Servants of SleightThe Exit Games FLEscape roomIRLI went into SoS with tremendous expectations after reading so many reviews and recommendations from friends. We had a great time and it almost lived up to the extraordinary expectations. With all of this said, this may be the best game I have experienced. We arrived 30 mins early, so they had us wait in the “chill lounge” which was pretty trippy with the clouds, lights, cats, and relaxing video playing. This was my 1st time in a 90 min room and really liked it as I did not feel rushed. I felt like 90 mins was a perfect amount of time for this room. However, we had a long day in the sun, and did this room at night (8:30pm) so the rest of my party were drained by the end of the 90 mins. All 5 rooms of sets/designs were amazing and you completely felt immersed into the story…we especially liked the Nightclub Lounge. Many of the rooms were quite large with lots to do, but the puzzles were fun and totally doable…nothing overly challenging. All of our senses were definitely used during this game for many of the puzzles. We got to experience true magic, but that’s all I can say. The rooms had great flow. Before we started, the GM (Jamie) said the room was non-linear, but for our group of 3, after the first room we thought it flowed linearly. The Hint system was different and worked well. We only had to use a few hints and Jamie did a great job of nudging us in the right direction. Jamie was extremely enthusiastic and did a great job of allowing us to ask questions after we escaped. The last room’s puzzles and final reveal was a cool moment. Now that we are in the Brotherhood of the SoS, I recommend that if you are ever in the Tampa area, you must experience Servants of Sleight…you will not be disappointed!
Pins & Needles Tattoo ParlorThe Exit Games FLEscape roomIRL2nd visit to The Exit Games FL and Pins & Needles Tattoo Parlor almost lived up to the hype. The experience was incredibly immersive and all of the rooms were really well done. All the details of every room (and there were A LOT of rooms) were Hollywood quality and made you feel like you were in each of the various settings. Loved the music in the first half of the experience as it really added to the immersion. I loved that several rooms had physical tasks to accomplish and there were a wide variety of different puzzles, all making sense. Lots of easter eggs for SoS throughout, which were fun to identify. It was cool that they personalize the experience for your team of artists. The room was actually a lot more tame (more like PG-13 than R) than I thought it would be. Customer Service (Rainer was our GM) was fantastic again, and added to the exceptional experience. Highly recommend P&N!
Cornstalkers: Lost in the MaizeThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRL1st time visiting The Escape Ventures Orlando and it was an amazing experience. We are going on a cruise in the morning so we only had time to play 1 game while in town so we played Cornstalkers (10:45pm start time). Cornstalkers seems to be highly hyped with all the amazing reviews so we were really excited to play. All I can say is that it lived up to the hype and WOW! My 50th room was amazing! Our GM, James, was super fun and personable from the second we entered the lobby having playful banter with our group about the Bears (since we had a Bears hat on) and just messing around with us. James ran our game and continued with the playful banter, screwing with us, but in different ways. We loved it! Throughout the game, the sets are just unbelievable and you do feel like you are at a fall festival in a corn maze. There were a surprising amount of puzzles, as this is a true escape room, but also a fun and thrilling experience. So many “wow” moments throughout, some exciting, some funny, some scary…keeps your adrenaline pumping. Even though we were the last booking of the night and our game ended well after midnight, James went above and beyond to give us a behind the scenes tour and explain all that happens behind the scenes with the room…all the set changes, his costume changes, and different things that he does. He works his butt off during those 90 minutes and takes the room from great to spectacular. James vibed with us from the beginning and interacted with us throughout in a perfectly fun way, so kudos to James on going above and beyond. Highly recommend The Escape Ventures Orlando and Cornstalkers in particular. Definitely worth traveling to. We hope to be back soon to play more of their games!
Storyteller's SecretBoxarooEscape roomIRL1st timing visiting Boxaroo in downtown Boston and Storyteller’s Secret was a fantastic experience. We arrived early, so it was fun talking with the host about Boxaroo’s rooms, other ER places in Boston, and about other great rooms we have done in the past. Storyteller’s Secret intro video gave a detailed background story using text, audio, and graphics which really allowed us to connect well with the story and got us more immersed than usual (before it even started). The room sets were all really creative and well done, and the vibe for the room was just relaxing. There was a good amount to do throughout and we got off to a slow start (as we usually do as a pair), but we never felt panicked or rushed. Room was linear and even if we did not use the book much, there were subtle clues for what to work on next. After finding the first few objects, the flow to the room was really good, and knowledge gained from prior chapters allowed us to progress very quickly later on. There was a wide variety of puzzles, so something for everyone. Room had a ton of cool tech where things were made, opened after achieving objectives, or played audio/visual aides to give a congratulatory sense of completion when achieved. Some fun mechanical types of puzzles while mixed with tech, made for a lot of fun surprises. Only 1 standard lock was used in this room. Finale was a fun end to the story and gave us a good rush of accomplishment. Indrid was a great GM with good enthusiasm and energy. Indrid interacted with us in a subtle way, which was perfect, even allowing us to be creative in figuring out on our own how to complete a 3 person puzzle with 2 people. You can tell customer service is very important at Boxaroo, which makes an ER experience that much better. Highly recommend Storyteller’s Secret, but bring only 2-3 people.
