Chapter 1: Occam's ApartmentOff The Couch GamesEscape roomIRLAbsolutely stellar experience. The story and setting were incredibly immersive—felt like we were in the apartment, not just playing in a set. Puzzle flow was smooth and purposeful, pushing the story forward in all the right ways. Big props to the GM system: hinting came from an in-world NPC, integrated perfectly with the narrative and never broke immersion. Hints nudged us just enough without spoiling anything—textbook execution. The whole staff was top-notch, from the welcome to the intro to the post-room debrief. Everyone clearly loves what they’re doing, and it showed. The variety of puzzle types—some familiar, some wildly original—kept things fresh, and the light tech integration was seamless and thematic. We played as a duo, which worked great. With more players, you’d move faster, but honestly, smaller is better here—you’ll want time to savor all the layers. Not scary, but definitely unsettling in places. Too sophisticated and cerebral for kids, though. Bonus: you interact with live actors during the game, which adds even more depth. Highly recommend—this one’s easily in my top 3 of all time. Can’t wait for Chapter 2!
Scooby-Doo™ and the Spooky Castle AdventureEscapology - StonestownEscape roomIRLOne puzzle was omitted from our game. Each iconic character had their own challenge to solve, but one of them was never triggered, and an obvious puzzle with different colored handprints was never referenced during our game. The game master explained afterward, “Oh that character didn’t have a puzzle to solve. They just wanted the Scooby snacks.” Aside from that, also just no real continuity. While one puzzle led to the next, there wasn’t a true flow. Just a bunch of puzzles to do with Scooby doo theming. While there was some cool technology incorporated it felt under utilized and didn’t live up to its potential.
A Pirate's CurseEscapology - StonestownEscape roomIRLGameplay was decently fun, though a few things held it back. It rides the line between a thumbs up and a thumbs down—most players will probably enjoy it enough, but it wasn’t a standout. The atmosphere had a solid pirate theme, with some cool staging elements, but parts felt worn down or in disrepair. The mix of mechanical puzzles and random tech occasionally threw off the immersion. Shoutout to our GM, who managed a smooth start despite juggling multiple groups. Biggest gripe: the hint system. We asked for guidance and got flat-out answers instead—sometimes without even asking. All hints came as generic on-screen text, no voice, and clearly not tailored to our group. That took a bit of the fun out of it.
