Viking RaidEncrypted Escape - West ReadingEscape roomIRLI had a good time with Viking Raid, and I really liked the theme, set, and props … but compared with Encrypted’s other games, this one felt a little less polished. I volunteered to start the game chained to the wall, which sounded like it would be a fun twist. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much for the chained player to actually do. I mostly watched my team work, and by the time I solved the one thing available to me, they were already in the next room (and I realized what I’d done was essentially redundant anyway). It felt like a missed opportunity for a fun physical or teamwork challenge - so don’t get too excited about volunteering for the chains! The main room was a decent size and absolutely packed with puzzles. Almost everything is visible from the beginning, staged around the edges of the room, and you gradually find the pieces needed to interact with each setup. That creates a very nonlinear game - which can be fun, but here it occasionally became *too* nonlinear. Different teammates would be solving things across the room without everyone knowing what had been completed, so we’d sometimes pick up a clue later only to discover it belonged to something someone else had already solved. It didn’t help that a lot of the puzzles overlapped visually and conceptually. Circles, symbols, similar-looking pieces would show up again and again … so after a while, everything starts to look like it could belong to everything else. Also - one item actually *did* have to be used twice (a big escape-room no-no in my book). Once I’ve successfully used something, I want to be able to mentally cross it off and move on (especially in a room that already has this many similar-looking elements in play). Clearer separation between puzzles would have gone a long way. The pacing was kind of strange and had a bit of an hourglass effect: tons to work on at once, then suddenly everything funnels down to one obstacle before opening back up again. The biggest bottleneck was a physical & communication-based puzzle that took us forever. It was painstaking, and most of the team eventually had nothing to do but wait (although I will def admit, finally getting it was incredibly satisfying). One interesting feature is that there are no traditional locks in the room. Everything relies on magnetic and electronic triggers, and some of the reveals are super cool! Unfortunately, several of those mechanisms seemed worn down or unreliable. More than once we had the correct solution or objects in the correct positions, but nothing happened immediately. It sometimes felt like the game master had to manually trigger the mechanism once he confirmed we were right. Each delay was small but those wasted seconds add up and it made parts of the experience feel clunkier than they should have. It also reminded me why I still love a good old-fashioned physical lock! I think the best rooms use a mix of both. Overall, I enjoyed myself … but if you’re coming to Encrypted, I’d recommend choosing one of their other games before this one.
Bikers' RevengeEncrypted Escape - Bethesda [prev. Escape Quest]Escape roomIRLLOVED THIS ONE!!!! First of all, Jeffrey & co. have totally elevated this location since taking taking over after the previous owners. The staff is GREAT, the new interactive elements with The Architect are super immersive, and this game (an Encrypted original) is just truly fabulous. We had a blast! This game is super non-linear, which would be ideal for a bigger group (I’d recommend 3-4 people). I played with a team of two, and we definitely felt like we were being pulled in every direction. But that part was fun & challenging! My only tiny gripe is that there were a couple of times we weren’t sure if our solution to a puzzle was correct and had triggered something, or even WHAT had been triggered. With a few more people, this would probably be less of an issue, but be prepared to be a bit overstimulated by all of the things in there … you may not realize you’ve already solved something and it triggered a mag lock just feet away from you🤣 This is a must-play, and we can’t wait to come back for Cult of the Dragon - a DnD inspired game coming soon 🤞 Also, honorable mention to the soundtrack. It’s a great classic rock playlist that gets you in the zone of the storyline 🎸🏍️
The Black WidowEncrypted Escape - Bethesda [prev. Escape Quest]Escape roomIRLThe Black Widow was created back when this location was owned by Escape Quest. It has a more old-school design, with a lot of physical locks. I played in a group of 2, which felt like a good number, but I think an ideal size is 3-4, as there are some challenging puzzles/tasks that would be more easily solved with a couple extra minds/eyes/hands. While I do think there’s a noticeable difference when comparing this game to an Encrypted original, like Biker’s Revenge, it’s still well designed. After chatting with the GM, Jeffrey, afterwards, it’s clear that Encrypted is putting in a lot of effort into elevating the inherited Escape Quest games. They are ensuring that storylines make logical sense, the experience is immersive front to back, and the quality is more consistent across all rooms. We had a lot of fun in The Black Widow and definitely felt challenged. I loved the set, soundtrack, and premise. I’d recommend this game to anyone! And if you have a chance, chat with the staff, they are all great.
