Purrfect PresidentSeven Keys to EscapeEscape roomIRLWhat an absolute gem of a game, in a lovely location, easily accessible to folks from Chicago or Milwaukee. A very clever and sweet story, chock full of whimsy and joy. Also, they allow players to immerse themselves into the roles, which adds to the fun. Multiple surprises that will delight players, and some very unique puzzles that utilize cooperation . Clue delivery is unique and adds to the charm of the whole game. This room is a testament to the idea that a game doesn't have to be scary or spooky or full of animatronics or a high tech. A unique story, clever puzzles and bursts of delight can make a game incredibly satisfying. As full disclosure, I arrived to play this game after failing in a game at a different (unrelated) venue. I was feeling frustrated and defeated. Purrrfect President was the purrrfect game that I could have played to relieve me of all those negative feelings and finish my escape room weekend on a positive note.
The House of SpecterEdge of EscapeEscape roomIRLLovely set pieces, no expense spared in the visuals department. Fun onboarding and intros. It all LOOKS amazing, I only wish that it also PLAYED amazing. Puzzles included dim lighting, dark corners, not being able to see clearly, inability to discern colors properly, little flashlights that would turn off randomly, a run book that has seen better days and presents things out of order. Very difficult puzzles, with some HARD leaps in puzzle logic.
Tunnels Under LondonEdge of EscapeEscape roomIRL𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 �𓅝𓃄 �𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿 𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 𓂨𓅝𓃄 𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿This review contains spoilers.Unscramble𓀗
Cryptic ConspiracyTroubled Puzzle Escapes - GrayslakeEscape roomIRLCryptic Conspiracy is this location's easiest room, rated by them at a 4 out of 10. I would agree with this, as our group of two finished in 31 minutes. Despite this, it was still full of charm and we had a great time. One thing I really appreciate about this room is the use of puzzles that when completed, require the GM to trigger something. It feels more "hands on" which some companies have been saying away from. I think there is such appeal in knowing the GM is being so attentive. After taking assessment of the initial room, we were off, moving from puzzle to puzzle at a clip that made us feel clever and confident. Starting with an intuitive, moderate puzzle is always a great way to boost the confidence of any players. This room was good fun, and I'm glad we played it.
One Dark NightTroubled Puzzle Escapes - GrayslakeEscape roomIRLOne Dark Night was one darn fun game. Excellent sets/decor and props that are fun to handle/use. It was so satisfying to work with/around the substantial set pieces. Many of the puzzles are multi-layered, which gives the players such a great 'ah-ha!' moment when the info all clicks and you know exactly what you need to do. Yes, there are multiple locks, and for good reason. It all makes sense in the story and in the setting. So while I would call the room "mechanical," I'm not using that as a critique at all. On the contrary, it feels perfect.
Wild, Wilder West - The Robbery of Vulture Valley60 to Escape - SchaumburgEscape roomIRLThere is soooo much to love in this game! It's a sumptuous and immersive set, with props that are fun to handle and interact with. The quality of the decor cannot be beat (and it doesn't hurt that it's still very new!). We were a group of two and finished this room with over 21 minutes left, and were absolutely hungry for more, more, more. The flow of the puzzles was sublime, with exquisite mapping that had us feeling like geniuses every time we got something correct. We just wanted MORE. More puzzles, specifically. Sidenote, as mentioned in the details, for the first time in the history of a 60 to Escape game, the GM was absolutely apathetic. Not a morsel of interest or kindness or even... personality. I don't expect too much conversation, but maybe a smidgen? They actually said "if you have questions, they can answer them at the front desk" and we were just...dismissed. So unusual for this company, and extra unfortunate because I think they were training another employee and it would be a shame for that dismissive treatment to proliferate.
