497 escape rooms
This is a very puzzle-heavy room (which is just the way I like 'em) but still has some great props and set pieces, as you would expect from Escape the Netherworld. It plays pretty linearly, so I think you could finish it with 2, but we played with 5 and I don't think anybody felt like they were uninvolved. The "tiki island" theme is not one I think I have seen anywhere else, and everything in the room is on theme. The passage of time is nicely conveyed through radio broadcasts that describe the worsening situation outside. We had a great time. Highly recommended.
It's 95% boxes with all the usual types of locks on them, but every puzzle leans into the theme, so I didn't mind at all. The few puzzles that are electronic / environmental are cool and the special effects are surprising.
Escape the Netherworld always delivers the highest standard of environmental immersion, including the sets, props, and audiovisual effects.
The game master did a fantastic job of keeping an eye on us and staying in character while giving us just the occasional nudge when it was clear that we were failing to see something right in front of us. They'll tell you that you only get three clues but (a) that's not really a hard limit and (b) most of the puzzles in this room are straightforward. They want you to have a good time.
Yes
The game itself is really just a linear puzzlefest, but the theme makes it go down really smoothly and the puzzles are good. The theme is quite distinct and the ending effects took us by surprise (we thought it was great).
The story is always there in the background, but until you get to the very end of the room it's not front and center. When they need you to pay attention to something, there's good use of special effects to make sure you're looking in the right place.
Easy
The room played very linearly for us; there are a couple of puzzles that can be solved in parallel, but most of the puzzles are straightforward so we just sort of ended up plowing through everything as a group. Everything solves cleanly and there are no "guess what I'm thinking" puzzles, so we never found ourselves wondering what to do next. There is a directional lock puzzle, but the way they've clued it, you definitely know when you have the right set of information, so it's much less annoying than the typical directional lock puzzle.
Mechanical
Boxes with locks (some of which contain more boxes with more locks). But in a fun, Disney's Polynesian Resort kind of way.
3
Two people who are strong solvers (or one really strong solver) could finish this room (but there is a lot to do). With 3-5 you will still have enough to keep folks busy as there are a lot of puzzles. More than 5 and I think it would bog down since the structure is pretty linear.
Not scary
I mean, the "bad guy" is a shark god and the spirits of the island speak in a booming spirit voice. But if you could handle Disney's "Moana" then you can handle this.
8
No
No
Not at all
Mostly accessible. One person has to crawl into an enclosed space (which they can then unlock to let everyone else through without crawling). Not a ton of room to navigate a wheelchair but you can see just about everything from the center of the room. Some interactions result in information given through audio messages.
Yes
Easy
Parking at Escape the Netherworld is easy in every month *except* October. During October they are also running their massive haunted house attraction and it is very popular so parking becomes a complicated process and you'll have a short walk from the parking area to the venue (but they have a lot of staff to help direct traffic).
Oct 11, 2023 | Experienced Oct 10, 2023