Mansion MurderEscapology - BethesdaEscape roomIRLThe Bethesda location definitely got a cheaper, lower quality version of the set for this game. The pictures on this Morty listing do not match the room(s) we were in. We had fun and generally enjoyed ourselves, but this game isn’t anything special. Some of the puzzles are strange and illogical, and as is true in an Escapology room, there are a lot of words. And for every 100 words, 1 will be super important - but you gotta sift through all 100 to find the 1. Beginners will have fun, experienced players will probably just be underwhelmed.
AntidoteEscapology - BethesdaEscape roomIRLI would not play this game if you are highly experienced or if you have any more than two people on your team (I played in a duo). The room itself is small, and there are not many puzzles. Granted, it’s rated the least challenging room of this location, but it definitely fell short of the standard number of puzzles in a typical room (10-12). If I’m playing the easiest room at a location, I’d rather it be easier because the difficulty of the puzzles is lower, not because they just included less things in there. After finishing the game in only 30 minutes, we felt a little unsatisfied, like we did not quite get our money’s worth. If we’d had more than 2 of us, we would have finished in even less time, and there really wouldn’t have been enough for everyone to do. Also, many of the props/clues felt very worn and generally low quality. A lot of the laminated paper clues can be easily replaced, yet they just leave the gross ones in there that have clearly been handled by a LOT of people. I still gave this game a ‘thumbs up’ , because I can see beginners having a lot of fun in there. In the general spectrum of escape rooms, this is a fine game. It’s not ACTIVELY bad. The cons I’ve listed are more passive. They are either fixable or could be overlooked if you aren’t as picky as us 🤣.
A Pirate’s AdventureThe Escape Game - GeorgetownEscape roomIRLI love this set! Unpopular opinion, I will never get tired of pirate themed games. I love feeling like I’m living my POTC fantasy 🤩 This room has some cool puzzles, several physical ones that I enjoyed. I think they could have added in MORE puzzles honestly, we felt like there wasn’t enough to do to fill an hour even if we were moving slowly. Sometimes I feel like rooms at The Escape Game have cool set elements that aren’t actually used in the gameplay, which can be disappointing. I’d still recommend this game, but def for a smaller group. We had 3, which was a nice size.
Dr. Whack’s Elixir Of LifeThe Escape Game - GeorgetownEscape roomIRLI always forget that The Escape Game groups strangers together, and once again, we got paired with strangers 😫. Our group of 3 ended up in a room full of 10, which honestly felt overcrowded (even if we had known everyone). At best, it was chaotic, and at worst, it was frustrating - with so many people, we barely got to participate in a lot of the puzzles and left feeling like we missed half the game. That being said, the set design is solid. The room is immersive and aesthetically pleasing to look at. Lots of cool puzzles, some lame ones. One puzzle, which is supposed to trigger a mag lock to open after solved, did not work, and after staring at it for several minutes, the answer pops up on the screen, but when cross checking with our solution, we confirmed we already had it right. Another few minutes of standing there went by as we watched the game master’s mouse travel aimlessly across the screen in confusion… and then, the mag lock was manually triggered. As someone who works at an escape room, I get that sometimes tech doesn’t work perfectly, but as a game master, you should be watching/listening closely, so that if the team has a correct answer, you can ensure it triggers the next thing properly. In the grand scheme of things this was a minor issue, but frustrating as the whole ordeal wasted about ten minutes. Another thing about this one is that there are FAR too many useless props in this room. Cabinets full of items with detailed labels… that aren’t used at all for the game. I’m all for decor, but this just felt like too much. The final puzzle is also very strangely designed. Without spoiling anything, it’s basically designed to intentionally construe your perception of how much left you have to solve. That makes for a very underwhelming ending. Despite the negativity in this review 🤣, I actually still recommend this game. I like the mix of logic and physical puzzles, and it’d be a great intro to escape rooms for newbies. On a spectrum of all escape rooms, this is high up there, but on a spectrum of Escape Game rooms, this is low.
