HughFire
23 escape rooms
Really enjoyed the room. The puzzles and ideas were very creative and the set design was better than most in the area. Our group of three made it out with just at 5 minutes to spare. So many of the props and puzzles were really clever, but were beginning to show wear. It would be amazing if they just gave this room a light refresh (it is definitely nothing an afternoon and a trip to Home Depot couldn't fix.) Even though it is a spooky atmosphere it's not scary at all. Time's Up's hinting system of a touch screen is good, but sometimes isn't at exactly the same spot as you are in the game. It also could use a bit of a refresh with some new AI voiceovers that would sound more natural and help with the theming. There were a couple of times also where it felt like the game hit a lull where it wasn't intuitive what to do next to move it along. If you are relatively new to escape games and haven't played in a bunch of bigger locations, this is a GREAT room to check off your list. As far as rooms in the Triangle, it is very nice. If compared to top-tier rooms in other locations, it feels a little first generation. The bones are there to be really something special, but it just needs a bit of an update. I hope Time's Up puts some love into this and a couple of there other rooms, because its good to see original plays vs. the chains and off-the-shelf games and I'd love for it to take its great concepts and creativity one step further.
Gameplay
When it flowed it was a ton of fun, but there were a couple of times when it felt like it ground to a halt and you needed to go back to the runbook to try and find if there was a spell that fit your need.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere was about a 7 out of 10. Some really good elements, and some that felt untouched or needing a bit of love. Also some elements were showing a bunch of wear.
Customer service
GM was nice. Seemed to be attentive for GM-triggered events.
Particularly interesting or different
No
Nothing really shocking or standout compared to other games, but it was solid.
Story
It was good, but not great. But had the makings of a really great story. Needs a bit more upfront mythology and for there to be clues that build on the story rather than just fulfilling the premise.
Difficulty
Medium
The difficult parts were elements that were just easily overlooked or stalled. The puzzles in and of themselves are very doable.
Game tech
High tech
A good mix of cool tech but still some good old fashioned locks that give the satisfaction of unlocking something. The use of locks were well placed and made sense in the story and the effect puzzles were very clever.
Ideal number of players
3
We had three and escaped. I think four would be fine. Five might be too many.
Scary
Spooky
Spooky only in atmosphere and decor. Not scary at all.
Minimum age
10
Was anything broken?
Yes
GM hand triggered a few things, but was on top of it.
Live actors
No
Physically active
Not at all
Accessibility
I think it seemed really accessible.
Easy to find location
Yes
Parking
Easy