Mogollon Monster: Scouting for Arizona's BigfootThe Nemesis ClubEscape roomIRL1st time visiting The Nemesis Club (TNC) and it lived up to the high expectations I read about. Entering through Soda Jerk and delivering the secret password, and then entering TNC through the hidden entrance was a fun experience. While in the waiting area for our game to start, we walked around and found some cool detailed decorations in the areas…the vibe told me that TNC was going to be great. We played Mogollon Monster, and immediately was immersed into the story with all the sound effects, the warning preparations from Ranger Nick, and how the game is started. I like doing physical skill puzzles so having this right off the bat was a fun surprise. The set being a campground was really well done and large. Be prepared to get a little dirty/sandy from the environment as the campground provides a real experience. Sets in all areas were great, and I especially enjoyed the outhouse and some surprises in there. Puzzles were really fun and for the most part straightforward. Loved being in the RV at the end doing several different tasks, especially when the monster arrives at camp and the RV turns into a simulator experience. Customer service and GM’ing was good, but nothing above and beyond, so a little disappointed with the lack of enthusiasm. Overall, MM had great sets, puzzles, and tech as everything was really well done. We had a really fun time and will be back to play their other games when we return to Arizona.
Sal's CyberneticsThe Immersive MachineEscape roomIRLFrom the moment we entered The Immersive Machine (TIM), it brought us into a futuristic world and I knew we were going to love this room. The waiting area up front as well as the hallways and lounge area leading up to the game, we felt like we were in a Blade Runner, Total Recall, or Running Man civilization, which was super cool. The set of Sal’s Cybernetics (SC) was Hollywood quality with amazing attention to detail. Weathered/dirty areas looked incredibly real and textured, although being perfectly clean. The use of futuristic lighting, objects, and video screens were perfect and appropriate where used, and felt like I was in a futuristic movie. All areas were extremely well done with no details forgotten. The room had a lot of creative details, including the hint mechanism that was used and no countdown clock. The interaction with the hint mechanism made me smile each time we corresponded. There being no clock in the room kept us focused on our objective and immersed, as opposed to worried about not escaping. TIM can tweak the game on the fly for how quickly a group moves through the room so everyone can experience the full story (which I greatly appreciate), and our experienced team of 2 came very focused today so we went through the room efficiently. We were able to experience every puzzle they offer except for 1 longer hack-deactivation puzzle at the very end, which they rarely give to teams of 2. The puzzles were all extremely fun and straightforward. Nothing too difficult, but still challenging, and perfect for our experienced team of 2. As we were on our game today, we had great flow to the room, and divided and conquered for many puzzles. Lots of tech in the room and a certain ocular device was EXTREMELY COOL to use and experience. We needed to use teamwork a lot in this room, especially with the ocular device, so communication was extremely important. The GM, Kay (co-owner), was very fun to talk with before and after the game, as we shared some of our favorite ER experiences from around the country. Kay did a perfect job of interacting with us, allowing us to have an enhanced experience. She also told us about TIM’s 2 rooms which are in production, with 1 of them opening in Fall 2026. She even mentioned how they may have a combined experience similar to the old City 13’s “Save the City” experience, where they would allow players to play all 3 games in a row with lobby/hallway puzzles involved as well. Sounds like some cool plans to look forward to in the next few yrs from TIM. It is very clear that TIM’s main objective is to provide an amazing customer experience. Overall, SC has a lot of different spaces that you get to explore and each space was extremely well done and on theme. Very immersive experience and just brought smiles to our faces throughout with the humor that various puzzles, or interactions, created. SC is definitely a Top 5 game for me with regards to storyline, immersion, set design, customer service, and just overall fun. Also, it is only 5 mins from the airport, so a no-brainer to do when traveling through Phoenix. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Lockbuster Video60 to Escape - SchaumburgEscape 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
Dr. Gem’s Time TrapMaine Escape GamesEscape roomIRL1st time visiting Maine Escape Games and Dr. Gem’s Time Trap was a great experience. The theme is a typical time traveling story, but sets, technology, and immersion was extraordinary. Only 3 traditional locks and a lot of technology in all rooms. You really needed to be observant in all of the rooms as clues are there for you to complete everything. Some memorable puzzles include a math-related puzzle, a mixture puzzle, and a teamwork related puzzle. A time related puzzle even added some additional stress on you to complete timely. Almost every puzzle you solved had something open automatically and there were some very cool reveals with some, but all reveals were satisfying. Room can be viewed as non-linear, but our group of 3 worked together almost the entire game, and it seemed linear for us on what we wanted to complete next. There is a lot to do so you need to stay focused and have some urgency in the last room especially, as a certain puzzle will take a few minutes to complete. Overall, MEG’s customer service was great. Our GM (Erica) was fun to talk with before and after, and gave us a few nudges at perfect times to ensure we knew what to work on next (exactly what we asked her to do before we started). Overall, a super fun room and a fantastic experience at MEG. MEG is a very good ER company and I look forward to playing another room when we are in the area again.