Lost CityEscapology - Sandy SpringsEscape roomIRLWhat I liked: - the set was cool & immersive - there were some physical/tactile puzzles that I enjoyed a lot What I disliked: - this was a small space. 6 people was far too many and we were constantly bumping into each other. I would recommend a team of 3. - there were too many puzzles based on translating symbols to letters (hieroglyphics) - despite deliberately asking to not be given unsolicited clues, we were still given one - some of the props seemed pretty worn down and overused What I’ve learned about Escapology: I’ve now played at the locations in Bethesda and Atlanta. There are similar issues at both locations. Clues sent on the TV screen are always too lengthy and only appear for a few seconds - not enough time to reread and fully digest the info. Escapology also has a tendency to include LONG messages that are entirely superfluous - journals with a dozen entries, notes with unnecessary story-building info, etc. This is literally just a cheap mechanism to waste our time. Despite my nitpicking, I’m still giving this game a thumbs up. This was my grandparents’ first (real) escape room, and they loved it and were super impressed. I think kids and newbies would have a lot of fun, so I’d still recommend it.
Timeliner: Train Through TimeThe Escape Game - West MidtownEscape roomIRLLoved this one! Lots of really cool elements and puzzles - teamwork moments, physical challenges, fun props & details. The space is not large. 8 people would be far too many. My group had 5 and I think the space would have been more comfortable with 3-4.
Lucky Dice DinerExpedition EscapeEscape roomIRL🚨WARNING: you may waste time in this game because you’ll be admiring the perfection that is Lucky Dice Diner. — WHAT A CUTE GAME! I adored this room. So many fun details, challenging but creative puzzles, & fabulous set design/theming. I played this in a group of 2, and we both wanted to work on every puzzle together, so if you are aiming for a competitive time, I’d definitely recommend dividing and conquering - there is a LOT going on. We were able to succeed with no hints, which I think speaks to the very dynamic flow of this game and how every puzzle has a clear reason for existing and intuitive way of being solved (while still being a challenge!). I cannot praise the props and story elements ENOUGH. They were fantastic, and it makes it even better that it’s such a unique theme! (with a fabulous soundtrack might I add) Lucky Dice is my favorite game at this location & I’d recommend it to any group - a must play! Hats off to Skylar & Marisa, and thank you to our guide Deja!
The Blind Tiger SpeakeasyExpedition EscapeEscape roomIRLBlind Tiger has some of the coolest puzzles I’ve seen. They are complex in the best way and so satisfying when you figure them out. It is very roomy and well designed in terms of aesthetics as well. Marisa & Skylar delivered once again with an ideal mix of manual puzzle completion (locks) and RFID sensors/tech reveals. I played with one other person and we actually worked more separately than usual, which speaks to how much there is to do. The communication/teamwork based puzzles were clever and had us giggling, and the logic puzzles were well done. There’s not much I would change in this game except one specific puzzle in the second half that was a bit lame. This is for sure my second fav at Expedition Escape (after Diner of course)!
Quest For The ThroneExpedition EscapeEscape roomIRLQuest for the Throne is a solid game with a variety of creative puzzles. The set is not as immersive as some of the other games at this location, but is still high quality. There are a couple of puzzles that could probably be tweaked a bit to lower confusion. Some things were difficult just because they were confusing, instead of because of complex design elements or dynamics, and I think that impacted our experience in this room. I played this game in a team of two on the same day I played Aunt Edna’s, Blind Tiger, & Lucky Dice. If I played it at another location, it could very well be the stand-out favorite, but because Expedition Escape has such a fantastic array of games, I would actually have to say it was my least favorite of the day. I don’t think this game reflects Skylar & Marisa’s brilliancy as much as it should or as much as the others do. Perhaps it is the theming (medieval escape rooms are a bit tired), so I hope they consider revamping or retiring it next to build something new. I would still recommend this room to anyone visiting! Thank you to Jack, our guide, for chatting with us about the games!
Aunt Edna’s InheritanceExpedition EscapeEscape roomIRLI enjoyed this game! I played with 1 other person and there was plenty for us both to work on, although I can’t imagine playing with any more that 4 or 5 people. 10 (the max for this room) would be far too many - both in terms of space and # of puzzles. The set design is consistent with the theme, although not necessarily on par with the sets of their other rooms. There are lots of cute props that authentically match the storyline (which they let you hold in your victory picture!). My team used two hints during this game. The first was for a puzzle that I think could be slightly tweaked to make it flow smoother and the other was for something we totally should have gotten. The classic “omg how did we not think of that” moment. With the sheer number of complicated (in a good way) puzzles in Aunt Edna’s, we were proud of only asking for help twice. Jack, our guide, was lovely and was happy to chat with us about the room afterwards - we love a good debrief! If you are deciding on which game to play at this location, I’d recommend this one over Quest for the Throne, but I liked Blind Tiger Speakeasy & Lucky Dice Diner better.
