoyed our games at 60 Out and highly recommend visiting all of their rooms in the various locations in the Los Angeles area. 

Cons: We had a few mechanical difficulties in some of the more technologically complex rooms and at least one or two puzzle fails in games where poor puzzle design hindered our progress. These rooms were excellent overall. We found 60 Out, specifically Titanic and Grandma's MasterPlan, to be among our top ten favorite escape room experiences. Do not pass up the opportunity to play their games if you are in Southern California. 

https://www.60out.com

               

               

Fox in a Box: Orange County, Escape Room Review

Fox in a Box: Orange County

Fullerton, California

Mr. Fox's Secret Study: Recruited as special agents, we had to pass one final test before gaining Mr. Fox's approval.

Pros: The puzzles were very logical and fun to solve. The game master followed our game closely and intervened to assist us when necessary. We made excellent progress and needed only a nudge here and there to keep us on the right track. We successfully escaped with time to spare. 

Cons: Simple set design, basic storyline and straight-forward puzzles. This experience was certainly nothing to write home about but we had an excellent experience regardless. This was a good middle-of-the road escape room. Recommended for first-timers and enthusiasts. 

http://oc.foxinabox.us/?lang=eng

Escape Hotel Hollywood, Escape Room Review

Escape Hotel Hollywood

Hollywood, California

Cocaine: We found ourself in the office of a mob boss and soon had to solve a murder mystery in order to escape with our lives.

Zombie: A zombie apocalypse was underway and we had to track down the cure to save the human race from extinction.

Pros: The lobby was designed like a 1920s-era hotel complete with zombified bell hops and hotel staff. From the moment we walked in, we were excited to begin our adventure. The clerk took our photo and created passport books for us which further added to our excitement. We anticipated a great experience based on the initial hubbub in the lobby. Once we exited the lobby, our excitement, unfortunately, permanently checked-out of this hotel.

Cons: Once we were escorted to the escape rooms (we played two back-to-back: Cocaine and Zombie), our experience quickly degenerated into frustration and annoyance. The rooms were dark and full of clutter in the form of tools and other props that we were hesitant to touch for fear of getting our hands dirty. The puzzles defied logic and were often either overly complex or utterly incomprehensible. Our frustration was further exacerbated by game masters who were slow to respond and mostly unhelpful in providing hints or clues. In Cocaine, we stumbled our way through the awkward puzzles but had substantial difficulty solving the last puzzle because pieces were missing since the room had been improperly reset. Instead of apologizing or offering to refund our money, the game master insisted that the fault was in our game-play. When he finally agreed that the error was on the part of the staff who reset the game he simply shrugged it off and continued to remind us that we had failed to escape the room. 

Don't be fooled by the glitzy lobby. Save your money for some of the much higher quality escape room experiences in So Cal. 

http://www.escapehotelhollywood.com

Roundabout Canada, Escape Room Review

Roundabout Canada

Toronto, Canada

Final Destination: The complete collapse of both engines had our plane hurling toward the ground. We had to figure out how to pilot the plane and save our lives. 

Butcher's Basement: Tony's Butcher Shop hides a horrible secret. We had to locate our kidnapped friend before we ended up on the chopping block.

Back to the Mummy: Trapped in an ancient Egyptian tomb, our demise seemed eminent as the roof threatened to collapse on top of us.

Diamond Creed: A diamond, a guarded vault, a ticking clock. We felt like we had been here before, but stealing this diamond was no easy task.

Pros: We enjoyed the first game so much that we ended up playing four out of five of the games at Roundabout Canada. We tried to play the fifth game but they were not able to fit us in to their busy schedule. These were excellent high-quality games with fun, immersive set designs and storylines. Each game was quite challenging but not impossible to solve. We asked for hints when we needed them, which was more often than we would like to admit, but still enjoyed every minute of every game.

Cons: The hint process was cumbersome and cost us quite a bit of time. After calling the game master via a walkie-talkie we had to wait for the game master to enter the room and then catch them up on our progress before they were able to help us out. This happened each time we needed hints (several times per game). It seemed onerous for both players and employees. We hope they invest in cameras and audio equipment to monitor game progress. Computer monitors are our favorite way of receiving hints. 

We loved Roundabout Canada. We will be back and that's a promise. We hope. When we can afford to visit Toronto again. Someday. Maybe. But trust us, Roundabout Canada will be our first stop!

http://www.roundaboutcanada.com

PanI.Q. Escape Room Review

PanI.Q. Room Escapes

Mississauga, Canada

The Ward: Stricken with mental illness, we had less than an hour to locate the pill to restore our sanity.

Pros: The game master was very kind and accommodating. She assisted us with our requests for hints even when the answer turned out to be quite obvious. We were having an off day and asked for hints twice on puzzles we should have easily been able to solve. In both cases, we simply overlooked the obvious. We appreciated the very logical and linear puzzle design. Quite challenging and solvable for two people even though a third person could have helped us. 

Cons: Extremely simplistic set design that deluded us into underestimating the complexity of the room. 

