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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!)
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.
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.
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!
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!
