Mysterious Minds, Escape Room Review

Mysterious Minds

Toronto, Canada

Gold Rush: The lucky loonie was missing and we had to locate it somewhere within the Canadian Hockey team's locker room.

Moonshine Mile: A hidden speakeasy hid the secret to who had poisoned our race horse and was running an illegal operation. We had to discover the culprit and put an end to the illegal shenanigans. 

Shortly after arriving in Toronto we arrived at the steps of Mysterious Minds in downtown Toronto. We were anxious to feed our escape room addiction right away. The gamemaster warmly greeted us and quickly led us into our first room. We began by playing the horserace-themed Moonshine Mile. Then moved to the Gold Rush room where our search for the lucky loonie led us to a hockey-themed room that was perfect for a trip to Canada. Although both of the rooms were small, the sets were nicely decorated to help create a sense of immersion in line with the room themes. The puzzle lines were mostly linear and aligned to theme. The puzzles were so logical that we didn't need any hints to get us through either game. We successfully escaped with plenty of time to spare. The puzzles were challenging but not too challenging. Definitely a good escape room for newbies and experts alike.

http://www.mysteriousminds.ca

Escape the House, Escape Room Review

Escape the House

Mississauga, Ontario

Last Stop Hotel: Paranormal activity in a haunted hotel room. What else do we have to say? We had to solve the mystery and get out!

Pros: The set was a basic, single room set-up which in some ways made for faster game play. The puzzles flowed quite logically and were relatively simple single step puzzles. The puzzles were not aligned to the theme or storyline. We flowed through the game quite rapidly coming within seconds of breaking the record. While this always makes us feel especially accomplished, we felt that the room could be slightly improved to add additional challenge for more experienced players. The game masters were very kind and fun with infectious enthusiasm that helped us feel amazing at the end of our game.

Cons: The set design and storyline bored us. Aligning the puzzles to the theme or scaling the puzzles a bit more could help improve the quality of the game play. 

We definitely recommend this particular game for escape room beginners due to its simplicity of design and smooth game flow. Experienced players may wish to play a more challenging game. Perhaps the other games at Escape the House would provide more of a challenge. 

http://www.escapethehouse.ca/home

Escape Zone, Room Escape Review

Escape Zone

Toronto, Canada

Billiard Room Murder: A billiard room. A crime scene. As detectives we had to solve the murder and close the case.

Treble in the Studio: A rival band locked us in the studio in an effort to prevent us from competing in the music competition. We had to use our musical skills to find our way out.

Pros: The storylines and sets at Escape Zone are truly immersive. I actually felt like a musician (a very bad, high school band geek) trapped in the music studio. Unfortunately, my lack of musical knowledge was below high school level and I found myself of no use in solving the puzzles. Luckily the team picked up the slack and saved the day with their musical abilities. Our detective skills came in handy in the Billiard Room, where (with all group members now contributing equally) we rapidly moved through the puzzles. In both rooms, the puzzles were logical and scaled in complexity. We needed no hints even as we struggled on a few puzzles. 

Cons: One or two puzzles could be refined for clarity. But overall the game flow of both rooms was excellent.

http://www.escapezonetoronto.com

Trapped, Escape Room Review

Trapped

Toronto, Canada

Pandemic: A zombie apocalypse threatened the future of all mankind. A professor had discovered a cure. We had to find it in order to survive.

Pros: This was our second trip to Trapped. After playing Diamond Heist earlier in the year, we wanted to return hoping for a repeat performance. We enjoyed the storyline and theme of this room but were less impressed by the set and puzzles.

Cons: The puzzles were a bit monotonous and generally boring to solve. The dark room made it difficult to see in order to solve them. The set was overall basic, adding little to the gameplay experience. We escaped with plenty of time left on the clock, but the game ended rather anti-climatically. 

We definitely recommend playing Diamond Heist, but we would not recommend playing Pandemic unless you have money and time to burn.

http://www.trapped-toronto.com

Xtreme Escape Adventures, Escape Room Review

Xtreme Escape Adventures

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Graveyard Shift: Trapped in a cemetery, we had to find the key and let ourselves out before the stroke of midnight.

Pros: We love puzzles and escape rooms and this was an escape room with puzzles. The theme was original and definitely had a storyline we had never heard before. The gamemaster was extremely helpful, coming into the room on nearly every puzzle to explain the logic to us and in the end, when we failed, she patiently walked us through the logic of the room.

Cons: Nearly every single puzzle had a major logical fallacy or issue with its execution. Many of the puzzles just did not make sense to even the most seasoned of players and could not be solved without either a lucky guess or help from the gamemaster. The set was basic. The props cheap and hokey (definition: noticeably contrived). The locks worn-out and in need of replacing. 

Overall we cannot recommend playing at Xtreme Escape Adventures. The greater Toronto area and Mississauga has so many GREAT escape rooms. We recommend you spend your money and time elsewhere.

http://www.xtremeescapeadventures.com

No Way Out, Escape Room Review

No Way Out

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

The Red Market: Kidnapped and locked away in a cell, we had to find a way out before we found ourselves under the surgeon's knife and the victim of an international organ harvesting syndicate.

Pros: The waiting room at No Way Out was top-notch: comfortable, fun and inviting. We mention this because it is not always the case in most escape rooms and we always appreciate a good waiting room when we encounter one (especially if we have to wait before our game). The staff was likewise welcoming, greeting us warmly and immediately prepping us for our game (alas, also often an anomaly). Once we were prepped and ready, we entered the room and immediately embarked on our escape room adventure. The eerie sound effects, set, and props helped set the mood (a frightened mood). This motivated us to work fast to get out of the room. We moved through the puzzles, all appropriate to the theme, somewhat rapidly. The game moderators helped when we found ourselves completely stuck. The game became more intense as it proceeded. We responded by increasing the pace of our puzzle-solving abilities. We breathed a huge sigh of relief when we successfully escaped, grateful to escape with our organs intact. 

Cons: There are a few puzzles that require breaking the rules of the typical escape room. This was not a problem for us, but we do worry that it may encourage such behavior in other escape rooms where the consequences could be dangerous for players. We recommend they change the puzzle for the safety of customers attending other rooms in the future.

We really loved our experience at No Way Out and will be back hopefully in the future to play additional games. We are especially looking forward to playing Catnip. Hope to make it back to Toronto soon!

http://nowayoutescaperoom.com