We recommend PanI.Q. for a simple and fun room escape experience. We will visit again next time we happen to be in Mississauga.

http://paniq.ca

Trapped, Escape Room Review

Trapped!
Real Life Escape Games
Toronto, Canada

Diamond Heist: A 250-carat diamond is the prize. All we had to do was break into the auction house and steal it. 

Pros: The set immediately immersed us in the storyline and drew us into the game. The technology heightened our experience. We had a great time in this room navigating the physical and mental challenges. The puzzles were all cleverly designed and challenged us in new ways. We enjoyed solving each puzzle and in the end narrowly escaped with the diamond!

Cons: A few mechanical difficulties hindered our progress but the game masters quickly intervened and moved us right along.  

Overall a big thumbs up for Trapped. We wish we had time to play more of their games!

http://www.trapped-toronto.com/rooms.html

               

Riddle Room, Escape Room Review

Riddle Room

Toronto, Canada

Framed: We had been framed for the murder of a cop friend. Our goal was to break out of prison and prove our innocence.

Pros:  The puzzles here were easy to solve and left us feeling overly confident in our abilities. The game masters were nearly completely hands-off which we generally prefer since we like to be free to do our own thing. We also enjoyed the photo booth upon the completion of the game.

Cons: The set design was very simple but nothing to write home about. The puzzles were easy and consisted mostly of finding items rather than solving complex puzzles. Flimsy materials and illegible writing made some nearly impossible to figure out. We eventually muddled our way through it and still escaped in record time. We walked out the door only to be greeted by silence and an empty hallway. We wandered into the photo booth and let ourselves out. Fanfare is clearly not their thing. We walked out feeling cheated and wanted our money and time back. This was our least favorite room in Toronto. We recommend you skip it and enjoy some of the AMAZING escape rooms down the road.

http://www.riddleroom.ca

Secret City Adventures, Room Escape Review

Secret City Adventures

Toronto, Canada

Red Room: Red walls. No doors. That is all. 

Pros: This room was definitely quite creative with some real "out of the box" thinking required to successfully escape. 

Cons: This room was typical of what we have come to expect from playing Real Escape Games (SCRAP) and their affiliates. They break many of the rules of conventional escape rooms. While presenting a good challenge, this is not always a good thing. Don't use excessive force. Don't climb on things. Don't touch things that say "don't touch." Don't mess with electrical outlets. All of those rules go out the window here. Puzzles are rarely logical and typically overly convoluted. Their goal seems to be to make it impossible for you to escape at all and then to make it appear like it was all your fault in the end (instead of poor puzzle design). A less than 1% escape rate means that you need to seriously reflect on what is wrong with your room. If this was our first time playing an escape game we might have attributed our failure to our inexperience. But after 150 escape games we can truly say: don't waste your time or money on Real Escape Games or their affiliates.

Lost and Found in Chinatown: As a scientist in a memory lab we find ourselves suddenly pulled into a complicated mystery where we have lost all of our memories. Retracing our steps is key.

Pros: We liked the idea, in theory, of combining a scavenger hunt with an escape room. This could work well if executed correctly. 

Cons: See all of our comments above for the escape room portion of the experience. The scavenger hunt was way too simplistic and added little to the experience. We would stick with escape rooms if we were them. But then again their escape rooms are not good at all. So maybe just don't. Just don't.

Please note: We have heard that their Casa Loma escape games have rave reviews. These were all booked so we could not check them out. We recommend you judge for yourself. But no guarantees based on the above. Location isn't everything.

https://www.secretcityadventures.com

Captive Escape Room, Escape Room Review

Captive Escape Room

Toronto, Canada

Dracula's Library: Trapped in the library of everybody's favorite revenant, we had to find out before he awakened from his deep sleep and made us his snack.

Pros: The set design here was aligned to the theme and helped set the mood. Spooky but not too spooky. Mysterious and dark ambiance. The puzzles were sufficiently challenging. The game flow was smooth, logical, and scaled for complexity. The friendly game master was on hand to help us when we needed it most.

Cons: The last puzzle confused us quite a bit and we thought parts of it were unnecessarily convoluted but a hint in the final minutes ensured our escape. 

A good, solid room escape experience. If you visit Captive Escape Room, you won't be disappointed. We wanted to play more rooms, but this was a very popular place.

http://captiverooms.com

Paradox, Escape Room Review

Paradox Escape Room

San Jose, California

Wonderland: Having successfully fled Wonderland and entered back into the real world, we find ourselves undergoing psychiatric evaluation. The doctor thinks we have gone mad. Time to find our way back to Wonderland. 

Pros: The set design was basic but solidly constructed which was much appreciated since flimsily constructed rooms often delay progress. This room was less about searching for items and more about solving puzzles. The puzzles were all logical and tied into the Wonderland theme. Although, we often found ourselves scratching our heads trying to figure out the complex puzzles, successfully solving them made it worth it in the end. The game master was helpful and offered hints every ten minutes.

