Overall, this was a super fun experience! This is the first game in over 2 years that I have played from a “mom and pop” company, so the production level is less than I was accustomed to, but still genuinely awesome! The puzzles were understandable and flowed well, and the only time we got really stuck was our own fault.
The staff was super accommodating with their clueing, as normally they do not allow clues for the first 10 minutes or last 5 minutes, but during the game they will give you clues unprompted after you have been working on a puzzle for 5 minutes. We asked if they could wait to hint us until we asked and they were super willing to accommodate that request! The one clue we asked for was on theme for the room and super helpful without being obvious.
There were a few times when we wished that the results of a puzzle had been a little more obvious, but overall everything was clear and intuitive.
The one thing that I wish was different is that, at the beginning of the game, before we entered the room, we were given a set of dos, don’ts, and how it works, which is to be expected, however there were several things mention that referenced surprises/hidden pieces of the game that I wish had been more vague (i.e.” you won’t need to force any doors/panels open” instead of “there are x amount of panels in these places that will open after you complete puzzles. You will not need to pull them open, and one of which will need x game component to open.”).
Overall though, this was a super fun experience and if I had more time, I would love to try out the rest of their rooms!
The gameplay flowed really well! I knew when we were done with pieces/puzzles and was able to confidently put things away once I was done with them, without having to worry that I might need them again. None of the pieces felt out of place for the game/setting, all feeling related and a part of the story!
The room was very on-theme with very few pieces that felt at all “immersion breaking.” There was themed music in most of the room, however in the later half of the game, we could no longer hear the music at all. There were a few “don’t touch” signs on locks, but overall everything was super on theme!
The staff was very friendly! It is a family owned business and you can tell that they really love their games. There was a certain degree of professionalism that I am used to experiencing that I feel was a little lacking, but they were very welcoming! They explained the plot/story while walking back to the room which was a little hard to hear, so I wish that they either had a video about the story or waiting until we entered the room to tell us about the scenario. Explaining it on the way was not only a little hard to hear but it also made it a little unclear as to when we were supposed to start. I also do wish that we were greeted at the exit door at the end of the game, but it didn’t really take away from the experience too much for me.
Particularly interesting or different
No
There were a few cool puzzles in there that connected well to the “asylum” theme, but nothing crazy mind blowing or insane. Still very engaging though!
The plot was referenced throughout the room on the puzzles and setting.
While I wouldn’t say it was easy, it was definitely one of the easier ones I have done. We did, however, have a group of 5. 3 of which had played 10+ escape rooms, and I myself work at an escape game company, so we have a bit of an advantage on that front.
We played with 5, and while I think that is a great number, there were definitely a few times when one or two of us were hanging back waiting for the puzzle to be solved.
There were a few spooky aspects, mainly the basic story premise and the soundtrack, but overall it was very tame.
While nothing was broken, there was a black light flashlight that was very dim/almost out of batteries that’s was essential to the room. Thankfully we were able to see mostly fine with it, but it is worth noting.
Physically active
Not at all
There is one puzzle that will require you to duck, but other than that it’s very chill.
Accessibility
I do not think that the room is very wheelchair or walker friendly, but folks with other mobility aids could access it just fine. I would also be slightly worried about color blindness, but I’m not really sure how that would affect the puzzles.
It is a downtown storefront and the parking in the area is free for 2 hours and along the Main Street.
