Cornstalkers: Lost in the MaizeThe Escape Ventures - OrlandoEscape roomIRLWhat an INCREDIBLE experience. From the intro of this room to the very last scene, you are completely immersed inside of this world. The story building is spectacular with everything coming full circle at the end. The finale is one of the most intense scenes you’ll ever experience, after being built up the entire 90 minute room. Be prepared to run, and unlock locks FAST, before collapsing on the floor of the next room and having to immediately start puzzle solving again. The set design truly makes you feel like you’re in the maze, and you’re not getting out. Also, since the doors “lock” behind you (you are able to leave at any time by telling them you’d like to exit) you truly feel trapped and your flight or fight kicks in. What an INCREDIBLE escape room that everyone should experience at least once!
Storyteller's SecretBoxarooEscape roomIRLI can see how this is a top rated room… it just wasn’t for me. Starting with the incredible parts the set design was amazing. The way everything connected aesthetically was incredible and the clue and storyline devices used were inventive and novel. However, I felt like the rest of this room was a bit of a mess at points. There was multiple times where you had no idea what to do next, just where you had to end up or open up. Also, a lot of the puzzles you had to backtrack to and do again, something I am not a fan of at all. One of the puzzles was literally impossible to do with 2 people (3+ required) and they very clearly had to override it, although they were very nice about it. Finally, I HATE word unscrambles in escape rooms. No spoilers on where or when it is in the room but these feel less of a fun puzzle and more of a skill based challenge. It was also quite a long phrase that you had no direction to help you figure it out… overall, a super fun experience that i’m so glad I was able to do but definitely wouldn’t rank it as high as others claim it to be.
Cinema 7Will To Escape - OrlandoEscape roomIRLCinema 7 at Will to Escape is a room I’ve heard hyped up over and over—and somehow, it still managed to blow my expectations out of the water. While it doesn’t reinvent escape rooms entirely, it takes familiar elements and pushes them to a level that feels fresh and exciting. Just when one area starts to feel wrapped up, a new space opens and completely changes the vibe. The pacing is spot-on, and there’s never a dull moment. The set design is one of the best I’ve seen. It really sells the old, decaying movie theater atmosphere—flickering lights, gritty textures, and eerie sound design all come together to make it feel real. You can tell they weren’t working with a massive budget, but the way they used what they had was genuinely impressive. Every room felt intentional and added something to the experience. The tech was definitely a highlight. While there were still some standard mechanical locks, the moments that stood out were all tech-driven—unexpected, clever, and totally immersive. Even though there was a mix, the cool technical reveals are what I walked away remembering. It made the room feel dynamic without being overcomplicated. There’s a moment involving a crate—no spoilers, don’t worry—but it genuinely blew my mind. Not because of what was inside (it’s not some crazy twist), but because of how it played out. The timing, the build-up, the payoff… it all just hit perfectly. Easily the “wow” moments of this escape room (not counting the set design reveal itself!). The story starts strong with a spooky, self-guided tour setup, but it does fade into the background a bit as the game goes on. Personally, I didn’t mind—it still felt cohesive, and the experience didn’t rely on you following the plot beat by beat. It’s more about the mood and progression than deep narrative, and that worked just fine. One heads-up: it does involve crawling, climbing, and squeezing through some tighter spots. That adds a lot to the immersion, but it may not be ideal for every group. Having a team member unable to perform these actions would really take away from their experience in the room as there comes a point where they'd just be standing around for a while. I’d recommend it for 2–4 players max—anything more might get cramped or chaotic as two of the rooms are quite small. Overall, Cinema 7 is creepy, creative, and packed with surprises. It’s one of the most memorable rooms I’ve played in the area, and the way it keeps you on your toes from start to finish is something I won’t forget anytime soon.
The Body ShopRed Fox EscapesEscape roomIRLOverall one of the top rooms I’ve ever done! You felt truly immersed in the experience and the storyline was super easy to follow despite them not really explaining it verbatim. The puzzles were VERY cool with a good mix of things i’ve seen before and new and inventive ones! Nonlinear room with a BUNCH of puzzles so definitely be prepared to run around and solve a bunch of things solo or in a small group!
Disappearance: Last LocationWill To Escape - OrlandoEscape roomIRLDisappearance: Last Location had a beautifully designed set — the cabin aesthetic was immersive and moody, and the atmosphere hit immediately. From the lighting to the sound design, it definitely captured the creepy, isolated vibe it was going for. But when you start to look more closely, some of the finer details didn’t hold up as well. It felt like a great environment at first glance, but a little underdeveloped in spots if you’re being picky. Puzzle-wise, this room was noticeably harder than Cinema 7. The flow wasn’t as smooth, and we found ourselves needing a few nudges because things that felt “done” still had unclear extra steps. Some of the logic didn’t click for us, and overall it felt a bit disjointed — not impossible, but not intuitive either. It was definitely a room that required teamwork and communication to get through, but sometimes even that wasn’t enough without a push. As for room transitions and reveals, they weren’t as exciting as I’d hoped. After playing Cinema 7, which had incredible pacing and surprises, this one felt more restrained. The space itself was much smaller, which also limited that sense of discovery. There were a handful of jumpscares that got us good, but overall the tension came more from the feeling that something might happen, rather than anything super intense. The ending seems to get a lot of love, but it didn’t really work for me. I’m someone who needs a storyline to be super obvious — especially in escape rooms where my brain is focused on solving puzzles — and this one just didn’t click. I kind of missed what the emotional payoff was supposed to be, and the final room felt underwhelming instead of impactful. All that said, it’s still a solid experience with a strong theme and good moments. It’s just not as cohesive or satisfying as Cinema 7. I’d still recommend it if you’re a fan of moody, story-driven rooms — just maybe don’t play it right after their best one.
