Wizard's Treasure60Out - HollywoodEscape roomIRLThis is the first game we did with our kids. They loved it. Pros: - Very whimsical. -Lots of variety in scenery and puzzles - nice emphasis on teamwork and cooperation Cons: My kiddos needed more help than I thought they would Some of the decor had wear that took away from the exp
The HeistThe Escape Game - ChicagoEscape roomIRLOur first non private room, and it will make us seriously consider ever doing that again. The room was fine. It was a fun room, but we wished it leaned into the unique theme more. Some fun puzzles and satisfying reveals.
The Onyx TowerPanIQ Room - Logan SquareEscape roomIRLOur first room! My husband and I did this as a last minute date night and it started us becoming enthusiasts. The room is 45 minutes and can only fit two. The business is in a building that an old bank and the location adds to the vibe. Street parking available. Pros: -Fun connection of the puzzles to the theme. - A few rewarding puzzles with novel payoff. - Some out of the box thinking on a puzzle or two that caught us off guard. Cons: -A bit of wear on the room that did impact puzzle play -Very tight and dark space -Story elements felt light and ambiguous
The Red WirePanIQ Room - Logan SquareEscape roomIRLBeing a spy has never been so much fun! This is a pleasant room with consistent storyline and a good mix of physical and mental puzzles. Some light tech moments without being a high tech room. Pros: - Each space within the room fit the theme. -Some unique approaches and out of the box theming. -Strong sense of progression -Locks felt purposeful vs just to have something to unlock. Cons: -Inconsistent moments of payoff when solving a puzzle. -One or two things didn't work quite right. -Some light wear that provided help for some solutions. Beautiful building with street parking.
Star Trek Discovery: Damage Control [prev. Star Trek: Quantum Filament]Escapology - Orland ParkEscape roomIRLFun, highly tech focused room that leans into the sci-fi experience. While not as Star Trek specific as some may hope, there are fun Easter eggs for fans of Discovery. Star Trek knowledge is not needed to complete the room. Lovely gamemaster, and a welcoming facility. Most puzzles involve interaction with a computer interface. A few mechanical elements for those who like to work with their hands. Pro: High immersion into a sci-fi outer space world. Puzzles integrated well with the narrative. Cons: Puzzles fit standard expectations with no big "wow" moments. Missed opportunity for more star trek franchise connections. A lot for our group of two to do, but a big group might struggle with people standing around waiting on others.
LockbustersEscape 605Escape roomIRLLockbusters takes you back! As someone who lived during this time I enjoyed the theming. My group of three had a pleasant time at the game and we did escape. Run as an independent company, the room does not have the flash of some rooms out there, but you do feel like you are in an old video store. Some of the puzzles are novel and fun, but most are pretty standard. General movie knowledge was helpful but not essential. Pros: - Nostalgic theme -A few unique clues -The timer showed how many puzzles you completed and how many you had left to go. Cons: - Less flashy and polished as other rooms we played. -Some missed opportunities to go deeper with the theme. -Some clues just opened a lock and you got another number for another lock. Didn't feel as novel or immersive as it could have been. -A few puzzles felt glitchy. - One or two original puzzle elements seemed to be by passed. We couldn't tell if this was because they didn't consistently work or if the room wasn't set up correctly. - Our GM was pleasant but uninterested. We wondered if he had a late night and little sleep. We asked for clue and didn't get one for an 5ish minutes. We were at a bottleneck and we're stopped from moving on.
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