Ghost LightMyssTic RoomsEscape roomIRLThis was a delightful, narratively driven room. Everything just elegantly flowed, from one puzzle to another. Slightly spooky, without even coming near "creepy." I don't think I've done a room where I've had such a sense of calm wash over me as I played.
Raver QuestPier PressureEscape roomIRLThis wasn’t a particularly hard room…but it was a FUN room. And definitely a unique theme.
Candy Factory ChallengeEscape Room NoviEscape roomIRLThis was simply a delightful room, with the joy and visual sparkle of Willy Wonka around every corner...with some nice surprises waiting to be sprung on you.
The Jade SkullEscape Room BrightonEscape roomIRLOf the two rooms we did at this facility today, I liked this one leaps and bounds ahead of the other room. Here, we were tasked with exploring an Aztec temple that was going to be leveled by an earthquake in about an hour's time; we had to go in, locate and retrieve the legendary Jade Skull, worth untold amounts of money. The set design and technology were both impressive (only two physical locks), and where with the UFO room (see review) I felt we were employing a constant stream of hints to keep forward momentum, here we only reallly had one hint toward the beginning (and also one requested confirmation that some set design elements were merely window dressing and not clues). Note: I am biased by the theme, as ancient ruins and archaeology are some of my favorite themes. Also, UFO was one of their most difficult rooms, and this was one of their easiest. But, this was very enjoyable and atmospheric, with some clever puzzles, as well.
The SpeakeasyEscape Room NoviEscape roomIRLUpon walking into the room, I was surprised to see a lot of familiar elements. I had done the Blind Tiger room at Escaparium Laval in Montreal a couple months back, and this was clearly the same room (it turns out that both facilities bought the room from the same company). However, there was JUST enough in the room that was different that I was pretty sure this wasn't going to be a walk in the park (especially since I'd done the Montreal room with four others, and there were several puzzles solved I was not a part of). Later, I checked with a contact at Escaparium in Montreal, and they confirmed they changed it quite a bit upon purchase (including using a live actor). (I know that a Blind Tiger is a generic room for a speakeasy, so I didn't think for a second when signing up that there would be similarities!)
Wizard Of OzThe Panic Room 2 - The GroveEscape roomIRLThis was easily my favorite of the four rooms I did this visit to Panic Room. Big Wizard of Oz fan, here. Read all the books growing up. So there were little touches here and there that I appreciated. Great for a solo player…but I could see a small group of experienced players dominating.
Hell HouseThe Panic Room 3 - St Georges CentreEscape roomIRLLoved this room…and a great pick for #300. Every door I was opening, I was doing so with EXTREME trepidation. As a Lovecraft fan, the story was a fun one to be immersed in…and the set design was top notch. This was one of my faves of all the ones I’ve done at Panic Room.
UFO: Alien VoyageEscape Room BrightonEscape roomIRLFor some reason, sci-fi/space themed games are one of my least favorite themes in Escape Rooms...I don't know why. Here, you're abducted by aliens, and (after waking from unconsciousness) you have to figure out how to power up and take control of the ship, and pilot your way to freedom. There was a LOT to do in this room. Either that, or we were interminably spinning our wheels enough that the time went by too quickly. Either way...we lost. I would have potentially rated this game higher had there not been TWO equipment malfunctions during the game...one where something just stopped functioning during a sound-based puzzle, and another where something was "released" prematurely, allowing us to unknowingly bypass two puzzles in the game. Technically, we achieved the win condition, but we wouldn't have been able to solve the two by-passed puzzles in the four minutes remaining, so I count it as a loss. Also...low-powered blacklights and some color-based puzzles that are difficult to solve in low light. All that having been said, for a facility that looks like a converted suburban home from the outside, the set design inside was actually pretty amazing. There wasn't enough wrong with this game to dislike it...and even if everything had been working properly, I'm not sure I would have loved it. But there were enough fun "a-ha" moments that it was still a fun time to spend an hour.
Sugar RushExit Escape Room NYCEscape roomIRLThis room was absolutely delightful. Your team is competing in a Cupcake Bake-Off, but you've been locked in a test kitchen by your competition. You must escape AND decorate cupcakes before time elapses. Comes with a cupcake for each player to enjoy!
