Wild, Wilder West - The Robbery of Vulture Valley60 to Escape - SchaumburgEscape roomIRLYeehaw, very impressive game as to be expected from 60 to Escape! The room itself is solid and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t even like Western themed rooms. The flow, set, and puzzles were great. But what really makes this room potentially remarkable is that you can replay it from a different perspective to get a wholly new experience. We played as the good guys to solve the mystery of the robbers, but according to the GM, we can come back to play the robbers’ version and have different puzzles, story, and even areas within the room. We’ll have to do the other room to confirm, but I’ll list if it’s different in my review for the other room. The only downside of this is we were confused by puzzle elements left for the other perspective that were not for us. But otherwise, this is a wild, wilder time, y’all!
Squid Games Themed 10 Minute Escape Room - CLOSEDLockport Escape Room & Axe ThrowingEscape roomIRLRed light… 🩸 This was a cute room designed after the popular Squid Games show. I have seen the original series and reality show and could see the references very well. It’s only 10 minutes. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad, but we felt the time stress since it usually takes us a few minutes just to get acquainted with any room. We got the prize pot in the last minute though! Puzzles are generally solvable within a 10 time minute span and we added it onto our booking for another 60 minute room at the location. Speaking of the company… it died!
Stranger Things - CLOSEDLockport Escape Room & Axe ThrowingEscape roomIRLA fun little room inspired by the show Stranger Things. I haven’t actually seen the show, but I’m familiar and recognize some of the near set decoration. Puzzles range from in your face to very cryptic. Overall, a fine room. If you want to do this room, well, I have terrible news. Because we did this room on the company’s last day. So chances are, this place is permanently closed by the time you read this. Maybe it could come back? Stranger Things have happened…
Casino HeistArt Of EscapeEscape roomIRLWe ended up being late because of heavy traffic during Lollapalooza weekend, so that’s on us. The GM was very nice about it though so that’s a plus. As for the room itself, let me start with the good. Okay, now let me continue with the bad. The flow is pretty much nonexistent and required us to find small objects and somehow connect them to the only one correct lock of basically half a dozen locks that were in the room at a given time. I know we weren’t on our A game but we had massive trouble connecting any one clue to other clues and locks on opposite sides of the room. Lots of red herrings and useless keys too. Let’s put it this way: this is the kind of room that wants you to find a small key in the dark. Not to mention that the room literally broke on us. We couldn’t get into the 2nd room for 10 minutes. The GM had to restart multiple times, AND we did not get our time back… I wouldn’t gamble in this casino unless you’re a high roller.
Who Stole Mona?Escapology - GlenviewEscape roomIRLWe came, we saw, and we conquered Escapology with this room, the final room we haven’t done across all the company’s locations around us! The actual room was fun, and it had a different layout than the typical Escapology room. It lended itself less to surprises but the finale was at least exciting. The puzzles ranged from menial tasks, some of which backfired on us and required the GM to manually enter and fix it. Then there were other frustrating puzzles where it was almost impossible to interpret how the room wanted us to approach these puzzles. Too many numbers and inputs and locks and not enough clarity on how to actually read the clues. I still had fun overall, especially with the final moments and some Eureka moments throughout, but the painted experience was more middling than what a masterpiece like Mona Lisa deserves. Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you, you’re so like the lady with the mystic smile!
My "Crazy EX"Break EscapeEscape roomIRLCute wedding-themed room with very appropriate wedding day puzzles! It’s not a big room, but there is a lot to fill your honeymoon hour with. I liked that you could also be a reception DJ and pick what you wanted to listen to for this wedding. My biggest gripes are several puzzles that involve guess and checking the order of the combination. It’s a small combo, but I mean, they definitely could have been actual puzzles, because guess and checking should not be in anyone’s marriage vows. Otherwise, the story and premise are hilarious. And this seems like a great room for 2 on a date night. I went with my spouse and we broke some kind of record! If you’re looking for a cute room to do with your lover, say yes to the dress and this room!
Prison Break: AlcatrazThe Escape Game - Fisherman's WharfEscape roomIRLNow here’s a real Alcatraz escape room! Don’t get thrown into prison in the fake ones (and I guess, also not the real non-escape room one). This is mostly similar to the regular prison break room, which we had done before. It’s about 40% different, though we still had to ask the GM which parts exactly differed. Overall, still fun, a classic split start prison break with interesting puzzles and tasks. It’s a public room so be sure warned you may have prison mates. We got a private room thankfully, but when we did the original, we were cramped with a group of 6. This game is well-themed for Fisherman’s Wharf, and this specific version is exclusive to SF!
