Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient ExpressEscapology - OrlandoEscape roomIRLMurder on the Orient Express is many things - being both a highly recognizable licensed franchise game, and this location's only 10/10 difficulty room - and let me say, it lives up to both! The set design is relatively basic for the area (we are in the same market as Doldrick's Crazy Train), but this game shines in its fun escape-room logic puzzles. It should be noted, doing this back to back with Scooby-Doo, it shares very similar DNA, especially towards the end of the game (both are whodunits). I'd recommend only for those looking for a challenge and if you really want to try an Escapology room. While not bad, you can find better nearly anywhere else in Orlando (details on experience below).
Bros for Life: Fraternity HeistThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLWhat a fun and creative escape room! Loved the plot, loved the theme, and loved the puzzles! A great variety of them, all well integrated into the story. The Team Members did an excellent job explaining the types of locks we would use, and our game host was awesome and in character the whole time! Loved that the hints we requested simply pointed us in the right direction, rather than outright giving us the answer. Overall, a wonderful escape room that I would highly recommend! Shoutout to our awesome gamemaster/fellow broseph Jenna for being totally rad!
Captain Spoopy Bones and the Magnificent Quest For Some Other Pirate's Treasure!Doldrick's Escape RoomEscape roomIRLCaptain Spoopy Bones is highly regarded in the Orlando escape room scene, so I had high expectations - and I'm excited to say it lived up to them! Better than anything, Spoopy Bones has incredibly clean gameplay. Everything is well-clued, and with communication as the focus, that was the real challenge. Along the way, there are plenty of surprises and treats in store. Plus, it's hilarious!
Chasing Hahn: The Heist Volume 1The Escape Game - OnlineEscape roomVirtual My wife and I completed this and just kinda sat in silence... we completed it unimpressed and not particularly wanting to continue this saga. For the potential of the medium presented, it takes advantage of none of it. There is a real opportunity, with no time limits, to build out the lore and make the documents more explorable and real-world logic based. Instead, we're deciphering a fourth-grader's science paper for a clue that would absolutely have not been planted by a fourth grader. I suppose it's fine, and $10 for an hour of entertainment for one or two isn't bad. But honestly, there's better options out there.
Crazy Train: The Ballad of Skeemin' PlotzDoldrick's Escape RoomEscape roomIRLAn absolute JOY of a game, with incredible pacing, on-theme puzzles, and a whopping ton of animation. The story is straight out of a cartoon. Nonsense in the best way. Honestly, the detail and gameplay of this was overwhelming at times, there is SO MUCH to take in. The finale sequence is one of the best I've ever seen. Insanely cool.
KidnappedTampa Bay Escape RoomEscape roomIRLMy first ever escape room! Must've gone back in 2017 or earlier. I remember having a fun time with my dad and some friends! IIRC, it was a very standard introduction to Gen 1 escape rooms.
Lost City Of AtlantisGame Over Escape Rooms - OrlandoEscape roomIRLAtlantis was my first time at Game Over games, and while there's a lot of interesting ideas, it doesn't come together into a cohesive experience. This game specifically lacks a good finale, and the puzzles are made challenging by the lighting conditions rather than their difficulty. Can't recommend in the context of the wider Orlando market or for new players, but as an escape room enthusiast I'd play just for some of the interesting ideas.
Operation Arctic Storm: The Final MeltdownThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLArctic Storm was an epic escape room adventure, with brilliantly themed puzzles, an expansive set, and ultimately a fantastic time. It was my sister's favorite escape room yet!
PlaygroundThe Escape Game - OrlandoEscape roomIRLPlayground is an absolutely joy. Full of bright colors, exciting, simple puzzles, and a wonderfully detailed set, Playground serves as a testament to why Escape Rooms in their purest form are one of the most fun immersive experiences you can have, anywhere.
Poker Night at the President's BunkerThe Great Escape Room - OrlandoEscape roomIRLMy second escape room ever, for my Bachelor party with my family, and at the time, it confirmed (in my mind) my disinterest in escape rooms as a particularly special form of entertainment. The music playing throughout was stock "tense" music I had used before in editing projects. The puzzle flow was messy, with wild swings in difficulty levels, and some huge logic leaps required to make some connections. The set felt cheap, and the experience did little to transport me beyond what I knew escape rooms could do. I know it's probably leagues more effort than most Gen 1 rooms, and I remember some minor tech pieces involved, but overall, I was simply not impressed. Thank goodness I tried escape rooms again. I remember finding the room on one of the "12 best escape rooms in Orlando" lists. My friends, this is simply not.
