Expedition Unknown

We love encrypted escape in West Reading, PA. So we were so excited when we saw they opened a location in DC. We did two rooms while visiting. The Black Widow was fun but it had a lot of just locks and codes and was very linear. It might be good for first timers. Then we did the catacombs. It was such a good theme. The puzzles were pretty good. The problem was that several things went wrong and the game master didn’t give us time back and didn’t seem apologetic at all. First they literally had to come in and cut open a lock because the answer to the clue did not open it. So we wasted a bunch of time and their hint was “enter the code correctly” but then they realized it wasn’t working and came in with bolt cutters. Then we had an issue where they didn’t reset a puzzle properly and we spent several minutes trying to figure out what a puzzle meant and how to use it when it was already solved and the key was literally next to the lock in the dark where we couldn’t see it. When we pointed that out afterwards, the game master was like - oh yea someone didn’t reset that right. Again that wasted a bunch of time. We escaped but it is not up to the level of their sister location which is literally our favorite escape room location!

While this was a somewhat older room inherited from the previous owner with the main solving mechanic being combination locks – not necessarily too immersive – this was still very fun experience for our group of three – two of whom were novice escape artists. Sofia was a very friendly and personable game master. Hints were displayed under the timer on the monitor by the front door. This was a somewhat non-linear room, but as always, communication is key to solving this room. And be sure to check each other’s work. Overall a great experience. We’ll for sure be back!

Fun. Some slightly fiddly / I think accidentally triggered puzzles. Definitely one of those rooms where they give you a notepad and you absolutely need to use it. There was math, at one point? Enjoyed the theming. Not my favorite as far as cohesion (giving the puzzles story significance rather than just "for the sake of", but truly my only major complaint was the heat inside the room. My group of 2 escaped handily, though we lost momentum at the end due to the aforementioned heat and tight space towards the end.

Excellent set, solid puzzles, although the room is nearly all combo locks, which is at odds with the caliber of the set. Overall, I thought it was cute and fun.

The A/C was broken, we were told there were fans but there were not. We were all sweating which made the room frustrating. Then the amount of time it took to get clues took 4 minutes and change for one clue so we lost at least 10 minutes waiting because the game master was working multiple rooms. Still, it's a time based game so it's a downside to the 3 of us to potentially lose while you wait. Ask if the A/C is fixed before you go. It was like 78+ degrees in there.

I had fun with three friends but wasn’t truly impressed. We enjoyed the immersiveness of the set and some of the more hands-on/creative puzzles, but two broken elements interfered with our fun. One was a puzzle that was already solved & open when we came in, and the other was a lock that had been set to the wrong code— the staff had to come bring us substitute objects for what we would have found (and left the clock running while we waited on them). I also think the room was too linear for a group of four. Overall, it’s not the worst room I’ve done in DC, but I’m still pining for the incredible rooms I’ve done in LA and Europe…

This room was awesome! The set is super cool and immersive, there is a good mix of physical, mental, and teamwork based puzzles, and the staff is very nice and helpful. We were 4 minutes off the room record and were even convinced to stick around to do a second room. Put this room on your to-do list! Also, the lobby is beautiful and the bathrooms are very clean.