LOCATION: Bethesda, Maryland, USA Photo above is property of Escape Quest 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Expedition Unknown 📅 DATE PLAYED: February 27, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Detective 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 1-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 50 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $26.99 - $39.99/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers We have visited Escape Quest before at their original location in Alexandria, Virginia and have tried two of their games - "The Black Widow" and "The Lost Temple". This is our first time visiting their brand new location - Escape Quest DC in Bethesda, Maryland. Timing-wise, we were very lucky since they had just opened and we were to be one of the first ones to try their new room “Expedition Unknown”. The Bethesda, MD location has a public parking lot right behind their location and it’s free during the weekends. You can walk through the parking lot to reach their location on the other side of the street. As we enter the lobby, the décor and the waiting area was very elegantly designed (similar to their Alexandria, VA location). They will have a fully functional bar up and running soon and it's a great space to mingle with your fellow escapees before or after the games. They do plan to have 5 games at this location but currently the two that are running are “Expedition Unknown” and “The Black Widow” (which they have at their VA location as well). We were eager to start the adventure the famous explorer Dr. Silas Webb had planned for us. As we arrived in Paris at the meeting point with Dr. Silas, we felt transported into his journey instantly. The set design, lighting, and music in the room was amazing as we felt like the room had many hidden secrets just waiting to be discovered. The puzzles were clean and easy to follow. All the props used were clearly associated with the story line and we had a lot of fun discovering new "wow" moments!! There were a few minor puzzles that didn’t have hints on the order sequence, but it wasn’t something that hindered our gameplay. It is definitely doable with two people as we got out with plenty of time to spare. It would still be fun to do with a large group as well since some puzzles are not linear and it’s quite spacious in terms of the room size. We really enjoyed the ending, but was hoping for maybe one more puzzle to satisfy our discovery! In conclusion, this was a very well-done room and we highly recommend players of all levels to try it. We all have that explorer inside of us, so its time to let your imagination run wild! We can’t wait to return to try some of their other new games (“Wanted: Dead or Alive” ,  “Skull Island” and “The Queen’s Revenge”)! 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 Escape Quest for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #EscapeQuest #Adventure #Exploration #Virginia #USA

LOCATION: Arundel Mills, Maryland, USA Photo above is property of Mission Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Last Showing 📅 DATE PLAYED: February 27,, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 1-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 50 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $26.99 - $39.99/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Oswaldo Pickens, an independent filmmaker and owner of the Saligia Film House has been reported missing. Mr. Pickens spent most of his time traveling the world collecting obscure films to display in his theatre, Due to his absence, the Saligia Film House has been abandoned and there have been reports of unexplained phenomena. Every Friday night, a peculiar film will start playing inside at the stroke of midnight. There is an urban legend that during Mr. Pickens last trip, he obtained a "cursed" film which could explain his disappearance and recent supernatural activity. Oswald fiancée has contacted you in hopes that you might be able to break in and find out the truth about what happened to him – or at least to retrieve the film and end this curse. Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The minute we stepped inside we were ready to order our drinks & popcorn at the concession stand and head to our seats in the movie theater! The set design had an eerie 80's ambience filled with a variety of nostalgic films. We definitely got the feeling of being inside an abandoned theatre. The puzzle designs all pertained to the movie industry with a clever usage of movie theatre props to decipher. There was a good mixture inside this room from the abandoned traditional lock experience to the secret tech reveals. With a really cool set design and creative puzzles to accommodate, the storyline has got to be extremely unique. We felt that the backstory for "Last Showing" had a mysterious intrigue to it and like most peculiar scenarios we wanted to unravel the mystery! One particular prop in the latter part of the game was implemented really well to give us that "surprising" ending. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Some parts of the room felt like it needed some up-keeping. The gamemaster informed us at the beginning of the game that wires shouldn't be touched but we didn't expect to find some open ended ones under the tables/in cabinets. Being that this is a mall location, there's a lot of traffic and noise throughout the day. We were able to hear outside noise while playing this game which could took away from the immersion. An easy fix might be to raise the ambient music to drown the surrounding noise out. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Throughout all the escape rooms that we've played, it's rare to come across a movie theater-themed one. The last similar themed escape room that we played was Codeword Escape's "Movie Theater Mayhem". So choosing the "Last Showing" was a no-brainer for us especially when there's something supernatural involved! Although we wouldn't classify this room as horror-themed, there is no guarantee that you won't let out a little squeal at the end 😝. 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 Mission Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLEscapeRooms #EscapeRooms #MissionEscapeRooms #Mystery #Maryland #USA

