No QuarterGame On Escapes & More - Greenville [prev. Undaunted Escape Rooms]Escape roomIRLThis was a nice experience. While not a new look at the pirate trope, it was still fun. Themed nicely and some good puzzles. Some of the tech was finicky at times.
Cornstalkers: Lost in the MaizeThe Escape Ventures - Orlando Waterford LakesEscape roomIRLLoved this game. One of the best we have done. Coming from Virginia and only having time for a couple of games, I am glad this was one of them! Everything about this game was so well thought out and executed. Can’t recommend enough.
Operation Arctic Storm: The Final MeltdownThe Escape Ventures - Orlando Waterford LakesEscape roomIRLSuch an amazing game. The puzzles were very well done and fit seamlessly into the environment. It wasn’t just a random box somewhere. The story’s was really a nice add on and our GM Luke did a great job leading us and also playing along. This is the third room we have down with them and as usual, their sets are amazing. Can’t wait to come back!
Neighborhood WatcherThe Escape Ventures - Orlando Waterford LakesEscape roomIRLWould definitely recommend this to anyone in the area. Such a great themed place and room. Staff is amazing and their rooms are on point. Looking forward to getting some more done!!
MOPOP - The HeistRoom Escape WilliamsburgEscape roomIRLReally a fun game. Some neat choose your own adventure feels! Still being BETA tested but definitely is a must do when it opens fully!!
Gold RushOperation EscapeEscape roomIRLThis was a really nice little room. Well themed and some really fun puzzles. Great use of the space. Some red herrings which got us sidetracked just a but definitely worth the trip! Loved wanted posters!
Kidnapping 2: Afraid of the DarkBreakout Games - Virginia BeachEscape roomIRLNot a bad theme. Probably one of their better rooms. Can use a little updating.
Finding Frosty: A Happy, Jolly Christmas Caper - CLOSEDBlack Cat Escape RoomEscape roomIRLOur GM Jaden was great. He was very knowledgeable and so much fun to work with. Room was very well done. Despite being a themed room it was very solid! Loved every part of the room!
The Other SideOperation EscapeEscape roomIRLVery stranger things ish. Great throwback theming and room. Felt a bit rushed at the end but it definitely worked well.
Dark Carnival - CLOSEDCharm City Clue RoomEscape roomIRLThis is a very well situated building. Lots of easy access and the building itself is very interesting and seemed quite large but the two rooms we did actually were not that large. This room was a good idea, it just felt that it didn’t quite get where it should have. The themeing was ok and seemed to get a bit more haphazard as you went along. Some of the puzzles were a bit of stretch to put together.
PharaohBig Escape Rooms - Silver SpringEscape roomIRLOverall this was not a bad room. It is more of a starter room. A lot could have been done to tighten up the room and the theming. There were marks on the wall that were not fixed from previous props. A lot of do not touch stickers. While understandable, it really takes away from the immersion. Some of the props would fire and we would not hear it happen. It would be a very small click and a door would open a tiny bit. The backing music was so loud we could barely hear ourselves let alone those small clicks. (There was a sign saying don’t touch volume) A few of the puzzles were interesting and fit well. There was one that was great in theory but was a bit confusing. The last puzzle had no real big reveal. In fact we were not sure we completed it and we had to wait for a few more minutes, actually asking for a clue and we were told to check a door. It sure why someone just didn’t come in to say you did it or something. Very frustrating ending.
Houdini HeistEscape2Win ClevelandEscape roomIRLA new room from Escape2Win and they hit it out of the park. Houdini is set in a smaller sized room, however the game was designed perfectly to fit inside the space and there was never really a moment when we felt that it was too small or not having enough space. We had three in our group and their max for the room is four which is perfect. The room was decorated beautifully from floor to ceiling. It really drew you in and added to the ambience. We were told that some of the clues and props were designed by professional magicians and this was certainly evident. The theming was exceptionally well done and definitely made us feel that we were inside a magicians dressing room. The puzzles were well done and engaging and set up in a nice way. There was a linear feel with some non linear moments, but it was definitely not detracting from the room. Smaller rooms tend to be a bit more linear or escapists may get out of the room much quicker than usual. There is a some good manual and tech puzzles and it was very nice to see how well they stayed in the theme and the pay off was definitely worth it! A real ah-ha moment! The staff was always engaging and they love to talk about the rooms. Their love for what they do is evident and it makes the experience even better for it! This goes down as a very good room in a location that already had some amazing rooms! Definitely a go from us!
The Wizards PubRoom Escape WilliamsburgEscape roomIRLNumber 88 is in the books. (Please note reviews may not be in chronological order) The Wizard’s Pub Room Escape Williamsburg This room finished up our time at Room Escape Williamsburg, which is always a bittersweet moment. They have four rooms and they are all pretty well done. Each has its particular up and down moment, however Wizard’s Pub stands out as the their best room in my opinion. It is meticulously detailed after a very famous line of Wizards books (which shall not be named) and the rooms is quite stunning to look at. The room is a very tech heavy room and one of my favorite pieces is the dragons. No spoilers, but it was a fun little prop. While the theming was top notch, the puzzles were nothing to scoff at either. They were well done, fit the theming and flowed together nicely. If I had to nitpick over anything, it would be the gratuitous use of stickers in the room. It in the establishments way of saying do not touch. I get it and understand the theory behind it, it just detracts, albeit in a small way, from the overall grandeur of the theming. Same for the do not touch electronics. One other gripe and again it is based on multiple games doing this, but you are told to not misplace some things as you go through the room. You will need them later. As gamers who make piles of used and unused props and items we didn’t want than”hint” but we definitely understood why it was there. Our game master Tony was wonderful. Always a nice experience when you do multiple games in one setting and have the same person. You can have a lot of fun together. Of course it can go the other way, but Tony was knowledgeable and easy going and seemed to really enjoy what he was doing. Love that he was willing to hang for a second to talk about the room and experience. Overall a very nice way to finish our time at Room Escape. We Xscaped!! 46:38 🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️ 🗝️
Wizard's Academy - CLOSEDEvery Second Counts ESC Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLLoved it. Nice references to the movies. Was themed beautifully!!
