Susan1430

Reviews

Reviews

The Kidnapping

The Kidnapping

Breakout Games - Columbia

  • Escape room
  • IRL
We played this room as a pair and had a great time. We played back-to-back rooms and both of our game masters said Kidnapping is their favorite. We enjoyed the puzzles and the variety. There were a few moments where we got to feel clever, which is always fun. :-) While the set wasn't over the top, it was above average imo and thematic. It is a single room experience, and there's almost no tech. Lots of mechanical locks. Our biggest complaint, which is still a minor one, is that there generally wasn't anything linking a particular lock to a particular puzzle. It was a lot of "okay we have a four digit number (or word or whatever), which lock(s) could it go to". To be fair there was often only one possibility, but still, having to look through all the remaining locks to find the one we needed didn't feel great. I wouldn't recommend this room for newer players, as I don't think it had a strong flow and some of the puzzles could be frustrating / not obvious. Our game master, Izzy, was great and we appreciated that she wasn't having to monitor multiple rooms.
Spellbound

Spellbound

EscapeTime Escape Rooms - Annapolis

  • Escape room
  • IRL
This is my favorite room currently at this location. We played as a pair and escaped with plenty of time with no hints used. We liked the puzzles and felt there was a good variety and flow. Many traditional locks but also some tech -- nothing innovative, but still effective. My only real negatives are cosmetic: I wish the space was more immersive, and some of the puzzles could be reskinned to help carry the theme. The rooms at Escape Time do have a diy vibe (which makes sense because iirc they are designed and built in-house) but this room checked all the boxes: good flow, fun puzzles, and everything worked correctly. I'm sorry I don't remember our game master's name, but she was friendly and I loved her enthusiasm for escape rooms.
Ghost Ship

Ghost Ship - CLOSED

EscapeTime Escape Rooms - Severna Park

  • Escape room
  • IRL
I forgot to review this game when we completed it last year. It was okay. We must have enjoyed it well enough bc I don't remember it being bad, but it didn't leave much of an impression: we actually forgot we'd done it because it wasn't spooky at all, so nothing came to mind when we tried to remember the "Ghost Ship" room. >.< Locks were mostly mechanical iirc. I do distinctly remember that we found a key lying out someplace that turned out to be a double of a key we'd unlock later. (The room has a lot of physical keys so it's not surprising that one could be overlooked during reset, and at least the replacement was where it was supposed to be.)
Ghost Pirates of the Chesapeake

Ghost Pirates of the Chesapeake

Escape Proving Ground

  • Escape room
  • IRL

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 �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 𓅟𓂿

Speakeasy

Speakeasy

Escape Proving Ground

  • Escape room
  • IRL
I'd rate this room about a 6.5/10. The final element was a a fun, unique touch. The puzzles were fine, the space was fine.I would guess that the games here are designed and constructed in house because they have that diy / slightly unpolished feel. Nothing wrong with that -- everything worked like it was supposed to and they do incorporate some tech -- it's just something to be aware of if you prefer "fancier" rooms. Non-spoiler tips for doing rooms at this location: look everywhere (they like to hide things) and don't forget the vertical space in the room.
The Fortune Teller.

The Fortune Teller.

Mission Escape Rooms - Annapolis

  • Escape room
  • IRL

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 �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 𓅟𓂿

Wild West

Wild West

Breakout Games - Columbia

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Our group of four had a good time. There was a comfortable amount of space for all of us without it feeling crowded. I enjoyed the narrative set up. The theme carried through the room and the puzzles: the things you interact with are fun and thematic. Loved the integral use of audio. We found the puzzles reasonably challenging overall. Nothing super involved or crazy, but fun and required some thinking. This room felt a lot more interactive and like we were actually in the story than most rooms we've done. There were some especially fun story moments. Our game master AJ was great. Part of me wishes that the room had more furniture, but I know it would have been frustrating and in the way so I think they made the right call. Played as a group of four. Two of us have done 50+ rooms, and our friends have done probably 6-10.
Thieves Guild

Thieves Guild - CLOSED

EscapeTime Escape Rooms - Severna Park

  • Escape room
  • IRL
My spouse and I had fun! While the set feels more diy than slick and professional, it didn't matter because every inch is decorated resulting in a pleasant, immersive space. We didn't find the puzzles particularly hard (I'd have no qualms recommending this room to first-timers, although I'd expect them to need some clues) but even as experienced "enthusiasts" we still enjoyed them because we felt like we were on an adventure. The puzzles we were solving fit into the story and there was a strong narrative pulling us along. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience. Nothing groundbreaking, but a solid, well done room that we're glad we did and would recommend to others.
Player One

Player One - CLOSED

EscapeTime Escape Rooms - Severna Park

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Skip this room. We expected it to be better since it's the newest room at this location (only about a year old iirc) but it was a huge disappointment. It was a weird combination of some now-pretty-common escape room tech that wasn't used to do anything interesting, and DIY laminated paper clues (and not even fun paper like a map or anything), in a space that didn't feel at all immersive in spite of a few neat pieces of decor. The generic office ceiling lighting certainly didn't help the ambiance. Several of the fixed (unmoveable) puzzle components were awkwardly placed, making it difficult for more than one person at a time to even see them let alone interact with them. There were only two of us in the room and imo that should be the max. The room is linear and the puzzles were mostly boring and felt shoehorned in rather than thematic or intuitive. It is a single-room experience. We wasted time on the first puzzle because we did the thing we were supposed to do (which didn't make a lot of sense but we tried it anyway) but it didn't work bc we didn't put it in exactly the spot it needed to go. (Which for the record was not centered / lined up the way you'd probably expect.) Because of the awkward location the game master couldn't see whether we had tried the right thing and so didn't know to prompt us to try it again. (I don't blame them at all for that, I blame poor room design.) The room has a neat looking feature item in it but with literally zero interaction or impact on gameplay it might as well have not been there. Ok, some lights turn on as you progress, and more lights go on at the end. Kids might find it exciting? For us it did nothing to redeem the lackluster experience. Honestly, don't do this room. Thieves' Guild, sure. That was fun. But not this one.
Shipwrecked

