The StorykeeperLocurioEscape roomIRLPros. GM was welcoming and kind, and asked about our hint preferences. There was a live actor for some parts, they were clearly having a fun time themselves, which always adds to the atmosphere. The atmosphere was awesome and super immersive. The concept was unique -- definitely had never seen anything similar. Great mix of parallel play and teamwork. There is one scary moment, but it's just one, and you could probably tell your GM to switch it up if that would be a problem for your group. Cons. The place is challenging to find, and parking in the area is a dumpster fire -- consider taking an Uber, and leave yourself a ton of time. The place also requires going down stairs, and this specific game involves crawling, so not ideal for those using a wheelchair. Some of the puzzles are fiddly -- i.e. you've done it right, but the items need to be oriented juuuuust so for the mechanism to work.
The Body ShopRed Fox EscapesEscape roomIRLGreat room. Good combo of parallel play and linear flow. Super fun theme. One puzzle was a little fiddly, but not bad.
Witch's HollowStained Hourglass Escapes LLC.Escape roomIRLGreat game. The flow was a nice mix of linear and parallel, the puzzles were a nice mix of mechanical and high-tech, and there was a nice mix of thinking styles. Very few locks and keys in this one (a neutral statement). There is an actor that you interact with, sort of, nothing scary though. Our GM was absolutely hilarious and added to our experience in a great way. Loved it!
The Boring OfficeStained Hourglass Escapes LLC.Escape roomIRLGood room for beginners! Also good for kids, who will like the theme. Little bit of parallel, little bit of linear. More physical than most rooms -- crouching, sitting on the ground, that sort of thing. Two of the puzzles are a little fiddly and can be "done correctly" but still need to be re-done, but it's not a big deal and the GM is watching to make sure you get through easy. Great GM!
Doomsday Disaster: Bunker Tested, Apocalypse AppovedMystery Soup Escape Rooms [prev. Lock & Clue Escape Rooms]Escape roomIRLNewest offering from Mystery Soup. Puzzle heavy in a great way. Not scary. The space is narrow at one point, so better for smaller parties (2-4).
Prison BreakThe Escape Game - NYC (Midtown)Escape roomIRLFun time. It starts by breaking the group into two teams, so more fun with 4+ people. Good flow, good puzzles, stellar atmosphere as TEGs are known for. There is one area with crawling, but as long as a single member of the team can crawl, the rest of the team doesn't have to. Our game master gave us a few hints when we hadn't asked -- we suspect TEG wants everyone to escape -- but I think you could express your preferences re: hints at the beginning and they would be honored.
Special Ops: Mysterious MarketThe Escape Game - LynnfieldEscape roomIRLGreat set, very immersive. Good for either large groups to work in parallel or small groups to work together.
The U-BoatRed Fox EscapesEscape roomIRLAnother great room from this place. A lot of false flags, which was fun. Puzzles I hadn't seen before. An atmospheric element I hadn't seen before. Altogether a great room.
Rocky Point ParkRi Riddle RoomEscape roomIRLA good game that borders on great but doesn't quite get there. There is a lot to do, and you can work in parallel in the beginning, though it becomes more linear by the end. Actually the game really encourages teamwork by about halfway through, which I loved. Our GM was great and respected our request to only give us hints if we asked. Atmosphere is hand-crafted and clearly done with a lot of love and hard work -- if you're looking for an uber-polished looking set, this isn't it, but you would miss out on the blood, sweat, and tears this room clearly took to put together. One puzzle/lock that I've never seen before and was really special. One of the things didn't work, but our GM noticed right away and came in to keep us moving. Heads up that this isn't the best room for people who use a wheelchair, or have poor upper arm strength, or have hearing loss.
