Tomb of the PharaohsLabyrinth Escape Games - BoiseEscape roomIRLLabyrinth leans into the atmosphere and environment starting at the lobby and definitely continues that inside their games. The set pieces inside the tomb were awesome and the detailing all around was excellent. The puzzles were relatively standard, and definitely on the easier side, but they were well clued and quite fun - there was one particular moment that was very clever that I appreciated. Overall, a great starter room, and one that is still fun even as a seasoned enthusiast.
Past Forward404 Escape RoomEscape roomIRLPast Forward was a solid game from a new company in the Bay Area! I enjoyed the theming, decor, and the majority of the puzzles. There were a couple highs and a couple lows, but nothing that felt unfair or broken, and a couple things I actually hadn’t seen before. This is a great room to scratch the itch, and an enthusiast duo would be the perfect amount of people.
Lockbuster Video60 to Escape - SchaumburgEscape roomIRLLockbuster video was a standout game at 60 to escape that meshed fun puzzles, a cool environment, and some really great transitions/story elements into one complete package. This game felt unique and we will never forget our time with the Manager!
Motel MollyOmescape - San JoseEscape roomIRLMotel Molly was a cinematic experience that spanned an ever-expanding space and kept us on edge the entire time. The scares were persistent from beginning to end, but structured well between the puzzles and utilized the space fantastically. The decor and set design was extremely strong and built perfectly to deliver some unexpected scares. This room definitely leans more towards “cinematic” instead of “puzzley”, and it definitely left me wanting a bit more from the space. Definitely still worthwhile to visit in the San Jose area, and another great experience from Omescape!
Mystical ManorWill To Escape - JupiterEscape roomIRLMystical Manor was a solid and fun experience that I’d recommend if you are in the Jupiter area! The puzzles were mostly simple but fun, with 1 or 2 special puzzles that were unique but not super in theme with the room. The decor was fine and had a very cool centerpiece, but was also showing its age and could absolutely use a fresh coat of paint. Will to Escape is a great local business and this was the perfect room to bring my family to on thanksgiving weekend!
Witchly Ever AfterOmescape - San JoseEscape roomIRLWitchly Ever After was a fantastic room that captured the storybook magic perfectly and sucked us into the wonderful world Omescape has created. The set design was lovely and hid so many little references that I couldn’t keep myself from smiling the entire time. The puzzles were a standout here, with so many unique moments and actions that were so fun they hardly felt like puzzles. The flow of the room was also crisp and clean, it was always clear what you needed to be working on and there was the perfect amount of stuff to do for the four of us. This is a room perfect for beginners and enthusiasts, one of my favorites in the bay, and a must do if you are in the area!
The Deadwood SaloonMasterpiece EscapesEscape roomIRLDeadwood Salon was a last minute add to our escape room weekend, and while it was solid enough to be enjoyable, I don’t think it is a must play by any means. The puzzles were the general standouts and were consistently interesting and varied. The decor was good but not great. I think this game is on the heart/thumbs up border, but I rate it at a thumbs up because I would recommend playing a lot of other stuff in Charlotte before doing this one
Dark LullabyEscape Artist Greenville - Hampton StationEscape roomIRLI absolutely loved Dark Lullaby. The escape room elements were fantastic, with some crazy cool set design, puzzles that were consistently solid and fun to solve, and a flow and story that was well told. The scary aspects of the room were just perfect - a great mix of telegraphed cinematic moments and jump scares. The character interactions were also simply phenomenal and made the entire experience so much better. Absolutely worth traveling for and an experience I will never be able to forget (even if I want to!)
The Starlight MotelEscape Artist Greenville - DowntownEscape roomIRLThe Starlight Motel. The game that (imo) put EA Greenville on the map, and therefore came with a ton of hype. I am happy to report that it absolutely lives up to it and deserves even more. What makes this room is the interactions with the actor (which are required - get your improv hat ready!) and the finale which genuinely was one of those most thrilling and scary moments I’ve had in an escape room. The tension that builds up through the entire game is palpable and truly a masterpiece. Come from anywhere you can go spend a night at the Starlight Motel, cause it just might be your last!
Quest For The Temple of LightThe Keepers of BalanceEscape roomIRLTemple of Light was pure absurdity brought to life. It really feels like a Disney-level attraction in the middle of Charlotte, in the best way possible. The spaces we visited and explored were incredible and breathtaking from start to end. While I was prepared for a lower emphasis on puzzling, I was actually pleasantly surprised at the quality we had, and they were a ton of fun all around. The set piece moments are awesome and truly make use of all the (gigantic) spaces. I loved this game from beginning to end and I absolutely would recommend people come visit Charlotte for this game alone!