Cons: Because the game master would physically enter the room every ten minutes to ask if we needed a clue, we frequently found ourselves distracted. However, it turned out that we needed to take these clues because there were too many puzzles for our two-person team to solve. In the end, we felt that a few of the puzzles were overly complex. With two more solid players, capable of working on their own to solve individual puzzles, we may have been closer to breaking out. Overall, we recommend you take a team of four expert players to attempt this escape room if you want a remote chance of escape. More people than that will most likely be too many. Paradox escape games is one of the best escape games in San Jose/Santa Clara area. But compared to larger markets, such as Los Angeles, that is not a huge compliment. Still, we recommend that when in the South Bay, visit Paradox Escape Room first. 

http://www.paradoxescape.com/

Escape Hunt, Escape Room Review

Escape Hunt

Paris, France

Opera: The star of the caberet is missing. What happened to her? Our team of investigators was sent in to find out.

Pros: This establishment has an inviting waiting room that adds to the overall ambiance. The game master was also welcoming and helpful from start to finish. The set was decorated to theme with puzzles somewhat aligned to the storyline. The combination of mechanical and traditional puzzles was fun. We struggled with a few and needed hints to move us along but we enjoyed the puzzle-solving process.

Cons: One of the puzzles in the beginning stumped us for quite a while and we thought it could be slightly adjusted to be a bit more clear. Most of the puzzles however proceeded nicely and were logical and fun to solve. The set design was no frills but worked with the story. Overall this was a middle-of-the road escape room experience.

http://france.escapehunt.com/en/

Happy Hour Escape Room Review

Happy Hour Escape Game

Paris, France

Professor Zoltan's Virus: Professor Zoltan has gone mad and plans to release a deadly virus that will destroy humanity. We had  to locate the virus and flee the lab in order to foil his evil plan.

Police Academy of Palmento City: As police academy cadets we had to pass one final exam: defuse the bomb and escape with our lives. 

Pros: The game master enthusiastically introduced the story and dressed us appropriately for the parts we had to play. The added touch of costumes always adds to the experience, so hats off to Happy Hour Escape Rooms for props and costumes! The game master offered much needed hints through a monitor on the wall. Thankfully, we only needed a few hints here and there as the puzzles were clear and quite solvable. The game flow was linear and logical with each puzzle proceeding clearly from one to the next. 

Cons: The sets were basic in design but clearly aligned to the story. However, not all the puzzles fit the theme and storyline. At the end of the day, this was an overall solid middle-of-the road escape room experience. So grab a croissant and play a game or two  at Happy Hour Escape Game in Paris!

http://www.happyhourescapegame.com/?lang=en

Victory Escape Game, Escape Room Review

Victory Escape Game

Paris, France

Mona Lisa's Diamond: Mona Lisa's diamond is hidden in the central bank of Paris. Our band of expert burglars, had to locate and steal the world's largest diamond.

The Matrix: Trapped in the Matrix, we had to find our way out and save the world in the process. 

Pros: We loved the game masters here. The young woman who led us through the first game was exceptionally friendly, fun, and enthusiastic. She was excellent at introducing the game. Once inside the rooms, we discovered that the sets were decorated to theme, creating a fun, immersive environment. The puzzles worked overall but we struggled with a few that seemed illogical.

Cons:  In both of the games that we played we felt that the puzzles were overly convoluted creating an unnecessarily frustrating experience. In the Matrix, for example, we needed a pen and paper to help us remember parts of the puzzles that we had already solved. But a pen and paper were nowhere to be found. After our game was over, the employees told us that at one time paper and pens were included in the game but had since been taken out since the game seemed too easy for people. We thought this was a huge mistake since we had to memorize a large amount of numbers while also continuing to solve the puzzle. The game lacked a clear progression to indicate to players the next steps. This created unnecessary confusion and required redirection from the game master. Adjustments could easily be made to puzzles and game flow to fix these issues.

http://en.victoryescapegame.fr

Claustrophobia, Escape Room Review

Claustrophobia 

St. Petersburg, Russia

F.B.I.: Tasked with the mission of tracking down a dangerous terrorist, we had to sort through the evidence, locate the suspect and detonate the bomb.

Pros: The set was simple and there were not a lot of red herrings to distract us in our search. The puzzles were linear and logical. There were some unique ideas we had never seen before. The game master was nice enough to speak to us in english and explain the premise of the game.

Cons: It was tricky to find the first place to start because it broke a traditional rule of escape rooms. (We had to take something apart to get the game started). After the first puzzle everything was mechanical and moved along smoothly. Some of the clues were in Russian which made them difficult to understand. 

http://phobia.ru/city/saint-petersburg/

Get Away Zone, Escape Room Review

Get Away Zone

Tallinn, Estonia

Red Alert: 61 minutes to escape from the mysterious apartment. 

Pros: The owners were very friendly. The waiting area was large and inviting. Once the game began it moved forward in a linear fashion and we had no major problems working our way through the puzzles. The game master answered our questions when we had to clarify some parts of the game. 

