The Body ShopRed Fox EscapesEscape roomIRLTake the Gore warning seriously. It's not scary, but it is a surprise. So if that would bother you, maybe skip this one. This was a fun one! Very immersive, with a lot of puzzles at the same time. There were some physical tricks I haven't seen before. Really cool! It was also, apparently, a variable room, so the GM ratcheted up the difficulty on our team midway, since we were solving things quickly. That's neat. Very immersive! A worth-it room 👍
The DepthsThe Escape Game - IrvineEscape roomIRLThe puzzle was fun, with an unexpected interactive element (you'll know what I'm talking about once you do it). That element would have been a little difficult with only 2 or 3 players. The room did feel a little crowded with 7, so to optimize I'd cap it at 5 or 6. But the puzzles were fun, there was a good variety, the story was cool, the details were well designed, and the location was well maintained. I do wish TEG wouldn't run the clock while story videos were playing. Overall, yes I recommend playing this room!
Mystical ManorOscar’s PlaygroundEscape roomIRLOverall we enjoyed the room, but there are some things that could improve. The story wasn't really linear, so we solved a few puzzles before triggering one that explained the premise of the plot... which we'd already gotten from the intro video. We also accidentally solved the end puzzle with 17 minutes to go, then circled back to finish the ones we'd skipped. The open floor plan was a little tricky, since we could hear people in the room next door, and that made the plot dev recordings a little hard to hear. I also wish there was a lighting effect that would trigger with an opening box to highlight where to go next. Even with these notes, it was a fun way to spend an hour. Best played with 3 people, I think, but very doable with 2.
The Mystic's LairTrapdoor Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLJamie was a great GM. He had a great handle on when and how to give us hints. The room isn't what you'd get at a big box franchiser, but it's an obvious labor of love created by someone who has a deep adoration for gaming, puzzles, and tinkering. The pace of play was awesome, there were some really original pizzle ideas, and it was pretty hard... halfway through we were SURE we wouldnt finish, and then it snowballed faster and faster until we escaped. Cool room! I would definitely try the other room here, and someone else in our group said "this reignited my interest in doing escape rooms!"