Castle FlüffendorEscape Artist Greenville - Hampton StationEscape roomIRLCastle Fluffendor was a work of art and proved that a story doesn’t have to be mature in theme or content to be interesting and engaging. The whole game felt clear as to the goals, the rules, the wonderful cast of characters, and the finale perfectly captured all our feeling in a truly beautiful moment. I especially want to shoutout all the tiny details and Easter eggs that added to the cute and cuddly atmosphere and had us laughing and getting teary eyed for the whole room. I loved this game so much, and it certainly delivered on all the promises.
WreckedMasterpiece EscapesEscape roomIRLI enjoyed Wrecked way more than I expected to, it really knew what it wanted to do and executed on it extremely well. The decor and space was super interesting and had some great environmental storytelling, while the puzzles were strong all the way through (and especially at the end, which has an absolutely fantastic puzzle sequence that alone was worth the price of admission). This is the strongest game we played at Masterpiece and felt like a distinct step up from their other games. If you travel to Charlotte I think it is worth going out of the way to play this game and help find the Zodiac Killer!
Help WantedEscape Artist Greenville - Hampton StationEscape roomIRLI am gonna be honest, I can’t review Help Wanted as a standalone room. As the capstone to our Chimera saga, the way the story comes full circle and integrates so thoroughly into this room is an incredible feat. I loved all the character interactions and the extremely solid and varied puzzling we encountered along the way. The people at Escape Artist are truly the secret sauce that makes these rooms as good as they are, and I came out of the trilogy feeling what I’ve always hunted for in escape rooms- like I just walked out of my own personal movie. Come from wherever you are to play the saga, you absolutely need to experience what has been built here in Greenville.
Classified: Operation Nine LivesEscape Artist Greenville - DowntownEscape roomIRLClassified was an objectively simple room that was elevated with extremely clever theming, puzzles that were pure fun, and an inability to take itself too seriously. This was a late add to our trip but absolutely a worthwhile one, and I’d recommend this as an extra room if you are coming to Greenville to play all of EA’s premium experiences.
Defenders of the Sunken RealmThe Keepers of BalanceEscape roomIRLPlaying Sunken Realm right after Temple of Light is a very interesting comparison, as they are both wildly different while sharing a lot of the same DNA. The spaces in Sunken Realm were less varied than Temple, but no less beautiful and detailed. On the flip side, the puzzles in Sunken Realm were much stronger and more interesting than in Temple. Sunken Realm was also a bit of a roller coaster of quality - some moments were extremely cinematic and well done, while others were more rough around the edges and felt like they needed some tuning. I think Sunken Realm was still an awesome experience worth doing, but it didn’t quite live up to the level that Temple of Light introduced.
MissingMasterpiece EscapesEscape roomIRLMissing was a respectable gen 1 room that had some interesting ideas but was unfortunately a little disjointed. The lighting and set design was less than ideal, and while some puzzles stood out as winners, there was also a lot of filler that felt less enjoyable. I would recommend Missing to a local who had already played out most of Charlotte, but unfortunately there is not a lot here that separates it from the pack.
Dr. Fratelli's CabinEscape Artist Greenville - DowntownEscape roomIRLDr Fratelli’s Cabin was a puzzle focused room that unfortunately didn’t have enough puzzles :(. Our group absolutely flew through, and made it out in under half an hour. Every puzzle we did was very solid and fun, but the difficulty level and amount were not high enough to keep us going. 1000% a room I would send any beginner to in order to see what a well made escape room is - but from an enthusiast perspective I don’t think this is one you need to travel for. (Side note, this room would be better as a solo/duo, or to try to do without speaking if you want a challenge!)
NevermoreNocturne AdventuresEscape roomIRLIf I could have Nevermore be every new players first escape room, I would make that happen. It is such a good combination of story, atmosphere, simple puzzling, and everything else you could think of. I loved the take on the Raven, the other nods to Poe’s works were subtle but effective. I really loved this game and think everyone young and old, new enthusiast and experienced should play this game. Come to Nocturne, it is absolutely worth it in every way!
RipperNocturne AdventuresEscape roomIRLI went into Ripper very nervous on two fronts - 1. Could it live up to the hype, and 2. Would I tap out. I left extremely excited that it did live up to the hype and that I felt scary without ever crossing a boundary into SCARY. Nocturne is doing so many little things right that add up to a heart pounding and unforgettable adventure. I loved it on so many levels and I think this is a special game that everyone needs to play, as they are doing horror right. Don’t let the odd location fool you, Nocturne is a world class facility that every enthusiast should visit.
Under PressureKey to EscapeEscape roomIRLOf the two rooms we played at Key to Escape, Under Pressure was by far the more puzzle-dense one. There was a lot to do even for our group of 5, and we needed more then a few hints to get all the way through. The decor was simple but well done, and the setup of the room was actually super interesting - being built into a historical building, it really felt like we were exploring a long forgotten speakeasy. Key to Escape is a wonderful venue in a super unique building on the outskirts of Charlotte, and I’d recommend enthusiasts come up to visit if you can!