Cons: This game had fewer puzzles to solve and was more about locating keys. There were a few surprises intended to startle and shock players. We got through these with several minutes of wasted time arguing who would have to do what. In the end, it worked out fine and we both were relieved when the game was over. We felt some of the surprises were unnecessary and did not add to the game play experience. We don't want to give away any spoilers, just be warned about the "surprises." 

http://www.getaway.zone

Keyhunt, Escape Room Review

Keyhunt

Copenhagen, Denmark

The Pirate Ship: We had to steal the Captain's treasure before he awoke to discover our plan and make us walk the plank.

Curse of the Pharaoh: As treasure hunters we had to locate the missing jewel deep inside the Pharoh's tomb.

Pros: The pirate and Egyptian rooms were fun themes. Although the rooms were small, the multilinear puzzle design kept us engaged. The puzzles were simple but logical and tied to the theme. The game master was super enthusiastic with a great introductory speech that helped get us amped up for the game. She monitored our game closely and offered hints via a monitor in the room. The puzzles ranged from riddles to mechanical tasks. We escaped with minutes to spare. The games were challenging but quite possible to solve. We especially loved that when the game was over we celebrated our victory with the song "we are the champions." We definitely felt like victors on this day.

Cons: The only struggle we had in both games (besides our own personal struggles with certain puzzle types *cough cough* math) was in understanding the audio hints in some of the puzzles. This is a simple fix for the game designers though. Overall this was a very enjoyable escape room experience made even better by our enthusiastic game master!

http://keyhunt.dk

Brain Games, Escape Room Review

Brain Games

Copenhagen, Denmark

The Lost Symbol: A professor of cryptography has disappeared, we had to unravel the mysterious symbols and find the missing professor. 

Pros: From the moment we walked in the door the game master was very accommodating. We appreciated his help throughout the game. They had a beautiful waiting room and a welcome atmosphere. We successfully escaped the room we played and wished we had the chance to play the rest of the games. Our limited time in Copenhagen, however, did not allow us to squeeze in any more games.

Cons: Our major concern with the game we played at Brain Quest was with the puzzle design. The first puzzle was very illogical. We needed the answer in order to move on. Even after the game master provided the answer we did not feel it was logical at all. After substantial delay on this first puzzle we decided to be wary of all future puzzles. We proceeded with caution but soon discovered similar issues with at least two other puzzles. Ironically, however, we did not need hints on these subsequent baffling puzzles since we have played many poorly designed rooms and have learned some illogical strategies used in similar rooms. We escaped but left with a general feeling of annoyance at the poor puzzle designs. Set design and story line were simple with puzzles sometimes linked to the story. 

http://www.braingamecph.dk/en/

Quest Rooms, Escape Room Review

Quest Rooms

Stockholm, Sweden

Haunted Photo Lab: A boy has mysteriously gone missing in his father's photography lab. A cryptic video tape, created by the now missing father, warns of the boy's ghost haunting the room. We had to escape the boy's ghost.

Pros: The introductory video helped set a spooky tone to the game and kept us in anticipation of what might happen next. As we searched the room looking for clues we constantly looked over our shoulder fearing a ghostly apparition. The game master helped when one of the locks would not work.

Cons: This room was mostly about finding objects and less about solving puzzles. The few puzzles we did solve were more time-consuming than cognitively challenging. Overall we wish we had skipped it since escape rooms are much more expensive over here in Scandinavia and we didn't feel we got our money's worth.

http://stockholm.questrooms.com

Exite Games, Escape Room Review

Exite Games

Helsinki, Finland

Airplane: Our airplane had been hijacked and we had to find a way to stop the hijackers before time ran out.

Four Elements: Uniting the four elements of earth, wind, water and fire was the key to our escape.

The Curse: A witch has cast her evil spell, we had to find a way to counteract it quick.

Pros: The game master and the owner greeted us and helped get us excited for each game. Airplane was a unique and fun experience. The puzzles flowed in a logical linear fashion and our group of four broke the record! The next two games also were very logical in puzzle design. We most enjoyed playing the Curse with it's spooky storyline. It was ideal for a group of four and once again we broke a record. We didn't need much help from the game master but when we did, she was always quick to provide hints. The sets were decorated to theme and helped add to the experience. 

Cons: None! This was a great experience through all three games and highly recommended. If you have to choose one, play Airplane. The Curse is definitely our second choice. Exite games rocked!

http://www.exite.fi/

Escape Room Helsinki, Escape Room Review

Escape Room Helsinki

Helsinki, Finland

Smuggler Monk: Searching for the monastery's lost treasure, we had to follow the path of the monks to find it.

Pros: The storyline and concept were interesting. The game master was friendly and professional from the booking to our successful finish.

