Cheesie's Pizza Party60 to Escape - SchaumburgEscape roomIRLOne of the best I've done. Super super immersive atmosphere, very high "production value." Good amount of linear play and good amount of parallel play -- would work for almost any group size. Few traditional locks, more weird and cool puzzles. Lots I've never seen before. Probably more I've never seen before than things I have seen before. Definitely worth it.
Lockbuster Video60 to Escape - SchaumburgEscape roomIRLOne of the best. Exceptional, exceptional environment. Cool puzzles. Only one traditional lock, mostly it was more creative puzzles. We got out quickly in our group of 5, 35 minutes, with two people who have never done an escape room before. Very linear play -- don't go with a group bigger than 5. Ideal is 3-4.
Victoria Noir: Case of the Curious CollectorQuest Reality GamesEscape roomIRLTough to rate this one. Most of the game was really fun! Good puzzles, good flow. One fiddly part with suboptimal instructions, but it wasn't the end of the world. The problem is in the ending. The ending was a disaster. Read below for details if interested. So, ultimately, it was a fun hour! It's just more of a fun hour of solving random puzzles with no ultimate payoff than it is a true escape room. Without spoilers, the ending *should* be a logical deduction, but you don't have the information you need to make it. After the game, when asked how we were supposed to make the deduction, the GM said the information was in place X. We looked at place X all together, the information wasn't there. The GM apologized and said that the information must be in place Y. We looked at place Y all together, the information wasn't there. The GM said "oh, I'm sorry, I guess I don't know where that information is." The GM offered another hint at the deduction, along the lines of "person A is the only one who said thing B." We looked together, person A was not the only one who said thing B. The GM mentioned that you could figure out thing C based on situation D, which was true, but thing C didn't help you solve the final puzzle at all, so it's not clear why that would be relevant or helpful. We were kind of awkwardly laughing to try to keep the GM from feeling bad. We decided to stop asking and just start our thank-you-and-goodbyes rather than risk further uncomfortableness. Ultimately, it was unusual that the GM didn't know the answer, and it was more unusual that we still don't really know if there was a way to solve the overarching puzzle.
The ProphecyTime Escape - VancouverEscape roomIRLLoved this one. Immersive. Nothing revolutionary in the specific puzzles, but it all flowed nicely, and I appreciated that there wasn't a single traditional lock in the whole thing. Largely linear play with some parallel play moments. There was one sticky bit that would be pretty tough to figure out without a hint, with the GM noting that people rarely get that part. Still, that's what hints are for. Hard to explain why, but it just worked, and this was one of my favorites that I've ever done.
The AtticCenter City Escape Room [prev. Gotham Escape Room]Escape roomIRLGreat room. Flows well. The "jump scares" mentioned in the other reviews are very mild. No live actors in there. One thing was broken, but the GM had a workaround that was perfect.
Temple of the Laughing GodSpellbound EscapesEscape roomIRLGreat GM. Great atmosphere. Fun mix of puzzles. Excellent flow. Two puzzles were fiddly, which was mildly annoying, but overall still a fun room.
Mummy's CurseOcean State EscapeEscape roomIRLGreat room with a lot to do. Things worked well, nothing broken. Lots of different types of puzzles. Only caveat is that it works better with 3+ people than with 2. Our spymaster had to hurry us along to make sure we had enough time to do everything. You would be smart to specify to your gamemaster at the beginning if you'd prefer to be "allowed to fail" if you don't get to everything in time.
Nonna's HouseOcean State EscapeEscape roomIRLReally fun room. There's some structure to the gameplay without revealing too much, that scaffolding was kind of nice. Good mix of puzzle types. One element I've never seen before. Gamemaster was proactive about nudging us when we were idling on something -- if you're the type of player who prefers to only get hints when asked for, mention that up front.
The ScoreEscapismEscape roomIRLIf you only do one at Escapism, make it this one. On top of the typical escape room fun, there's also an extra element that adds another dimension of play. Tons to do, good for bigger groups. I wish I could play it for the first time again.
The TombEscapismEscape roomIRLNo locks and no keys in this one, just puzzles (they tell you before you go in so hopefully not a spoiler). A bit of a learning curve at first, but then you start to get the hang of it. Loved the puzzles. Good opportunities for both teamwork and parallel play. Heads up if you have bad lung disease -- some fog early on.
Do Not DisturbEscapismEscape roomIRLImmersive and well-built set. Lots of different puzzle types. Just the right amount of set dressing such that you're occasionally not sure if something is a clue, which adds to the fun. Great gamemaster (hey Selena!). There was one bit at the end where there was only one puzzle to do, so two of us were just kind of standing around while the other two worked it out, but otherwise a great room.
Sugar RushExit Escape Room NYCEscape roomIRLIt was pretty easy with three people. Escaped with over half the time remaining. Great one for beginners or kids though. And two unique elements I hadn't seen before.
High Speed NYCExit Escape Room NYCEscape roomIRLFun one! Very immersive. Good mix of traditional locks and other kinds of puzzles.
An Evening with GigglesProdigy Puzzles Escape Rooms [prev. Mystery Soup Escape Rooms, Lock & Clue]Escape roomPop upTrying really hard to avoid spoilers. Fun. Different. Creative.
Scooby-Doo™ and the Spooky Castle AdventureEscapology - BraintreeEscape roomIRLLoved this one! Very immersive set. A few things I haven't seen before. The penultimate puzzle (no spoilers!) was special. FYI largely linear play.
Narco - COMING SOONEscapology - BraintreeEscape roomIRLIt was fun! Very well-appointed set, very immersive. Good mix of puzzle types. Theme was funny. A couple of esoteric puzzle solutions that were less fun, but nothing too bad or detracting.
The Mausoleum - CLOSEDEscape Rhode IslandEscape roomIRLLoved it. Did it with three people, which was (1) enough and (2) probably just right. One physical task that requires someone more mobile. As always at Escape RI, WONDERFUL gamemaster! She made it special.
The Isle of WonderThe Greatest EscapeEscape roomIRLSpectacular. Lots of love went into this room. Some parallel, but linear enough that it feels like you're moving through a story. Everything worked. Gamemaster was great. Would recommend!
The Painter's CollectionEludesions Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLA truly spectacular room. Fewer classic locks/keys and more unique puzzles. Several elements I've never seen before. Super immersive and well-done atmosphere. Our gamemaster, Riley, was fantastic! She was just as much into the debrief after as we were. Reading these reviews, I see a lot of people had trouble with the last puzzle, but we got it without much issue... avoiding spoilers, it's always a good idea to listen to a gamemaster's intro carefully.
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.
