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/