Election DayAppleseed AvenueEscape roomOther Election Day combined puppetry and crime scene investigation into an experience that was equal parts clever, hilarious, and inspiring. By pulling learnings and techniques from numerous other storytelling mediums, Appleseed Avenue boldly redefined what an escape room can look like and how it can make you feel.
Life and Trust [Immersive Experience]EmursiveEscape roomOther I was fortunate to see Life & Trust 4 times before they were shut down, and gosh, this show was truly stunning, moving me to tears on more than one occasion. Some truly incredible dance and fight choreography in a sprawling, awe-inspiring environment, and some of the most impactful 1:1 scenes I've encountered in an immersive piece of this scale.
teamLab Planets Tokyo [Immersive Experience]teamlab(朝阳大悦城)Escape roomOther teamLab Planets is most known for *that thing* — and *that thing* is incredibly cool and unforgettable. But this immersive art installation is no one trick pony, and the flow through each zone is beautiful, surreal, and playfully engaging. The main downside to this location is its popularity... the crowds potentially get in the way of peacefully experiencing the work, so I'd recommend getting there early in the morning when things aren't too packed.
Meta Maze [Immersive Experience]DolorisEscape roomOther It's like Meow Wolf, but even more surreal, with more physical exploration, and a strict no-phones policy that prevents the experience from just becoming a selfie museum. I could have spent hours in here!
The Gunpowder Plot Experience [Immersive Experience]Gunpowder PlotEscape roomOther Gunpowder Plot blew our expectations out of the water! The immersive actors were top-notch and really were open to playing with us. The set was gorgeous throughout and beautifully lit, leading to a seamlessly coherent world. The VR was a bit old and glitchy, though it was well physically integrated into the flow and featured some nice little sensory enhancements. The story was memorable and nicely presented, though the finale was held back by an A-lister voiceover which inhibited the actors' ability to freely improvise. Overall, though, this one really impressed us — far more than War of the Worlds — and we were sad to see it closing shortly after our visit.
teamLab Borderless [Immersive Art]teamLabEscape roomOther Too often, I see people comparing Planets and Borderless and coming to the conclusion that you only need to see Planets... which could not be further from the truth. Borderless is spectacular in its own regard, with an almost maze-like interconnected flow that is quite unique amongst teamLab's locations. Even for installations that appear elsewhere, at Borderless they meld into each other in a unique and rather enthralling manner. Every space is constantly changing, and even if you think you've already seen something, it's probably different this time around. Pay close attention to your surroundings as they're often more interactive and responsive than they may initially appear!
Glitch Hunters: Mission Sunscreen [Outdoor]clueQuestEscape roomOther clueQuest’s Glitch Hunters was a well-crafted outdoor escape game around Central London, contained fully within a slick web app. This game is truly playable on demand: there’s no need to pick up any physical components, and the route is fully outdoors and on public property that’s reasonably safe to traverse by day or night. With such a lower barrier to entry, Glitch Hunters would equally make a solid introduction to escape room-esque games for families or newer players, as well as an enjoyable way to combine sightseeing with light puzzling for visiting escape room enthusiasts.
A Forest Where Gods Live [Immersive Art]teamLabEscape roomOther Hands down my favorite teamLab location in Japan! Whereas teamLab's art typically blend nature, art, and tech in beautiful and elegant ways - but all indoors - this Takeo location takes the magic up a notch by transforming an ancient forest at night. The art doesn't compete with the nature, instead framing and enhancing it with sublime finesse. This is a difficult spot to get to, but it's so very worth the pilgrimage.
Tales of Edo Oiran [Immersive Theater]Immersive Fort TokyoEscape roomOther A rather interesting piece of immersive theater but particularly inaccessible to non-Japanese speakers, at least compared to the relative value of other experiences at Immersive Fort Tokyo. Mainly, as the most expensive experience in the current lineup, this really didn't justify the price tag unless you are able to engage more deeply with the actors.
The Sherlock: James Moriarty Strikes BackImmersive Fort TokyoEscape roomOther A very solid, Sleep No More-inspired promenade immersive theater show with great performances, expansive sets, and interesting Japanese take on a Sherlock story. Fairly smoothly adapted for English speakers, though I stopped listening to the English voiceovers partway through... they're more an async description of each major scene, which meant they often spoiled the action before it happened. The main story beats were easy enough to follow even without language.