The Weeping WitchCross Roads Escape GamesEscape roomIRLWe had a great time and Cora was a wonderful GM. This was a good experience first horror experience. The scares had a theatricality to them that I could appreciate even though I’m still not sure if horror is “my thing.” I’m definitely excited to try some more horror games though. The gameplay is fairly nonlinear, and I found it a bit overwhelming at first, but then things started to fall into place. I thought a few of the puzzles were quite neat. I think the strength of the room is handling both horror elements (guessing… since I’m new to horror) and gameplay elements well, and keeping the two separate (for the most part), but it’s not really a room where the horror elements have “gameplay mechanisms” associated with them, if that’s what someone is looking for.
Hijinx at Joffre ManorNerdy by Nature Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLThis was our first “irl” escape room in over seven years. We did the room as a group of only two, so unsurprisingly we needed some hints. These hints were provided at just the right rate: we avoided frustration, but didn’t feel robbed of the chance to solve puzzles on our own. While many reviewers are recommending this room for groups of four, based on our experience, you shouldn’t shy away from this room if there are only two of you! The set was immersive and the narrative experience (solving a mystery) was very satisfying. The Scooby-Doo-inspired theme-ing came through in a big way, but by no means is it necessary to be particularly familiar with the SD franchise. Perhaps the one weakness is that the while puzzles were serviceable, they weren’t really standouts. Nevertheless the flow was good, and the puzzles provided continued engagement.
Lucid LabsDreamcatEscape roomPop upFirst off, this was the first room I've played in the United Kingdom (and Europe in general). Despite my lack of experience in the region it is my understanding that as of the time that I am writing this review, the UK currently lacks rooms that feature elements common in many TERPECA winning rooms. In fact, it seems that many international enthusiasts would say when visiting London just do Phantom Peak and nothing else is a must do, only play if you have the time and inclination. This room, although only a popup, seems to be an exception. The designers of this room were inspired by TERPECA winning (and presumably finalist and nominated) European rooms, and have tried to create something not common in the UK market. As someone who has played a few (and only a few) TERPECA winning rooms in California (US) and the Montreal area (Canada), I could definitely see some similarities (even though the designers seem to have primarily and/or exclusively played in Europe, there is a common overlap here as, for example, some of the games at Escaparium in Montreal were influenced by European designs). For a pop-up this room is very impressive, and I think it stands up against many high-quality TERPECA winning rooms. Yes, this is insanely high praise... this is a pop-up and I'm comparing it to TERPECA winners. I'm hopeful that it can be turned into a viable permanent room so many others can get the chance to play it and perhaps more UK-based designers will be inspired to create similar experiences in the UK. There are a few parts that didn't land as well for our group (we were bigger than the recommended size as we had 4 adults and 2 kids... the team running our game did a great job accommodating our kids), and some of the puzzle inputs could have been better signposted perhaps (or maybe we're just dense). But overall, there were some great moments, surprises, custom touches, and things that brought a smile to my face. This was a clearly a labor of love and it shows. I think my wife considered it among the best escape room shes played, and I think she's include some of the high-ranking TERPECA games we played at Montreal. That said, I don't want hype to ruin anyone's experience. I think the game would benefit from a slightly larger set to give it more breathing room (again we did it with a larger group), but this is a pop up, so I get it. I probably value narrative / interaction with actors and/or GMs / solid game design / experimental elements and those kind of things above set design and this is a popup so set design won't be it's strongest factor. Also, since it uses small spaces, it won't have huge props that span entire spaces or huge collaboration-absolutely-necessary puzzles that require a large spaces. But what it lacks in spatial scale it makes up for in durational scale. The game does not outstay it's welcome and really makes you feel like you went on an adventure of sorts.