LOCATION: Annapolis, Maryland, USA Photo above is property of Mission Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Once Upon A Crime 📅 DATE PLAYED: February 27,, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Detective 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 1-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 50 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $26.99 - $39.99/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You and your team are part of an an elite squad known as F.A.B.L.E. (The Office of Fairytale Assistance Business & Law Enforcement). You have sworn to serve and protect all those residing across the Fairytale Realm and lately, there has been an increase of criminal activities. Luckily, one of your fellow agents managed to sent you a coded message that could help you crack this case! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This room was the perfect combination of two of the themes Cici loves the most - "fairytale" and "detective (CSI type)"! We loved the fairytale crime scene that we walked into as soon as we entered the room! There was evidence marking numbers everywhere and suspect sheets. The storyline was fun and creative allowing us to play a role in this magical realm while investigate popular fairytale characters. The neon lights added a fantasy-cosmic look to the set design. There was a good amount of props used throughout the game to further enhance the experience. The utilization of props to tell the stories of each fairytale character played right into the narrative. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Towards the end, we managed to solve something out of order which prevented us from getting the full ending effect. Because of this, the gamemasters didn't know that we finished and we were confused as well. (3/11/2021 Update from the company: This issue has been fixed) A few clue pieces were hard to see and needed to be updated. (3/11/2021 Update from the company: This issue has been fixed) We appreciated the added props to enhance the narrative, but this room felt like it had a bit more than normal. A lot of the clues could've been utilized to make cool puzzles but ended up being either a red herring or strictly for décor. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Disney-themed games are always popular and light-hearted. But when you add a little mystery "whodunnit" objective to the mix, it opens the door for detective/ crime-solving fans as well. This room is great for a variety of players whether friends and family or even just a date night out. How often do you get to play detective in a mystical fairytale where the fate of their realm lies on your shoulders? 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 Mission Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLEscapeRooms #EscapeRooms #Detective #MissionEscapeRooms #Maryland #USA

LOCATION: Annapolis, Maryland, USA Photo above is property of EscapeTime Escape Rooms 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Secret Society 📅 DATE PLAYED: February 27,, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $29.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You and your team have been sent by the government to investigate Dr. Mad's Laboratory. Upon his research into the mind, he developed a serum that resulted in his own insanity. He has orchestrated a sinister game for you to retrieve the serum safe guarded by a bomb. Can you locate the serum and escape in time before it's too late? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The set design for "Dr. Mad's Laboratory" definitely had a mad scientist vibe to it. From the neon colors & black lights to the stainless steel tables, we felt like we entered onto the set of CSI. There was a good amount of searching and puzzles to solve in this room so do not waste any time. Most of the puzzles correlated with the storyline and the props were used creatively. There was a good mixture of intellectual and physical puzzles inside of this room. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Because this room is designed to give off a "crazy mad scientist" look, it had mostly neon lights inside of a dark lit room. We understand the importance of setting the tone and not ruining the experience. However, it would've been helpful to discover something to provide more lighting at some point especially since there's a lot of searching involved and the required usage of a tool to examine really small items. This was more of an unnecessary obstacle as opposed to a puzzling challenge. Another concern regarding the neon & black lights is that some puzzles involving colors was a bit difficult to determine due to the alteration. We had a hard time confirming if something was red or orange and dark blue or purple. Some outside knowledge was needed for one of the puzzles. Although there was some referencing available in the room, it wasn't accurate enough to make the connection. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This room had a good mixture of traditional, technical, and physical puzzles. Because there's a good amount of searching inside of this room, we recommend a group of 3-4 players. This way, everyone has something that they can do to contribute. You will also need a lot of patience and good eyesight for this room. It's going to be quite difficult for the GM to hint one of the puzzles due to it's design so this could be your determining factor on if you'll survive the mad scientist or be trapped in his lab forever... 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 EscapeTime Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLEscapeRooms #EscapeRooms #EscapeTime #Thriller #Maryland #USA

