Scooby-Doo™ and the Spooky Castle AdventureEscapology - 30 RockEscape roomIRLI would recommend Scooby-Doo™ and the Spooky Castle Adventure to newer escapists. I did the room for my birthday with a group of 6, and I had a blast with friends! However, the puzzles are straightforward, and more experienced players might find them too easy. One strength of the room was that it was clear what connected to what without being too linear. The original cast also voices the characters in the room! The Escapology staff were also fun and contributed to an awesome experience.
Le Dernier Arrêt - V2 [The Final Stop - V2]Escaparium - LavalEscape roomIRLTo enjoy The Final Stop, you have to be comfortable interacting with a verbally aggressive live actor. I felt so uncomfortable, I could not enjoy this experience. While this room is not scary, the actor slams things, which can cause jump scares. The actor did not respect my request for no jump scares, so I ended up having to beg for the slamming to stop. My fear was exacerbated because I was already on edge due to the aggression. Also, if you are motion-sick prone, ask them to turn off the train rocking before entering the room. The issues with the actor aside, this was the weakest storyline I did at Escaparium. There was only one puzzle in the room that I found inventive; the rest were unoriginal or poorly designed. At some point, the game master didn’t trigger the next step when we unlocked it, leading to an unnecessary delay. Even if the actor was eliminated, the room itself leaves much to be desired.
Armoire à Vendre [Wardrobe for Sale]Escaparium - LavalEscape roomIRLWardrobe for Sale at Escaparium was a visually stunning and highly immersive escape room with stunning set design. Our game master was incredibly talented; I mistook him as an animatronic at first! Players who enjoy the immersion more than the puzzles will adore this room. However, you are “rushed” through the room because another group will come in when you are halfway done with your experience. This leads to the game master providing a lot of clues, which makes it feel like you are following directions rather than solving a puzzle. The story also became a bit confusing, though that may have been because I wasn't paying close attention. Another issue was that several puzzles—particularly in the second room—lacked clear connections or clues indicating what to do next. The room was also quite linear, with many tasks locked behind previous progress. While several puzzles required cooperation, making multiple players feel useful, the linear design seems to exist to slow teams down, which could leave experienced larger groups with little to do.
PlaygroundThe Escape Game - NYC MidtownEscape roomIRLAs a teacher, this room had an additional level of connection. Of all the rooms, this one was the most fun. There was also a LOT of stuff to do. It is also the only room where I think you absolutely need to have 4 people minimum. I also like that you need to work as a team to solve some of the puzzles, which makes the escape room experience better.
Prison BreakThe Escape Game - NYC MidtownEscape roomIRLEven though this is their "hardest" escape room, I personally think both The Heist and Special Ops are harder in terms of puzzle design. What makes Prison Break hard is how you need to strategize, but we sniffed out the trick early on. We got held up a bit because the moderator didn't hear a question we asked about something and there was one clue that was a bit of a stretch. Overall, a majority of the room made sense and who wouldn't have fun escaping a prison cell?
Gold RushThe Escape Game - NYC MidtownEscape roomIRLGold Rush was the first room I did at The Escape Game, so there's an additional "wow" factor for doing the first room in the franchise. In each step of Gold Rush, the beginning allows for the work to be split, but then the room gets linear, and some people could be left standing around. This was also the easiest room in my opinion. My group and I got out with 20 minutes left to spare. There is one part of the room that requires a bit of skill (so having more people guarantees that someone has that skill), which was the only thing that held us up.
Cosmic CrisisThe Escape Game - BrooklynEscape roomIRLCosmic Crisis is The Escape Game's newest experience, and it's not at the Manhattan location yet! Come to Brooklyn y'all! I would highly recommend coming to this room with a team of 4, and teamwork is NECESSARY to escape. This was incredibly fun with interactive puzzles that felt like you were really saving the spaceship. While it gets linear toward the middle, the tasks involve cooperation, so no one is really left standing around. Be prepared for a dramatic ending ;)
Timeliner: Train Through TimeThe Escape Game - BrooklynEscape roomIRLI really liked the concept of Timeliner, especially the immersive experience with our names on the train ticket. For me, I wish they were less ambitious with the time periods so they could make each separate room/era more immersive. Call me traditional, but I wasn't a big fan of looking at screens. My advice to you in this room is that order matters :) My friend absolutely loved this room, but she also contributed to more puzzles and felt more successful. We do want to add that one of the last puzzles should be a little easier to manipulate in terms of room design; my friend's hand hurt like crazy after it.