The Roosevelt Escape RoomPalace GamesEscape roomIRLWe celebrated America’s 250th and our 500th escape room with a very patriotic experience based on World War I and the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Although I don’t generally care for historical or war-themed rooms, I do love Palace Games with the Attraction being my favorite escape room of all time. The Roosevelt surprised me in how engaging the puzzles were, with many of them including tech and light. The puzzles are smart and very hard, even after 500 of these for us. We barely got out in good time with a small group of 2. Some tasks get repetitive, especially if you end up dividing and conquering, which the game recommends you do. It culminated in a very exciting finale that made us feel like we were right there with President Teddy at our side. This is an expensive room with a flat $400+ fee even if you have a small group, so keep that in mind. I would also say to prioritize the Edison room or the Attraction over this room. But if you’ve done those and are looking for another historical hit from Palace Games, look no further than Teddy Roosevelt’s escape room, BULLY!
The Great Houdini Escape RoomPalace GamesEscape roomIRLPalace Games has excellent rooms based on the Palace of Fine Arts’ opening year in 1915 and historical people and events around it. This is their earliest room, and while still great, does show its age. It’s not as tech savvy and advanced as other rooms here. And a lot of puzzles are completed on paper or laminated sheets. There is a certain magic to the theme, which is ironically less about Houdini than it is about 8 of the greatest minds of the time including Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. There are fun reveals and moments, but they admittedly don’t have the spectacle of actual Houdini themed magic rooms. And they don’t reach the heights of their other excellent games either. But there is a charm to this room, especially if you have a larger group to tackle the 8 people’s puzzles and pay the hefty $400+ entry fee. Smaller teams will still need to pay the same price, and while a great room, the price is quite high for this specific room. So it barely ekes out a love for me for the game’s history and interesting puzzles. But I would highly recommend Edison or Attraction over this for most escape artists.
Escape The RockThe Flyer Thrill ZoneEscape roomIRLDo NOT go to this fake escape room tourist trap. It is absolute trash. The room itself is bad, with horrible tasks and darkness. It’s a 30-minute room, which should have been a red flag. The GM, if you can even call it that, was unresponsive to our requests for hints, did not pay attention to us so ended up giving bad hints, and also mocked us upon exiting. I nearly walked out. We have done over 500 escape rooms, and this might be the worst of all of them. This place should be closed and that GM should be fired. I feel sorry for anyone who goes here and thinks this is what escape rooms are. This place is a scam for tourists. Might as well go to the actual Alcatraz across the water and escape that instead.
Witchly Ever AfterOmescape - San JoseEscape roomIRLA magical fairy tale with a very pretty decorated set and great themed puzzles and a stellar finale! It’s very fun! There’s a pointless split that I wasn’t a fan of, but otherwise the room flows well in a mostly linear fashion as you find the fractured fairy tales. It’s a great room for children too to experience their escape ever afters!
Motel MollyOmescape - San JoseEscape roomIRLAlthough the rooms are overall better in the Sunnyvale location for Omescape, Motel Molly is definitely in the company’s top tier of games! It is a terrific and terrifying experience. After braving the mild spicy version of Haunting at Haruka High, we decided to play the default scary version of this game. While there were indeed scary moments, darkness, loud sounds, and a live actor, it wasn’t as scary as Haruka High. Which is good for us since we’re scaredy cats! The story, flow, set, and cinematic moments are all well done! The lore is interesting and I wish it was clearer without having to read things so I could better appreciate the finale. Book your stay at Motel Molly, if you dare!
Sorcerer's SanctumOmescape - San JoseEscape roomIRLI believe this is Harry Potter, sorta. There are Potterish creatures. There are wands. It’s far from my favorite room from the mostly excellent Omescape. The split start at the beginning seems pointless, and I’m thankful our GM just let our small team of 2 do both rooms in a row instead of being stuck alone in each room. The final set of puzzles are not super intuitive or fun. A big thanks again to our GM for giving us extra time especially since we lost time for not having enough people for a puzzle. Again, there are better Omescapes out there though this isn’t too bad.