Heist HavocRedacted Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLAfter reading all the hype of the newly opened Redacted room, Heist Havoc, we went into it with great expectations. We had a fantastic experience and my expectations were fulfilled (almost). Before you enter the room, you are given a briefcase of tools and a guide on how to use the tools. The set design of the room was Hollywood-like quality with great attention to detail. Everything in the room was clean and looked like a real Art Gallery. When we started, we immediately made connections with certain observations, but struggled a bit to move forward with the info we gained. We used some of the tools right away, but others we put off using until later when we really should have used them sooner. There is tons of technology used in this room and no traditional locks (which is great). However, it was almost weird to play a game like this as your brain is use to thinking in a different manner. As we were only a team of 3 and we just got done with another room earlier in the evening, we were a little tired tonight and our connections were not being made as quickly. I would definitely recommend having at least 4 people, as there is a lot to do during the 90 minutes. After our initial struggles, we started to connect the dots in the room and make progress. From there, the room flowed really well. Everything in the room worked perfectly and the execution of the puzzle reveals were crisp and ignited excitement. My favorite parts of the room were when you have to crawl into an area and after we tripped the alarm. These physical movements, while done in this immersive room, makes you feel like you are actually in a art gallery stealing something. All your senses are on high-alert at various times giving you an extra rush of excitement. Customer service at Redacted was amazing. We talked with one of the owners (Nick) for awhile before we started about ERs overall and what they are planning for the future. During the game, he gave us great nudges when we were stumbling, and he even gave us extra time in order to experience the entire room and complete it (which we greatly appreciated). We were also the last group of the night and it was well past 11pm when we left, so letting us finish meant him having to stay late. This is a room you should definitely check out. Looking forward to the summer release of their next room.
Cheesie's Pizza Party60 to Escape - SchaumburgEscape roomIRLThis was my 5th 60 to Escape Woodfield room (only one left to do is JP), and Cheesie’s lived up to the hype. The room was not as hard as anticipated, but our group of 6 came prepared, and were very organized with our game play. The rooms (4) were super cool and it felt like you were in an old abandoned Chuck E Cheese, and the games they had in the room were actual, still functioning arcade games. The stage with the animatronic Chuck E was very cool and added to the theme and story. I did not feel this room was scary at all, but thought it was a really cool atmosphere. Game had a great flow and the puzzles all made a lot of sense, where we took great notes of items we identified, and then made connections with those things identified earlier. The use of gum was especially cool for a certain puzzle as you would totally see this when you were a kid. Room was a lot of fun and satisfying for everyone in our group as we all contributed to many of the puzzles. Our GM (Jacob) was phenomenal and very enthusiastic before and afterwards when talking about the room and his favorite rooms, and his clues (I think we used 2-3) were great to give us a confirmation or slight nudge in the right direction (as opposed to giving us a direct answer). Customer Service at this Woodfield location has exceeded my expectation each time we have visited, as the GM’s seem to be having just as much fun as we are as they are watching attentively and rooting us on. 60 to Escape Woodfield is an amazing location for people of all levels of ER experience, and all of their rooms are Hollywood quality and a lot of fun. You just feel happy when doing rooms at Woodfield. Can’t wait to do JP and a new room which may be coming later in 2025.