Special Ops: Mysterious MarketThe Escape Game - NYC MidtownEscape roomIRLI did Special Ops with a full group of 8, with 4 people we didn't know. There was not enough to do for a group of 8, especially because the room was pretty linear. There were some very cool special effects (though one puzzle had a technological malfunction that we weren't told of). However, the thrill wasn't as high as the other rooms.
Houdini's WorkshopPanIQ Room - NYC [prev. Clue Chase]Escape roomIRLIf you enjoy interactive escape rooms, Clue Chase will not disappoint! I will write a brief blurb about each room below, but overall Clue Chase has been one of my favorite franchises in NYC to date. I hope they open a new adventure soon! The one critique I have of the company in general is that their "theme" is based on finding an "artifact" from different time periods, but that does not really factor much into gameplay. However, there are so many positives about Clue Chase, the #1 being their staff! Everyone is animated and excited to be there, and it just makes the experience so much better! You also get a discount if you book your next adventure that day. The regular price is $35/person plus fees and taxes. Houdini's Workshop - Group of 4 Marketed as their hardest room, Houdini's Workshop did not disappoint! The puzzles are interactive and you do need a group of 4 because there are a lot of tasks to do that can be done simultaneously. While we still had fun in the room, we liked this less than Pirates and Gotham because the puzzles were not "good" challenging. A majority of the puzzles were fine, but there were a few red herrings, and it was hard to tell which clue unlocked which lock. To me, a well designed room gives you a subtle hint as to where to look, especially if there is a lot of stimuli. Priscilla helped us through this room.
The HeistThe Escape Game - New JerseyEscape roomIRLI did the Height with one other person, and it was very challenging. I would actually go back and try this one again to get a better sense of the room. To me, the clues made less sense than the other rooms. It did get exciting toward the end of the room, especially because of the way you acquire the painting! Upon replaying with a larger group of people, I enjoyed myself a lot more and things made more sense.
The DepthsThe Escape Game - BrooklynEscape roomIRLThis room had less enthusiastic ratings from friends who have done it before, but my low expectations were heavily exceeded. I liked the room because I am a science teacher, and I felt like I had many great "solves" in this room. This room probably has my favorite puzzles of the franchise so far. I was trying to figure out how to put the differences in words, and the best I can come up with is that it's more based on pattern observation than object manipulation. One of the top things that stood out about this room was that my friend and I could work concurrently on tasks, and we didn't get bottlenecked. The ending can be stressful with 2 people, but we made it work!
Only Murders in the Building The Escape Game - NYC MidtownEscape roomIRLI finally got around to trying the Only Murders in the Building room! I would recommend doing it for the fun easter eggs throughout. For those of you who have done The Heist, there are small overlaps between the experiences, but I was glad it wasn't a total repeat. I would also try to book at a less popular time with a team of 4 or less people. I did this for my birthday, so I knowingly brought 7 people into the space, but it is so much better with less people. One highlight about this room is that the middle part isn't linear, so tasks can be done concurrently. Our game guide Sydney was so enthusiastic and made our experience even better! Because this room has a higher price tag for an already expensive experience, I would only recommend it over the other games if you are a fan of the show, since it is a limited time run.
Moonshine MadnessPanIQ Room - NYC [prev. Clue Chase]Escape roomIRLIf you enjoy interactive escape rooms, Clue Chase will not disappoint! I will write a brief blurb about each room below, but overall Clue Chase has been one of my favorite franchises in NYC to date. I hope they open a new adventure soon! The one critique I have of the company in general is that their "theme" is based on finding an "artifact" from different time periods, but that does not really factor much into gameplay. However, there are so many positives about Clue Chase, the #1 being their staff! Everyone is animated and excited to be there, and it just makes the experience so much better! You also get a discount if you book your next adventure that day. The regular price is $35/person plus fees and taxes. Moonshine Madness - Group of 2 This is supposedly Clue Chase's easiest room, but I strongly disagree with that assessment. I know that you're probably thinking that it's because we did it with 2 people, but we have done many escape rooms as a group of 2! I believe Moonshine Madness has the hardest puzzles. The other rooms may be trickier by quantity. I felt like we used Priscilla a lot in this room because the puzzles were not really connected. I even felt like the beginning puzzles were challenging and incorporated a few stretches. I also think the directions to do certain tasks could be more clear. It's not that I did not have fun, but this is definitely my least favorite room at Clue Chase. However, I would recommend it if you're looking for a challenge and found Pirates to be too easy.