LOCATION: Annapolis, Maryland, USA Photo above is property of EscapeTime Escape Rooms 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Secret Society 📅 DATE PLAYED: February 27,, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $29.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY The year is 1776, and there's talks of a secret society organizing a plan to take over the world. There's an initiation requirement. In order for you and your group to join, you must solve all of their puzzles! Do you have what it takes? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE For the most part, the set design had a secret society ritualistic ambience which made us feel like we stepped foot onto the set of "The Skulls". As soon as you enter, you are presented with a spacious dimly-lit room draped with dark red walls and gold accents. From the flickering candles on the chandelier to the wall fixtures all around the room, we were prepared to test our wits! The storyline was unique in a sense that our mission wasn't to stop something or someone, but to prove ourselves worthy enough to be apart of it. In doing so, the objective was clear and most of the puzzles went along great with the game. Some of the things that you needed to find were cleverly hidden and required a unique way of solving them in order to unlock the next task. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK As mentioned before, "The Secret Society" is mainly played in a dim-lit room w/ flickering candles in the chandelier above. Additional lighting options would've helped get through a lot of the puzzles. We understand that this game takes place in the year 1776, but usable props could've easily been added like candles and lanterns. There's a fine line between props for set décor and red herrings. If you have props that are able to be lifted and examined with clearly no use for it that's fine. But when you purposely have props with writings on them which can be misleading based on other puzzles you have in the room, those are red herrings. This took away from the actual puzzles in the room and wasted precious time from the players from what they really came to do - solve actual puzzles. There were a couple of puzzles that we were struggling on and it was quite obvious on camera. When finally asking for a hint, our game master told us a hint that was for puzzles we've already solved. Not only that, it was marked as a "hint used" for us. Whether you're a competitive player or not, it's frustrating that we had to ask about something only to confirm that it's already been solved. Also, a nudge in the right direction would be helpful unless the player's specifically requested "not" to be nudged. One of the items didn't work and the gamemaster had to come in and give us what was inside. In doing so, we thought that was all that was inside since it was handed to us by her and we missed another item that was still inside the object. This hindered our progress of moving forward with the game and no nudging hints were given after we still continued to search the room for items. There's a tech item in the room that felt out of place for the year 1776. There should be another way of inputting passwords to go along the theme of the room. It was also a bit hard to use considered it's limited functionalities and how we had to reference it numerous times for certain "inputs" and "outputs". 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? There is definitely a lot of secrecy in this room that you will feel the need to research in order to prove yourself. If you enjoy digging into the history of secret societies and finding out the various ties between them, you might just have what it takes for them to make you their next member! Photos above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** (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 EscapeTime Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLEscapeRooms #EscapeRooms #EscapeTime #Mystery #Maryland #USA

LOCATION: Severna Park, Maryland, USA Photo above is property of EscapeTime Escape Rooms Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: GHOST SHIP 📅 DATE PLAYED: February 27,, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Pirate 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $29.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY It's 1703, you and your fellow shipmates have been enlisted by Captain Van Der Decken to embark on a journey to find the cursed Flying Dutchman! As you venture off into the depths of the sea, your mission is to lift the curse by finding the contract and freeing the souls aboard that ship! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE "GHOST SHIP" is one of EscapeTime's newer games at their Severna Park location. We've played so many pirate-themed escape rooms that sometimes the storyline seems a bit repetitive. This one, however, had a unique objective which provided more of a quest-type of adventure! Onboard a ship en route to find a cursed ghost ship to free the souls sounds like an epic tale that we got to feel apart of. The set décor is what you would expect from a pirate ship. We enjoyed the music that went along with the theme and the deck even made creaking noises. They also did a good job with building a few clever spaces for hidden items. All of the puzzle challenges in this game correlated w/ the storyline and helped navigate you to reach your goal. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Although, the setting is onboard a pirate ship under the night sky, there could've been more options for light since the majority of the game was in a dimly-lit atmosphere. Candle sticks and lanterns would've sufficed for searching and analyzing items that we've found. We didn't get too much a "ghost" vibe with this game. There was a few skulls as props but perhaps a bit more sound effect could help with the eeriness. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Out of the 3 games that we played from EscapeTime Escape Rooms, this was our favorite. Pirate-themed games are always fun but that's not the reason why. It's because overall, everything made sense to us and there was a consistent game flow! The storyline went with the decor and the decor went with the puzzles. 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 EscapeTime Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLEscapeRooms #EscapeRooms #EscapeTime #Piratess #Supernatural #Maryland #USA

