Neighborhood WatcherThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLAshley was our GM for this room, and she cranked up the intensity level to 11 with her acting. Out of the 120-ish rooms that I’ve done, her performance was easily in the top 3. Like, whoa. Another great thing about this room was its devilishly clever use of space. It’s actually a pretty small footprint, but takes advantage of multiple levels to maximum (and terrifying) effect. I’d recommend this room to anyone who likes nostalgia-driven 80’s experiences (a la Stranger Things), or light horror themes. Such a fun room!
Operation Arctic Storm: The Final MeltdownThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLThis is the most physical of the TEV rooms, with some climbing and crawling without any way to bypass it. It’ll be fine for most people, but I wouldn’t bring my 73 year old Mom to this one. Some of the spaces are pretty compact too, so I’d recommend a group of 3 players. This would be a great room for novice players, since most of the puzzles are on the easier side and the set is fun, physical, and immersive. Just keep in mind that the goal of this room is to escape the Arctic research base. When the GM told us that we were biologists during the intro, my mind immediately jumped to an Abominable Snowman theme, or John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” It’s not that kinda room, so I set myself up for a slight disappointment 😆
The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale Of Granny's BlackmailThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLI get that this is meant to be a light-hearted and family friendly escape room, but it’s also lacking the thrills, reveals, and live acting that make the other TEV rooms so special and exciting. I’d actually recommend Operation Arctic Storm over this room if you’re looking for a fun room to do with kids. It’s not scary, is a more engaging physical experience, and it even has snow!
Outage: No VacancyThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLThis is a very divisive room…you’ll either love it or hate it. The start of the room starts in a well-lit space, but the last 2/3 of the room is in pitch darkness. The room is not scary. The footprint of this room is tiny, so a group of 2-3 is perfect, no more than that! Good communication is ESSENTIAL. Where are you? Where are your teammates? What do you discover only using your sense of touch? This is my first all-dark experience, and now I wanna do more!
Crazy Train: The Ballad of Skeemin' PlotzDoldrick's Escape RoomEscape roomIRLAbsolutely deserving of all the hype, this room is completely unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. It’s like a weird mix of Super Mario 3 and Steamboat Willie, with the urgency of Keanu Reeves’ “Speed” … all built in a narrow, train-like space. We played as a group of 3 enthusiasts, and I wouldn’t recommend more than this due to the small size of the space. The black and white color scheme makes it look simple, but there’s a ton of embedded tech and screens through the room. It’s highly complex in spite of the old-time theming. Truly a crown jewel in the Florida escape room scene.
Captain Spoopy Bones and the Magnificent Quest For Some Other Pirate's Treasure!Doldrick's Escape RoomEscape roomIRLThis is a great room for larger groups of novice players. The difficulty isn’t very high, and the physical footprint of the space is huge, much larger than it needs to be. The intro videos at Doldrick’s are unhinged, quite entertaining, and actually worth watching. That’s rare in an escape room, and this sense of humor is one of this company’s greatest strengths. While a fun room, seasoned enthusiasts aren’t going to be too surprised by the puzzles or setting of this room. It’s a solid room, but I don’t quite understand why it’s a Terpeca finalist
Servants of SleightThe Exit Games FLEscape roomIRLThis room’s sprawling physical footprint and G-rated theme makes it great for families or groups of novice players. Lots of cool surprises are scattered throughout! We played as a group of 3 serious enthusiasts, which was perfect. There was a major tech fail that was a hindrance to gameplay in both this room (in the 2nd room) and Pins + Needles (also in the 2nd room). I like that Exit Games is very intentional about keeping certain elements of their rooms under wraps, and I think other ER companies should follow suit!
EXTERMINATED: Terror at the JunkyardEvasive Escape Rooms [prev. Escape Rooms Unlocked - Sarasota]Escape roomIRLYou are tasked with exterminating rats in a garbage dump. Things go horribly awry. This room punches far above its weight and was an unexpected highlight of my trip to Central Florida. It’s not a high-budget room, but the puzzles, atmosphere, acting, and unique concept elevate it significantly. We played with a group of 3, which is a perfect number for this compact space. Everyone will need to crawl. I can’t wait to see what this upstart company can build with a larger footprint!
Nightfall: Creature At Camp DeadwoodThe Escape Ventures - Port CharlotteEscape roomIRLThis was my first room where multiple scents played a strong role in creating a rich narrative environment. Our GM Jake did a great job bringing the story to life, his performance was unhinged to say the least. We played with 4, but I’d recommend a group of no more than 3 for this room, it’s not a physically large space. My only complaint is that the “creature” wasn’t as physically present as I would have hoped.
Click 'N Glitch Arcade PalaceThe Escape Ventures - Port CharlotteEscape roomIRLActor interactions raise this room to the next level, once again. As a group of serious enthusiasts we were unknowingly given an additional puzzle to slow us down, which was very cool. Look out for numerous easter egg references to other Escape Ventures rooms! If you like this room, check out “Blast from the Past” at 60 to Escape in the Chicago suburbs.