Cons: The website described numerous games. We had trouble booking via the website and therefore had to call to schedule a session. They recommended we play their best game. This review is based only on that game and not the others. After we played it, we did not want to waste our money playing any more. The set was basic with little decoration and few props. The puzzles consisted either of finding keys or inputting random numbers that we found into locks. There were a few puzzles that actually required solving but these were all illogical and we needed hints to know even how to "solve" them. In the end we were disappointed with puzzles, set, and game flow. We chose not to play any further games based on our experience with this game.

https://www.escaperoom.fi/

Exit Games, Escape Room Review

Exit Games

Stockholm, Sweden

Valhalla: Our band of Vikings had to find a way to enter the eternal Viking paradise.

Crazy Grandma: Grandma had been kidnapped and locked away. We had to find her and help her escape.

The Cell: Locked away in a hole in the wall, we had to find a way out before they began harvesting our organs.

Pros: We started our day by playing the Viking-themed game. Our group of four (with two newbies) had a slow start in the beginning but after a small hint from the game master we were off and running. The puzzles were fun and logical and tied to the Viking storyline. We found our way into the otherworld with plenty of time to spare. Our first-time friends loved it and left happy. Overall we definitely recommend this room!

Cons: The next game we played was Grandma. The puzzles in this game had some clear logical flaws. Several of the puzzles required hints mostly because they defied the laws of logic or common knowledge. We were able to figure out others more by lucky guess than anything else. This game seemed rather raw and could use some major reworking. 

Our experience with the puzzles in the Cell was much better since most of the puzzles flowing in a logical linear fashion. We enjoyed the challenge of working in a confined, cramped space. This room is limited to two people but is not for the feint of heart. The small dark space is sure to invoke some degree of claustrophobia even among those who have never experienced such. We overcame this quickly but stumbled on one puzzle that cost us precious time. The game master attempted in vein to help but unfortunately the hints he offered were for a puzzle we had already solved. Twenty minutes of wasted time trying to re-solve a puzzle we already had a correct answer for resulted in our failure to escape. 

We have mixed feelings about Exit Games Stockholm. The Viking room is definitely worth playing. Skip Grandma. The Cell: only for the bravest of the brave escapeologists.

http://exitgames.se

Timequest, Escape Room Review

Timequest 

Copenhagen, Denmark 

Prison: We had 60 minutes to break out of jail and smell the sweet air of freedom.

Bomb: Harkening back to the days of the Cold War, we had to locate and deactivate a bomb before the world became a nuclear wasteland. 

White Room: A white room, a ticking clock and time is money.

Pros: Timequest is a top-notch escape room experience and definitely worth a visit when in Copenhagen. The game masters were professional and observant throughout the whole game. We donned our prison garb and began our day at Timequest by being handcuffed, blindfolded and locked in a cell. We proceeded rapidly through the game despite being handcuffed through the majority of it. We had to fight our natural instinct to work on different puzzles at once and instead work together. The linear nature of the puzzles helped with this. The puzzles were logical and directly tied to the prison escape theme. The Prison Break soundtrack in the background helped motivate us in our escape. We made our jail break in record time, beating the top score. We felt like professional escape artists! 

Our experience in the White Room quickly deflated our burgeoning egos. The concept behind the room was quite unique in that we had several strategic options that would effect our final score. The object was not only to escape quickly but to locate hidden money and determine whether or not to use said money to purchase clues. The puzzles were multilinear and multi-leveled creating a challenging experience for even the most experienced and record-breaking escapeologists. This room seems ideally fitted for 4-5 people rather than smaller groups. We struggled with the complex puzzles and lost a lot of precious time before ultimately choosing to pay for hints. We escaped with a lot less money than we had hoped. 
We recommend this room as a challenge for more experienced players.

After playing the white room, our cognitive functioning seemed severely diminished but we determined to power through and play the Bomb. The puzzles were logical and linear like the Prison room. We moved through the game and were able to successfully escape with time to spare and only one hint, The set design was perfect for the theme and the puzzles tied to the storyline.

Cons:  We were overall impressed by Timequest. Our only concern was that the puzzles in the White Room may be too complex for beginners. We suggest that you play that room with 4-5 experienced players. When in Copenhagen and in need of an escape room fix, Timequest is the place to go.

http://timequest.nu

Quaint World, Escape Room Review

Quaint World

Oslo, Norway

Wonderland: The colors have been kidnapped and locked away. Our goal was to free the colors and escape before time ran out.

Pros: The set design was very unique and creative. We felt like we had entered the strange world of Wonderland. The game master was very polite and helped us navigate our way through the puzzles. The hints were tied to the story of the colors and freeing them.

Cons: A few of the mechanical parts of the game could be improved for better overall flow and game play. Aspects of the game seemed counterintuitive to experienced escape room players. However, we enjoyed the opportunity to challenge ourselves in this way and rewire our brains to think a bit more creatively and out of the box. This was quite the challenging experience and recommended for those wishing to try a room that is a bit out of the norm.

http://quaintworld.no

AdventureRooms Oslo, Escape Room Revie

AdventureRooms Oslo

Oslo, Norway

The Original Swiss Game: This game is modeled off the original AdventureRooms game in Bern, Switzerland.

The Black Queen: Fleeing from the clutches of the Black Queen, we had to find a way out before she caught up with us.

