Escapism, Escape Room Review

Escapism

San Diego, California

Escape Gallery 3919: Our friends invited us to a lovely art gallery for a private party. When we get there, things were not what they seemed in this odd place.

Escape the Attic: The strange neighbor asked us to housesit for him. A weird noise in the attic prompted us to investigate. It turned out our neighbor had some very dark secrets.  

Pros: We loved the waiting room which was big and well-decorated. In addition to plenty of seating, it also had props and a great wall for taking photographs. We played Gallery 3919 first and found it particularly challenging at times but awesome fun for our group of about 8 people. The extra people helped locate all the clues in this room. We played the attic game easily with two people. The puzzles in both rooms were logical and we were able to solve them with limited help. Many of the puzzles in the gallery were unique and specific to the story and set. The set-design in both rooms was well-thought out and clearly tied to the storyline. We especially enjoyed the added creepiness of the attic which gave us that whole "should we even be in here" feeling. Creepy props constantly surprised us as well.  The game master was friendly and we appreciated the hints as needed. 

Cons: None that we could think of. These were good solid room escape experiences. The rooms are good for beginners and advanced players alike. Professional and courteous employees! Looking forward to checking out their next room when it opens.

http://www.escapismsd.com

Great Room Escape, Escape Room Review

Great Room Escape

San Diego, California

Houdini's Hidden Workshop: Trapped inside Houdini's haunted workshop, our group had 60 minutes to attempt to free Houdini's soul.

Pros: The set design and special effects of this room were top-notch. The wow factor was truly WOW! Our game master appeared in costume and completely in character. She added to the immersive experience and enhanced the game play by providing hints and clues as necessary (maintaining her accent and role all along). The storyline was clear and consistent throughout the game. The puzzles were a mixture of mechanical and logic types.

Cons: The large group size annoyed us at first and proved distracting at times as communication was clearly an issue. However, the big group size soon emerged as a benefit since the number and complexity of puzzles proved the greater challenge. We did not escape the room and honestly did not even come close to escaping. After reflecting on the experience, we decided that the puzzles were much too complex and detracted from our overall experience. With a little tweaking of the puzzles, this could be a "best of the best" room escape.

We wish we were able to play the other rooms at Great Room Escape. The introduction videos looked amazing. Unfortunately, they were completely booked the weekend we were there. Next time, San Diego!

http://www.greatroomescapesandiego.com/home.html

The Entrapment, Escape Room Review

The Entrapment

San Diego, California

The Disappearance at Fogmore Manor: Trapped in an apparently haunted room, our group determined to locate a missing business partner before the spirits of the manor stopped us dead in our tracks.

Pros: This room was not only meticulously decorated, but the attention to detail in the props and the puzzles added to the overarching storyline. We loved many of the high-tech, mechanical puzzles. These were top-notch and demonstrate excellence in set and puzzle design. We played alongside a friend and veteran escape room player. We all agreed that we had never seen anything like these puzzles before. The puzzles were complicated but perfectly logical and solvable. We barely escaped but progressed at a good pace through each challenge. The game master was on hand to provide assistance with some mechanical difficulties. 

Cons: None. We really enjoyed our experience at Fogmore Manor and look forward to seeing more rooms like this one. Bravo!

http://www.theentrapment.com

Divergent Realities, Escape Room Review

Divergent Realities

San Diego, California

Sitting Duck: This mission was designed to test our collaboration skills and prove our ability to work together as a team. Successfully completing the mission would allow us to become bonafide Divergent Realities Bureau Agents.

Pros: Loved the website layout and the unique theme of this room escape company. The puzzles were easy to solve and we set a record in making our escape. The props for the final photo were fun and engaging. 

Cons: The room was tiny. Two people were crowded and four would be too many. They recommend 1-3 players in this room which makes sense given the size of the room. The set was non-existent since it was just a tiny room with some furniture and props. There was not a lot of creativity in the overall set-design. The puzzles were not very logical at times and similarly lacking in creativity. The room and puzzles did not fit with the overarching theme. Not our favorite escape room. Not even close. 

Unfortunately, they were not able to schedule us for any of the other games. We are hoping to be able to try out their other games at some future point to see if the premise improves from there. 

http://www.divergentrealities.com

Puzzalarium, Escape Room Review

Puzzalarium

San Diego, California

The Study: Trapped in the mysterious room of the deceased J. D. Howell, we had to navigate our way through the puzzles to solve the mystery.

Pros: The game master's costume and dramatic entrance helped generate enthusiasm and establish a sense of ambience for the game. Upon entering the room we found a very small game play area with plenty of puzzles to confound us. A mixture of puzzle types from symbolic to mechanical allowed us to exercise various parts of our brain throughout the hour. The set-design was basic but fit well with the theme. 

Cons: Despite the enthusiasm of the staff and the game master, we did not really understand the storyline and were therefore less invested in the outcome of the game perhaps than we should have been. The puzzles were logical, but flimsy construction and design made solving some of them near impossible. Although we made it out successfully, we were more confounded by the shoddiness of some of the props and pieces than the challenge of the puzzles themselves.

Recommended for pairs or groups of four or less.

http://www.puzzalarium.com