Myst Escape, Escape Room Review

Myst Escape

Mountain View, California

Ghost Ship: Trapped on a ship with a ghost (or maybe it was a ship that was a ghost), we had to discover its secrets to make our escape. 

Pros: The game master greeted us warmly and then proceeded to clearly articulate the rules and expectations for our gameplay. Once we entered the escape room, we discovered a relatively average set that was decorated with a few scattered props aligned to the theme. The puzzles were similarly average with some of them being clear and logical, a few overly complex or convoluted, and one or two that seemed to defy logic or explanation. In the end, with lots of help from the game master, we escaped and were happy to depart from the group of annoying strangers that the fates had unfortunately assigned us to play alongside.

Cons: Logical fallacies are always annoying and therefore we wish to repeat our admonition to puzzle designers and game masters: if players consistently get stuck on a specific puzzle, then the problem is the puzzle design, not the players. Please do not assume that it is simply a very clever puzzle that challenges players to the extreme. Worse yet, do not assume that players just do not understand the "logic" of it. If one or two teams here and there need a hint on the same puzzle, then there is no problem. But clearly if most every group needs help, then there is a problem and you should fix it. 

Reader Warning: You are approaching a long-winded side-note. Feel free to cease reading this review here or at any point if you are feeling queasy or uncomfortable. 

While we are on the subject of things that frustrate us, another common annoyance is the continued trend of pairing people with strangers. I know it is a financial incentive for owners to pack rooms to capacity. However, please think about the player experience first and foremost. If we get paired with a great group of strangers, then all is well in the universe. On the occasions when we get paired with children, teenagers, drunk people, a fraternity/sorority, or a group of generally annoying people, then we quickly find ourselves very much regretting the ordeal. A bad experience playing an escape game may mean that customers never want to return to your establishment (or any other) to play again. For $30-$50 a person, a bad experience seems like a colossal waste of money (and time). The customer is also less likely to recommend escape rooms to others. So we recommend that you allow teams to play games with their own group. If you must therefore require a minimum number of players to book the room privately, then so be it. But, please stop grouping us with random strangers. 

Side-note over. K thanks!

http://www.mystescaperoom.com/

Enchambered, Escape Room Review

Enchambered

Sacramento, California

Containment Breach: After a terrible mishap following an experiment, a scientist locked himself away in his lab. Our mission was to break into the lab and discover its secrets.

Pros: The set design at Enchambered is A-MAZING. The immersive environment immediately engaged us in the story and enhanced our play experience. The puzzles were directly related to the science-experiment-gone-awry theme. The rooms were clutter-free, but the puzzles still challenging enough to keep us busy for nearly the entire time. The hint system was non-intrusive and perfect for the room theme. The game master helped us with a simple direct hint. Although we needed this one hint to remind us of an obvious piece of evidence that we overlooked, the room really required no hints at all, which in our book, makes it a perfect escape room.

Cons: Smaller group sizes would greatly enhance the experience. We recommend playing in group sizes of four for best play experience. Even though the size limits are higher here, it would be worth it to book a less popular time in order to play with a smaller group. 

We HIGHLY recommend playing at Enchambered when you are in Sacramento. A top-notch escape room experience!

https://www.enchambered.com

Unlock Escape Rooms, Escape Room Review

Unlock Escape Rooms

Clovis, California

Pros:  The game master and owners were friendly, enthusiastic and truly a joy to get to know. We loved their passion for the games and their ability to make us feel welcome. The waiting room was tidy and inviting. The rooms were beautifully designed with lots of attention to detail in the construction of the sets. It is definitely worth visiting Unlock Escape Rooms to see the sets themselves. 

Cons:  The puzzles in both of the rooms we played had serious logical fallacies. Had this been an issue with one or two puzzles in each room, it would have been easy to overlook. However, since nearly every single puzzle in both rooms was completely lacking in logic and flow, we needed assistance on every single one. But our progress came to a complete standstill approximately 15 minutes into both games as a result of the lack of any kind of hint system. We ended up wasting time for 45 minutes each game until the clock ran out and the game master entered to try to explain the illogical puzzles to us. Even after the post-game walk-through we failed to understand the logic of the puzzles. Many first-time game players and escape room newbies might not understand the inherent problems in the puzzles and conclude, as the game master tried to convince us, that we simply fell short as a result of our own lack of problem-solving skills. Since we are experienced game players with a good success rate, we concluded that our failure in both rooms 15 minutes into the games was a clear sign that the puzzles in these rooms need quite a bit of reworking.  

We recommend you visit some of the other great escape room experiences while in the Fresno area until Unlock Escape Rooms acknowledges the issues and works out the logical kinks in their puzzles. We have no doubt that once the puzzles are redesigned, this will be a great place to play!

https://www.unlockescaperooms.com