The SurgeryThe Puzzle ParlourEscape roomIRLMy friends and I did Surgery at The Puzzle Parlour at 4:45pm on a Saturday. One of my friends had done the Vampire room previously, but it was my other friend's and my first time here. Parking is metered around the area, so either bring quarters or have the app. Also, someone had told us that the Surgery room was scary, but when we called, the representative told us that the rooms can be scary, but you have to ask for it. As someone who is easily scared, I would recommend also requesting non-scary just to make sure. All of us have done a lot of escape rooms, so Surgery was on the easier side. I liked the decor and the commitment to the puzzles aligning with the theme of the room. Another thing I liked was that for a majority of the puzzles, it was clear what unlocked what. If you do this room and you think you solved the puzzle correctly, make sure you really look around to see if anything happened. My one critique of the room was for the puzzle that you solve to exit. I wish that puzzle was more interconnected with the room (like hinted at in some way) and not just a random annoying challenge. There is also not a lot of stuff to do for a large group and the room is linear, but I feel like it aligns with the difficulty level they marketed it at. Allie was our clue master, and she was wonderful! It was very clear she was paying attention to what we were doing and saying. In addition, she and the other staff members seemed like they were excited to be there, which always makes the experience fun. We will definitely be back to try their more challenging rooms!
Pirates Of The Bermuda TrianglePanIQ Room - NYC [prev. Clue Chase]Escape roomIRLIf you enjoy interactive escape rooms, Clue Chase will not disappoint! I will write a brief blurb about each room below, but overall Clue Chase has been one of my favorite franchises in NYC to date. I hope they open a new adventure soon! The one critique I have of the company in general is that their "theme" is based on finding an "artifact" from different time periods, but that does not really factor much into gameplay. However, there are so many positives about Clue Chase, the #1 being their staff! Everyone is animated and excited to be there, and it just makes the experience so much better! You also get a discount if you book your next adventure that day. The regular price is $35/person plus fees and taxes. Pirates of the Bermuda Triangle - Group of 4 If you just do one room at Clue Chase, I highly recommend Pirates! This was the first one I did at the franchise, and it was SO FUN! The tasks align well with the theme, and the puzzles involve you living your best pirate life. We found the puzzles manageable, and just needed two hints from Kiana when she saw we were going astray. 4 is a good number for the room due to one of the activities requiring multiple people and some puzzles are easier when working in a team of 2.
Elude The Illusionist - CLOSEDHour To ExitEscape roomIRLAn escape room created by passionate escape room enthusiasts? YES, PLEASE! We had decided to check out Hour to Exit because they had decent reviews and we were trying to make the most of an "upstate" NY trip. We did the Elude the Illusionist room with no expectations and left thoroughly impressed. We booked an 8pm game on a Saturday, so the positive for parking is that it is ample and free. We freaked out a bit because the streets before the intersection were pretty crowded, but when we walked near the room, we realized that we had more options than we thought. Elude the Illusionist is created by Duane, one of the co-owners, who has done so many escape rooms. The room is appropriately challenging and the puzzles were enjoyed by even the most experienced escape room enthusiast in our group. I liked that the puzzles utilized a variety of skills and "lock" types (magnets and locks). The puzzles also matched with the magic theme, which is also more enjoyable. I have two minor critiques of the room. They have two puzzles that are based on lengths of things that are not the most obvious differences. Fortunately, there are other ways to solve those puzzles, but I think it could be a little more clear. Second, a previous reviewer mentioned that the room was not linear, but I think after the first major task, it does get linear. This is not the biggest issue because they allow private games, but that means a smaller group will work better! Honestly, the best thing about this room are the owners, Duane and Brittney. If you are an enthusiast, you NEED to do this room and speak with them! They are incredibly experienced and offered us a lot of other suggestions of rooms to do. We plan to come back and do their new room Robbin Tiffany's, but we hope that they are able to create another room similar to Elude the Illusionist in the future as well.