Pros: This was a very nice escape room experience from beginning to end. The game masters and owners were hospitable and kind. They clearly explained the rules and introduced us to the games. The rooms themselves had multiple puzzles with a logical game flow. A few red herrings distracted us at times but we progressed rapidly regardless. Overall this game had far fewer distractions than the average games we play. We encountered some unique puzzles and enjoyed the opportunity to use tools we had never seen before. We really enjoyed the experience.

Cons: A storyline in the Original Swiss Room could add to the experience. The hodgepodge of props and puzzles could fit a variety of themes. This is a great room to introduce newbies to a variety of puzzle types without being too overwhelming. If you are in Oslo, we definitely would advise you to check out AdventureRooms.

http://www.adventurerooms.no

The Escape Games, Escape Room Review

The Escape Games

Oslo, Norway

10 Millions of the New York Gangsters: The notorious Chris Donovan gang is on the run after hiding nearly 10 million dollars in cash. We had to search their hideaway and escape with the money.

Mystery of the Pirate Ship: Our band of unruly pirates boarded Captain Duke's ship in search of the Golden Amulet of the Seven Seas.

Pros: The storyline and set design in these rooms immediately drew us into the game. The attention to detail and subtle added surprises helped keep us on our toes throughout the game. The electronic puzzles really added to the fun. All the puzzles tied to the theme making for a clearly connected narrative. The game master watched our moves closely and intervened when were way off track. We escaped both rooms with time to spare.

Cons: The puzzles felt less like puzzlss than simple tasks to be completed. Once we figured out what to do, the next task was presented. An excellent place for newbies to learn about the basic concept without delving too deeply into the muck of solving complex puzzles. Recommended for those new to escape rooms or escape room addicts who like to see various approaches to set design. We highly commend them for the creativity in set design.

http://www.escapegames.no/en/

Escape Bryggen, Escape Room Review

Escape Bryggen

Bergen, Norway

Hanseaticus: A group of smugglers have hidden their precious treasure. We had to locate the treasure and escape undiscovered.

The Crimson Hotel: A haunted hotel room housed dark secrets. We had to find a way out before we met our doom.

La Diva Supernova: An opera star has become the target of attack when a bomb is planted in her room. Our group had to find a way to defuse the bomb.

Pros: Escape Bryggen has three games in two different locations. The room in the heart of the historic district on the wharf was located in one of the old buildings in a back alleyway. This immediately added to the ambience. We arrived in Bergen in the morning and went straight to play the rooms. We had been awake for 32 hours and were exhausted from jet lag. We played all three games in a row with only about 15 minutes in between. We found our minds were foggy as we struggled to wake up enough to focus on puzzle solving. The rooms were particularly challenging, multi linear with lots of puzzles and locks. We slogged through the first game making slow progress and stumbling awkwardly as a result of the lack of sleep. We were not able to escape the first game. We did successfully escape the next two games as the adrenaline kicked in and we gained a bit more clarity with each game. The sets were basic but tied to the themes. The puzzles are all very logical, the game masters offered help as needed and the storyline of each room was outlined in the beginning. 

Cons: There were so many puzzles in these rooms that it was difficult for two people. Three to four would be ideal here. Other than that and our need for sleep, these were solid escape room 
experiences. So far Norway has scored an A on escape rooms! 

http://www.escapebryggen.no

The Room, Bergen, Escape Room Review

The Room

Bergen, Norway

Dark Wizards Room: Dangerous sorcery is afoot. Some creepy magic was happening in this room and we decided to escape rather than find out what happens next.

Pros: This was the fourth escape room we played in Bergen. Thank goodness we had finally slept. Our brains were definitely flowing much quicker through this game than they had been the day before. We made good progress at first. The logical nature of the puzzles made for quick work. This room also had numerous puzzles at once. We needed no hints for the first 40 minutes and progressed at a rapid pace. The last fifteen minutes or so we felt like we hit a wall and requested our hints in rapid succession. These helped move us along but in the end we struggled on the very last puzzle. We literally shouted out the solution as the game master walked through the door. Unfortunately it was much too late. Overall this was a solid room escape with clear logical puzzlss and great game flow. The game master was ready to offer help as needed.

Cons: The room was decorated to theme but we did not know the storyline. Afterwards we were able to read the story on the Internet. It may have helped a bit playing the game and added to the experience. Otherwise this was a very enjoyable experience. When in Bergen, be sure to play at The Room.

http://www.theroombergen.com

Vault Escape, Escape Room Review

Vault Escape

Riverside, Illinois

Inheritance: We were set to inherit a fortune. But only if we could solve our crazy deceased relative's riddles in order to locate it.

Mad Scientist: Another mad scientist bent on vengeance. We had to find a way to defuse the bomb before we fell victim to his plot. 

