The Man From BeyondStrange Bird ImmersiveEscape roomIRLWow!! What an experience... Unlike anything we had done. Sets the benchmark for immersion, set design, and live acting. Literally, from the moment you enter the premises, you feel you've stepped into something else. Even the lobby was designed purposeful, and the game started in an unexpected way. From start to finish, I was completely absorbed in the theater the live actor had created (they are actual professional actors who put on a proper show and stay in character throughout). The puzzles are moderately challenging if taken individually but the non-linearity makes them more challenging. Hints were given when the game felt you needed them (a different approach to the traditonal way of asking for clues). It can be perplexing on how/where to start when the game truly begins but don't worry, just do whatever makes sense to you. The flow comes eventually. It's not a "scary" game but definitely spooky. I wouldn't recommend this to a group of completely new players. That being said, I would recommend everyone to try this game at some point. The staff do a great job and can accommodate custom time bookings if all slots on a day are booked (subject to staff availability).
Hope EndThe Ministry Of PeculiaritiesEscape roomIRLWow! What a thrilling and immersive experience! After The Man from Beyond (Strange Bird Immersive) in Houston, I was waiting to find another escape room that could match the benchmarks set by their production level, immersion, performance - and the puzzle design of course. Happy to say, Hope End exceeded our expectations! The Ministry of Peculiarities should be on the wishlist of every escape room enthusiast. The quality of puzzles was excellent. They were thematic, layered, and just made sense. A joy to figure out and solve. The game is not scary but spooky. I enjoyed the surprise moments sprinkled throughout. The game flowed very well and the choreography was excellent. Our "GM" stayed in character throughout, dressed for the part, and interacted with the group ad lib. I encourage you to actively (and sportingly) participate. Our game and everyone's individual progress was followed closely. I enjoyed the dry and sarcastic humor that accompanied the overall mystery. We lost track of time inside (in a good way). There wasn't an obvious countdown timer. However, they made sure we stayed on track. A minimum of 4 experienced players is recommended. A group of 6 would be ideal (and fun). Communication is especially important in the initial stages.
The Cabin: Chapter 2 - Monie MotelEscape Hour AustinEscape roomIRLThe cabin trilogy is a MUST DO! Warning: the scare elements are strong. But if you maintain a positive mindset, you will enjoy the experience. Chapter II, I'd say was 2nd scariest out of the 3. The immersion is excellent - from check in to check out! The layout is very well done, and the whole experience was memorable. The game can be played as stand-alone, but you get more value doing the trilogy sequentially as the story and characters build on each other. In Chapter 2, you are in a motel setting where you need to progress through the space to locate an item to be used in a certain way. The puzzles are on the linear side but you may feel the need to traverse back and forth between set pieces. While the difficulty level of the puzzles is moderate, the horror aspect dials it up to hard. There are quite a few things to solve. One of the puzzles can be a time drain despite figuring out what needs to be done - it's important to maintain a good pace. We appreciated the helpful nudges from the game master (in character)...and other sources (heh). My advise would be: don't get paralyzed by the fear element. Keep moving, solving...and ask for hints when you need it. The surprises in the game are quite cool! More details about "how scary is it" in a dedicated section below.
The CryptEscape Hour AustinEscape roomIRLPacked with surprises and fun!! Highly, highly recommend. Tantalizing puzzles, immersive ambience, many "wow" moments, and a very good game master. The puzzles are of excellent variety and challenging (in a good way that makes you go "aha!") requiring a mix of thinking. It was a 70-min room (like their other rooms) but doable in 60. The gameplay is spiced with aspects of non-linearity, design unpredictability, and a very attentive game master who watches, hears and follows your progress with helpful nudges. A solid team of 4 would be great, but also doable with 2 experienced and adept players.
Stash HouseStash HouseEscape roomIRLCaveat: If you want to try this room, you should. - and judge it for yourself. The unique experience may be divisive. The set design is immersive and the challenge is unapologetically difficult. I was excited for a 90-min escape room. Variety of puzzles. I really wanted to love it. However, I did not. Now...the aspects I didn't like about the room - you may find them enticing: 1. Too Non-Linear I have enjoyed playing non-linear rooms (like The Escape Game's Playground and Escape Hour Austin's Tesla vs Edison). But this room can isolate you to an extent where you lose track of what's going on and lose context. I am someone who wants to be aware of all the puzzles that need to be solved and participate as much as possible. There is a certain section where 1-2 people could end up spending an inordinate amount of time crawling about in a dark, cramped space while the rest of the game goes by. 2. Contrived Difficulty Tough puzzles can be rewarding to solve. But adding superficial layers to a puzzle to make it difficult just for the sake of making it difficult stops being fun at one point. You have connected the dots, figured out what goes where, and just need to input the final solution. But then if the solution requires you to distinguish between 3 different colors that are similar in hue in poor lighting at a hard to access corner, it gets frustrating. Some of the signaling was vague. You can end up wasting a lot of time looking for the right thing at the wrong place. Some helpful nudges from the GM would have been been greatly appreciated. 3. Imbalanced Design A 90-min challenge is inviting. But there are a lot of puzzles. Which is fine...except every one of them is complex and has potential for time-drain. If you take a very scary escape room with an unpredictable live actor (for eg.), a well balanced experience will not make the puzzles themselves overly difficult because the fear factor naturally makes everything more challenging. That kind of gameplay balance was missing here with the complexity, length, and number of puzzles. I would definitely not recommend this one for beginners. It's better suited for a team of 6 experienced players. Maybe the factors that made the experience lukewarm for us will motivate you to try the room more! Just go in mentally prepared.