LOCATION: Frederick, Maryland, USA Photo above is property of Surelocked In Escape Games Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Tyrannosolveus Rex 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 8, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up to 8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $32.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY There's been a break-in at the Research Station and someone has stolen a nest's worth of dinosaur eggs!! You and your team need to search and recover them before the mother returns and discovers them missing!! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE There's nothing more exciting (and frightening) than to know that there's a mother T-Rex lurking in the jungle nearby. Especially, when your mission is to return her stolen eggs before she finds out! The storyline for "Tyrannosolveus Rex" is more mission objective-based as opposed to a typical escape. It definitely has a Jurassic Park vibe to it. The game master Chris made us feel like we were about to enter into a jungle adventure! Don't believe us? Check out the above YouTube video and hear his entertaining intro yourself. The set design was fun and definitely interactive for kids and adults. It felt like a excavation site where you can examine dinosaur bones in the sand, read about historical rocks and more! Most of the puzzles were created based on the surroundings and what you would typically find in that setting. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Counting and searching puzzles were used a few times in this room and felt a bit repetitive. It's quite difficult to confirm which number is incorrect when there's a good amount of searching involved with various items. So take a hint if you have to. One of the mechanisms for a maze was a bit difficult to maneuver (The owner was made aware of the issue and plans to fix it). It also required a team member to be in a enclosed space for sometime. This room also requires some "crawling" which at times could be quite tiresome as you'll need to go back and forth and there's no way to bypass it. It might be advantageous to bring kids with you! 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? When you're greeted by your game master in full on character mode, it always enhances the experience. Setting the tone for any escape room game is always important as it allows the players to prepare themselves for what they're about to walk into. "Tyrannosolveus Rex" starts off with an intro from your game master/ tour guide where you'll be fully debriefed on why you've been brought in. When visiting Surelocked In Escape Games, prepare yourself for a show and not just escape rooms! *Please note, the difficulty level is customizable where Surelocked In offers a kid-friendly version of "Tyrannosolveus Rex" called "Dinosolveus". Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO There is street parking available (pay meter with app). After certain times, the street parking could be free so do check the signs. Lobby area with seating. Elevator access. Lockers available. * NOTE: There is some crawling and squeezing into tight spaces involved. Dark room for the beginning parts of the game. 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 Surelocked In 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. #BrandonChow #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Adventure #Dinosuars #JurassicPark #SurelockedInEscapeGames #Maryland #USA

LOCATION: Marietta, Georgia, USA Photo above is property of Project: Escape Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Planet Express 📅 DATE PLAYED: January 22, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $28.99/ pp (Min. 3 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [54:09] 📖 THE STORY Sometime in the near future, an alien spaceship is shot down to earth. You are a part of a government agency that performed the act. Your team is sent to investigate and recover anything of use onboard this mysterious craft. Shortly after boarding, you find out that this unknown craft was here to prevent a disaster approaching earth. It is up to your team in sixty minutes to find and retrieve the information needed to prevent the earth’s destruction. Can you do it? 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The puzzle design in this game was solid. Each puzzle was logically intuitive and very rarely did our team get stuck trying to figure out the next task in the room. There are a lot of puzzles in this room as well, your team needs to work together and efficiently in order to escape in time. The set and scenery was a lot of fun to look at! It gives a good illusion that your team is on an alien ship with all of the lights and buttons scattered throughout the main room. Starting your team in the storage room with no power to the ship is an excellent way to start the narrative of a crashed ship. Searching through this room really felt like a true hide and go seek game for information. There are certain “objects” that your crew will be looking for and Project: Escape has found some very clever and fair places to hide them in the room. This room you MUST pay attention to the details. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Aside from the introduction video, the storyline of the game loses itself in the puzzles. The actions your group will take are a lot of fun but don’t support the overall story. Be warned then that this is a room for puzzlers rather than those looking to be immersed in a narrative. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "Planet Express" is a fun nod to science fiction and the pop culture that it has brought about. There are many references to major films and shows scattered throughout the room that bring a fun nod to the genre. There is a wonderful variety of both physical and mental puzzles in this game, and with the room having a large amount of them as well as being solved in a nonlinear fashion, it is sure to delight each individual on your team. Having a portion in the game where someone needs to be the “finder” of hidden objects creates a dynamic during the room that some escape rooms can lack. For example, in a normal escape room it can be standard for a person or two to “stand” over the shoulders of the main puzzle solver. In Planet Express, they solve this problem so that no one person has to be an observer if they don’t want to. Teamwork and intelligence are needed to successfully escape Planet Express. This is one of the more difficult rooms that I have come across while exploring this hobby. With more people the game would take a bit more stress off the team but still be aware that there is a lot to do. Project: Escape hint system states that you have five hints to use, do not be afraid to use the generous amount provided. Our team had a wonderful time playing Planet Express and would recommend anyone who is looking for a puzzling experience to check out this excellent room in Atlanta! