Cornstalkers: Lost in the MaizeThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLEscape Venture's best room to date! It has everything I'm looking for in a room: great theming, a jaw-dropping set, logical puzzles, and some absolutely adrenaline-pumping moments.
Echoes at Murder HeightsPuzzle Corp. Escape Rooms [prev. America's Escape Game Orlando]Escape roomIRLScenic was great - I know Escape Ventures helped out with this one - but the puzzles and flow of the room just weren't doing it for me unfortunately. It's a very small space, it's extremely lock-heavy, and it includes several unclear multi-step puzzles which I'm never a fan of. There's much better rooms around.
Phantom Files: The Investigation Of Lockturne ManorThe Escape Ventures - Port CharlotteEscape roomIRLAnother solid room from Escape Ventures! Set design was amazing and just kept surprising throughout, with a solid story that was just a little spooky but not without plenty of laughs. Where I think this room could be improved is with its puzzles, some of which simply felt a bit drawn out or involved a bit more "guess and check" than I usually care for. Phantom Files could easily be a standard 60 minute room, or have a few additional puzzles added to justify its 90 minute playtime!
Click 'N Glitch Arcade PalaceThe Escape Ventures - Port CharlotteEscape roomIRLA fun "retro" theme with great sets, props, and puzzles that fit the theme. Although we found it mostly pretty easy, there were a few great elements towards the end of the game that really stood out and made Click n' Glitch really shine!
Tomb RaidersLock, Clock, and Peril Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLAn absolute must-do! Tons of well-integrated puzzles, with several awesome twists and surprises along the way. Truly an incredible use of space that makes progressing through Tomb Raider super memorable and exciting!
Teleporter TrialsLock, Clock, and Peril Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLThis is truly a hidden gem and absolutely worth the drive. Teleporter Trials was filled with immersive elements, comedic moments, and surprises around every corner. Tanya and Paul are clearly very passionate about building rooms that are not only fun, but unique as well. I cannot recommend this room enough!
Metro MayhemMasterpiece EscapesEscape roomIRLThis was a surprise hit! A bit campy, kind of cheesy, and just all around fun. There were several great surprises and some truly unique and interactive puzzles along the way!
WreckedMasterpiece EscapesEscape roomIRLHad an absolutely amazing time! Uriah is so passionate about his rooms and was an amazing and generous host. Wrecked in particular stood out during our visit due to several unique and clever puzzles that were well-executed within the story and theme of the room. Several great scares along the way to boot!
The Legend of AtlantisGatlin's Escape Games - Downtown GatlinburgEscape roomIRLSome very difficult puzzles, but we also found them very straightforward and fun. Tech aspects worked perfectly - this was our personal favorite of the trip. Beth was an amazing guide!
Masters Of MagicGatlin's Escape Games - The VillageEscape roomIRLA combination of questionable GM directions, worn-out props, and unsatisfying solves made this a less than stellar experience. We were given a tip early on in the game to bring certain items with us to avoid return trips to the starting room, which led us to assume that we would not need to backtrack. That assumption was incorrect. When asked about how he were supposed to solve the final puzzle, we were basically told it was "guess and check" when in reality it's more likely the props were just too faded to read. We were audibly walked through multiple parts of the game as well, perhaps due to past technical failures or guests not doing the tricks correctly. All of this completely ruined the magic. Hopefully the Pigeon Forge location's updated version fares better!
