Cici Cao
- Oct 25, 2022
- 3 min read

Paragon Escape Games - "Return of the Pharaohs"

Updated: Apr 9

LOCATION:  Mesa, Arizona, USA

Photo above is property of Paragon Escape Games

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: JEKYLL & HYDE
📅 DATE PLAYED: August 22, 2022
🎬 GENRE: Thriller
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 90 Mins.
💰 PRICE: $27.00/ pp - $30.00/ pp
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

Ra has bestowed his last bits of power in you to make you mortal for one hour. You must enter the ancient pyramid of Shabaka to overcome Set's curse so Ra can regain his power. If you succeed, you'll be able to rule Egypt once more. If you fail, you'll be cursed and forgotten forever...

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

The set design was incredible. From cinematic sounds to lighting to fog effects, this felt like a Hollywood movie production. The statues of Egyptian Gods were massive, giving us that impression as if we've entered a real ancient temple. One thing that really amazed us was that the creator was able to synchronize the sound and lights during the entire game. It definitely built up the anticipation on what was going to happen next.
We loved that there was a clear indication using lighting on what items had opened in the room.
As we entered into the temple, we were welcomed by real sand! The props used were also a perfect match to the Egyptian themed room. As we completed puzzles, prerecorded voices (from the Gods) would give us more information on the developing story. This was a lot more immersive than us having to read something in a dimly lit setting.
The puzzles were not too difficult, but we did appreciate the fact that there wasn't too much translating that we had to do as that's quite typical with other Egyptian themed room that we've played before.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

This "miss the mark" is debatable. There were a lot of "search and find" components in this room. If you are an enthusiast, you might think these aren't considered puzzles. But in this room, we didn't mind it so much mainly because there's only so much that you can do in an Egyptian room and still stick with the theme.
One of the puzzles needed a little better cluing in terms of where to look as we were unsure for a while where the sound was coming.
Some lights lit up at the beginning on some columns but we didn't have access to that particular puzzle yet. Not sure if those could be turned off to avoid confusion?

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

This room is definitely considered as one of the top Egyptian themed escape rooms we've ever played. The set design and immersion was there from the beginning to the end. The ending was also quite memorable. The game master was great at giving us clear directions on certain items being used again as typically, we're used to using an item once and putting it away. I loved that I could take my shoes off and play this entire game barefoot in the sand. I think it really helped with my speed and was a determining factor with our escape. With two people, there was a lot of areas to cover, especially when there's a lot of "search and find". I definitely suggest coming with a larger group especially if you're a newbie. We highly recommend trying out this game if you are in the area. I see a lot of potential in Paragon Escape Games and I can't wait to check out their newer experiences coming in the near future!

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Free parking lot right in front
Lobby with seating area
Tablets provided for checking in

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