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking, one person must crawl, party room available, scavenger hunt inside venue. 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 Project: Escape for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MikeSchnurr #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #ProjectEscape #SciFi #Adventure #USA #Georgia #PlanetExpress

LOCATION: Marietta, Georgia, USA Photo above is property of Project: Escape Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Nautilus 📅 DATE PLAYED: January 22, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 10/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 75 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $33.99/ pp (Min. 3 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: No 📖 THE STORY Stuck 20,000 Leagues below the sea, The Nautilus is being attacked by a terrifying sea creature who has just penetrated the hull. You and your team got separated trying to fix critical components of the ship when everything went dark. Now, half of you are in the captain's quarters while the other half is stuck in engineering. It is up to you to restore power back to The Nautilus, reunite with your other crew members, make it to the bridge and try to steer the ship away from the creature wreaking havoc before imminent drowning in approximately 75 minutes. Good luck submariners, you will need it! 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The dark dreary engine room filled with machines and mechanisms directly opposes the captain's lavish headquarters that the teams will start their adventure in. They don’t quite know what secrets lie in each room but you must get together to complete the adventure. It is a wonderful idea straying from the typical split start and communication is KEY in order to meet back together. Each room is decorated in such a way that it would be pulled out of a deep dark ocean movie. With plenty of little details and larger props (such as an old diving suit) our team had no trouble immersing ourselves into the world of The Nautilus. The puzzles in this game, aside from the initial one, are very physically based. There is a lot of running back and forth between rooms and searching needed to finish the game. Interactivity with props is a must and the more you play around with the items in the game, the more your team will find out. There is also a very clever use of a technology that I have seen using one connection point previously, in The Nautilus, there are six points to connect. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The props in this room, while immersed with the scenic design, felt like it needs some TLC. There were a couple issues during play where our team wasn’t quite sure if it was the correct solution due to the quality of the pieces involved. One prop in particular; our team had to use more than two finger strength to get it open and we lost significant time. One puzzle my teammate could not properly obtain the code to the correct solution. Using his wits, he was able to figure out each message individually but it took significantly more time than it needed to. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? One quick note before finishing up my thoughts. Our team played this room at the end of January where the length was sixty minutes. Due to the difficulty of this room, the owners have lengthened the time to seventy five minutes at the beginning of February 2022. My thoughts below are from the perspective of a sixty minute game but adding the extra fifteen minutes will allow more groups to complete the challenge that is The Nautilus. "Nautilus" is the hardest room that I have encountered while enjoying this hobby for years now and the best part about playing this room...we loved nearly every second. Puzzles are front and center in this experience, spending about a sixth of our time trying to reach each other was an intriguing portion of the game and when more players would be involved they can spend their time searching around the room looking for objects or clues or details. It is a game about optimizing time and resources. There are a large amount of puzzles, a medium amount of long puzzles, and a short amount of time. Identify each player's strengths and weaknesses and adjust quickly. Most of the riddles are able to be solved non-linearly; spread out and conquer. The set design was really fun and just as detailed as it needed to be to give the illusion we were on a submarine on the bottom of the ocean where the titular vessel was described by Verne himself. Our team failed with two players and I do not recommend playing with such a small number (although with an extra fifteen minutes we most likely would have gotten out. It would have been close though) four players would be a good minimum to this game. Gives each person a puzzle buddy to bounce ideas and assist in communication puzzles throughout. This is a game meant for the escape and puzzle enthusiast, if this is one of your first escape rooms, choose a simpler game offered by Project: Escape. For all those looking for a challenge, make your way to The Nautilus and see if you can defeat the beast and escape with your lives. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking, one person must crawl, party room available, scavenger hunt inside venue. 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 Project: Escape for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MikeSchnurr #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #ProjectEscape #Adventure #TheNautilus #20000Leagues #USA #Georgia