The Seventh RoomDare 2 EscapeEscape roomIRLThe Seventh Room was a decent room overall, especially if you’re into creepy atmospheres and isolation-based tension. I’d heard a lot of hype about how scary it was, but it’s not packed with constant jump scares or horror moments — it leans more into suspense and unsettling sound design. Most of the fear comes from the unknown: eerie audio, dark spaces, and not knowing what’s coming when new areas unlock. There were a couple pitch-black sections that definitely had me on edge, but nothing that felt outright terrifying in the traditional sense. The team does a great job prioritizing player safety. Before the game starts, they ask for a safeword and clearly explain that using it won’t end your game or make you fail — it just pauses the experience so a game master can check in and make sure you’re mentally and physically okay. That reassurance made a big difference going in. The scariest moment for me wasn’t even a typical “scare” — it was when a person entered the room. There are no live actors in a performance sense, but someone is physically present at one point for safety monitoring. They don’t speak or interact at all, but just being there made everything so overwhelming for me that I almost safeworded out. For those who love intense, immersive fear, this moment will probably be thrilling. But for people who are more sensitive to scare elements or sensory overload, it might push too far. I was on the verge of a panic attack — I was crying and trying to breathe through it — because even though what was happening wasn't objectively that scary, the combination of total darkness, isolation, noise, and presence of another person completely overloaded my senses. There’s also a lot of confined space — especially during the isolation segments. We had a group of three, and all of us were split up at some point. One small space in particular made me feel claustrophobic even though I’m usually fine with tight areas, so heads-up if that’s something you struggle with. This room is absolutely designed to push boundaries — not through gore or jump scares, but through sensory intensity. It was well done in that sense but just make sure to take care of yourself. Use the safe word if you need it. If I hadn't been briefed from fellow escape room people and experienced it blind, I would have walked out feeling emotionally drained instead of proud. If you're looking for a suspenseful, intense experience that tests your nerves, this could be a great fit. But if you’re easily overwhelmed or anxious in dark, confined spaces, think twice — and prioritize your own comfort over finishing the game.
Witchcraft AlleyTrapped Puzzle Rooms - North LoopEscape roomIRLI liked this way more than I expected. I’m usually wary when a room advertises itself as “no locks”—even working at one, I’ve seen how they can drift into “interactive experience” territory and lose the smart puzzle-solving that makes escape rooms fun. Witchcraft Alley doesn’t fall into that trap. For an IP-inspired concept (Harry Potter vibes without needing outside knowledge), it delivers way more puzzle solving than I anticipated, and the interactions feel purposeful instead of gimmicky. The game teaches its core logic early with a simple rule: start with the most obvious answer. Without spoiling anything, that guidance pays off quickly and becomes a helpful throughline. The wand/spell mechanic is intuitive once you’ve done it a couple times, and the room keeps building on that language in clever ways. It’s still a puzzle room first—there’s plenty of deduction, patterning, and parallel tracks—just delivered through environmental interactions rather than padlocks. The set is massive and smartly laid out. It feels like a little district with multiple spaces to explore, which makes splitting up practical and necessary. Mid-game there’s a moment where an entire room changes—super satisfying and one of those “ok, that’s cool” reveals that fits the story. Effects lean practical with just enough tech to feel magical; it never turns into “press a button, watch a show.” Feedback on success is generally clear, which helps keep the pace up. Content-wise, there is a lot to do. I played with two newer players and we still moved steadily, but it could be overwhelming for total beginners. Our GM stepped in to override/advance a couple of items when we were clearly on the right track but spinning—handled quickly and without killing momentum. That’s more an FYI for team composition than a knock: experienced players will love the volume and parallelization; mixed-experience teams should plan to divide and conquer. Difficulty lands around medium: approachable logic, but breadth and coverage can make the clock feel tight. The theme stays light and playful—fun nods for HP fans, nothing scary—and the puzzle design keeps the tone joyful rather than punishing. Overall, Witchcraft Alley nails the balance I’m always hoping for with “no locks”: it’s interactive and immersive and still a genuine puzzle room. Easy recommend in Minneapolis.
The Video StoreDare 2 EscapeEscape roomIRLSuper fun room. Literally feels like you’re inside of an old blockbuster! My one complaint is that it felt so fast paced. Once we got the hang of it, we had so much left to do that we were running around practically the entire time. However, it was their hardest room (though not to our knowledge) and was doable, we just had to hunker down and perform in the last 15 minutes.
Horror CircusGame Over Escape Rooms - BrandonEscape roomIRLLots of jump scares but the lighting and noise were definitely scarier than the actual scares. They were all clearly fake clowns so not much to worry about there! Lots of skill based puzzles which wasn’t my favorite but was definitely different than i’ve played before.
The ArchiveDare 2 EscapeEscape roomIRLSuper awesome room! Definitely difficult and combined some of the hardest elements of escape rooms! A LOT of puzzles and locks but really cool set design and overall a great play through!
