Area 51

One of their older rooms, but it doesn't show. You wake up in a bunker in the Nevada desert after an explosion that caused memory loss for the team, so the first objective is to figure out what your mission was. The atmosphere and props are period-appropriate for the 1950s, which is a really nice detail. The room was beautifully decorated, and the soundtrack matched the setting. There’s an option to reduce your time by taking on extra tasks that are clearly marked yet still blend with the room’s design. It’s a great feature and adds another dimension to the game, as you’ll need to weigh how much time you want to spend on these versus the main storyline. The room is rated for 4 to 10 participants, though we found that more than six would likely be too many. It’s non-linear, so there’s plenty to dive into right from the start. Further in, you'll need to cluster together to solve the remaining puzzles, but that’s where the extra tasks shine—you can split up and earn more time. Likewise, you can delay the final part of the room if you want to try gaining even more time. It’s noted that you can get a maximum of three hints, so use them wisely. That might discourage some, but it’s always better to ask for a hint than to get stuck. To receive one, the whole group must gather and raise an arm, which comes with a slight time penalty. Unlike many other escape rooms, this one was especially good for larger groups since it allowed multiple people to be actively engaged at once. Number of nuts (max 5) Difficulty level 🌰🌰🌰🌰 Design 🌰🌰🌰 Scare factor 🌰 Entertainment vs price 🌰🌰🌰🌰