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Videos/ Photos provided by Room Escape Miami by Fox In A Box Company: Room Escape Miami by Fox In A Box Game: Virtual Nuclear Bunker Language: English Country: USA 🇺🇸 Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: War, Mission Date Played: 3/7/21 Difficulty (based on 4 players): 5/10 Size of Team: 3-7 People Time: 60 Minutes Price: $38/pp 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 The tension is high between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. There's a double agent currently working for both sides. He has control over nuclear warheads in his bunker and somehow someone activated them. You have to stop this catastrophic event from happening... 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 An intro video gave us the backstory and what we needed to do in order to complete the mission. Soon after, we met our avatar fully dressed uniform outside the door to the bunker. Pay attention to the detail of the door as it's actually a real 1938 bunker door imported from Hungary. Once we got inside the bunker, we're provided with an inventory system (Telescape) that paired with the game play. The game also provided us with a 360 view of the room in the inventory portal. It was very helpful since we're able to divide up the search work. The avatar did a great job with subtle nudges at items that would've been hard to find on camera. He was also really in character as a soldier and responded quickly with our commands. The set design made us feel like we're in an actual bunker. The props (gas masks, canteens, helmets, uniforms, etc...) were actually sourced from all over the world and they were all from the 70-80s time frame. The mission was very clear and we liked the "steps" we had to take to get to the final victory. The only thing I would suggest is to add some music to heighten the intensity of that urgency feeling towards the end as time is running out. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles were designed to associate with the war times. There were a good amount of translating and decoding that we had to do. My favorite puzzles were once that we had to "fix" and utilize the help of certain tools to complete the tasks. It felt like something a secret agent would do. The puzzles were not too difficult as the logic behind it was quite clear. One thing that I liked that Fox In A Box did was translating their audio puzzles into Telescape. This really made a difference in the clarity as usually we always have issues hearing audio puzzles played from the room itself. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the utilization of one particular prop as I wouldn't have expected it to be used in that way. We finished with 23 minutes left on the clock but was quite satisfied due to the smooth game flow. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 This was a pretty solid game from beginning to end. For enthusiasts the puzzles might seen a bit easy but you'll enjoy the overall experience. I also love to see escape rooms use real historical props in their rooms to bring the immersion factor to another level. If you're in the Miami area, they actually have an identical bunker where you and your friends can play head-to-head with each other. This sounds really cool and we would love to try it in person someday! 𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤❜ ℙ.𝕀.𝕤❜ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 Hanna N. I enjoyed playing the nuclear bunker, the puzzles are logical and the game flow is solid. There is a device used to progress through the game which is innovative and definitely helped us stay on track most of the game. There are a few search and find moments, but not too many, which I like since it can be a bit boring during avatar led games. However it’s worth noting that this game uses both zoom and a separate inventory. If you do not have two screens or one big one it can be a bit tricky to keep up, especially if your teammates have two screens. That being said, our avatar and game master did a great job for keeping us immersed, using “affirmative” or “that's a negative” he guided us through the bunker without giving away too much. If you’ve played many escape rooms before you will recognize a few of the puzzles and mechanics, but I still enjoyed it and our team had a fun time together! *** This game can no longer be booked as a remote game but can still be booked as an in-person experience *** (If you do decide to try this experience, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Room Escape Miami by Fox In A Box for providing us with a sample of the game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #RoomEscapeMiamibyFoxInABox #VirtualNuclearBunker #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #detective #bunker #mystery #thriller #adventure #detective #puzzles #teambuilding #pointnclick #avengers

Videos/ Photos provided by Enygma Company: Enygma Game: Mr. Fogg's Residence Country: Belgium 🇧🇪 Language: English, French, Dutch Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Adventure Date Played: 2/15/2021 Difficulty (based on players): 5/10 Size of Team: 3-6 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: €45 (3 Players), €60 (4 Players), €75 (5 Players), €90 (6 Players) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Mr. Philéas Fogg is leaving for his upcoming trip around the world soon and he's looking for companions to join him on this expedition. He would only take the right candidates so he has set up a series of puzzles to test your knowledge in his Brussels residence. Are you ready for the challenges? 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 This is a live avatar game paired with the Telescape inventory system. Our avatar gave us a quick scan of the room when the game started. We felt that the handheld camera needs to be on a harness as it's a bit shaky throughout the game play. Telescape was great at giving us close up shots on clues that we needed to focus on. One thing we wish they would've included is a 360 view of the room. This way the players would be able to divide and conquer as there were a good amount of "searching" that we had to do. The game was paired with music coming out from Telescape. We thought that was a nice touch for the game's overall atmosphere. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 Telescape added a lot of new functionality which we thought the game could have taken more advantage of. The photos were very clear and gave us what we needed to solve the puzzles. The interactive component of the puzzles was lacking a bit as some of the puzzles could be easily translated into Telescape so that we could maneuver the components ourselves. Most of the puzzles were not too difficult but one definitely needed a little "guidance" from the avatar as I don't know how we could've "spotted" it ourselves. Our favorite part of the game was a "mechanism" that incorporated the idea of "around the world" and "traveling". Although I would've loved to be there in person to operate it myself. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 This is Enygma's first remote experience and we see a lot of potential in their upcoming games. This game had more physical puzzles which had to be taken out for online purposes. We felt that the ending could've been more conclusive if we would've been able to play the rest of the game. It was still great to be able to see how the "mechanism" worked but we definitely want to visit them in person as they're located in the beautiful city center of Brussels (tell the avatar to give you a sneak peek of outside!). 𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤❜ ℙ.𝕀.𝕤❜ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 Sarah and Connor D. Overall an enjoyable experience. It was especially cool to have a little peak out of the front door to see the beautiful square in Brussels. What a location! The set and decor was very in keeping with the theme. We love unique sets and "hand-made" designs, and this felt as though it was made with love. We would have loved to have seen some of the "equipment" in person. We enjoyed the puzzle flow, the host was very professional and welcoming. I would recommend this game for families. We had some difficulty with the camera-handling....mainly moving too quickly, and not focusing very well at times. We were not given a 360 view of the room in the inventory, which meant that we really needed to have a nice camera-pan of the room to know where to begin. Some items lingered in the inventory for a long time after we used them, and I was not always sure if it was still there because we needed to use it again. We look forward to the opportunity to re-visit this location in "real life". Paolo F. The setting is littered with many themed objects that one would want to be able to touch and explore live. The puzzles are interesting and with the right balance between the simpler and more immediate ones and those in which you need to think more. Even though we were five players, including two super experts like Cici and Brandon, it took our team around 45 minutes to finish the game. The game uses the Telescape inventory to provide a better view of some objects that would be more difficult to observe only with the camera of Zoom. Some aspects, such as a more stable video recording and an enhancement of the use of Telescape, can be improved to make the experience more fluid and engaging. Overall it is a pleasant game and has the potential to become an even better game. *** This game can be played remotely only if you have a large group. Please call the venue to inquire. Otherwise, this game can be played in person*** (If you do decide to try this experience, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Enygma for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #RemoteEscapeRoom #aroundtheworldin80days #travel #gear #onlinegames

Photos provided by Escape Rooms Ennis Company: Escape Rooms Ennis Game: The Beach Bar Country: Ireland 🇮🇪 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Adventure Date Played: 1/19/2021 Difficulty (based on 3 players): 4/10 Size of Team: 2-6 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: 2 Players €50.00 // 3-6 Players €75.00 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 You are taking a vacation before starting your dream job. Perhaps you celebrated a bit too much last night and now you can't find your passport. If you miss that flight, you'll have to say bye bye to your new job.... 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Our avatar greeted us in her appropriate "islander" attire and bought us into what looked like a bar on an island. Since we haven't vacationed for almost a year now, this felt really good. The set design was quite simple but had a mysterious vibe that just made everything seem happy. The game used Telescape which gave us a nice 360 overview of the room and photos of items we needed take a closer look at. We wish there were more components we were able to do on our own as interactive puzzles in the portal as it was mainly used for photos. The avatar did a great job with understanding our commands and being very quick with her actions. We ended up with 25 minutes and 53 seconds left on the clock but we're quite satisfied with the flow of the game and lost track of time. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles felt quite easy (for experienced players, don't over think things) for us but our P.I. who's played 50 escape rooms or so felt like she wasn't able to catch up with our speed. So please note that the difficulty level we rated were based on our perspective and for people who haven't done many of these before you might have a different view. We enjoyed the mix use of physical locks and tech in this room. There were a few cool effects we haven't seen before that went really well with the theme. There was a color puzzle we felt like didn't translate well to online as it was difficult to tell the colors from the camera. This would be a great example of incorporating it as an interactive puzzle for players to do on their own in Telescape. There was an audio puzzle that we felt like could also be very cool if it could be embedded into Telescape so we could actually hear it more clearly on our end. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 We went into the game with a smile on our faces and came out with a bigger smile. Weather you are an experienced puzzler (you might finish quicker) or a beginner puzzler, you'll be able to find your own little paradise in this room. Even though the puzzles were quite easy, they all made sense and we went through the entire game without any hiccups. This game also bought back memories for us when we're able to travel in a normal world. And thanks to Escape Rooms Ennis, I'll always be reminded to check for that passport! 𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤❜ ℙ.𝕀.𝕤❜ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 Christy L The room was neat. It was very colorful. I liked how there was a mix of puzzles, some were locks, others were more mechanical (like the jukebox). It's nice when it's not just all combination locks. Good theme, good puzzles, but obviously way too hard for me and WAY too hard for any inexperienced player. I understood the puzzles after they were explained to me but I never would have figured any of them out by myself. *** We regret to inform this venue has closed its doors *** Disclosure: We thank Escape Rooms Ennis for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #EscapeRoomsEnnis #BeachBar #RemoteEscapeRoom #Passports #Adventure #TheHangover #Mystery