Dark AltarOmescape - San JoseEscape roomIRLOmescape has such pretty sets for most of their rooms, so it was a surprise to see that this one was not. This is pretty much their oldest room, and they are apparently getting rid of it soon. I say, good choice. The room itself isn’t bad, but the puzzles aren’t the most fun, and also didn’t work super well in some cases. The premise is neat, but I am somewhat disappointed in this one. I still liked it overall, but barely. Do not worship these false dark gods!
RobotopiaOmescape - SunnyvaleEscape roomIRLA technical marvel as to be expected from our new robot overlords! This 2-hour saga spawns lots of rooms and tasks. Many of them are creative ones we haven’t seen anywhere else. The whole thing plays out like one big point-and-click adventure game with NPC robots that talk to you, and tasks that require critical problem solving. The way this room utilizes its small set is mind blowing. The finale is thrilling, and got my heart so pumping. This daunting experience is intended for more than 4 people, but we got through it with 2 of us and assistance from our friendly GM. I loved all the robot references! I for one welcome our new robot overlords! All hail Robotopia!
Forsaken TempleOmescape - SunnyvaleEscape roomIRLMy team really appreciated that this was an eastern Asian monk temple as opposed to other typical temple escape rooms. We don’t see that a lot in America. The room itself was fun, though not one of Omescape’s finest. Which makes it still a very room. The tasks were very unique and inspired. There is one repetitive action based on the day/night cycle that felt like a waste of time. I see why it exists, but having to go back and forth through long hallways was not my favorite thing to do. I liked getting rid of the evil spirits though! Felt very Kpop Demon Hunters. Felt totally legit!
UndercookedOmescape - SunnyvaleEscape roomIRLUndercooked is chef’s kiss! Unlike a typical escape room, it’s a task-based points experience that requires teams to find recipes, their 3 ingredients, and input the matching codes into a tablet. It’s just as chaotic as the video game Overcooked. And it’s hilarious to be yelling out for ingredients and the team scrambling to find them. That said, we’re not very good at searching and this room is very much a scavenger hunt, with puzzles to find the recipes. It’s super nonlinear and once you have all the rooms open, the world is your oyster, which you then cook. Bonus points (money) were awarded if we could get specific recipes finished within a short time limit. Our small team of 2 finished about half of the recipes in the beefy 75 minutes allotted, but we still managed to top the leaderboard that day. It’s somewhat replayable since we could come back and cook the other half of puzzles if we wanted (though we probably won’t). This room is seasoned and prepared like nothing else, and it’s one of Omescape’s prime cuts! Hear it from us, the sous chefs of our own 5-star foody restaurant! Order up!
Treasure IslandBrain Games Escape RoomEscape roomIRLI got free cans of soda pop in this room, and honestly, that was enough for me to enjoy this experience! Jokes aside (I’m not joking), the room is excellent, with a great sense of humor that elevates this room to more than a simple pirate treasure room. The puzzles are many and unique. Fun challenges bring variety to the puzzling. The set is very well decorated from beginning to end, with plenty of pleasant surprises, musical cues, and hilarious voiceover! This room is a delight, and that’s not just the 2 Fantas I chugged during the room talking! ARRR!
Flynn's ArcadeBrain Games Escape RoomEscape roomIRLHave you ever seen Tron? Have you ever wanted to live through Tron? No matter what you answered, Flynn’s Arcade is a must-do escape room! Video games are my passion, and the authentic challenges devoted to classic favorites are exquisitely presented. It’s a bit more task-oriented, both physical and dexterity, but there are creative puzzles in there too. The transitions from each set piece to another is so immersive. And you will feel like a digital user by the end of this interactive arcade game! This has quickly become one of my favorite escape rooms, especially as a fan of the medium and the movie. I highly recommend Brain Games, with this being one of their best offerings to level up, claim your legacy, and enter the grid!
Haunting at Haruka HighOmescape - SunnyvaleEscape roomIRLHaunting at Haruka High is like no other escape room I’ve ever done. An authentically Japanese-themed ghost story with heavy emphasis on a compelling dark narrative and true frightening horror. We did mild spicy scare level, and were very spooked by the bone chilling cinematic moments. The puzzles weren’t too hard, and there weren’t too many, but making it through this scary story can be taxing enough. It’s basically a courage challenge, and a mystery story. As a huge weeb and anime fan, I loved the Japanese references and pics from one of my favorite manga authors. It’s a juicy scare-filled experience and we were invested enough to see this haunted schoolhouse tale to its end. I can’t stress enough how phenomenal this room was. Kono ruumu wa tottemo omoshirokatta desu!!!