Shipwrecked

Escape. on Queen

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Fun game, great set. I'm hard pressed to think of anything they could add except actual sand! (Please don't do that lol.) We played as a duo and made it out. The puzzles were fun overall. The props were thematic and well integrated. Quite a few mechanical locks, but also some fun and interesting use of tech in some puzzles. There were one of two puzzles that felt like a bit of a stretch, but nothing egregious. The game uses pre-recorded audio to deliver hints. Thankfully our game master was willing to "radio in" to answer our specific questions, since we often just want a small nudge or clarification and not a full blown hint. We appreciated their willingness to go off-script to give us a better experience. This game far exceeded our expectations for a room in a touristy area, and we plan to do another of their rooms the next time we're in town.
Edgar Allan Poe: Poe-ranormal Activity

Edgar Allan Poe: Poe-ranormal Activity

Escape Room Live - Alexandria

  • Escape room
  • IRL
My spouse and I had a great time playing this room as a duo. We escaped with about 15 minutes left. We enjoy the extra challenge of starting in separate rooms -- it'll definitely get you working together and communicating! The atmosphere was good and we especially liked how well the puzzles tied in with the theme. The rooms have some mildly spooky decor, but most of the spookiness is confined to one part so only one person needs to be marginally brave. This is definitely not what I'd consider a scary or horror room. We especially enjoyed how the puzzles tied in with the theme. While no familiarity with Poe's work is required, fans will appreciate all the nods and references. Our gms, Vanessa and Eli, were both super friendly, helpful, and enthusiastic. Thanks guys!
Sherlock Holmes: A Matter of Time

Sherlock Holmes: A Matter of Time

Escape Room Live - Alexandria

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Shout out to our gms Eli and Vanessa! Great staff add so much to the overall experience. This was a solid room. Not the most compelling storyline or atmospheric space, but we enjoyed the puzzles and had a good experience. However if you can only do 1 or 2 of the rooms at this location, skip Sherlock and do the Poe and Wizard rooms instead. This location used to have some rooms that were only 45 minutes, but we were told they added some puzzles and now they're all 60 minutes.
Revenge of Atlantis

Revenge of Atlantis - CLOSED

EscapeTime Escape Rooms - Annapolis

  • Escape room
  • IRL
My spouse and I thought this room was just ok. We preferred their other two rooms. The set was fine, the puzzles were mostly fine, but nothing wowed us or made us think "I really liked that puzzle". Fine but skippable. Iirc this is ranked as a Beginner difficulty level but I would not recommend this as anyone's first room. (For that, our hands down favorite is Legend of the Sasquatch in downtown Annapolis.) Although we didn't love the room, I want to shout out our game masters Nathan and Becky for being super friendly and helpful. (Nathan was also our gm for the two games we played here previously.) Thanks guys!
Fantastical Chocolate Factory

Fantastical Chocolate Factory

Mission Escape Rooms - Arundel Mills

  • Escape room
  • IRL
My spouse and I had mixed feelings about this room. Theme: we enjoyed the theming of the first area, but the second fell a little flat for us. Puzzles: there was only one we particularly enjoyed. Of the rest, some were ok but there were four that we found frustrating for one reason or another. (fwiw we have no problem being outsmarted by a puzzle, but none of these gave us an "oh, that's so clever" moment when we either solved them or asked for a hint.) We also encountered a tech failure which they had a way for us to bypass, but we missed out on a puzzle because of it. Warning: if you're sensitive to noise / auditory simulation, I would avoid this room. The second area isn't overly loud in terms of decibel volume (although it def isn't quiet), but -- and I'll be vague here to avoid anything remotely spoilery -- there are sound loops from two sources that play CONTINUOUSLY. They're loud enough and of a nature that made them hard for me to tune out. They were irritating even though noise usually doesn't bother me. Miscellaneous: We escaped as a team of 2 (our usual team size) getting hints on a few puzzles. The ending was anticlimactic. I don't recall a clock in the room. The second area is non-linear.
Medieval Crimes

Medieval Crimes - CLOSED

Mission Escape Rooms - Arundel Mills

  • Escape room
  • IRL

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 �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 𓅟𓂿

The Last Vampire

The Last Vampire

Encrypted Escape - West Reading

  • Escape room
  • IRL
This is a long overdue review. My spouse and I did this room 1-2 years ago and loved it. We successfully escaped as a duo with zero hints, but we definitely felt like we were racing against the clock the entire time. There were a LOT of puzzles! I think it'd be a great room for larger groups, since there's plenty of space and parallel puzzling. The space is immersive and atmospheric, with interesting and thematic puzzles. Highly recommend provided you're ok with some tension and the occasional surprise! The owner was there when we went, and they and the game master were kind enough to talk with us about the rooms after we finished. They were super nice and obviously love what they do. I'm sad we didn't get to play the biker room before it closed, but we're excited to try the new room they're opening in 2025.
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