Pros: Let us begin by saying that the owner at Vault Escape was completely awesome. She clearly loves what she does and we appreciated her joy and the effort she put into her rooms. Also, she made a great game master with her attention to our progress and helpful hints as needed. The rooms themselves had clear, logical game flows. The puzzles were quite solvable and overall tied to the theme of each room. We can honestly say we enjoyed playing the games and figuring out each puzzle. The linear nature of the room also helped our progress. The rooms were small, best for two to four players. The sets, however, coincided with the general theme of the room.

Cons: A few of the puzzles tripped us up a bit with possible alternatives, but overall these are nicely designed games and rooms. Set-design is basic, but it works! It is mostly about good game flow and puzzles to us. We recommend this as a solid room escape experience among the best Illinois has to offer.

http://www.vaultescapechicago.com/the-vaults

Escape Factor Chicago Escape Room Review

Escape Factor Chicago

Oak Park, Illinois

The Timekeeper's Trap: Locked in the den of a crazy clockmaker, tick-tock will we be able to unlock the lock? Is time on our side?

Pros: The owner and game master was a delightful individual who thoroughly made us feel welcome and excited to play. He stayed in the room with us and carried us through troubled times or whenever we found ourselves at a loss. The room had a unique theme and the set design was clearly tied to this theme. Many of the puzzles were quite clever and we appreciated their connection to the story.

Cons: There were so many clock-related puzzles that our brains are still numb from the temporal experience. We had puzzle overload all around. We thought we did fairly well in progressing through the many, MANY puzzles, until time ran out and we were told how many more we had to go. If it were not for the helpful hints of the game master we probably would not have progressed as far as we did since most of the puzzles were overly complicated and convoluted, requiring some translation in order to solve them. Overall we think we liked it but we are not entirely sure since our thinking tool kind of shut down midway through this game. So we will get back to you on that one when it is up and running again. 

http://www.escapefactorchicago.com/#about

Escape Artistry, Escape Room Review

Escape Artistry

Chicago, Illinois

The Railcar: Trapped on a speeding transit train, we had to figure out how to put the brakes on this choo choo before we plunged to our deaths. In the process, we unraveled the evil plot of a domestic terrorist.

Pros: The game master was awesome. From the moment she walked out to greet us, she exuded an enthusiasm that was worthy of the greatest game masters in the world. She truly set the tone for the game we were about to play. She even managed to skillfully deal with the annoying hungover college kids we had to play with who thought they were ever so funny and clever to the amusement of nobody ever. She was a true master of the art of game mastery, if it was an art. We were then led inside the game play area we stood in awe for a moment at the cool set and pondered the background story as it played on the screen. Once the clock began ticking however, our attitude rapidly changed.

Cons: The puzzles were mostly riddles and math problems, typical of the kind found in any standard puzzle book. This is becoming one of our major issues with many escape rooms, the general lack of creativity and unwillingness to tie the puzzles to the storyline. We found ourselves parceling them out like homework. "Who's good at math?" "Who can do riddles?" "Graphs?" Etc. We trudged through these like a child shoving down their veggies. Even the mechanical puzzle, which I usually jump to do, was tedious and near impossible to complete. We escaped through a default method that allowed us to essentially bypass the difficult puzzles and move forward anyway. All in all, a puzzle design fail. But hey we got to hold a victory sign in the end. Score!

http://www.escape-artistry.com

Hidden Key Escapes, Escape Room Review

Hidden Key Escapes

Naperville, Illinois

The Hideaway: Kidnapped and taken for ransom, we had to escape a secret room. 

Pros: At the end of a long streak of escape room fails in Illinois, we were ready to hang up our hats and relinquish our title as escapologists. Until, we played The Hideaway at Hidden Key Escapes. We walked in determined to prove we were not complete failures. We were also starving and set on escaping before the restaurants closed. We set to work, methodically moving through the numerous puzzles. Clear game flow and logical puzzles helped keep us on track. We needed only one hint at the end (requiring us to move a piece of furniture despite our general hesitancy to do so given so many exhortations against doing so in other rooms). Finally, we escaped with much time to spare. We were elated and starving. So we hurried on out of there with a renewed love of escape rooms.

Cons: None. We escaped. We were literally so thrilled after our succession of losses that this place felt like the best escape room experience in the world. Seriously it did. But in retrospect, a clearly articulated storyline would have been nice. More creative set-design perhaps? Aw heck, who needs those, this is the best Illinois has to offer, so let's just congratulate them for logical puzzles and good game flow. Here, Here!*

*The sarcasm in this review is a result of Poorly-Designed Puzzle Fatigue (PDPF), a condition brought on by fruitlessly attempting to solve so many poorly design puzzles at other escape rooms in the area. Not at Hidden Key, thank goodness. 

http://www.hiddenkeyescapes.com

The Basement Escape Rooms, Escape Room Review

The Basement Escape Rooms

Aurora, Illinois

Traumatized: Captured by a serial killer . . . you can guess the rest. Essentially we had to escape or die.

Pros: Amazingly cool set and altogether horrific environment. Perfect for haunted houses, zombies, laser tag, and just hanging out in a scary room. We played laser tag and loved it. We definitely recommend you plan on spending hours here and shoot some zombies while you are at it. The escape room itself had a total immersive feel, except for the game master's presence in the room, which felt more oppressive than if Dr. Trauma himself had been in the room. 

