Time Machine

Rating 3.5/5 - Fun, nostalgic trip through time periods Pros: -The set was nicely done, the time machine looked cool and the various props from each time period were appropriate -Good amount of tech with some padlocks mixed in -Cool use of LED lighting -I enjoyed the nostalgia with many pop culture references -Multiple rooms to explore -Friendly and helpful GM Mixed feelings: -I liked the concept/theme but the sets were not quite as elaborate or fantastical as many of their other rooms -There is a puzzle that may be very difficult if the team isn't familiar with historical music, our team didn't have a problem with it though Cons: -Not a fan of solving the same puzzle twice with increasing difficulty, the multiple paths made it annoying to solve as it involved trial & error -No writing pad provided and many of the puzzles are easier if you take notes. The owners says they don't provide markers due to vandalism, but many other escape rooms provide inexpensive electronic Boogie Boards to solve that problem. Taking notes on your phone is not a good substitute for something to write with. I'd recommend 3-4 players, though it's probably playable with 2 if you are experienced. There are two floors, so stairs are required. One person will need to crawl. My ranking of the rooms here I've played starting with my favorite: 1. Ghost Town - Rating: 4.5/5 2. Murder Mansion - Rating: 4/5 3. The Pirate Ship - Rating: 4/5 4. Prison Break - Rating: 3.5/5 5. Time Machine - Rating: 3.5/5 6. The Scary One - Rating: 3.5/5 7. Abduction - Rating: 3.5/5 8. Shock & Awe - Rating: 3/5

You’re in a Time Machine and you need to go back in time to retrieve several artifacts… you travel through the 50s, 60s, and 90s to retrieve them in order to make your way back home. The set had some really awesome items from the decades you traveled through, but there were only a couple rooms/decades you traveled through (which this is just a 60 minute room, so it does make sense, but I would have liked to see some more decades or props, personally.) There were some really cool moments in this room, including the movement from the 60s to the 90s, and the final puzzle. The wall maze was really frustrating for our group - it wasn’t that you had to find your way out. You had to find the right way out based on what pieces you had left that matched each exit. So you wouldn’t know it was the wrong way until you got to the very end. And you had to do the puzzle twice, so it ended up just being a time waster. There was some outside knowledge needed for the final puzzle but, truthfully, we were able to guess most of them just by listening. And, thankfully, if you got some wrong, it showed you which ones needed to be changed, which was really helpful. Probably the best way to do a puzzle like that. Overall, this was probably my least favorite of the four we did at Countdown (in order from least to fave: Time Machine, The Scary One, Murder Mansion, then Ghost Town). But I think that speaks more to how ambitious and incredible the other games are than this room lacking.

Overall Time Machine was our favorite room we have played at Countdown! It’s a simple premise but checks all the boxes for puzzle lovers. Very fun to progress through different decades. We had so much fun that we ended up playing almost all of their games. A special shoutout to Cally especially, for being a wonderful guide and hyping us up. My only complaint with countdown is that GMs run two rooms at a time which can lead to a little delay when clues are concerned and feel disjointed when one person intros, another person gives clues, and another person outros.

Another gem at Countdown! Impressive immersion, high tech puzzles, unique story, and fun interactions with the "AI." Lots of escape rooms are packed with a ton of generic puzzles, but this room certainly had quality over quantity and a good variety. Come see what makes Countdown so special!

I really enjoyed the theming of this room, and the grand finale was super fun. We spent way too long playing hide and seek, and it could've easily been avoided if our GM weren't running two rooms and were more attentive. The quality of this room is very impressive for the area as well. Definitely worth a visit!

We’ve tried this room 3 times and can’t get past one of the puzzles. Love the nostalgia though !

A wicked nostalgia trip with really fun sets. The final puzzle will surely have your whole team amped up. The best thong I can say is that the satisfaction this room gave my team was so sweet we immediately booked a second experience right after it. Pro-tip, our GM allowed us to use the Notes function on our phone for one particularly tricky puzzle near the end since they don’t provide a note taking device. Also if your team has 2 people and you want to do one of their larger experiences they will allow you to book it as a walk in for the price of two people instead of charging for the extra slot. (Assuming the game you want to play is open) One of the best meldings of good story and good puzzles I have ever played.

We left this room hyped, which is the best kind of room! It had some unique puzzles that were a lot of fun!

Very unique time travel room that I wasn’t expecting! The game plays out like a trip through sitcoms of the past century. Sort of like going through a family’s house through the ages. I equate it to playing through the Marvel TV show Wandavision, which is a big plus for me. The props and set designs have an authentic and nostalgic feel. Puzzlewise, there are a few gems based on pop culture fads of each decade you visit. Expect more TV/music instead of history or futuristic. But there are also annoying guess and check puzzles, as well as one that takes a long time and requires some outside knowledge or at least the ability to make inferences based on factors outside what is given to the room. It’s a weird and fun ending that feels out of place but I think many families will enjoy working through. A device broke on us and someone had to come in and manually fix it, which soured our experience. But we still really enjoyed our time travel trip otherwise.

This may be my absolute favorite escape room I’ve done. Countdown games is, hand’s down, the most immersive and novel rooms you will play. We have done murder mansion, pirate ship, and the scary one, but Time Machine was amazing. The puzzles are thought provoking, difficult but doable, and thematic. The set is so nostalgic and brings you back in time. Loved the final puzzle the most! Highly recommend if you want a fun family friendly fly game!