Election DayAppleseed AvenueEscape roomOther 7.5/10 I have never felt more conflicted with a room than I have with Appleseed Avenue’s Election Day. First, I want to preface my review with this. Election Day absolutely will be on the TERPECA list. Maybe not in time for 2025, but it will be in the top 80 for 2026. Maybe top 50. This is one of the most original rooms I have played in the entire world. The creativity is unparalleled. You will experience multiple game mechanics you have never come across anywhere else just in this one room. Now, with that out of the way. Let’s talk about why I feel conflicted. This game absolutely needs a minimum of 4 people. I would truly recommend 5 to 6 because there is an immense amount of “work” to be dealt with. I played with 5 and we feel like we could have used an extra person. Take note of my use of “work” in quotations. This game is TECH HEAVY! 95% of your experience will be on a computer. If sitting in front of a monitor reading emails is not your cup of tea, than this won’t be the game for you. There are learning curves that are very demanding for some of the puzzle mechanics that make the first half of your experience some what frustrating. You will be reading, A LOT. And you will reread all of it over and over again because the amount of information thrown at you is a bit overwhelming. Your team will be divided right from the beginning. As you will need to work together, the mechanics are so deep you can’t really trade places if you don’t want to play your side anymore. This makes me a bit sad because you will absolutely miss out on what your other half of the team is doing. Want to see how all of that side of the room mechanics work? Book the room again and play that side. That’s the only way. From a replayability stand point, that is fantastic. But I want to experience the joy on my teammates faces when they solve something. The separation takes that completely away from you. And you will feel separated. There were times where I felt I was playing a completely different escape room than my teammates. If you go into Election Day with the understanding that this is a tech heavy room, that the majority of your experience will be on a computer, that you will be separated from your group, and with an understanding of being prepared to read A LOT of information, this room could easily earn its place in the top escape rooms you will ever have the joy of playing. The story is hilarious, the production is outstanding, the originality is exceptional, and the love and creativity are inspiring. So much so it feels like a privilege to be allowed to play this game. Hopefully those of you who read this will have a better understanding of what you are getting yourself into and will help enhance your experience rather than leave you feeling conflicted.