LOCATION: Marietta, Georgia, USA Photo above is property of Project: Escape Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Will 📅 DATE PLAYED: January 22, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 9/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 75 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $33.99/ pp (Min. 3 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [59:58] 📖 THE STORY Shortly after your team has solved the mystery of who killed William Waterfeller, you are on a train ride to Paris. In his will, it stated that he has hidden numerous artifacts aboard the very train car that you are traveling in. If the artifacts are not found in 75 minutes, when the train arrives in Paris, the entire train is to be donated to the Louvre. Can you prove yourself to the late Waterfeller and obtain the items hidden upon this train. Doing so might just lead your team to an even larger fortune in the future. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The set design was very well done in making an eccentric collector’s estate prominent in the small quaint train car. With how small a train car can be, it does a fun job at hiding plenty of secrets for your team to discover while “en route”. The variety and difficulty for the puzzles in this game was geared towards the puzzle veteran and their design felt like a puzzle hunt. This is where you solve an initial portion of the puzzle but there is still more work to be done. All of the information needed was in the room provided and no outside knowledge was required. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The puzzles were not connected in a way that flowed or gelled with the storyline. The story lends itself to being a hook narrative but the puzzles that supported the game felt as if they were puzzles for puzzles sake; which in a game to test your wits may be all your group needs to have a fun time. There were also portions during the game where our team had to take a minute to examine items and our surroundings. We had to try to come up with a path to solve the next puzzle that was not quite obvious. The length of the puzzles balance between the line of being enjoyable and being tedious. This game doesn’t have very many puzzles but the ones they do have take time to solve. Unfortunately this can lead to fatigue and lack of interest in solving. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This game was played January 2022. As of February 2022, Project: Escape has lengthened the game to 75-minutes. The thoughts that follow are based on a sixty minute game. Lengthening the game fifteen minutes will give smaller groups or groups with not as much puzzling experience a better chance to fully experience "The Will". The Will is an extremely polarizing room. When our team of two participated, one of us loved the room and the other was quite underwhelmed. Project: Escape does a wonderful job setting the scene and presenting the theming in a very immersive way. Each piece and prop felt like part of Williams collections and that made it fun to explore and search. There are only a handful of puzzles but of the mysteries needed to be solved, expect to take a longer time than one would typically encounter while in an escape room. One puzzle alone took twenty minutes to crack the code, part of it was the dexterity involved while another issue was not knowing exactly what the end solution was. This occurred in other portions of the game as well, not having a clear objective is what hinders The Will the most. Cryptograms, crosswords, decoding, searching and deduction are all examples of puzzles to expect in this game. It is built for the team who are looking for a mental challenge. There are some physical riddles in the game, the mental puzzles though; far outweigh the tasks presented to your team. The flow between each mystery can be difficult but finishing the job ahead is sure to give your team a rush of adrenaline and a sense of accomplishment when playing "The Will". ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking, party room available, scavenger hunt inside venue. 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 Project: Escape for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MikeSchnurr #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #ProjectEscape #Mystery #TheWill #USA #Georgia

LOCATION: Marietta, Georgia, USA Photo above is property of Urban Escape Games Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Combat on the High Seas: The British Navy 📅 DATE PLAYED: January 23, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Pirates 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl (Recommended 4-6 ppl) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $32.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [33:12] 📖 THE STORY The ship that you have just boarded as the British Navy is under attack by both Pirates and the Royal Navy above. Your team was given a specific mission, go below deck, and search for the gold that has been apprehended by a no good pirate vessel. With the fighting going on above, you believe you can get to the gold first and lock these scalawags away where they belong. Make jolly ‘ole England proud! Video above is property of Urban Escape Games NOTE: This game is part of a competition room where one side plays as the English trying to grab the gold and apprehend the pirates. Where in a completely different room, you can play as the pirates trying to get the gold first and sail away from the Royal Navy. Each room offers two different experiences and can be played separately but if you have a larger group, it is possible to compete against each other to see who gets the gold first. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE While some venues have copies of their rooms to accommodate larger groups, Urban Escape Games takes it one step further and creates two competing experiences both unique in nature but with similar difficulty puzzles that I have not seen executed anywhere else. There are a lot of interact-able elements in this room, while being closer to a Gen 1 room, the search and find nature in the captain's quarters makes it believable that the gold would be hidden away behind many locks and keys. The final room has a singular window to look into the competing room which would be a ton of fun messing with your friends or nervously trying to figure out who will get the treasure first. