Sal's CyberneticsThe Immersive MachineEscape roomIRLHuge shoutout for Immersive Machine’s “Sal’s Cybernetics”. An absolutely rock solid room in every category that I personally judge ER’s on - production, puzzles, and GM. Sci-if nuts will love the Easter eggs but even if you know nothing of sci-fi you’re gonna have a blast. Puzzle logic and flow was fantastic - it starts easy, letting you get your feet wet, but then builds toward a heart-pumping (literally) adrenalized end. It was more than enough to do even for two enthusiasts and I love how it has spins on even traditional puzzles that made them feel fresh and exciting. Tongue-in-cheek on multiple levels, it’s got something for everyone - comedy, grit, story, and more. I can’t wait to see their future rooms! If you’re dropping through Phoenix/Scottsdale, I would put this as one you have to visit, right alongside Nemesis Club and Paragon.
Lab RatHatch EscapesEscape roomIRLI can see why everyone raves about this room! What a unique perspective - that of the rat rather than the experimenter - and the set designers definitely had fun turning all the lab rat tropes on their head. Sometimes it felt a little weird with how they mixed the whimsical with the more gruesome aspects of being lab rats, but there’s no doubt that there is guaranteed fun to be had with every puzzle they’ve got in this room. I can’t wait to see what they’ll have for their upcoming new room!
Moriarty's ManorMindFox EscapeEscape roomIRLMindfox delivers an amazingly consistent experience between this room and their B&W Cafe and it’s just fantastic how the founders are so enthusiastic about getting feedback and learning how to make the experience better. The thematic elements are incredibly strong and the puzzles consistent with the theme (although I had to lol at how I, the only person in the group who was only a mild and not a huge fan of Doyle’s Sherlock, figured out all the Sherlock-canon puzzles before all the others). Like their other room, it’s a mix of first gen locks and electronics, and of the latter everything worked smoothly and had a polished feel. Just like their other room I thought they managed to figure out just the right number of puzzles - we finished with less than two minutes on the clock and we were all pretty experienced players! We definitely felt like we got our money’s worth and EVERYONE got a good chunk of the action. This was a fun, solid room, and while I like the cafe more simply because it is such a unique idea, I liked how much there was to do in this one. Mindfox seems to be great at balancing all the enjoyable factors of an escape room and I look forward to their third one when they’ve finished developing it.
Odditorium EmporiumEscapeX Rooms - Costa MesaEscape roomIRLWhat an incredible concept and setting! I’ve been back 3 separate times and would definitely try for a fourth - its replayability is insane and the GM alone is worth the entire experience! Just the sheer sass and humor behind the GM’s character and the puzzles and challenges are a must-experience. Be warned, this is not your typical escape room experience - it’s more like the room is filled with 50 different puzzles and there’s a system for which ones you get to try and solve for points. Your challenge is not to beat the time but to use the time to harvest as many points as possible. Usually my partner and I don’t like these types of games, but this one is so brilliant that we don’t mind visiting again and again.
Mutiny: Skull IslandEscape Games at the RiverEscape roomIRLAll of their games have an incredibly high bar in production value, but Mutiny has to be my favorite just in terms of the sets involved and the flow of puzzles. How they transition you into the last room is just absolutely ingenious storytelling - anything more and I would spoil the rest! So I’ll just say if you have the luxury of doing several at Escape at the River, definitely include this room!
Black and White CafeMindFox EscapeEscape roomIRLFinally made it to the Black & White Cafe! It’s just as adorable and fun as everyone says it is 🥰 It’s such a simple theme but they take it to the max - it really did feel like it was a little cafe that you were responsible for! Lots of locks but the puzzles were so in-theme and physically interactive I didn’t mind at all. Even though they say it was geared toward beginners and introducing newbies to the world of escape rooms, even as someone who’s done 50+ rooms, I felt the puzzles had refreshing twists to them. Most importantly, nothing felt like it was such a huge leap of logic that I felt like it required a GM’s help to finish, but weren’t so easy that experienced escapers would finish too quickly. Great balance. Absolutely two thumbs up - I can’t believe the creators made this after just playing 15 escape rooms themselves! 😱
The Curse Of The Black KnightEscapeX Rooms - IrvineEscape roomIRLA solid escape room with great production set. A bit on the easy side particularly with the experience that our group collectively had, but would be really fun for groups that are still relatively new to escape rooms. The puzzles are consistent with the theme and the last step out of the room was such a cute and fun idea! Would be great for families with younger kids.
Red GiantQuest Room - HollywoodEscape roomIRLWhat an amazingly fun room! As with all of Quest Room’s games, incredibly high and polished production sets, but beyond that it was just plain fun. We got out with plenty of time but let me tell you, they had some tricks that really put the pressure on even without the timer ticking away! Ingenious and really brings out all the best of the whole treasure-hunting genre. An absolute blast to play.
Miss Jezebel 2! The Happy Holiday Heist!60Out - DowntownEscape roomIRLWhat an EXTRAORDINARY experience!! It’s just a crime that this will be gone at the end of the year. 😭 This is a level of actor interaction that is far and beyond anything else I’ve experienced yet and the talent needed for it is just incredible. Hilarious, raunchy, tailored to each individual, this was worth every penny and more. If I ever had the chance to play it again I would leap on it (complete with lusty cry!) without hesitation!
The Lost ExpeditionSteal and EscapeEscape roomIRLA solid room with a good mix of thematically-consistent locks and electronic additions. The last room especially has a really fun moment but I won’t spoil it! Great for families but with enough challenges for exes experienced groups. Great production design and polish.
