Escape in Time - "The Godfather" & "Squid Game Time"

Cici Cao
3d
4 min read

LOCATION:  Spring, Texas, USA

Photo above is property of Escape In Time

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: The Godfather
📅 DATE PLAYED: October 31, 2025
🎬 GENRE: Mystery, Detective, Crime
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 4/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 3-12 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.
💰 PRICE: $35.00/ pp (Min. 4 ppl)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

The Godfather's death has left his empire in chaos. In an old Italian restaurant, influential kingpins gather to choose a new leader. Alliances will be tested, secrets revealed, and loyalties bought. However, there's a traitor among you, leaking secrets and creating doubt. Trust is scarce, and everyone has something to gain. You have one hour to prove your loyalty, identify the traitor, and secure your position. Solve puzzles, decode messages, and protect your family's legacy—unless you are the traitor, where betrayal might lead to victory.

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

We absolutely love when escape room owners get creative. In this scenario, a traitor is assigned to the group by randomly picking a card before the game starts. The traitor is also given a specific task to complete. Knowing there would be sabotage involved, we immediately put our game face on.
Beyond the puzzles, as you uncover clues, it's like you're delving into the stories of these gangster families. It was fascinating to learn a bit of "history" (whether real or fictional) about these characters.
There was a puzzle that a teammate of ours solved, which we initially missed, that cleverly incorporated a prop in the room.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

The set design appeared somewhat unrefined, with elements seemingly crowded into a single area. Introducing small rooms to represent each gangster house and separating out the investigation headquarter would enhance the experience and add an element of mystery that isn't immediately unveiled to the player.
Our game flow wasn't optimal, likely due to time constraints and adjustments made by the owner, who removed certain puzzles to help us get through the game quicker. This led to some confusion regarding which puzzles were solved. Additionally, the owner's presence in the room didn't help with the immersion. Your experience may differ from ours for these reasons.
The wording of the final puzzle was somewhat unclear, as the solution did not align with the clue's phrasing.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

We can't fully "rate" this room based on our experience, as we didn't have the real player version. The game is more enjoyable with larger amount of players, given the nature of the rat in play. The concept and storyline are highly innovative, but the puzzles need refinement to enhance the game flow. This game has significant potential, and as it's new, we anticipate that player feedback will help improve the flow over time.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

Photo above is property of Escape In Time

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Squid Game Time
📅 DATE PLAYED: October 31, 2025
🎬 GENRE: Puzzles
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 4/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 1-4 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 15-60 Mins.
💰 PRICE: $15.00 - $35.00/ pp
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

This location has four Squid Game rooms, allowing games to run simultaneously. Compete against each other with synchronized start times. Each room features a variety of puzzles, including rebus, riddles, counting, and more. Solve a puzzle to earn a coin in the lock box. At the game's conclusion, the player with the most coins wins.

Some puzzles are more challenging and may require additional time to solve. We recommend assigning these puzzles a higher coin value, as the current system appears unfair. As a player, I would naturally gear towards the easier puzzles first, and this strategy led to my victory against Brandon in this case. Furthermore, we propose enhancing the room's build quality by upgrading the props and lighting, which will undoubtedly create a more immersive experience for players. Given the iconic nature of Squid Game, it deserves additional features to elevate the adventure. Overall, it was fun and nerve-wracking to see your opponent solving puzzles right next to you and trying to beat him to it. Definitely give it a try, especially if you are competitive!

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ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

This game can be tweaked to a different version to fit smaller groups or even children.
Full bar with alcoholic drinks
Seating available with merchandise for sale
Axe throwing and rage room available
Large space for corporate and celebratory events
Game show available

BOOK NOW

(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 Escape In Time for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.