Room Escape Live, North Hollywood, California - Escape Room Review

Room Escape Live

North Hollywood, California

Zodiac Killer – Based on the real-life story of the notorious zodiac killer, you have to try to solve the mystery before you become its next victim.

Zombie Lab – A zombie outbreak. A secret cure. A very limited time before you become just like one of the many dead characters of The Walking Dead. You know what you have to do.

We have reviewed Room Escape Live before and we definitely recommend it. They presently have six games and in our experience they are all great fun to play. This review is specifically for the rooms Zodiac Killer and Zombie Lab. 

Pros: Both rooms are meticulously designed and created to reflect the theme and storyline. The high quality props and solid construction of the rooms is what we have come to expect from Room Escape Live and they definitely did not disappoint in both these rooms. The puzzles are always logical and aligned wit the theme. The game masters are professional, attentive and ready to help at a moment’s notice.  This is a thoroughly professional establishment in every respect.

Cons: The puzzles are complex. We need lots of hints every time we come to Room Escape Live. That is not always a problem. We have no ego issues in asking for hints, but we do like good game flow without interruptions. A few more guideposts to help players through the process could eliminate the frequent need for hints. We found ourselves at a complete loss on some of the puzzles, especially in zodiac killer. Since that does not usually happen to us, and we assume that beginners would really struggle, we suggest that they just offer a few more signals in the room to help guide players to the solutions.

You really cannot go wrong playing at Room Escape Live. So just do it. You know you want to.

 http://losangeles.roomescapelive.com/?lang=eng

The Room LA, Los Angeles, California - Escape Room Review

The Room LA

Los Angeles, California

The Cabin: Dwight has mommy issues. And daddy issues. And just issue issues. He’s insane. He’s a cannibal. He wants to kill you. What else do you need to know? You gotta get the hell outta here quick.

We have to admit that we are not the biggest fans of the all-to-common “serial killer on the loose” or “locked in the basement of a madman’s house” theme. But the Cabin was an excellent experience and highly recommended.

Pros:  The solid set design of the cabin not only fit the theme perfectly but helped set the murderous cannibal ambiance. The quality of some of the props alone caused me to stop and admire the work of the set designers. Props to you, Ms. Puzzle Designer (pardon the pun). The puzzles were logical and simple, but fun to solve. There was quite a bit of searching but it didn’t feel monotonous or impossible with our group of four.  We worked our way through the game methodically and managed to escape without a single hint and setting a record. So we felt very good about the overall game flow.

Cons: The puzzles could be scaled a bit more in complexity. A few multi-step puzzles could add to the challenge (especially in the last room). This might make the game more fun for experienced players.

This is definitely recommended for beginners. Experienced players will also love playing the Cabin. After all, when was the last time you got to beat an insane cannibalistic serial killer? What’s that? You do that at almost every other escape room you visit? Well even if you did it just last week at that other escape room, it’s still worth our time to visit The Room LA.

https://www.theroom-la.com

Evil Genius, Room Escape Review

Evil Genius

Los Angeles, California

Occam's Apartment: Occam's death had been ruled a suicide, but we didn't believe it. We entered his apartment to discover the truth.

Norcross Art Gallery: This art gallery housed a dark secret that our team had to discover.

Pros: At present, Evil Genius has two rooms both connected by a common storyline. The mysterious death of Occam is a compelling narrative that kept us on our toes. We played both games back-to-back and the transition tied the games together adding to our experience at Evil Genius. The puzzles were sufficiently complex to keep us perplexed through most of the game, but were not impossible to solve. Norcross Gallery seemed more difficult than Occam's Apartment but with hints we were able to successfully make our escape. The set design was immersive and corresponded with the theme. Added audio elements in both games added a different element. The game master was enthusiastic and remained in character throughout. 

Excellent! We loved Evil Genius! 

http://www.evilgeniusescaperooms.com

60 Out, Los Angeles, Escape Room Review

60 Out

Los Angeles

Senator Payne: The Senator has a dark secret. We had to break into his office and discover the truth.

Casino Heist:  An abandoned casino was hiding million dollars. We had to find it before the building was demolished.

Pros: We already love 60 Out so it should come as no surprise that that we also enjoyed playing at the Corinth Avenue location. The game master at this site was super friendly and lots of fun to chat with. She was helpful throughout our game, providing much needed assistance as necessary. We really enjoyed the sets and the puzzles in both games were logical. Casino Heist proved our favorite game at this location. We struggled a bit but still managed to pull off the heist. 

Cons: Zero. 60 Out once again provided a solid game-play experience. We loved both of these games and although we definitely still recommend you play the Titanic game at the Marina Del Rey location, you really can't go wrong at any 60 Out location.

https://www.60out.com

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

               

               

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

Escape Room LA, Escape Room Review

Escape Room LA

Los Angeles, California

The Cavern: Trapped deep inside a cavern underneath the city streets, our group of adventurers discovered the remains of a lost city. However, we had to find our way out quickly before we ran out of air.

The Theater: We found ourselves trapped in an old haunted theater with a discontented ghost. We had to free the trapped spirit without permanently trapping ourselves in the underworld. 

