Circus of Secrets: Mystery of Madam PaisleyEscapades Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLA nail-biter for our group of two! (Three is recommended.) Great theming, with everything feeling like something you'd see at a circus or in a fortune-teller's tent -- but a challenging room for my 72-year-old dad because of close quarters, mandatory stooping, and a good deal of small text.
The Country Club CaperEscapades Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLOur second Escapades room! We love this place -- they get the fundamentals right and deliver an awesome, fun, fair experience without a lot of gadgets. Elissa (Alyssa?) was a superb host, and I really believed she had almost as much fun as we did. :D
Kidnapped - CLOSEDBaffled Escape Rooms - FloridaEscape roomIRLOne puzzle completely broken (and very obviously never playtested after being swapped in for a previous puzzle). One prop broken in a way that kept us from finishing. Still another puzzle that just required mind reading, as far as we could tell. An unusual number of red herrings in the environment, which was league average for an escape room set. A couple puzzles were creative, but not enough to redeem the overall experience.
The Oregon Files - CLOSEDStumptown Escape Games - TigardEscape roomIRLThis was a fun, fair escape room that would be suitable for beginners. We (two experienced players) never felt stuck or frustrated, and the staff dealt well with a minor equipment problem midgame. We'll be back!
Lombino's CasinoIn Search Of An ExitEscape roomIRLReally great sense of flow among puzzles, and good connection between the setting (an abandoned 1980s casino) and puzzles. Fantastic GMing.
Kidnapped!NC EscapeEscape roomIRLFun, fair puzzles that were appropriate for our moderately experienced group of three. Did not always deliver atmospherically on the sci-fi time-travel theme, especially in the early going, which was a little disappointing from a venue that gets aliens and haunted houses so right - but good steampunk props. We had a great time, in part thanks to great GMing!
Geno's Getaway - CLOSEDFox-N-Otter Adventure Escapes Asheville Mall LocationEscape roomIRLEhh. Not awful, but a miss from Fox-n-Otter for us. Poor sense of flow, too many four-digit combination locks, and an overall calibration that didn't make sense for a two-person party, as the host noted afterwards. (The website lacks guidance on suggested party size.)
Aunt Elsie’s InheritanceEscapades Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLThis rates a solid recommendation! Scrupulously fair puzzles, with room elements fitting together thoughtfully. Design was notably nonlinear, with multiple puzzles that could be solved independently - great for groups.
Fantastic Forest - CLOSEDFox-N-Otter Adventure Escapes Asheville Mall LocationEscape roomIRLThey sure packed a lot of ideas into a small space! A few puzzles were frustrating or didn't work too well, but nothing that couldn't be handled by a good GM - and we had a great GM, I can't say enough good about her. I'll try another Fox-n-Otter room next time I'm in the area!
Vampire ManorMission X EscapeEscape roomIRLI can't recommend this one at all. Dark interior, flashlights required but not provided to all players, so there's always someone standing around uselessly. Faded color puzzles - in the dark. Riddles that require mind-reading, the kind of thing that makes sense to the designer but not to the player. A few nice theme elements, but not enough to redeem the poor gameplay.
Temple of TikalTotal EscapeEscape roomIRLAs others note, this is an unusually physical room - at times it feels like you're playing a series of games as much as solving a series of puzzles. Nothing wrong with that, but know what you're in for. We escaped with two people, but it was down to the wire! More would be easier.
Prison BreakTotal EscapeEscape roomIRLGreat! One of my favorite executions of a theme I've encountered so far - not only because they used the conceit so cleverly, which they did, but also because some puzzles made me feel like I was in a movie. This might be the lowest-budget room at Total Escape, but the experience is still fantastic!
The Enchanted ForestTotal EscapeEscape roomIRLA down-to-the-wire two-person escape! This room is DEFINITELY designed for 4+ players, but what a joy it is, with puzzles that feel ripped from a children's storybook. Early and midgame emphasis on exploring and playing with the environment gives way to more mechanical late-game puzzles.
Lunar LockdownBull City Escape - DurhamEscape roomIRLA fun room, well-put-together, with a couple standout puzzles and a couple that were frustratingly trial-and-error. Memorable reveal of the second room! Could have executed its theme a bit better, but everything worked and we had lots of fun!
The AtticNC EscapeEscape roomIRLI've done plenty of rooms where the puzzles fit the theme, but relatively few where they actively strengthen it. Some puzzles in this room don't just feel like things that would happen in a horror movie; they make you feel like you're in a horror movie. Just a lovely time.
Alien EscapeNC EscapeEscape roomIRLA standout experience for my group. Fun and fair puzzles in a memorable physical space, with a great deal of attention paid to executing an ambitious theme.