Photos provided by Escape Rooms Ennis Company: Escape Rooms Ennis Game: O'Brien's Cottage Country: Ireland 🇮🇪 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Horror Date Played: 3/18/2021 Difficulty (based on 4 players): 5.5/10 Size of Team: 2-6 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: 2 Players €50.00 // 3-6 Players €75.00 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Eddie O'Brien's family has been cursed ever since he chopped down an old Hawthorn tree to build his cottage on the hills of West Clare. Strange sounds (like a wailing of a woman) has been heard by many on stormy nights. Will you be able to release the Banshee and free the O'Brien's from their curse? You only have 60 minutes... 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 This is an avatar-led online escape game experience paired with Telescape as their inventory system. Telescape gave us an intro video of the backstory and immediately after, our avatar Sarah was standing outside O'Brien's cabin. I'm sure if played in person, the lighting would probably be dimmer and creepier but even with the bright lights, certain areas of this game still gave us the goosebumps. This game had the perfect set up with the use of Telescape. Every time when we received an item, it would alert us as a thunder sound in the portal. This went well with the theme of the room (although I wonder if different sounds could be implemented for various items as a creepy door sound would be nice). The transition of whenever an item would appear and disappear in the inventory system was seamlessly paired with the avatar's actions. It's probably the most efficient way we've seen Telescape used in an remote game. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 We really liked the tactile and interactive puzzles that were added into Telescape. We were able to do them alongside the avatar and most importantly, work on it as a team. Sarah was really fast at completing her tasks right after we've solved ours. It made us feel like we're doing them in person at the same time. Most of the puzzles were not too difficult. There was one that took us a bit of time but we had a strong P.I. team with us and finished the game with 20 minutes and 34 seconds left. There was also one cool tech device worth mentioning as we haven't seen too many places use it the way how it was used in this game. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Escape Rooms Ennis only started their remote escape room experience a short awhile ago. In this short amount of time, they've perfected some of the hardest obstacles of translating physical rooms to online. They are late comers to the remote escape room world but definitely faster learners than some of the other companies we've seen out there. We love the fact that they listen to feedback and suggestions and is constantly improving the quality of their games. We highly recommend giving this room a try if you're looking for a smooth game play online. 𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤❜ ℙ.𝕀.𝕤❜ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 Sabina M. What I liked most about this game was the combination of exploring a real room with the real person who was executing our orders and in the same time being able to click and view the puzzles and the room in Telescape. There were various type of puzzles with various difficulty. The puzzles where most of the time a combination of two parts of the room brought together which in my opinion were easy to connect to each other. We didn’t have a hard time figuring out which belonged to which. There were a few locks in the game but not too many at the same time so there were about 2 options every time. I prefer there being more keys and locks simultaneously in the game so when you find the right key or combination for the lock its more satisfying. To control the avatar was very easy. She understood what we were doing and gave a few hints as well. All together a very fun room to do with a group and a unique combination of being in a real escape room with digital puzzles on screen. ______________________________________________________________ Kobi R. This was a really great room. It's a challenging room. Sarah was a great avatar, making sure we get the full experience and ambience but also super responsive. No real cons, the riddles were special and I really felt the background story adds to the experience. Would recommend to experienced players. *** We regret to inform this venue has closed its doors *** Disclosure: We thank Escape Rooms Ennis for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #EscapeRoomsEnnis #OBriensCottage #BansheesCurse #BansheesCurse #Curse #Horror ##RemoteEscapeRoom

Photos provided by Museum Of Intrigue Company: Museum Of Intrigue Game: A Study In Intrigue Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Detective, Sherlock Holmes Date Played: 1/30/2021 Difficulty (based on 6 players): 5/10 Size of Team: 4-10 Players Time: 90 Minutes Price: $31.00/pp 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 The assistant curator of the Museum of Intrigue was found dead last night. There's been a series of items that had gone missing as well. Could these events be related? This case has gotten the attention of the famous Sherlock Holmes. Hopefully with your help, we can crack this case together! 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 This game was played over Zoom with a live avatar ("Sherlock Holmes"). Your game will began at the crime scene with Sherlock. It's played a bit differently than your other remote escape rooms as if you don't direct your avatar, Sherlock will begin doing searches on his/her own. This did help a lot in this investigation as there were a lot of items to look over in the museum and not all of them were relevant to this game. You should rely on your avatar's guidance on what's important to look at and what's not. There's no point in checking every single item in a particular space. You'll also receive some information with the confirmation with your booking. We definitely recommend reading this prior to the game as it'll be overwhelming to go over during the game play. The game was also paired with a word document. This is where your evidences and puzzles will be displayed. As you collect evidences and solve the puzzles, new information will unveiled and the game master will help you update that into the word doc. There are a few questions that you'll have to give a definitive answer by the end of the 90 minutes. If you're able to successfully identify the killer, motive and weapon, then you'll have a chance to score a perfect 100 for the game. There's no actual "escape" per se for the game. Your goal is to achieve as many points as possible. