The Nightmare

My first experience at Riddle Room kicked off with The Nightmare, fittingly their oldest and most classic-style escape room. The room itself was wonderful! An eerie atmosphere that never felt too spooky with a clear cut story that wove itself into each and every puzzle. All facets of the game were of such a high quality, I was really impressed. You can tell that puzzle flow and customer experience is so important to Riddle Room as every group is provided with an in-depth statistical breakdown of their puzzle progression post game, all comprehensively explained by the Gamemaster, it was an enthusiasts dream. While I’ve only seen this implemented once or twice before, it’s this level of detail and care that can really set a venue like Riddle Room apart from its competitors. Outstanding and so memorable.

Our first experience at Riddle Room and it did not disappoint. The Nightmare was a well designed room with a cool opening sequence and a great flow that we were able to work through pretty efficiently. Some tricky moments and puzzles but nothing that is crazy out of left field. The scare factor is pretty moderate with a couple of little jump scares and a general spooky aura. A great one for beginners and experienced players alike, especially the more thriller inclined.

7.5/10

We completed The Nightmare as a group of 4. One player starts off locked in a small room and the other players have to solve a couple of puzzles in order to get them out. That was an interesting start to the puzzle that was a bit different from other rooms. The room had a creepy atmosphere but it only had a small jump scare. It had some really interesting puzzles but we spent a bit long on some of them because we failed to notice something or we were debating how to approach a particular puzzle. Overall, a solid room and would recommend, especially if you like scary rooms.

The Nightmare marked my 36th room overall and our team's second room in Canberra over the King's Birthday long weekend, and the momentum remained strong. The staff at Riddle Room were exceptional—very welcoming, highly attentive, and spot-on as our Gamesmasters. Riddle Room uses a different method of communication for Gamesmastering. They utilize a version of the "Voice of God" system, where responses to our questions are displayed on the monitor that also keeps track of our time. I quite liked this approach as it minimized miscommunication. However, the only drawback is that in a multi-room escape, you have to make your way back to the first room to see the monitor. The Nightmare is a dark and creepy themed room, which was a bit more intense for one member of our team than for the rest of us. The room had a really nice flow. While there was no one or nothing actively chasing us, a clever use of ambient sounds and music created a constant sense of urgency. All of the props were of high quality, and both the props and puzzles made sense within the space. There was also a strong storyline that continued throughout the experience, tying everything together nicely. Overall, The Nightmare is a solid room that we didn't find overly difficult, as we escaped in roughly 45 minutes. However, it definitely had moments that even experienced escapers can appreciate.

I didn't find this one quite as amazing as their other games. The tale and set didn't grab me. Still, an 'okay' game at RRC is miles above many others!