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The set design is very well done. What takes away from it though is the fact that certain parts in the set are “built” for puzzles. When exploring a pirate ship, you wouldn’t expect to find a large maze in the middle of the room. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Accommodating a large group, these games would be a great choice for facing each other head to head. The split room design being two separate rooms with two different sets of puzzles lends this concept to playing not only with a large extended family and/or friends, but also one can replay the “other side” and get a completely different experience. Urban Escape Games did an excellent job making these games accessible to a wide range of patrons. Being rooms on the easier side gives a low barrier of entry to try and get each player through. Only playing the British side, we got a sneak peak at the pirate's side and each game gives their own satisfying reveals and immersive decor. As stand alone rooms, they are well designed and fairly straightforward for a puzzling enthusiast. For those new to the hobby, act like seafaring scalawags you are and choose your side on a thrilling sea adventure. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking Lobby area Party room available (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 Urban 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. #MikeSchnurr #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #UrbanEscapeGames #Pirate #Adventure #Georgia #USA

LOCATION: Alpharetta, Georgia, USA Photo above is property of Urban Escape Games Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Lunar Station 7 📅 DATE PLAYED: January 23, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $32.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [57:25] 📖 THE STORY This is "Lunar Station 7", built on the far reaches outside Terra’s atmosphere and it is owned by your employer. What they do up there, your team is not quite sure. But it is a fact that you have been hired as an undercover operative to check up on the status of this base. Not quite understanding why your team was chosen, as lunar stations are not your strong suit. But knowing it's how you keep your paycheck, you begrudgingly make the trek and notice that no one responds to your docking hail. What is going on in that base? Where are the scientists and the employees? Video above is property of Urban Escape Games 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The set design was perfect for conveying a station out in space that had been undergoing research and testing. The initial room, the docking station, while seemingly barren, held plenty of secrets for your team to start investigating and initialize this mystery. Puzzles were all tasks that put you in the shoes of a scientist on that station. Whether you were discovering material properties of geological samples or restoring life support. There is a small area of this room that contained a “blueprint” for the room. It held some key pieces for the completion of the room but was entirely optional in its discovery. There is a fake out reveal in the room quite unique in nature. One may think that there was an issue with the bases electronics but the solution is actually much more unique. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK While performing actions during the room, it was enjoyable to execute tasks but there was not much more depth interwoven between those actions and the storyline. The story felt more of a reason to put you into this world than it did to develop it. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "Lunar Station 7" was the favorite game offered by Urban Escape Games. It hits the right blend of immersive set design, fun puzzles, and engaging gameplay to make this room stand out above the rest. None of the puzzles were complicated and made logical sense. There was quite a bit to do in the room, so maybe having more than 2 people could help your escape rate. I loved the little detail about the blueprint in the room as a player aide, as it made sense to why it should be there and didn’t feel out of place. The storyline was lacking but it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. If you are in the Atlanta area, check out this game if you are looking for a puzzly sci-fi room! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking Lobby area Party room available 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 Urban 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. #MikeSchnurr #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #UrbanEscapeGames #SciFi #Space #Georgia #USA

LOCATION: Marietta, Georgia, USA Photo above is property of Urban Escape Games Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Fort 📅 DATE PLAYED: January 23, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl (Recommended 4-6 ppl) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $32.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [48:56] 📖 THE STORY You and your exploration party have become trapped inside a Spanish Conquistador’s fort. Were you on the correct trail to find hidden treasure? Who else is out here looking for the next big score? Now that your team has been trapped in this fort, it is up to you to figure out how to leave and obtain the treasure for yourself. Video above is property of Urban Escape Games 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The set was very well put together and every area that you encounter in this game seems to be quite unique from the one you came from previously. Urban Escape Games does a good job with "The Fort" , recreate buildings and scenery items that you would see in Central America. There are a lot of physical puzzles in this game which really add to a lot of activity and jumping around to find the solutions that Urban Escape Games created. