Storyteller's SecretBoxarooEscape roomIRLAn amazing room. Truly one of the top 3 I’ve done thus far. Though the “writer’s study” trope has been done time and time again, this version was a breath of fresh air. Not only were the puzzles intriguing and difficult, they were vibrant and full of life. The ideas were separate but cohesive and the final puzzle had such a smart twist I still remember it some 6 months later.
PlaygroundThe Escape Game - New YorkEscape roomIRLMe and my friend did this room after we tackled this same location’s Prison Break which is one of my favorite rooms I’ve done. We were told there were more puzzles though they were easier. And for two seasoned players like ourselves that’s exactly what we got. Playground was simple but exciting. The puzzles were easy to understand and creatively distributed through the room. Certain puzzles were surprising to unlock and the colorful set design kept us guessing where the next puzzle laid. Starting in a classroom and extending to the schoolyard made the adventure a truly memorable one.
InksidiousEscape Room 66 - Los AngelesEscape roomIRLInksidious’ storyline is the weakest part of the game but that being said the whole game is still incredibly fun. Though it’s very lock based, the puzzles you solve to get the codes are creative and different. The style and aesthetic are well-integrated with the theming of the room and it makes use of the space inside the room, making it feel larger than expected. The second room is worth the price of admission.
Conundrum MuseumBoxarooEscape roomIRLThough not the BEST art museum escape room I’ve done, this is FAR from the worst. The room is relatively small but that’s not to its detriment. The pieces of art around the room had a variety of working parts and ideas they excelled in. Teamwork is a main tent pole of this room and getting the final pieces in place together is satisfying.
Whatever Happened To The Garretts?Maze Rooms - West LAEscape roomIRLThe set design for this one is beyond cool. The use of household appliances of yesteryear immediately immerses you in the 80’s as they intended. It felt like neither the puzzles nor setting took precedent over the other because they melded so well together. The last puzzle, as usual, gave me and my friend a run for our money but we pulled through in the end with no clues. Though the ending wasn’t a great “surprise” for me, it was satisfactory for the room as a whole.
Something's Out There!Maze Rooms - West LAEscape roomIRLGREAT set design all around in this room. Right off the bat the room has you “outside” and no matter how much you still try yourself you’re indoors, it keeps you immersed. The jump-scares were fun and surprising - used sparingly but in the right places. Once again the last puzzle was the main one that stumped me and my partner and the only one we needed a hint for which is always frustrating, especially when going at a clip for the first 3/4’s of a room. Can’t blame the room though, Maze Rooms is good at keeping their theming fresh on what seems like a stale idea.
Prison BreakThe Escape Game - New YorkEscape roomIRLVery well could be my favorite escape room thus far because of how memorable it is. The entire time I felt that me and my buddy were truly figuring out pieces of this big puzzle; really making it out of this prison. And I’m sure prison escape rooms have been done to death but this was the first room I’d done where we started in different rooms and had to help each other, blind to what our partner could see. The physical direction was simply understood but challenging in execution and set pieces brought the whole thing together.
The CourtyardTHE BASEMENT: A Live Escape Room Experience - SylmarEscape roomIRLMy biggest issue with this room is the use of an in-room actor. Most people love it but for me she ruined the room - more explanation given in the live actors section. I’m still giving this room a thumbs up because the set design was incredible and the puzzles themselves were a lot of fun. HOWEVER, this could have been one of my favorite rooms had we not had a 5th person in the room acting like an impudent child asking what we were doing every 5 seconds. Her motive was unclear: she would say helpful sounding things and when we were figuring things out for ourselves, she’d insert herself like the friend in the friend group no one wants to talk to. Basement has not steered my wrong in terms of story and room mechanics thus far so this could have been a fluke game, but be weary, if you don’t like to be constantly talked through your room and guided to your next step, this may not be the room for you.
Wizard's Treasure60Out - HollywoodEscape roomIRLI don’t want it misconstrued: I did enjoy this room. Being the newest at 60Out, I was excited to jump into it and see what it had to offer. It did not disappoint! The most disappointing thing about it was the story and that does not a bad escape room make. The majority of positives come from the room mechanics themself. The entire set was vibrant and clean. The beginning smaller room had a fun, easily graspable premise and the bigger second section had 6 main puzzles, each of which had a gimmick special to them. One puzzle had a broken piece but was easily fixed by the GM who added an entire extra level of humor to the experience. It was nothing game-breaking. The set was impressive and the puzzles were on the simpler side but it’s a great intro room nonetheless.
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle60Out - MelroseEscape roomIRLPlayed this room with two new friends and an old friend of mine and though we are all escape room enthusiasts we are on different experience levels. That didn’t stop this from being an amazing room. It’s difficult and immersive in size and scope but in the best way. It’s not daunting, it really gets you in the world of Jumanji, starting you in a bedroom and choosing your character to break into the game with. With things hidden in the wall and each player have different abilities and puzzles to solve, the gameplay never felt stale. Each puzzle was fresh and understandable from the get go. Lots of fun for a group of 4 or 5.
