Castle Escape Room, Escape Room Review

Castle Escape Room

San Jose, California

Castle Escape: Trapped in a mysterious castle, we had to locate four magical symbols in order to discover the secrets of the castle and find our way out.

Pros: This was a great theme for an escape room. The puzzles were relatively easy to solve. So easy in fact, that we never broke a sweat and escaped with 20 minutes to spare. This would be a great room for children or escape room newbies. Kids would especially enjoy the Harry Potter type theme. Game moderators were helpful and friendly. Best for groups of 2-4.

Cons: The set design was very cheap and poorly laid out. We felt like we had to be very careful so as to not to break any of the props or furniture. Cheap puzzles, locks, and containers added to the flimsy, low-budget feel of the whole experience. Storyline was basic to non-existent. Puzzles were simple and not very challenging.

http://castleescaperoom.com

Ninja Escape, Escape Room Review

Ninja Escape

Seattle, Washington

Mission 1: Hack Attack: Taking on the role of Ninjas, our goal was to rummage through the office of Mr. Hancock and recover money stolen from our clients. As a member of the Kraken, Hancock represents a major threat to the Ninja order. We had to escape the room before Hancock or the Kraken returned.

Mission 2: Black Lace: The Kraken have developed a deadly poison that has the potential to kill everyone. Our goal was to scour the lab, uncover its secrets, and steal the formula before the lab combusted.

Pros: The ninja theme was exciting and the introduction to the story was interesting. Game masters were friendly, enthusiastic, and attentive to the game, keeping us progressing forward.

Cons: The overall set design was basic and seemed inconsistent with the initial storyline. Not all of the puzzles were very logical and some required additional, unnecessary steps.

Bonus: We were able to pose with cool Ninja gear for our victory photos! Fun props are always a plus!

https://escape.ninja

Omescape, Escape Room Review

Omescape

San Jose, California

Kingdom of Cats: Trapped in a kingdom of felines, we were compelled to compete in a tournament to crown the wisest cat in the kingdom. The only way to escape perpetual imprisonment was to compete alongside our feline friends.

Dark Altar: We found ourselves trapped inside the Copenheimer Museum where an archaeology obsessed collector had initiated a dark ritual. Our goal was to work our way through the museum to discover and stop the ritual.

Joker's Asylum: A maniacal Joker was locked away in an asylum after a tragic incident at the circus. The Joker had escaped. We were tasked with discovering the Joker's secrets and escaping the asylum.

Pandemic Zero: A super virus has sickened the city. We must break into the lab and finish work on the cure. 

Pros: The physical layout of Omescape from the waiting area to the game-play areas is clean, orderly and visually appealing. The puzzles are mostly linear, less about searching and more about thinking critically. Set-design is appealing and clearly tied to the overarching storyline. The games are scaled at different difficulty levels and geared toward different group sizes. Game moderators can be helpful and willing to provide assistance if asked.

Cons: The reservation system only works on web browsers and is not reliable on mobile phones. This was a problem on multiple occasions, especially since the popularity of this place makes it difficult to make reservations. The puzzles in their rooms tend to be geometrical or symbol-based. We found the puzzles quite complex in all three games and extremely difficult to solve without assistance from the game masters. Scaling of the puzzles within each individual game could have helped us with the puzzle-solving process. Overall, we find their games overly complex. The friendliness of the game masters and their willingness to offer relevant clues helped prevent frustration and a complete mental melt-down of players.

https://omescape.us

Sherlocked, Escape Room Review

Sherlocked

Seattle, Washington

Escape from the Haunted House: Our goal was to escape from the haunted room before we met the fate of a young woman who was similarly trapped nearly 100 years ago.

Pros: Extremely enthusiastic and engaging puzzle master who introduced the story and celebrated our success afterwards. However, the puzzle master needs to be present in the room or to have access to cameras so that intervention may be provided as appropriate to keep the game flowing.

Cons: Cheesy decorations and cheap or poorly designed puzzles detracted from the experience. The room was not spooky or scary. A few cheap halloween decorations on the wall were intended to create the "haunted house" effect. The puzzles seemed mostly logical but cheap, poorly constructed materials caused confusion and led to problems for our group. Unfortunately, we were grouped with another team, a very large group of teenagers. This greatly limited our ability to enjoy the puzzles (especially since they misplaced or broke many of the puzzle clues). This was my face :(

http://www.sherlockedseattle.com

Enigma Escape Rooms, Escape Room Review

Enigma Escape Rooms

West Hollywood, California

The Secret Temple: Our group of fellow reporters was sent in to investigate a secret society. In search of their hidden temple we delved deep into the mysteries of the clandestine organization.

