Monster in the Museum

Because this one was so new it was a little more scuffed compared to the other ones at RI Riddle Room. Despite the issues, it was still amazing, with the staff being super kind and the puzzles being still very cool and interesting.

This is the newest room at RI Riddle Room, and to be honest I would have much rather they made it into 2-3 escape rooms instead of this one "large" escape room with a lot of empty space. The concept is interesting but several things about the room just annoyed me that may not bother someone else. 1) For a 90-minute room I would expect more puzzles, instead this feels like it has less puzzles than any of their other four 60-minute rooms. 2) Several if not all of the interactive puzzles/props were made inhouse and none of them were made particularly well or built to last. There are wood Screws sticking out that are meant as handles and are already loosening up. A rotation puzzle that doesn't rotate very well given it is wood on PVC not ball bearings or even evenly cut. A platform on rollers that doesn't roll particularly well even though the solution requires finesse. A puzzle with pegs that don't slide very well and even triggered with the wrong solution. I could go on but you get the point. 3) Several aspects of the game are just designed to suck time, so it takes most of the 90 minutes, perhaps so you don't feel cheated if you beat the game in under an hour. Everything from waiting for interactions with the actors (they were great but most of it wasn't needed) to withholding puzzle pieces until they felt you had completed all of the puzzles you had all the pieces for even when members of your team are standing around looking for something to do or waiting on the actors/characters to do something so you can move on to the next thing. In general, these delays didn't feel they added something and many could be accomplished with less actors or even flashing lights. 4) The room is rather empty. For a "large" game it has a lot of blank walls and empty space. other props that are oversized (one almost comically oversized) just to fill the space. There are thankfully very few things in the game that aren't useful but that just means most of the space is dead, but on the plus size there is a very low chance you will be bumping into each other. 5) Overall, the room just feels cheap. Like it was more about keeping costs down than providing a great experience. Multiple rooms would have cost more, maybe not in people as this game has two actors/GMs, but in design and execution. The puzzles being homemade and having multiple design/execution flaws just make it seem that the choice was made to save money more than to do something more customized. In summary, the few puzzles the room had were ok, though fighting with some to work was definitely a negative. The kept commenting about what else they want to add to the room over time as if they knew it wasn't finished but opened anyways. So, while it was entertaining and I am glad I did it and did enjoy it, it isn't up to the quality of their other rooms. I went in very hopeful, and came out entertained but would definitely have trouble recommending it to serious escape room addicts unless they are looking to simple complete every room in the area. I fully expect this room to evolve and keep improving but it just felt incomplete and tired at the same time. The most ironic thing about it is that the monster aspect has very little to do with more than 80 percent of the puzzles, and the game could be reworked with a different theme keeping most of the puzzles while eliminating the actors and taking better advantage of the space. Though the actors were genuinely better than any of the puzzles in the game!

Played this game for my daughter's graduation. We've completed all the games at RI Riddle room and they are all amazing in their own ways but this game in my opinion is the best by far. Great job to the staff and company itself.

We were the second group to play the room, and this room was a blast! On the day of game, we teamed up with another pair of enthusiasts visiting from FL to tackle this beast. I absolutely loved the subtle nods to local places, which we already knew the Riddle Room did well, having done the Rocky Point game in the past. The puzzles were so fun in this room, and the props were super cool. There is one particular puzzle that we started with that was my favorite - they took a type of puzzle that we've done before and made it feel completely new with how it was laid out, and it was super fun. The puzzles all flowed very well, and we progressed really smoothly through the game. Loved the ending and what we needed to do to complete the room. Our actors were very fun to interact with both in the room and chatting with them after the game, and the GM's that checked us in in the lobby were awesome to chat with as well. Thanks for catching us up on our missing stamps!! I think there's a little room to grow in this room, as the space is large - but having seen all of Riddle Room's other rooms, and having heard about the changes in the last couple of years to their other rooms, I think this room will probably evolve along the way. But as is, this game is already great!

There is love and care in every part of this room! I love how RI Riddle Room incorporates RI into their rooms - the special nods make the rooms so unique. Great puzzles, including one I didn't personally get to do, but that my husband absolutely LOVED. This room was great for our 6 person team because we were able to divide and conquer. Teamwork is ESSENTIAL in this room. The live actor aspect made this room incredibly special - both in the theme/storytelling and the logistical functioning of the room. A warning that while not terrifyingly scary, this room was too scary for one of our members and though there was a space she could feel a little more comfortable, there is no real escape from the scary parts. (We should have definitely assumed given the name of the room and the live actor aspect.) We were able to make it work, and appreciate the actors/GMs preserving the story for us while also being sensitive to our nervous teammate. We were the 5th group to play and it already felt really smooth, which is very impressive considering how new this room is! The stars of the show are truly the actors - they guided the story while performing beautifully. Long story short - this was a very fun room with good puzzles, great storytelling and excellent actors.

We played this room the first day it was open to the public. We had fun playing it, and while it was good, I know it has the potential to be great. This room was built from within, and you can see and feel the love through their work. The staff has the drive to keep improving the room even after each playthrough. The puzzles were authentically connected to the theme of the room and provided our group the opportunity to split up and solve them.