The Wonderful Wizard of Oz13th Hour Escape Room - WhartonEscape roomIRLOur small but experienced team of 2 had an amazing time in this room! The atmosphere and storytelling is superb. There is a good range of puzzles, some are a bit tricky but most are probably on the easy side for experienced players. I wouldn’t let that deter you if you are looking for a challenge, though, as the fun factor makes it worth it for veterans. If you are a fan of the movie this is a must see. Unlimited hints and friendly staff. You can tell this company cares about the experience of the customers. Without giving anything away they add small personal touches that ensure your team has a memorable experience!
Bros for Life: Fraternity HeistThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLThis room is a must play in Orlando! At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about the theme, but my team had so much fun in this room I have become a “party theme” convert. The atmosphere is great. I won’t give anything away but this may be the first ER I’ve ever done where, at one part, I actually felt like I was standing outdoors. There’s a great mix of puzzles with some light physical activity involved. I don’t believe experienced teams will find it TOO challenging , but again it is a lot of fun. The space is relatively large but for experienced teams I would recommend a smaller group or 2 or 3 so that everyone is able to get in on the action. I cannot recommend this ER company enough!! My small, experienced team loved this game so much. We also had a great time chatting with employees afterwards about the rooms, other places we’ve visited, and recommendations for other ERs to check out in Orlando!
Southport School for WizardsMaine Escape GamesEscape roomIRLMy small but experienced group had an amazing time visiting Maine Escape Games! The rooms we played there looked great and were mostly high tech, using little to no padlocks. This Harry Potter-esque room was a lot of fun and definitely brought the magic. For two of us, there was a LOT to do, and the room has a great mix of puzzle types with varying complexity. A couple of the puzzles were a bit frustrating, requiring a small leap of logic, but this was not the case for most of the room and MEG offers unlimited hints if needed. For experienced enthusiasts I would recommend a team size of no more than 3 or 4, that way everyone is able to contribute. Again, our team of 2 was able to finish with only a little help but we were both on our toes most of the time. It is a decent sized space though, so a larger group of newbies would feel relatively comfortable as well.
Pandora’s BoxTrapped! Escape Room - Las VegasEscape roomIRLThis room is relatively small and straightforward compared to others at this location, but it was still a lot of fun. The atmosphere is cool and there was some fun surprises and high tech puzzles that were entertaining. Our game master was excellent, she remained in character the whole time we were with her and really seemed to care that we enjoyed ourselves (which we did!!) This room would probably be best for a group of newcomers, but our experienced team of 2 enjoyed it as well.
Puppet Heist: The Hand Of LifeThe Bureau Adventure GamesEscape roomIRLThe room was large and looked great, I also appreciate the unique nature of this room and the novel (puppet related) way you need to “solve” some of the puzzles. I wanted to love this room, I really did, but I found it less enjoyable, even frustrating at times, compared to the other rooms I’ve played at the Bureau. I found that there were a few leaps of logic when it came to advancing the story or completing the puzzles. At times, my team wasn’t quite sure what needed to be completed next or even what we were attempting to achieve. I don’t think it’s a bad room, but there are a LOT of great rooms in Orlando and this one missed the mark a bit for me. Also, our experience with the staff was a little cold compared to other ER places. We were sort of left alone in a large waiting area for a long time, escorted to the room and then were sent on our way. It didn’t exactly leave us eager to return.
Strange MagicMind MastersEscape roomIRLFor anyone traveling to the Orlando area to do rooms, I highly recommend taking a drive to Claremont to play Strange Magic. Strange Magic is an incredibly unique escape room. Without giving too much away, the game relies completely on tech and next gen puzzles to provide a truly “magical” experience. Many of the puzzles also require outside the box thinking, making it trickier than many other rooms we have done. For experienced teams I would recommend a smaller group of around 3 (we did it with 2). They also provide unlimited hints in case newer groups have a difficult time with the puzzles.
Imaginasium of IntrigueRi Riddle RoomEscape roomIRLThis is a large, beautiful room with a unique storyline. There are a lot of puzzles, including “Bonus” puzzles that add to an overall score you accumulate! Our experienced group of three was kept on their toes the whole time, so I believe that this room would be quite challenging for beginners. This is my favorite room so far from the RI Riddle Room team, but I also recommend the Forrest of Fortune and Vanishing at the Velmont.
Something Wicked!PuzzlEscape HudsonEscape roomIRLMy small but experienced group of 2 had an incredibly fun time playing this room! I wouldn’t say that the room is scary, but it is set in a creepy environment with a great atmosphere. I’ve done some legitimately scary rooms and even so, something about this one still managed to give me the creeps in a fun way! There’s a great mix of all different types and skill levels of puzzle. I don’t think ER enthusiasts will find it TOO challenging…though I believe we had to ask for a hint or 2. This room may be a bit tricky for newcomers, but they offer lots of hints if desired and I think patrons of any skill level would have fun in this room. This is a great company that recently reopened in a new location. Every staff member I’ve interacted with, in both old and new locations, has been great and I can’t wait to try out their other rooms!
The Mischievous ElvesOcean State EscapeEscape roomIRLA festive Christmas atmosphere. The puzzles include a lot of lock boxes and gen 1 type gameplay, but there are a LOT of puzzles and we were kept busy the whole time! A small family business that is super friendly and really wants their guests to have a good time. We have enjoyed all of their rooms and look forward to any future games as well!
Nonna's HouseOcean State EscapeEscape roomIRLOcean State Escape is a great family owed business and my team always has a great time there! Nonna’s House is their oldest room. It is mostly gen 1 and low tech but there is a LOT of puzzles (Ocean State really likes to pack a lot of puzzles into their rooms :) ). While this may be their “easiest” room and good for beginners, it still managed to keep my experienced group busy and having a fun time! The OSC staff is very friendly and they offer as many or as few hints as you want, so this is a great room for beginners, though if this is one of your first rooms you may need to work fast. For experienced players I would recommend a smaller group of 2 or 3, and I recommend checking out their mischievous elf room as well!