Apartment 205: As a team of special agents, we were sent on a mission to deactivate a bio-chemical bomb that was found in a Hollywood apartment. But first we had to locate the bomb before time ran out.

The Will: A wealthy industrialist commits suicide? But was it a suicide? Or was it murder? We had to help the family figure out the truth so that the deceased could rest in peace.

Crime Scene: Sent in to investigate a crime scene at a theater, our group had to prove that the death was not a suicide but a murder. The police do not take kindly to interlopers, however, so we had to figure it out and act fast.

Pros: We visited this place on four separate occasions to play the four different games. The owners/game masters were consistently enthusiastic, gracious, and fun. They clearly love their business. The sets in the rooms were aligned with the storylines and themes. The decor added to immersive feel. We played in groups ranging in size from 4 to 8 people. The rooms worked well with groups of any size. The puzzles were linear and logical and a good mix between searching and solving. We especially enjoyed the creativity and unique mechanical puzzles of Crime Scene!

Cons: The couch in the waiting room - I almost didn't escape from it!

Legend X Iteration, Escape Room Review

Legend X Iteration

Santa Ana, California

The Dynasty - Royal Library: Traveling back in time to Ancient China, our group found ourselves inside the Imperial library tasked with the job of retrieving a powerful forbidden seal.

Pros: The room was decorated in Chinese artwork and furniture according to the story theme. We breezed through the challenges in the beginning and enjoyed some nice surprises with the technology of some of the puzzles. We successfully solved the first game and were told that we could progress to the next one. This was a fun twist to the traditional game. We did not move very far in the second game before time ran out. The game master was friendly and explained the process well. 

Cons: The puzzles in the second room were less logical and we struggled with these a bit more as a result. Would love to come back and finish this room and begin the next!

http://legendxiteration.com

Escape X, Escape Room Review

Escape X

Irvine, California

Mystery of Murder Manor: Locked in a mysterious haunted room, our team of ghosthunters had to reunite the deceased members of the Cain family in order to free their ghostly spirits.

Casino Heist: A casino owned by a mafia kingpin has millions of dollars in cash and jewels inside. Our goal was to retrieve as much of the stolen material as we could within an hour. 

Pros: From the moment we stepped into the waiting room, we loved Escape X. The owners were friendly and excited to share their passion for escape rooms with us. They clearly explained the story theme, the rules, and set the tone for the game. They were readily accessible for assistance throughout the game. The set design in Murder Manor was intended to create that eerie feeling of being locked in a haunted house. It worked. Our whole group proceeded cautiously around the room, unsure what to make of the spooky storyline. The puzzles were logical and varied in type and style. The storyline of trying to reunite the Cain family carried throughout each puzzle and culminated in the final challenge. It was a masterfully designed room in the flow of the puzzles. 
However, our favorite room by far was Casio Heist. In a twist from the typical escape room goal, our mission was not to escape but to collect as much money and as much evidence as possible before time ran out. This added an intensity and purpose to our game play that motivated us far beyond expectation. We delegated tasks and found ourselves prioritizing our puzzle solving in order to maximize our gain. The puzzles were fun to solve and scaled in complexity. Several of the puzzles stumped us. Yet, in the end we still felt like big winners as a result of the quantity of our booty and the enthusiasm of the game master. 

Cons: We absolutely LOVED Casino Heist and cannot think of anyway they could improve it. Murder Manor was a blast as well. Congratulations to the escape room owners on a well-designed set-up!

http://www.escapexrooms.com

Puzzle Workshop, Escape Room Review

Puzzle Workshop

Irvine, California

Secrets of the Illuminati: Our group snuck into the study of Sir Edwin Falkier, a member of the secret society of the Illuminati with the intent to locate and steal the sacred relic, the Statue of Sekhmet. However, we had to move quickly before the Illuminati caught up with us. 

Pros: The game master was attentive and a great guide through the game. We loved the puzzles in this room. Many of the puzzles required deductive reasoning which is something that we do not often see in many escape rooms. This made them quite possible to solve even without prior exposure to the puzzle type or any special skills. The puzzles in this room also varied considerably in type allowing every player to utilize their own unique skills to solve the puzzles. We escaped in record time.

Cons: The room set-up was simple and basic in design. Same for the waiting room. The storyline was clear in the beginning but not consistent throughout the room. 

http://www.puzzleworkshop.com