13th BasementExit Game OC - AnaheimEscape roomIRLA lot of fun, very good sense of humor and a horror movie spin I haven't quite seen before.
The Mad RapperScenario Escape RoomEscape roomIRLReally enjoyed the theming and storyline in here, just really want a consultant to come in and clean it up, tbh. There was one thing I didn't like being forced to do, a couple mechanics I think should be clarified and an issue with overlapping elements that would be so easy to fix that is detracting unnecessarily from game play. With those tweaks this would have been a winner for me.
Dr. Hader’s Cartoon WorldScenario Escape RoomEscape 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
The Ghost Of MentryvilleArcane Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLWOW. Could not say enough good things about this awesome room, so glad I finally got a spot with the limited scheduling! Wow. Unreal use of a tiny space and actor- more than an actor, without giving anything away. Puzzles were fun and creative and built on each other in clever ways, as well as everything was really fun to interact with. If there was a scale model souvenir or an accompanying tabletop extension I would buy it. Feels weird to have found it so delightful when the story was so upsetting (many thanks to our fabulous actor Perigee), but that's testament to how well-designed and -regulated this game is. Yay!
Titanic60Out - HHLAEscape roomIRLDefinitely come to this location for the builds. Very cool immersive sense and sets! Less in love with the actual puzzles which can be not super intuitive or breadcrumbed adequately. But some fun interaction here to create the urgency of being on the sinking ship!
The HideoutArcane Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLI'm so glad we played all the games here instead of having tunnel vision for ratings. I really enjoyed the hand-hewn quality of things here- rather than wishing it was more polished I felt like it spotlighted the puzzle design, heightened the story and inspired imagination as to what ingenuity can make out of everyday things. This game even more than the Agency features a lateral thinking that is much more fun than the sort of linear "find device/solve device" trap that escape rooms can fall into.
Godzilla vs. King Kong60Out - HHLAEscape roomIRLThere were things I really liked about this game, but some that I didn't so withholding my thumb for now. Although i deeply appreciate the creative theme- never seen this anywhere else and I love that! The initial experience is awe-inspiring which is very fun.
The AgencyArcane Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLI'm really glad I played all of these and in this order. Agency sets the story and Hideout continues the plot; Ghost is just the runaway best so nice to end on. I really enjoyed the alt punk version of this kind of "IQ test" room and the tongue in cheek sinister personality of it. A great variety of kinds of puzzles, even though as mentioned it is a gen 1 technology set.
Whatever Happened To The Garretts?Maze Rooms - West LAEscape roomIRLI'm just really surprised bc this game is very highly rated, but we had a bad experience. Some crucial things were not working, especially towards the end where it was necessary to advance. And even though our gm seemed to say this was a frequent and known issue, they still weren't watching closely enough to save us from many long minutes of metaphorical button mashing. Even then, they said that to reset the elements for play or even to show us the function would take protracted steps and take a long time... Having seen other reviews mentioning this I have a hard time giving grace for not at least tightening up the reset procedure let alone fixing broken elements. There are some good things here but even trying to imagine past our unfun moment there doesn't feel like a lot of game here. Wondering if it has outlived its great reputation or if we were too distracted to appreciate what's there.
Something's Out There!Maze Rooms - West LAEscape roomIRLThis was actually pretty fun, some creative things I hadn't seen before. I always appreciate an "outdoor" environment well used, and a spooky game that creates tension with the story and not just dim lighting! As well as one that feels threatening enough to be fun but not so scary that I can't think straight 😂 imo this room deserves the Garrett's rating instead!
Ghost StoriesBrain Games Escape RoomEscape roomIRLThis room relies heavily on an attentive gamemaster and a lot of technology, neither of which were fully functioning when we played, unfortunately. There are some good surprises and fun moments, but the guided dynamic means you need your game master's full attention for over an hour, and without it there are long pauses and wrong nudges given- apparently it's also hard for them to hear you in the room-? For me, there's also no excuse for broken technology; one or two things I'm likely to accept as a blip, but there were so many things not triggering or showing up late that we started factoring it in to the flow of the room. Cool concept and build, hopefully they get the issues sorted out.