Cabin #757The Escape Room VBEscape roomIRLCabin 757 The Escape Room Virginia Beach Room Number 67 Darkness. That is what this room is all about. Annoying darkness. This room starts with a twist and if people are not paying attention in the room, that twist can get old very quickly. Theming in the room was well done thematically, however some of the puzzles were hard to read in the dark. The flashing light could also be an issue for people with any seizure issues. Pretty straight forward room and story. A smaller version of serial killer rooms that are out there, but definitely work a look! I think our main problem was that a few simple things happened early and threw us off our game because very basic stuff was missed on the first go around. Overall, this was a nice and simple room that is worth doing, it just struggles to stand up to some of the larger serial killer rooms. There was no overall scare factors in the room either. Could probably do with a jump scare or two. Even a bang on the door. We broke out! 47:42 #trvl2xcape
Escape the 80s - CLOSEDEscapism GamesEscape roomIRLRoom Number 66 Nostalgia usually is a draw. Whether it is movies, video games, eras, people tend to love things that bring them back to their youth. This room was no different. It really has a nice vibe to it and the play was also very nice. First things, first. Escapism is a relatively new company that has two rooms. It is very evident that this is a labor of love and the staff is very warm and helpful. We spent quite a bit of time chatting with them before we even started and it really was a nice way to begin. They also have a leader board, which is something that we have seen more and more venues start doing. This feature can be hit or miss. I know for some of us, that competitive nature hits and we suddenly want to finish the room as fast as possible. I have been in rooms where the chance to get a high score was missed and suddenly I felt like I could breathe and just enjoy the room again. Escapism was a bit different in that they had categories; Duo, Triplet and Group. A neat way to recognize how different gameplay can be with multiple people. The room was nicely done. It definitely felt like a kids bedroom from the 80’s and the time machine was a nice throwback to the movie genre from that era as well. All of the posters and music choices on the wall were done well and it had a very impressive DND table going. I definitely would hate to have to reset that! Puzzles were done well in this room and they definitely matched not only the feel of the room but also helped with the flow. A mix of linear and non-linear with the do multiple things until the end where it bottlenecks a bit and we were stuck looking over someone's shoulder. However it did not take away from the enjoyment of the room. I will say there is a an old school video game puzzle and I could have sat there for the entire hour! Alot of fun and definitely one to check out! We broke out! Also set the Triplet Time Record! 36:38 #trvl2xcape
Greta's Diner - CLOSEDEscape Room Virginia PeninsulaEscape roomIRLNice small room with a diner theme. Very nice theming in this room and some very great props. Some interesting puzzles and for the first time in a long while, some red herrings. That definitely threw us for a loop for a bit. Also a nice unique way of using a directional lock. There were some props from previous iterations of rooms and that definitely took our attention. The room was a bit linear and smaller size makes it more suitable for 4 or less. There was one puzzle/lock that was a digit off so that caused some issues with solving it. Not a very complicated room but overall enjoyable. Team Jeniuses managed to make it into the winners circle.
The Asylum13th Gate EscapeEscape roomIRLGreat theming for this room. Very large setting and it was very well done with some great sound effects and vfx. This definitely stepped up the immersion. Fun intro and definitely got your blood pumping. Some puzzles were very fun and well themed. We had to break out and rescue a girl out of the asylum. It is supposed to be a horror room and it did not have the overall scary vibe we were expecting based on the hype. There were a few clues that required a bit more lighting and involved colors and that stopped us up for a few minutes. Some issues with communication with GM. Could be because they switched halfway through the room. Not sure if that is something that is usually done. Timer started before our audio finished so we lost a few minutes there. We did finish all the puzzles however there was a lot going on with this room that left a sour taste for on the experience. Still a nice room!!
Tomb Of Anubis13th Gate EscapeEscape roomIRLThere was a lot of anticipation and lead up to this room. It was our 4th room of the day, and we admit we were a bit disappointed after the morning session. Anubis did NOT disappoint. It has won several awards and I can say it definitely deserved all of the accolades. The puzzles and theming fit perfect. There was a journal that ran you through the room and it was also done very well. The reveals in this room are the best we have seen so far anywhere. This was an amazing Indiana Jones type adventure. We escaped and found out that only 5% of first timers have completed the room. Our GM Caitlin was fun to work with for our last room of the day. Would love to have more time to really explore the room. That is my only critique for this room. There is so much going on and you are so invested in breaking out that sometimes you don’t get to stop and enjoy just how beautiful the room really is. Puzzles were a bit on the difficult side at times and possibly a bit more abstract than a straight forward room however we were able to figure most of them out. We were given warnings in most of the rooms that the iPad they used for clues was not working properly and that they were trying to phase it out. This is actually a positive because the rooms that it did work in really took away from the overall aesthetic. Plus it uses QR codes and literally puts the code near the puzzle. Glad they are looking to phase that out. Definitely worth the trip!
Death Row13th Gate EscapeEscape roomIRLGreat room on a very prominent theme. Good manual puzzles. We had to break out of our jail cells (as you usually do) and then get out of death row. Was not as involved as some other of the other cell blocks but did have a great secret which we won’t spoil. I will agree with many reviews that in comprising to other games at 13th Gate, this was definitely on the blander side. Nice ending which was expected but also pretty fun to watch the victim. 🗝️🗝️🗝️
