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).
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.
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.)
PlaygroundThe Escape Game - The ColonyEscape roomIRLThis room was so fun!! It's quite non-linear. Even if you usually play as a pair of adepts, you'd at least need a group of 4 (ideally, 5-6) to solve puzzles in parallel in time. The gamespace of a classroom is quite immersive with some fun elements you will discover. The puzzle difficulty is between moderate and challenging because you will often need to put 2-and-2 together across the environment + when you add the parallelism, it adds on to the challenge. There is a display board that tracks your progress; "assignments" you need to complete. Observation is important in this game. Our gamemaster was following our game, provided helpful nudges when we chased red herrings, and was responsive.
Wong's ChineseThe Perfect EscapeEscape roomIRLMust do! The setting is unique and feels authentic (for the theme) - because it is actually based off the owners' real-life connection. You are transported to a true-to-life looking Chinese restaurant. A unique blend of puzzles, requiring a group of 4 experienced players (or a group of 5-6 with a mix of experience) to solve it successfully. The gameplay is non-linear. The mission and starting points are not obvious - requiring attention and observation - a recurring theme throughout the experience. It's a challenging experience overall but quite rewarding when you solve and make progress. Our GM was welcoming, friendly, and provided helpful nudges. Although you can get unlimited hints, any more than 3 won't count toward leaderboard eligibility. The clues are typed out on the screens - and we appreciated that the GM would pause the timer if he needed to manually input the clues. I'd recommend this room to all enthusiasts. Better to go with a team of 4-6 and split up to tackle different puzzles.
Vampire SlayerBack In Time Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLThis was an enjoyable room - suitable for 2 experienced and zoned-in players in terms of puzzle number, complexity, variety, and linearity. The room felt similar to the Salem Witch room. It was not scary but had a spooky design overall. A couple of helpful nudges kept us on track for success. The set design and the lighting was pretty decent. However, some of the "major props" could have benefitted from better design for immersion. Like their other rooms, when you solve a puzzle, there is a slight delay in form of changing lights or sounds before the result is revealed - just something to keep in mind if you're new to their rooms. The room is mostly mechanical. The surprise factor was not very high. Also, as is a theme with their rooms, there is always a secondary objective you need to accomplish - get the code to "escape" the room after you complete the primary objective. Handy to budget 5 minutes for that last bit!
Outlaw's HideoutEscape Again RoomsEscape roomIRLFun and engaging puzzles with a nice flow with the overall experience made totally enjoyable by our gamemaster. He was constantly engaged and attentive during our game time and gave us timely nudges to ensure we didn't waste time and finished the game satisfactorily! We were two people who maintained a good momentum throughout. I will say that while doable with 2, ideally, 3-4 people would greatly help attend to a few puzzles in parallel and more efficiently. This, along with the 2 other rooms in this location have been memorable experiences. Management is very good.
