The Haunted Doll Shop

We enjoyed this room a lot. It wasn’t just that the puzzles were good (which they were), but also that it felt like each one really did tie well into the story and the unfolding mystery. The room also managed exude an air of creepiness which made the stakes feel higher!

It’s been cool to see the evolution of the rooms at Just Escape, and this is the best one yet. The Haunted Doll Shop concept is unique, I don’t think I’ve seen another escape room that touches on the same theme. The atmosphere is spooky, but it is not a horror room. Compared to Just Escape’s other experiences, this one exhibits a higher level of technical sophistication and greater attention to scenic detail. The audio is an area of opportunity, however: the sound effects and ambient sounds were present, but way too quiet to enrich the experience. Another suggestion: our group of 4 enthusiasts breezed through in about 33 minutes. How can difficulty be scaled to match the experience level of the players? I’m really interested in seeing what Jordan comes up with for the upcoming Cabin Murder room! P.S. The only thing we got stumped on was an envelope that we failed to open, lol. Make sure you open the envelope!

Rating: 4/5 - Fun puzzles and nice set but wish there was more Pros: ➕The set looked nice and had the right spooky vibes, it does seem like a step up from their prior rooms. ➕Puzzles were enjoyable and satisfying to solve, nothing felt illogical or annoying. ➕Mostly tech with minimal padlocks, everything seemed to be working ➕There is at least one jump scare which I enjoyed. ➕Good use of lighting effects ➕They send a fun in-room video of your team after the game. ➕GM was friendly though we didn't need hints. Room for improvement: ➖It felt like it needed more content, maybe it was just our team of very experience players, but we finished with almost half the time left. ➖The game just kind of ended, no major climax or drama, I wasn't even sure if we were done until the GM came in. ➖When comparing to top companies in Chicago area, the set isn't the most impressive. There also aren't really any big "wow" moments or hidden doors or secret rooms, it feels like a single room game even though it's not. ➖A bit light on the story/narrative The room is creepy with at least 1 jump scare, no crawling or climbing required. I'd recommend a team of 2, it was too easy for our team of 4 enthusiasts. My ranking of the rooms I played here starting with my favorite: 1. Haunted Doll Shop 2. Floor 66 3. Split Personality (now closed) 4. The Attic

Just escape is always fantastic. The puzzles were just the right amount of challenging to make you think without giant leaps in logic or complexity for complexities sake. Just escape is one of if not the best escape room company in Chicagoland

Just Escape was just simply one of the best independently owned, operated and fabricated establishments we have been to in a while. Incredibly fair pricing for 60 minute games and customer service and hosting that puts many chain escape rooms to shame. I felt like Jordan genuinely cared about getting to know us and our play style, and quickly understood how to help guide us when clues were necessary. Post game photos with cool props? ✅ Post game stickers for each room? ✅ Made us feel super clever and smart? ✅ Good conversation about other escape rooms? ✅ Haunted Doll Shop was an absolute delight, The props and decor are top notch, just verging on the edge of spooky, but not scary.

Another room self built by the owner, and wow it was a huge success. Puzzled flowed nicely and the contrast between and start of the room and the end of the room was very well expressed. Just Escape room delivered with this new room.

This was a fun escape room with a cool atmosphere. It was entertaining, but there were a handful of puzzles that involved counting and ordering things. We would figure out the mechanic of the puzzle but spend a lot of time because we counted wrong or slightly messed up an order. I still enjoyed the room quite a bit, and it was our fault for messing up. It's got some fun elements

Excellent spooky room with clever puzzles and the scariest creature ever, haunted dolls! The difficulty was tight and well-suited for our group of 2 experienced players. The room’s theme and setting were on point. Nothing felt out of place. We only got confused a few times with some of the props and clues, but the awesome GM and owner Jordan was very quick to help before we could get frustrated. We also had a good discussion about escape rooms after. Great thought-out scare moments! And that’s coming from a couple of dolls who don’t like getting scared, doll!

This room is the second ever build from the new owner and it’s a step up for sure. Harder room than their other rooms but has some great puzzles and has a great story line.