Maine Escape Games - "Uncle Ned's Cabin"
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Maine Escape Games - "Uncle Ned's Cabin"

Updated: Apr 10

LOCATION:  Portland, Maine, USA

Photo above is property of Maine Escape Games

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers


📝  ETR DECODER

  • 🔑 GAME: Uncle Ned's Cabin

  • 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 18, 2023

  • 🎬 GENRE: Mystery

  • 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 6/10

  • 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl

  • 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins

  • 💰 PRICE: $35/PP (more on weekends)

  • ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private

  • 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (37:12)


📖 THE STORY

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 Ned’s cash, leaving you with just an hour to claim what’s rightfully yours. Ned loved inventions, and he’s hidden your inheritance in a puzzle-filled cabin in the woods. Now all that’s left is for you and your team to solve what Ned left for you, and the prize is yours!


🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

  • The most peaceful vibe of any escape room you’ll 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.


🧩 MISSED THE MARK

  • 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 “breakable.”

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

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 wasn’t until I visited Uncle Ned’s Cabin that I realized just how refreshing a peaceful room could be. Instead of the creepy or paranormal twist I’ve come to expect from the various cabin rooms I’ve completed in the past, Uncle Ned’s 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. It’s a “puzzles and zen” 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 Ned’s Cabin are usually easy to find but don’t 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 doesn’t heed the room’s warning to remember where several tokens came from. My group didn’t have any issues, but it’s easy to imagine a large group where one player misses the warning and breaks the puzzle as a consequence. At any rate, I’d advise leaving the tokens where you find them until the endgame if you visit this room.


My one complaint aside, "Uncle Ned’s Cabin" gave me something I didn’t know I needed–a relaxing escape room–with the same level of polish and clever design flourishes that impressed me so much in Maine Escape Games’ other rooms. It’s 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


ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

  • 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.


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