Murder MansionCountdown GamesEscape roomIRLProbably in our top 5 all-time games. Definitely the best we played here. We detoured a couple hours out of our way on a cross-country trip and are very glad we did!
PlaygroundThe Escape Game - CincinnatiEscape roomIRLDefinitely recommend! We usually prefer 2-4 people for a room (and can escape easily with that number) but we were pressed for time with 4 people on this one.
Time MachineCountdown GamesEscape roomIRLFun game. Worth playing but doesn’t have the same “wow factor” as some of their other games.
The Scary OneCountdown GamesEscape roomIRLThis is one of the times where I wish there was an option between thumbs up and thumbs down. A few positives… There is one big reveal at the end that is truly impressive to see, although even for that the disruption in game flow required to make it work almost made it not worth it. One early easy puzzle gave us a bit of a chuckle. Another puzzle in the second part tied a few earlier elements together nicely. Overall however… this was one of the most frustrating games we’ve played in a long time. LOTS of combo locks and LOTS and LOTS of reading (much of it creepy) and often in dim lighting. We really wished there had been a notebook/whiteboard available - true in another of their rooms too, but especially true of this one. There were multiple combo locks required to open a single element, one puzzle (which seemed very promising) that was just a complete dead-end, and another that could be a huge time-waster if you didn’t notice the “trick” early on (which thankfully we did!) Even puzzles-types that we’ve seen often in other rooms played out awkwardly here. We usually appreciate non-linear structures where we can work on different things in parallel but in this case the noise from one puzzle/conversation became too much distraction for another. (This might have been easier if we had something to write with/on.) Our group got to (but didn’t solve) the final puzzle, but I’m not sure that more people would have helped. I started off marking this thumbs up - mostly because the couple of truly unique things will likely impress most enthusiasts - but as I worked through each element of the review, I realized that for us the negatives still outweighed the positives and we really wish we would have chosen one of the other rooms here instead.
Bayou BoathouseFox-n-Otter Adventure Escapes Hendersonville LocationEscape roomIRLReally well themed and the owner/host was just fantastic. Might be a touch easy for experienced players, but the environment and gameplay were still quite fun and like all the rooms we’ve done with them, highly suitable for the kids as well as adults.
Special Ops: Mysterious MarketThe Escape Game - CincinnatiEscape roomIRLThis one is now in our top ten! Immersive and excellent game flow.
Out of TimeBlack Mountain EscapeEscape roomIRLExcellent experience! Both rooms we did were fantastic and the hosts were delightful!
Geno's GetawayFox-N-Otter Adventure Escapes Asheville Mall LocationEscape roomIRLFun, family friendly game with some novel puzzles. Game flow overall was great. One puzzle was accidentally circumvented by luck - would be nice to see that upgraded. Atmosphere was engaging. A couple of elements were almost too engaging - turned out to be red herrings.
Fantastic ForestFox-N-Otter Adventure Escapes Asheville Mall LocationEscape roomIRLThis was a cute game, suitable for younger or new players. For the most part puzzles were too heavily cued to make them challenging for experienced players. There were a couple of fun/whimsical thematic elements in the second half which were novel/interesting. We enjoyed the room well enough, but it’s our least favorite of the ones we’ve done with this company.