Lab RatHatch EscapesEscape roomIRLThis was a fun one! It's popular for a reason. The theme of playing as "labs rats" was incorporated throughout - the challenges, environment, scale, and overarching concept. A mostly mechanical room with unique design and variety of puzzles. The mood was light-hearted, derisive comedy. The use of space was well executed. A group of 4-6 would be suitable. Puzzles were moderately challenging that required keen observation and correlation. Caution: Don't become complacent toward the end - the mission doesn't quite end when you think it does!
The Cabin: Chapter 1Escape Hour AustinEscape roomIRLWow! What an experience! The cabin trilogy is a must do for escape room enthusiasts who are game for some serious horror! The first chapter is outstanding. For us, it was the scariest out of the three. The immersion and atmosphere were top notch. There was so much uneasiness at every corner...the tension was really good! The lighting was purposefully very dim and so cleverly done. (Chapter 1 is the darkest out of the 3 in terms of visibility.) I will share more details about the scariness in the "how scary is it" section below. But, I will say this: if you have a serious aversion to horror or risk physical triggers at jump scares, you should avoid this room. If you enjoy horror movies (even if you get scared easily) and want the added challenge of solving puzzles, you should definitely experience it! Note: the "scare" level can be adjusted to your preferences (mid-game too) but if you're doing this, try to keep it as close to standard as you can. The game is difficult. However, the puzzles themselves are not hard. But it gets so scary in there, you tend to become paralyzed with fear. Our group fell into this trap initially where we would read a clue and just not do anything about it. That is why it is helpful to have at least one "brave" person in the group who can power through the tension and keep your team on track - there is still an escape room to solve afterall! It is important to pay attention to all the cues because they help your progress. Don't hesitate to ask for help - it's part of the experience in a way. Like all their games, there isn't a visible countdown timer (but you can ask for time checks). You quite lose the sense of time in this trilogy - the immersion is captivating! The staff here is amazing! Kudos to the live actor(s)! The acting, timing, and interactions were excellent. And props to all the staff who stayed in character throughout...even before you start your game and still after completing it. I encourage you to interact with them in character as well. Although each of the rooms can be done as standalone, the best way to experience them is to book the trilogy back-to-end in sequence because the story keeps building meaningfully. Great production value, many surprises, properly scary, and the experience stays with you long after you've escaped (in a good way...hopefully).
Wizard's TaleEscape Again RoomsEscape roomIRLI was surprised by this room. If you love escape rooms, this is one that should be in your wishlist. 90 mins of engaging fun! The puzzles stick to the theme throughout with good flow and variety. The game masters at this facility are top-notch!
Timeliner: Train Through TimeThe Escape Game - The ColonyEscape roomIRLThis is a high-tech escape room with an interesting premise that weaves through the experience in a meaningful way. The puzzle-solution system was very cool! It can be tricky to get started because you are just thrust into a room with a lot going on. But once you solve a few puzzles, you get the gist of it and understand the rhythm. The sound/lights effects were additive to the experience. There was a good variety of puzzles that matched their circumstances. The game may seem non-linear but the linearity falls into place. The staff were welcoming and accommodating. The games are NOT private - but you can call the business to explore options to make it so. (The location is at a high traffic zone.)
Prison BreakThe Escape Game - CityCentreEscape roomIRLEnjoyed this one! The challenge, the design, the gameplay - made for a thrilling escape room! It's their most difficult room yet and is better suited for experienced players. In the beginning, your team will be split into 2 (not a spoiler). The first part of the game requires good communication between the 2 groups. Ideally, you want an adept player and a good communicator in each group as you won't be able to see each other when you need to coordinate. We loved the design! The prison cells felt authentic and the lighting brought it all to life. The props made sense and their use felt natural. Good immersion overall. The gameplay is partially non-linear at times. The puzzles are a good mix of logic, observation, and exploration. Some of them were quite clever! There are several small, crucial set pieces in the game required to progress which can get easily overlooked. A particular section can get chaotic - communication and awareness becomes even more essential here to not miss anything. The challenge is ideally suited for an experienced group of 4. 5 is fine. 6 is when things can get chaotic, confusing or claustrophobic. See, if you're someone who likes being involved or at least fully aware of what's going on at any given moment, then you'd want a group of 4. Out gamemaster Josh was excellent, enthusiastic, and attentive. His helpful nudges were much appreciated and we felt he was invested in our progress. Apparently, teams request an average of 34 clues in this game! We needed far fewer, but quickly learned that if you’re stuck, it’s best to ask for help - the design doesn’t forgive lost time.