File: X - CLOSEDAmazing Escape Room - Trappe [prev. Escape Trappe]Escape roomIRLI feel badly giving this game a thumbs down, but my team of 2 was pretty disappointed. The set is decently designed, which gave us false hope that the puzzles would be too. As soon as we had to start using items more than once (with no clear indication) and noticed many of the clues were handwritten/falling apart, we knew this was a poorly executed room. One particular puzzle (if you could call it that) had us stumped, as there was nothing telling us what to do with the information we had. We ultimately had to use a clue from the game master, and upon asking him how it’s actually supposed to be solved (after the game), he said “it’s more of a trial and error thing.” There are a couple of goofy riddles in this room as well, and various red herrings/gimmicks intended to distract you. I will give credit to one puzzle that I thought was pretty cool, though. The biggest positive aspect of Escape Trappe is the staff, who were accommodating, friendly, and enthusiastic. Despite the rather ambiguous clues, our guide Ben was very nice and did a good job. Lauren was also helpful with booking our room. With a sweeping revamp I’m sure the games here could be solid, but as of now I would skip out on this one.
DraculaGame Over Escape Rooms - BrandonEscape roomIRLWhat a cool game! The set was immersive and there were some really unique puzzles I haven’t seen before. Several puzzles are super communication based, so you definitely need to be in tune with your team — whether that’s just one other person or a bigger group. I liked this game better than Top Secret.
Top SecretGame Over Escape Rooms - BrandonEscape roomIRLI enjoyed Top Secret & am glad I gave Game Over a chance! I don’t think this game should be rated as expert. It was challenging, but nothing was too advanced. One thing I did not particularly love was the several bulletin boards with a lot of information jumbled together (with some info pertaining to a certain puzzle and other info pertaining to a different puzzle). Things were not designated clearly enough. Nevertheless, the ending was cool. Who doesn’t love lasers?!?
The Haunted TheatreCaptured LV Escape Room - BethlehemEscape roomIRLI really enjoyed my experience at Captured LV! Haunted Theatre is a great room with a range of puzzles and design elements. There were even some puzzles I’ve never seen before!! It is definitely spooky with a ghostly storyline, and there are various scares that make the room a little jumpy, which was fun! The room does have that homemade feel, but not necessarily in a bad way. The puzzles flowed nicely and there was always several things for us to do as a group of 4. It would have been fine with another person, but I don’t think any more than 5 is ideal for this game. We actually made it to the top of the quarterly leaderboard, which was exciting! The lobby space is nice as well. Def check this place out!
Gold RushThe Escape Game - The BatteryEscape roomIRLThis is a great game, on par with their other games. Our ending was a bit anticlimactic though, something opened too early and the game guide didn’t even really acknowledge it until we asked. Our team was 8 ppl, which was honestly too many. I’d recommend 4-5.
The DepthsThe Escape Game - New JerseyEscape roomIRLThis was actually my least favorite of the rooms I’ve played at The Escape Game. Obviously it’s still a very well done game with an awesome set, but there were various puzzles I felt were poorly designed/implemented. I think a bit of reorganization could go a long way.
Mind TrapThe Great Escape Room - Arlington [prev. Escape Room Arlington]Escape roomIRLMind Trap was definitely eerie with a spooky/unsettling set design. The flow of the game was not as smooth as I hoped - we would open locks only to find another locked compartment and no new clue to move the game forward. Most of the clues are generally out in the open from the beginning of the game, which eliminates some of the suspense. This is unfortunate because this theme has such great potential for a spooky progression that leaves players on the edge of their seats. Nevertheless, the room offered various unique and well themed puzzles that my team enjoyed solving. We ended up using 1 hint in this game to help us with a puzzle that I think needs a bit more information for players to be able to consistently solve on their own. This game is undoubtedly in the upper half of all escape rooms I’ve done, but I think I enjoyed ERA’s other offerings a bit more.
