The Last Video Store in America

What a delightful gem of a game for this pair of 50 year old nerds! Lots to take in, lots to do. Obviously well thought out and no expense was spared to make it as authentic as possible. Some knowledge of movies is helpful, but not absolutely necessary. A few puzzles could use some more indicating of what goes with what, as it's not always obvious. Why would *this number* be used on that item *over there*...perhaps using icons to denote things that match? I enjoyed using some real world items in ways that made sense for the story. Everything had really good feedback too.

1st time visiting Escapade 360 and it was a great experience. From the time you entered the lobby and climbed the really cool wooden spiral staircase up to Escapade’s lobby, I started smiling. Then when the owner (Dan) greeted us wearing a pilot’s outfit and had a sense of humor to him, I knew the room was going to be great. Last Video Store (which is their 2nd hardest room) was a really fun room. The set was well made and you felt like you were in a Blockbuster video store, but also kind of on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The rooms were very well lit so darkness was not an obstacle. Room was non-linear and there were a lot of puzzles to do, all fun and fair, many using a lot of tech…only a few standard locks in the room. If you have a lot of movie knowledge, it will help you solve puzzles quicker, but there are also clues in the room to assist. Solving many of the puzzles was a lot of fun as it made us think about many movies we maybe have not thought about recently. Owner (Dan) was also our GM and he did a great job of proactively giving us a couple of nudges and then we asked for a few hints as well. Talked with him before and after about his rooms…we will definitely be back to do the rest.

We played **The Last Video Store in America** as our redemption room, and it delivered! (We didn’t escape The Candy Factory). The movie-themed setting was super nostalgic. This room is perfect for film aficionados but genuinely fun for anyone. The puzzles were clever, unique, and unlike anything we’ve encountered in other rooms. Best of all was Dan, our GM and the mastermind behind the room. Highly recommend!

I loved this room. The GM is always very enthusiastic and loves to talk to us about escape rooms, both other ones as well as how he built his. This was such a cool room for me because I love movies and TV, and there are tons of references throughout. If you don't have a ton of movie knowledge, it might be slightly harder just because you'll maybe need to reference materials instead of just knowing some answers. It also allows for a lot of parallel puzzle solving instead of being very linear. There are some really cool puzzles that are unique and most importantly fun. The GM says he often doesn't have the best production values, but I find the quality of the puzzles and the thought that goes into making it an enjoyable experience the most important thing.

Takes you back to the good old Blockbuster days! Good for movie buffs and fun for everyone. Neat props with the 3D prints and themed throughout.

Probably the best video store escape room in the Chicago area, and there are a few. It was a non linear room, but you could definitely work together on puzzles if you wanted. There are some good uses of tech and the owner was really nice.

This room was a fun puzzle-centric take on the video store theme. It was on the harder side with some satisfying layered puzzles and a mostly non-linear flow, and a good deal of puzzles. The set was well done and had a ton to look at, so it was easy to get overwhelmed if you weren’t paying close attention to everything. The opening sequence was fun and made sense with the storyline. The puzzles were all logical and pretty unique, aside from one puzzle that had extra parts that only added confusion, but the owner showed interest in removing it. The last puzzle teased you throughout the whole room which built excitement for it too. One puzzle maybe needed a little better clueing but overall everything was very well thought out. I think I liked it a tiny bit better than candy factory and it’s my favorite room at Escapade 360. The owner Dan is amazing and we talked about the room after and escape rooms in general.

Very fun room themed after the video rental stores of yesteryear! I appreciated how on theme everything was from the set to puzzles. Speaking of which, many of them are obviously movie themed, and I appreciate that knowing about movies is not required, but it is an advantage. Can get overwhelming for smaller groups because of the quantity of puzzles. There’s a horrible segment that involves video games, and as a gamer, I’m insulted by how it functioned. There were also tech things that broke so the GM actually came in several times mid game to fix things, but thankfully also paused the timer. It can also get hectic fast if you just don’t notice things because there is A LOT to look at. That said, I love this style of room and had a blast busting blocks!