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The story, while unique in premise, didn't add much to the game. The interactivity between your expedition and the conquistadors felt more like a setting than it did an interactive story Some of the puzzles didn’t have the best clueing into what your group is supposed to do. There is no penalty for hints so feel free to ask if you are stuck. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "The Fort" is Urban Escape Games newest room at their Marietta, Georgia location. Having been built and designed in-house, you can tell that care and effort went into the creation of it. It all culminates into a room that is fun to play, easy on the eyes, but not too engaging for those who would like the reasoning behind their puzzles. If you are someone who enjoys solving all types of riddles, then this would be a good game for you. There were a couple of logical leaps during the experience and after a quick hint our team was able to decipher what the game was leading us to do. Check this game out for a fun atmosphere and challenging puzzles! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking Lobby area Party room available 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 Urban 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. #MikeSchnurr #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #UrbanEscapeGames #Adventure #Georgia #USA

LOCATION: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Photo above is property of Escape Woods 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Maze: Curse of the Dragon 📅 DATE PLAYED: September 10, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Fantasy 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 6 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up to 10 ppl (Ages 10+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $28.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Players are transported to a magical forest kingdom where an evil curse has been placed on the woods by a dark wizard. In order to lift the curse, players must find the three dragon eggs that have been hidden and locked throughout the kingdom. To do so, they must navigate a giant 80-foot by 40-foot maze built in the woods, solve puzzles and crack codes, unlock doors, and escape before time runs out. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The outdoor design of the escape room was innovative and unique, adding an extra level of excitement to the game. It allowed for the incorporation of natural elements and challenges that couldn't be achieved in a traditional indoor escape room. The puzzles were well-suited to the location and made full use of the outdoor setting, with unique and logical solutions that were fun to solve. The game had a good balance of physical and mental challenges, ensuring that all players could be involved and engaged. The immersive storyline added to the overall enjoyment of the game and made it feel like a true adventure. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK One puzzle required players to search for items that were hidden throughout the outdoor area. However, these items blended in too well with their surroundings and were difficult to find. While the story of the game was present, it felt more like a backdrop or setting for the escape room rather than a fully immersive world in which players were truly acting out their own experience. It was a fun scenic design that feels like a home made experience out in the woods. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Despite the challenges of the search puzzle, the outdoor design of the escape room was a standout feature that added an extra level of excitement and enjoyment to the game. Most of the puzzles were well-suited to the location and had unique and logical solutions that were fun to solve. Overall, the game was a fun and immersive experience that is worth checking out. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO This is an outdoor room. Pay attention to the weather and wear appropriate clothing. Only some of the parts are covered, most of the game is played under no roof. The game will get significantly more difficult during the dark hours. Ample light is provided but learning to solve puzzles in the nighttime is not something a lot of people may be akin to. Free Parking Located in Sleepy Hollow farm. A location that is filled with fall activities during those months. Photos above are property of Escape Woods *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** (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"!) #MikeSchnurr #IRLPuzzleHunts #Fantasy #EscapeWoods #Georgia #USA

Photo above is property of EscapeWorks Denver Company: EscapeWorks Denver Game: War Game WIRED Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Action, War Date Played: May 11, 2020 Difficulty (based on 5 players): 7/10 Size of Team: Up to 12 players Time: 60 Minutes Price: $49 M-F (before 5PM), $79 (evenings/wknds): 4 locations included, add'l $14 Our team met in the "control center" of the bunker. We knew we had to act quickly or else this nuclear missile could cause WWIII! As we made our way around the room, we knew there was going to be plenty of tasks. It was very helpful to have a quick and responsive soldier (our avatar Matt) on our side. We appreciated that he was able to do an overview of the room and not count that into our game time. Although we didn't have issues solving the puzzles with just the camera overview, it would've been nice to have some still shots of the room and an inventory list needed for the puzzles. The puzzles were all in line with the war theme and we were very pleased to see so many variations. My favorite puzzle was actually one we couldn't really see but the "aha moment" was quite nice. Overall this was a solid game. Our team worked really well together as a group of 5. So, are you ready to be the next hero and save the world? Photos above are property of EscapeWorks Denver ** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website** Disclosure: We thank EscapeWorks Denver for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #AtHomeGames #RemoteEscapeRooms #EscapeWorksDenver #Action #War #Colorado #USA