EndangeredEscape Games at the RiverEscape roomIRLThis room has such a different dynamic that I really appreciated! There were a couple of things about it I wish had been explained differently, so maybe clarify a little more than you normally would if you're an experienced player. We asked for several more hints than normal until we got the feel of the game, and I'm glad we did while there was still enough time to execute everything. We played with only 3- and one was under the weather so really 2- and holy trinity was there a lot to do! If I had it to do over I'd probably take 3 or 4. Loved the theme and set, it really feels like you might be there doing the thing. Haven't seen anything like this anywhere else to kudos for coming up with a unique theme! Immersive elements and especially sound design go a long way here. Definitely worth the detour on the road between PHX and LA!
Escape IT - The SewersEscape ITEscape roomIRLThis isn't my style of escape room, with horror and live actors and public bookings, but it was really fun. The sets are really great and there's just enough game play to keep you in each spot for a little while. Actors are absolutely great. Had a lot of fun running and screaming lol
The Seventh RoomDare 2 EscapeEscape roomIRLThere were so many cool and interesting elements to this room, but also some rookie-level mistakes. Game pieces from a few puzzles were so worn/worn off/tiny that they were unusable; irrelevant clues given showed our GM wasn't tracking our progress. At more than one point we had to stick our heads out into the hallway to call for help; at another GM had to bring us replacement pieces for something that just didn't work. We were really disappointed bc it's clear what this room could be, but it really needs some TLC and GM attention is crucial.
Pandora’s BoxTrapped! Escape Room - Las VegasEscape roomIRLThis build is very complex and cool but unfortunately our game didn't flow well or make a lot of sense. Some of the effects and cues didn't seem connected to what we were doing, and one puzzle we solved without even realizing we were interacting with it. Again the build is impressive and fun to be in, and the bonus puzzles in particular were interesting and fun, but the main game could use some retooling or retraining- and better lighting!
Armoire à Vendre [Wardrobe for Sale]Escaparium - LavalEscape roomIRLHow do I convince everyone to play this without giving away a single thing?? 🙉🤯🤯 There are things that happen in here that not only have I not seen anywhere else, I never expected to see, not sure I thought were even possible. That someone made this with their own two hands without a department of Imagineers has me literally taken aback. The puzzles are fun though the interaction and set are more the star of the show... This was like a cross between a personalized playground and being in a movie for 2h. Ten out of five stars 🤩
Bernie Bloc [Bernie Block]Escaparium - LavalEscape roomIRLNot only is this fun and adorable, the novelty and whimsy of being inside a scaled lego house where everything is made of legos is itself worth the price of admission. As noted by others these puzzles are scaled for kids but still fun to step through as adults, and the use of technology keeps everything feeling snappy and paced. Don't skip this one just bc it seems "easy", the experience is worth it.
Le Game Show [The Game Show]Immersia Escape GamesEscape roomIRLThis was a little concept-heavy for me. There is a lot going on but not a ton to actually do in here. Will be a fun and quick romp for very experienced players who will get the joke, or good for kids and first-time players who will be eased in to the usual dynamics with some easy wins.
La Cathédrale Oubliée [The Forgotten Cathedral]Escaparium - LavalEscape roomIRLOkay literally what are you talking about with this game 🤯🤯 was this five stages? Six? Every time something else was revealed we were like, there's MORE?! This theme slash level of creep (not scare) is not my usual fare but no enthusiast should miss this room. As with others at this business, the build quality is off the charts, but each in a totally different way. The scale of this one is just beyond and will make you feel like, wow someone made ALL THIS just so I could enjoy it for 90 minutes?! Just outstanding, and the puzzles particularly in the first half really add to the immersive journey, rather than feeling like things you solve inside the space.
Projet R.E.S.E.T. [Project R.E.S.E.T.]Immersia Escape GamesEscape roomIRLThis room is really so cool. The sense of unreality and physical displacement are totally unique- I heard so many people wondering aloud "how did they do that-?" about elements of the game. Some unique mechanics I hadn't seen before, and some production values that clearly received a lot of investment; in general an experience that feels very polished, futuristic, satisfying. Best game here!
![Armoire à Vendre [Wardrobe for Sale]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/02541450-7205-4371-935f-ae98c672dcbb.jpeg)
![Bernie Bloc [Bernie Block]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/16c27c0f-0175-46db-9f71-6b8f22b33b87.jpg)
![Le Game Show [The Game Show]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/64a0e72f-9f69-428a-ba84-42b12abd5f70.png)
![La Cathédrale Oubliée [The Forgotten Cathedral]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/2c2890dd-87b6-4712-8136-8403e436ec72.jpg)
![Projet R.E.S.E.T. [Project R.E.S.E.T.]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/d5c254a6-7f15-453f-903d-fd22af4c6532.jpg)