13th BasementExit Game OC - AnaheimEscape roomIRLThis was the perfect game to end our vacation on. From the moment we met Jeremiah we knew we were in for something very special. I very much appreciated the cleverness, the light humor and the thoughtfulness that went into the onboarding (wonderful video!) and continued through the entire game. It's better the less you know before going in, so I'm going to keep everything vague. You'll need to use inside and outside the box thinking for the puzzles, which are varied and for the most part super fun. Some auditory "jump scares" and also some gentle, quick, physical scares. Even for my insanely "scaredy cat" husband it was all enjoyable. Great decor and props, very substantial and "real world" feeling...it all felt great to play with, in and around. We can't wait to come back and play their other game, as well as the ones Jeremiah vouched for.
The Mad RapperScenario Escape RoomEscape roomIRLOur group of two struggled, especially with over-thinking several aspects. There is a LOT to do and I think a "divide and conquer" approach is best. Very much loved the sets, the larger interactive elements, the music and the art on the walls. Heavier theme, but incredibly unique, too.
EdelineCloud EscapeEscape roomIRLIf you are looking for a game heavy on story and light on combination locks, Edeline is your game. Do you like independent, story-driven video games? Edeline is the IRL game for you. Do you have a love/hate relationship with Victorian dolls? Book this room immediately. Do you enjoy immersing yourselves in spooky, but not gory content, and enjoy a good satisfying twist ending every now and again? Edeline is all that and more. Do you like feeling clever and useful? Making logic connections, but not doing any real math? Have a decent memory? Edeline will make you feel like genius. Are you a large group (4 or more) who are looking for a lot of puzzles and something for everyone to be working on simultaneously? Please do not book Edeline, it's not what you are looking for and you will be left disappointed. Me, I play as a duo and we appreciated Edeline for all the things it offers, as well as the things it does not. It was the perfect compliment to our set of a dozen games we booked during this trip.
Dr. Hader’s Cartoon WorldScenario Escape RoomEscape roomIRLWhat a lovely and fun story with wacky hijinks mixed in. It made me think of a silent movie plot, with a dastardly villain trying to foil a young couple. I particularly enjoyed the narration and how I felt like I was moving through the story both as a viewer and as a participant. Some really fun and satisfying "hands on" activities that felt very cool to do. As a group of two we completed the main story and were just one puzzle away from completing all the "bonus puzzles." After hearing about the last puzzle I am not sure if we would have ever gotten through it's many layers no matter how much time we had! 😂
Kapow KomicsCloud EscapeEscape roomIRLEnjoyable game, especially because I actually own a comic book store. 😂 It was a lot of fun to see these real world elements integrated into an escape room story. Lots of good puzzles that would keep all participants busy, but not struggling terribly. A few puzzles are up higher (5'5" is my eye level) but younger kids will still be able to help gather the needed information. Start of game is unique and enjoyable.
Moriarty's ManorMindFox EscapeEscape roomIRLSuperb game with sublime decor and set pieces. The puzzles were thematic and made sense for the period and the story. Almost every piece/aspect felt appropriate to the era. Mindfox is great at what they do and their staff is very well trained. Joyce was calm, measured and conducted herself in a manner that was both professional and personable, something I wish more folks her age could/would do. This room, and Mindfox in general, deserves its flowers.
Heart Of Bastet [prev. Red Giant]Lara’s Labyrinth - San Diego [prev. Quest Room]Escape roomIRLThis location isn't much to look at from the outside...but what is inside is well worth your time and money. Enjoyable flow of puzzles in a really expansive and thoughtfully decorated set. Great audio story elements as well as progress/puzzle indicators. Props were satisfying to use, both feeling and looking substantial. I'm so glad we made this location a stop during our few days out here.
DaVinci ChallengeLara’s Labyrinth - San Diego [prev. Quest Room]Escape roomIRLWhat an absolute gem of a game. Every prop and every piece of decor is substantial and a delight to interact with. It's a lot to look at, and even more to accomplish. Solving the puzzles will make you feel exceptionally clever and you'll at times wonder if you aren't the next daVinci. You aren't, but this games designer/creator might be. Our group of two struggled at times with the sheer amount of puzzles, and several times we stopped to talk about what we had and had not used/finished already, which helped keep us on track. The light can be dim in areas, especially for older eyes like ours.