Cabin In The WoodsJust EscapeEscape roomIRLSo, I returned to Just Escape to be pleasantly surprised by The Cabin in the Woods room! My friend and I had been disappointed by another escape room in the area, and since we were already nearby, we figured why not try Just Escape again? I was a bit nervous about The Cabin in the Woods because the reviews made it out to be really hard and impossible without a lot of people. This room made the most sense and had the most enjoyable puzzles of all the rooms in the franchise. The room also gave clues for sequencing (which clues unlock which locks), which are not present in the other rooms. I would recommend this room for more experienced players and The Ultimate Candy Factory for newbies! We wasted a ridiculous amount of time on one part of the room. We were yelling for the game master to give us a hint. We believe that the game master was being changed, and no one was actually monitoring our room. When someone finally responded, they told us to do exactly what we were already doing for 10 minutes, which shows that they weren't watching us. They did mention at the end when I complained that they would have given us more time if they weren't fully booked. This is not a first, as we have had mixed experiences with game masters at Just Escape.
Game Of StonesCenter City Escape Room [prev. Gotham Escape Room]Escape roomIRLI love escape rooms, so when I came to Philly for a conference, I had to try Gotham Escape Room! I did Game of Stones with a group of 6 people on a Saturday ($35/person). I will also shoutout the front desk staff for their flexibility because I was coordinating a few groups of people for the conference, and they were patient and understanding. Though people in my group were Game of Thrones fans, you do not need background knowledge to complete the room. Two things that stand out about the room: 1) you have to put your phones and watches in a locked chest 2) there is no clue board/time clock in the room. I have been to one other room like this, and I'm not the biggest fan of not being able to monitor time. There are also unlimited clues. We tried to use one, but either we were on the right track or our clue master did not hear us, so we solved the room without any hints! I appreciated that the puzzles were diverse and made logical sense. It was clear what clues unlocked what puzzles, and it was the appropriate level of challenge. I was impressed at how the room was put together and thoroughly enjoyed! As other people have mentioned, one con about this room is that it is dark, and you cannot use your phones. I think that adds an annoying challenge rather than a fun challenge, especially if you cannot "unlock" more light. The only other critique I have is that you do not need a lot of people to solve this room because it is pretty linear, but the price is so expensive! I still want to check out their other rooms the next time we return, but will aim to do it on a weekday when it is cheaper.
Escape Operation: End Of DaysMission Escape GamesEscape roomIRLMy friends and I made a reservation for a group of 7 on a Saturday at noon for Escape Operation End of Days A. Price ended up being $30/person. The staff was friendly and the waiting area has fun puzzles and board games you can do as you wait for those friends who are stragglers. This was the first escape room I've done in NYC, but I have done escape rooms before. While I definitely had fun, I wouldn't recommend this particular room to a large group of people who have done escape rooms before. The technology was hands down the coolest part. The escape rooms I've done before were more about physically unlocking stuff so it was a new experience to have technology more integrated. What I did not care for about this room was that you needed to solve one thing to move on to the next part, but that one thing would only require 2-3 people to do. So at any given time, 4-5 of us would just be standing around (and actually have nothing to do). Maybe it was because we had experience and picked an easier room, but that made it more boring than other rooms I've done where you need to spread out and work to finish in time. However, the clues were logical and the puzzles were fun to solve. We broke out with time to spare (maybe 20+ minutes). Overall, I thought it was an average-priced escape room and left slightly underwhelmed from this experience. I do think it was more about the group I was with (2 of them are escape room aficionados) and the sequence of the room that affected my experience. However, I'm still interested in trying other rooms to see if any of them provide a more challenging experience!
![Le Dernier Arrêt - V2 [The Final Stop - V2]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/8b9cf01c-2d4c-4624-a770-ee184c652c9c.jpg)
![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)
