Kevin Helock
Oct 31, 20233 min
Updated: Apr 10
LOCATION: Portland, Maine, USA
Photo above is property of Maine Escape Games
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
š GAME: Uncle Ned's Cabin
š DATE PLAYED: August 18, 2023
š¬ GENRE: Mystery
š§ DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 6/10
š„ TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl
š LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins
š° PRICE: $35/PP (more on weekends)
āļø BOOKINGTYPE: Private
š ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (37:12)
Your dear Uncle Ned has recently passed away, leaving behind a sizable inheritance for you to collect. However, some jealous relatives have their eyes on Nedās cash, leaving you with just an hour to claim whatās rightfully yours. Ned loved inventions, and heās hidden your inheritance in a puzzle-filled cabin in the woods. Now all thatās left is for you and your team to solve what Ned left for you, and the prize is yours!
The most peaceful vibe of any escape room youāll ever be in, guaranteed.
Technology is well-integrated, giving puzzles an air of wonder and mystery while remaining largely hidden so as not to disrupt the woodland cabin aesthetic.
Puzzles are fun to interact with, and can typically be completed in any order in a given area. This design would serve both large and small groups well.
The final puzzle requires players to remember where a series of tokens originally came from. There is a prominent sign reminding players this puzzle is coming, as well as a deployable failsafe clue in case no one remembers, but the puzzle is still technically ābreakable.ā
Ā
In my experience, most escape rooms try to excite players with high-tension environments and themes. Typically this is good for the room, but it wasnāt until I visited Uncle Nedās Cabin that I realized just how refreshing a peaceful room could be. Instead of the creepy or paranormal twist Iāve come to expect from the various cabin rooms Iāve completed in the past, Uncle Nedās Cabin goes all-in on the restorative power of nature, seeking to be as pleasant and picturesque as possible. Not only does the decor sell the forest-cabin look nicely, but a pleasant soundtrack of animal calls and other peaceful forest sounds puts the player at ease. Itās a āpuzzles and zenā approach that might be atypical, but which is nonetheless enormously satisfying.
Beyond aesthetics, this room also satisfies with an array of strong puzzles that are a joy to complete and which feature numerous clever applications of technology that heighten the rustic wonder of the room rather than distracting from it. Like its peers, the puzzles in Uncle Nedās Cabin are usually easy to find but donāt always feature obvious solutions, which does a great job of minimizing frustration and keeping players thinking rather than blindly searching. My only gripe with the puzzles is that the final one is breakable if your group doesnāt heed the roomās warning to remember where several tokens came from. My group didnāt have any issues, but itās easy to imagine a large group where one player misses the warning and breaks the puzzle as a consequence. At any rate, Iād advise leaving the tokens where you find them until the endgame if you visit this room.
My one complaint aside, "Uncle Nedās Cabin" gave me something I didnāt know I neededāa relaxing escape roomāwith the same level of polish and clever design flourishes that impressed me so much in Maine Escape Gamesā other rooms. Itās a great experience that would be fitting both for experienced and beginner groups alike, and one which I recommend enthusiastically.
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
Plenty of parking available just outside the front door.
Merchandise available for purchase in the lobby.
The building itself is handicap accessible, but this particular room is not owing to a big step up in the middle area.
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
Disclosure: We thank Maine Escape Games for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever.