The ReelPuzzle Effect - DenverEscape roomIRLI usually enjoy Puzzle Effects, though this was not my fave room. It's extremely linear, which would have been more fun in a smaller group, but with 4+ people there's a decent amount of standing around since multiple puzzles can't be worked on simultaneously. I also *usually* enjoy the immersive clueing, such that the clues are triggered on a screen after a certain amount of unsuccessful time. The clues, however, are scripted and did not help us. When we asked for clarification from a game master, there wasn't anyone watching to provide assistance so we brute-forced it. The use of AI at Puzzle Effects is also getting distracting - nearly all imagery and videos are AI-constructed and it takes away from the human-constructed cleverness of many puzzles. Overall, would *probably* return to Puzzle Effects but would not recommend this room.
ContaminationMile High Escape OpsEscape roomIRLAbsolutely worth the drive to Brighton from Denver. The entrance and lobby are non-descript, but as soon as the game started, we were immediately impressed with the quality of the mechanics and puzzles. Linear and logical, but still quite clever with a great narrative. Occasional on-theme jump-scares. We definitely would not take our preschooler to this room (be forewarned, parents!) but thoroughly enjoyed it for an adult date night!
Paradox | The Incredible Time MachineRabbit Hole Recreation ServicesEscape roomIRLFair warning: this is a non-linear room. If you prefer a logical set of moves, this might not be the room for you. If you can set that aside, it's FANTASTIC. The technology is remarkable - light bending, hot/cold thermals - all very cool. It still has a good mix of traditional physical puzzles too (for escape room traditionalists). Great for a large group because of the nature of the non-linear puzzles - you can have a few people working on multiple things at a time, and the room is large enough to accommodate this. Two people might have a tough time. One person likely would not be able to complete this at all. Overall, the praise is well-deserved!
Back to the DinerGolden Puzzle RoomEscape roomIRLMy fave room at Golden Puzzle Room. Great theming and coherent logic. Staff never seem particularly engaged and the location is a bit dingy, but once you're in the room, it's more immersive. Worth doing! Good for kids - our preschooler had fun with some of the recipes and "cooking" in this room!
Curse On The Emerald SeasPuzzle Effect - DenverEscape roomIRLAwesome room, especially for our pirate-obsessed preschooler. Puzzles were challenging but progressed in a coherent, linear way. There were a few things that our kiddo could help with, and our gamemaster Evelyn even gave a special "hint" to make our kiddo feel included. Overall great experience!
Path of the GodsConundrum Escape Rooms - ArvadaEscape roomIRLI'm going to start by saying that I LOVE Conundrum rooms. They are consistently awesome, both the Lakewood and Arvada locations. Path of the Gods is no exception. Gameplay is clever, logical, and coherent. But this is probably the only one I've actually gotten frustrated in because it's just SO DARK. I found myself carrying the heavy lantern the whole time because my very weak night-sight was no match for the puzzles in the tomb. Just a word of warning if your eyes aren't fab either!
Scrooge: the Search for Holiday SpiritConundrum Escape Rooms - ArvadaEscape roomIRLAs always, Conundrum has top-tier game design and decor. This one is absolutely worth doing even if it's not the holiday season, especially with kids! There's tons of physical artifacts and clues to find, so it's great for younger players (our four year old loves this one). Conundrum game masters are always fun and encouraging, and very welcoming of our kiddo!
The Hollywood Mystery: A Room NoirConundrum Escape Rooms - ArvadaEscape roomIRLConundrum always does a fantastic job with game design, and Hollywood Noir was great as we've come to expect from Conundrum! This one was relatively easy compared to other rooms we've attempted, and it's the only Conundrum room I wouldn't recommend with a younger player since the final solution requires quite a bit of reading and word logic (rather than physical puzzles). That said, my husband and I loved it *without* our preschooler!
Budapest ExpressEscapology - DenverEscape roomIRLOK game, not my top recommendation for kids. The bar/lounge area is VERY cool and worth going to, especially for a date night. But if you're a family, I'd recommend skipping this, particularly the Budapest room. Many of the puzzles relied on reading and written logic, so it wasn't particularly a good fit for younger kids - not a ton of physical games or clues for them to help with. It definitely has more of a "downtown" corporate vibe to it, but certainly not a bad experience. Would be worth coming back for a $$$ date night.
The Dreams4 Dreams Escape Game - DenverEscape roomIRLAutistic children/adults (or those with sensory concerns) - this is NOT the place for you. They are moving groups through this space every 15 minutes, the puzzles are extremely noisy and repetitive, and the building is loud to the point that hints are delivered by staff in-person rather than over an intercom (which ruined the immersion and was quite distracting). This room is technically three stages - a group starts in the first stage every 15 minutes, so you have exactly 15 minutes to complete it before moving through the door to the next stage. If you don't complete it - oh well, on to the next room anyways. I do not recommend.
Ruins of the Mystic TempleRabbit Hole Recreation ServicesEscape roomIRLOh man this is the COOLEST tech in the Denver area. Absolutely worth driving to Louisville if you're down south. It was completely immersive and the whole room worked independently without an operator externally triggering any puzzles. It was a GREAT room and a good fit for our preschooler too.
The Fortune Teller.Mission Escape Rooms - AnnapolisEscape roomIRLEverything the reviewer said below - this is the most illogical escape room I've ever done (among MANY). Some of the tech/mechanics are very cool, but don't have a coherent connection to the logic of the game. And some are so unexpected that even an experienced gamer would have a very hard time imagining the possibilities (vague to avoid spoilers). The staff was kind and acknowledged the difficulty of the room, but I have never been more frustrated with an escape room experience simply due to the game design. Hard for the sake of "hard" is not a pleasant game.
Experiment C73Conundrum Escape Rooms - ArvadaEscape roomIRLI'm writing this review a few months later and my partner and I still agree that this is our favorite room in the Denver area. It's TRICKY as a two-player experience but it's totally doable and worth it. You are separated from your partner (or your group is split) at the beginning - very novel game style that we really enjoyed! The staff at Conundrum is always awesome and we're bummed that we've gone through all their rooms!