Batman™: The Dark Knight ChallengeEscapology - Universal CityEscape roomIRLI give the game itself a neutral rating, neither great, nor awful, but very in line with what I expect from this company. Getting to play a game with my clever friends, and spand some quality time with them was the real highlight, in all honesty, but that's not what Morty's ratings are for. Comic and movie fans will appreciate this game. Multi-room, but a bit on the smaller, side. Group of 4 was about ideal.
The Tipsy TailorIntrepid Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLI'm not sure how this game was played previously, but in the version we played a few days ago we were tasked with gathering as many tonic bottles as we could. To find them we had to solve a lot of fun and clever puzzles. And I do mean a LOT. Apparently there is a less difficult version of the game with fewer tasks to complete, but knowing we had 100 games under our belts, we got the full complement of tasks. We appreciated the multilayered puzzles, of which several were also very unique. There were also aspects of humor and silly-ness, which were very welcome. Decor and props were excellent and period appropriate. While we usually like to solve puzzles and do things together, towards the end we had no choice but to divide and conquer. One triple-level logic type puzzle made me feel insanely proud to have done on my own, which is a great feeling to have in an escape room. We were allowed to go over time, and I'm glad we were, since it allowed us to fully complete all puzzles/tasks AND find the maximum number of tonic bottles. Of the three games we played at this location, this was my favorite (Jewel and Relic were the other two.) Also, tip of the hat to one of THE BEST lobbies in the business.
Jewel of the SeaIntrepid Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLAnother lovely set piece with stunning immersive details at this location. Great use of audio to move the story forward, letting you know you are progressing. Dim lighting proved to be a downfall for us, and even though we did finish I wish we had been a little more thorough in our searching from the very start. We loved all the little clever touches and the tiny bits of humor woven in. The one very large puzzle was impressive and though we solved it, it was quite difficult for just the two of us, especially trying to find the correct path. All items we interacted with felt substantial and sturdy and genuine, (well, maybe not the gold?) making it a joy to "handle."
The Stolen RelicIntrepid Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLThis was our 100th game played! 🎉 It also made us (a group of two) feel like geniuses. We finished with 24 minutes to spare and while we didn't ask for any clues, we did have to be directed at something (we heard "something" move, but could not find it!) This game had some very clever cluing and a few multilayered puzzles too, which have become some of my favorite types of puzzles. We also very much liked their use of lighting to direct you, in mapping and in solving. Having played Tailor and Jewel at this location, I can say this felt like the easiest for our duo, if only due to the amount of things to do in the other two rooms.
ClueBreakout Games - Des MoinesEscape roomIRLWe were looking forward to playing this game and it was our first time at this franchise. We arrived early and were told the room was being reset and it would be 5-7 minutes. After 15 minutes we were led to the room and given the intro. The room itself felt very short to me, maybe on the easier side. It also looks a bit beat up in places and there are lots of "do not open" and "do not touch" stickers. Some parts of the painted wall were peeled off and some of the flooring is peeling up. I could use a freshening up. Audio is really good and very fun. It seemed like we were running back and forth from room to room. Tasks included listening to audio for instructions, simple logic puzzles and deduction. It could be so much more than it is,maybe even having a difficulty option? I wanted to love it, but just liked it.
Prison BreakThe Escape Game - GaslampEscape roomIRLA very enjoyable game for a larger group with mixed levels of experience. Communication is key at the beginning, but later on things can be divided up a little bit more. Some very fun and unique puzzles that felt untraditional, even if it was just leading you to open a traditional lock. We don't often get to play games in large groups like this and it was very enjoyable to watch how our friends tackled the different puzzles.
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