Cons: There were so many puzzles (complex and illogical) that we were overwhelmed and the game master had to literally chart them out on a white board and guide us to each hint to help lead us through the game. We did not get far at all and more people most definitely could have helped. There were so many red herrings and distractions however, that playing this game was difficult to impossible at times. The sheer number of puzzles made progress exceedingly slow. The game master's apparent judgement on our abilities diminished all of our confidence and we temporarily determined to pretend that our name was the "escape wannabes" rather than the "escapologists." We literally succeeded at nothing except single-handedly saving our team from obliteration in laser tag. But the escape room experience was a total loss. 

http://thebasementescaperooms.com

The Room Lisle, Naperville, Illinois

The Room Lisle

Naperville, Illinois

Einstein Room: Not sure what the story was for this room but there were images of Albert Einstein on the wall so we are guessing that's where the name came from. 

The Gallery: Famous paintings adorned the walls and we were tasked with discovering the forgeries and solving puzzles to escape. 

The White Room: A completely white room. 30 minutes. That's all you need to know.

Pros: There were three escape rooms at this place and clearly we love escape rooms.

Cons: Where to begin... Let's start with the game master. When we arrived, she proceeded to provide a 15 minute lecture on the DO NOTS of the room. These included the typical rules such as do not climb or break as well as a few we had never heard of before such as "put the clues back right next to where you found them so the staff doesn't have to work so hard in resetting the room" and "don't do any renegade moves." She went on to explain that renegade moves included jumping ahead. Now, it is our belief that in a well-designed game it would be truly impossible to jump ahead (lock-picking aside) so this has never been a problem for us. However, during and after our game we were indeed chastised for making renegade moves, much to our surprise. Apparently, we solved several puzzles "before we were supposed to" which to us was not a problem at all but to the game master was apparently a most vile violation. Our advice: if you don't want people to jump ahead, make sure there is no way for them to do so. It is all about puzzle design and good game flow. Besides that issue, we found the puzzles mostly tedious to complete, feeling more like homework than imaginative and fun puzzle solving. The same was true for both the Einstein Room and the Gallery. In the Gallery, we played with several children and were pleased to assign some of the more homework type puzzles to them rather than have to trudge through them ourselves. The sheer number of puzzles combined with the arduous nature of them made it difficult to escape in the time limit.  With no story lines, we didn't necessarily feel invested anyway and were not really sure why we needed to even escape. 

With regard to the White Room, let's just say that we solved it after we failed to solve it. That will make much more sense to you after you have played it. Interesting concept and we appreciate the philosophy behind it and especially the fact that it was completely contrary to our room escape instincts and challenged us to rethink our game-play strategy in general. With that said, we were divided on whether we disliked it very much or hated it altogether. 

http://theroomlisle.com

Escape for Fun, Wheaton, Illinois

Escape for Fun

Wheaton, Illinois

The Chamber: As King Arthur's knights of the Round Table we had to find a way to free the sword from the stone and escape the castle.

Pros: We loved the introduction and the set in the room where they introduced the story to us. Our group of ten was very enthusiastic and this helped get us more excited for the experience to come. Our game masters were very happy young people who also surged with enthusiasm. However, our initial excitement quickly waned.

Cons: Let me just say that even more than set designs, what we most appreciate is logical, thoughtful and creative puzzles. Unfortunately, Escape for Fun did not deliver. We needed hints for every single puzzle mostly because the logic of each was convoluted. If, for example, we had discovered a certain number combination, often those numbers would have to be rearranged in some random unknowable combination in order to unlock a lock. Since many of the locks were the same type this created for a large number of possibilities that required either trial and error or multiple hints. In the end, we did not solve a single puzzle without hints from the game master. The set design was good. The room was very small and there was not much to do for large numbers of people. Many times people were standing around wondering what to do.

http://www.escapeforfun.com/index.htm

EscapeIQ, Escape Room Review

EscapeIQ

Los Angeles, California

The Vault: As secret agents we were sent on a mission to break into the vault and rescue our fellow agent.

Alcatraz: Out group of jailbirds had to find a way to escape the most notorious prison in the world.

Pros: Let us start by saying that the employees at this establishment were extremely courteous, enthusiastic and helpful. Let us end the pros list with that.

Cons: The set in the Vault was simplistic, adding little to the storyline or experience. Alcatraz had a much more theme-based set comparatively. The puzzles in both rooms were illogical at times and disconnected from the room themes. We required numerous clues and some technical assistance on puzzles that were either illogical or impossible to complete without assistance. The themes were the stereotypical escape room storylines with little variation or creativity. We escaped but with lots of hints which detracted from the thrill of escape.

If you are in Los Angeles and only have time for a few escape rooms, we recommend you skip this one since there are so many great ones in the area. But if you too are an escapeologist, then of course you would have to visit EscapeIQ.

www.escapeiq.com