The Postmaster's RiddleEscape The Old PostEscape roomIRLThis was a real gem, well worth a long drive. It’s also definitely TWO escape rooms (or rather, one 3hr escape room)— our group of four serious escapers would have needed a lot more than our usual quotient of hints just to finish Part 1 in 90 minutes. (The GM very kindly let us stay over time to finish the very last puzzle.) Not all the puzzles are stunners but the room is chock full of hidden delights and some really unique interactions. We very gladly went back two days later, and had a blast! It somehow gets even more fun in the second half, and the climax is definitely satisfying.
Varg Veum: OverkillEscape BryggenEscape roomIRLWe really loved this room! It’s their newest, and it has a really fun mystery-solving structure, with some very cool prop interactions. Easily one of the best escape room “stories” we’ve played (non obvious, internally consistent, interesting). It has some callbacks to a previous room but we didn’t feel like we were missing anything even though we’d never heard of Varg Veum. We played Hansearic League first and then this one, and I recommend that order— it’s a nice snapshot of how escape rooms have developed over the last 10 years (and you’ll finish on a “high”)
Chamber of Lost LegendsFox in a Box SolnaEscape roomIRLReally glad we made time for this while in Stockholm! An impeccable room with a friendly and helpful host. Not too linear, lots of creative interactions, very immersive. Made me wish we could stay longer and play the other rooms here!
Special Ops: Mysterious MarketThe Escape Game - Penn QuarterEscape roomIRLA fun room! My group of three escaped JUST in the nick of time. Only a few lock-and-key puzzles, mostly some pretty clever immersive ones. Somewhat linear overall -- a larger group might feel crowded.
The Body ShopRed Fox EscapesEscape roomIRLA thrilling and clever room from beginning to end. The space is immersive and very dense with interesting puzzles and interactions -- several exciting surprises. Definitely the best at Red Fox, and I think the only one at Red Fox that really competes with Boxaroo. I don't want to say much more to avoid spoilers, but if you're at all tempted by this room, do it!
Storyteller's SecretBoxarooEscape roomIRLReally delightful room! Now my top recommendation for Boston. I absolutely loved how the puzzles layered and the space continued to have fun surprises. Great flow and variety. It's not the most challenging room I've done in Boston but it is the most memorable and enjoyable. There was simply not a single thing wrong at any point, and many brilliant and novel features.
Conundrum MuseumBoxarooEscape roomIRLI brought a group here for a party and we had a blast! A nicely dense and nonlinear puzzle room, with several unusually clever "aha" moments.
Train RobberyCyber Raccoon Escape RoomEscape roomIRLMight be my favourite room in DC! (Or maybe second favourite after The Depths?) My team of three escaped and had a blast. The set is thoughtful and in good condition. It took us a little bit to get some momentum going, but the pieces fit together logically and creatively, with a mix of difficulties. Not too linear, which is nice in a group— we could work in parallel. Every puzzle felt well rewarded, and everything worked as it is supposed to. The pre-game rules video is absolutely the cringiest one I’ve seen in a very cringy genre, though. Well worth the drive from DC proper!
The DepthsThe Escape Game - Penn QuarterEscape roomIRLPlayed with a group of 3, joined by 4 strangers. It played well with a large group, as there was lots of do. The theming was the most immersive I’ve seen in DC yet and the rooms very exciting. Good number of puzzles with fun/unique elements to them. Not overly linear. The ending was particularly well-structured to end on a crescendo. Best production value I’ve seen in DC so far.
Black DragonEscape Room LAEscape roomIRLA really top notch room! We loved how the game “opened up” from the first room, and appreciated how immersive the space was. The exploration felt really expansive. Puzzles were intriguing, though a lot would probably be trivial to someone who can read Chinese (we could not). Very non-linear and yet with a satisfying “escalation” so we ended on a real high. Strongly recommended!