Alchemist: This alchemists lab held many ancient secrets waiting to be discovered. Our group had to reveal them all and unite the four elements before the alchemist returned.

Pros: The set designs in the rooms at Escape LA are absolutely fantastic. We especially loved the alchemist set for its ingenuity and immersive feel. The cavern and the theater were also quite impressive. These rooms were very large with lots of room for movement which is great given the large group size. The puzzles were multi-linear, aligned to the story themes, generally logical and fun to solve. The puzzle master deserves praise for the effort put into aligning these to the overarching narrative.

Cons: We have very conflicting feelings about our experience at Escape LA. On the one hand, the puzzles were fun and the sets in the rooms blew us away. On the other hand, the large group size, massive number of the puzzles, and very limited time frame severely detracted from our full enjoyment of the experience.  Elsewhere In this blog we have railed against large group sizes and the limitations they place on a positive and productive playing environment. We will not repeat those points here except to say that once again (three times again) our theory on this was validated through our game play at Escape Room LA. We detest group sizes over six and recommend escape room owners think more about the player perspective in a game with this many people. Even with the large numbers of players in the room (10-12) we did not have nearly enough time to solve the multiple numbers of puzzles in these rooms. Although we enjoyed the puzzles and their clear ties to the theme, we felt there were far too many to solve in the time frame. With only 50 minutes instead of the standard 60 minutes the buzzer often went off with the exclamation from the game master "Oh so close, only two minutes away." In all three of the games we were only one puzzle away or one box in process of opening before a successful escape. The missing ten minutes and ridiculous number of puzzles explains the low escape rate at Escape LA. Even with our extensive game play knowledge, we found ourselves overwhelmed and short of time. We also had mixed encounters with the various game masters who were ever present in the rooms. We generally disapprove of game masters in the room since they tend to intervene either too frequently or discourage the free-thinking of players. This was no exception. The game masters interrupted our thoughts to say "don't touch that" or "that's not important" which tended to suppress the exploratory, trial and error approach to problem-solving that is essential to an enjoyable escape room experience. Instead, players often turned to them asking for permission to touch items or advice on how to proceed, in effect robbing them of independent thought and action. We did however truly appreciate the very thorough walk-through and debrief at the conclusion of each game. This should be standard practice at all escape room venues.

Major props to Escape Room LA on the set design. Truly remarkable craftsmanship and creativity. You definitely deserve the Eacapeologists Set Design Award! 

http://escaperoomla.com

Countdown Live, Room Escape Review

Countdown Live

Los Angeles

Krampus: Someone has been kidnapping children. Could it be Krampus - the Christmas devil? Our investigation team had to locate the missing children in a creepy apartment building and escape with the evidence to convict the Krampus.

Spaceship: The rocket was set for take-off. We had to find our way out quick if we didn't want to get launched into outer space.

Tiki Palace: Our island paradise just turned into a volcanic nightmare. We had to find a way to appease the goddess of fire, before we became toast.

Pros: The set of Krampus was an odd mixture of Christmas and Halloween - perfect for a Krampus themed room. As the escapeologists favorite mythical beast, Krampus proved a worthy nemesis for us to defeat. The unique theme of this room made it all the more fun. The set design in the Tiki room was very immersive with lots of attention to detail that added to the experience of being at an island resort. The set of Spaceship was likewise impressive. The puzzles were both logical and challenging in all of the rooms. We escaped but with one hint or less in each room and not much time to spare. The puzzles generally fit the theme of the room. Our game masters were extremely helpful and responsive when called upon.

Cons: Playing in the dark is one of our least favorite ways to play. We wouldn't mind so much if there were enough flashlights to go around. Otherwise one of us is always left in the dark. This was only a problem in the Krampus room. We had some trouble in the Spaceship room finding all the clues and the logic of one of the puzzles was difficult to follow.

Overall, Countdown Live is a top-notch, high-quality escape room experience!  If you are in Los Angeles you don't want to miss this one!

http://www.countdownescape.com/la

Room Escape Live, Escape Room Review

Room Escape Live

Los Angeles, California

Central Bank: Have you ever wanted to rob a bank? This was our chance. Our team had to sneak in, sneak out, and pull off the heist of the century before the police caught up with us.

Cold War Bunker: The Cold War is far from over and our goal was to prevent the inevitable nuclear apocalypse. 

Prison Break: Locked away in a maximum security prison and in opposing cells, we had to find away to escape before the guards returned to prevent our great escape.

Pros: Room Escape Live has some of the most realistic and impressive set designs that we have seen. Every detail of the room is carefully planned and clearly ties to the overarching storyline which are simplistic but clear. The puzzles are logical and solvable. The puzzles also relate well to the storyline and set. The Prison Break game was one of our all-time favorites since the separation of players required our team to cooperate in a way we never had to before. The additional challenge was difficult but only added to the joy when we successfully broke out.

Cons: We were disappointed with the set design and the puzzles in the Central Bank. Some of the puzzles were less logical than others. Elements of the set were not working at the time and caused some frustration for our team. The game masters at this site vary substantially as well. Some are excellent, some are not. There are numerous employees so our experiences were inconsistent from one visit to the next. 

http://losangeles.roomescapelive.com