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 There's a lot to do in this game. Besides exploring various areas, you'll need to identify what to look for in that particular area. The game master also have to travel a lot as the Museum is quite big (Read about it in our review on "Operation: Red Sled"). This is why you have 90 minutes for this game. You'll also discover different puzzles in various areas in this museum. Remember to use your avatar and your GM as you helpers. They might even be able to help you solve a puzzle or two. The GM was great at accommodating to our demands. He was providing research information to us as we were asking for them on the spot. It definitely made the game feel like we're solving a case in real time. The puzzles were not too difficult but what made it hard was discovering them. The camera felt shaky at times and due to our internet connection (I would suggest booking on weekdays for better connectivity), there were moments of blurriness and it was definitely hard to spot some hidden items. It would be very helpful if the avatar could "nudge" us with the camera angle in those incidences. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 We solved the murder mystery with a perfect score of 100! Go team! The storyline was very well written and we liked the various characters that played into the game. There were alibis we had to go through and different character paths we had to take. The puzzles were non linear but because the avatar has to be at a certain location to discover clues, it was difficult to have him/her run back and forth to solve puzzles in an non linear way. I would suggest just sticking together as a team. This is what you'll experience when you play the real life experience at the Museum of Intrigue. We were glad to be able to enjoy an online translation of their experiences. If the inventory system could be improved to sync better with real time removal of items used and the camera quality and control could be clearer, this would a really solid game. We would probably categorize this more towards immersive theater or murder mystery than an escape game. It would be fun to see if they would be able to implement live actors or prerecorded videos to make this experience even more immersive. But for now, I wish you the best of luck with your team on solving this murder mystery! 𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤❜ ℙ.𝕀.𝕤❜ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 Ivan G. We were sorry that the extra info came in 30 minutes before the game, because of this we could not read in properly ... And also missed a bit of a start video or news message with the mission we were going to do. This meant that the first 10 minutes was certainly more looking and taking everything in before we could get started. In the beginning, we found that a lot of information came in fragmented, and because of this, the first 20 minutes were a bit dangling. Only after 30 minutes did we all get into the flow and divide and solve the work. I think it is a nice unique location with many different rooms, and extremely suitable for online, you could not do this offline. I thought it was a shame that the avatar / actor was wearing a mouth mask, which made her very difficult to understand. That will have to do with the public place, and that it is not a small company where no other people are present. We liked the puzzles a lot and varied. But also very high educational level. Our HQ employee / game master was really great, helping us very well! and was good in character. We saw many beautiful images and different environments via zoom. And because we worked well together, and our game master felt where we needed help, we have completed this mission cum laude! We enjoyed this escape! Recommendations to the company: a start video in the mail with the mission, and send more info earlier. ______________________________________________________________ Karen C. A Study in Intrigue is the Museum of Intrigue’s virtual escape room/mystery where your team works with Sherlock to investigate a murder. In order to uncover clues and evidence, puzzles must be solved and the museum explored. The experience was highly immersive, with our avatar having to interact with a variety of objects and locations, as well as needing to research topics with the help of our trusty inspector. The puzzles were plentiful and challenging, but were well signposted. They also fit seamlessly into the narrative. With the number of puzzles it was helpful to have a larger team, who could work concurrently. This game may be a challenge for small groups who like to work linearly. The game does come with read ahead material, which is important to review. The Museum of Intrigue itself was really the star of the show. There were so many cool objects to investigate and explore. I really hope I get to explore in person some day. Pros: -Really strong narrative that was engaging, with a logical solution, with lots of interesting detail. - a lot of puzzles. Puzzle types had good variety, well signposted, and fair. -Having two people hosting(avatar and a research assistant/game master) really made things work smoothly. Our hosts were fantastic, they were super friendly and discreetly helpful. -This was an incredibly immersive experience. The museum is amazing, it’s a huge space that encompasses multiple games/mysteries. The narrative wove through different locations so you really felt like you were investigating a crime scene. Cons: The large space meant that our avatar had to spend time traveling between points, and if we worked out a solution for a puzzle that was not in our current location, there could be a wait before getting back to that location. ______________________________________________________________ Bethan P. This was the first online escape room I have played and i thoroughly enjoyed it. The storyline was interesting and immersive. The puzzles were a variety of skill levels so everyone was able to do something. I liked that you were able to work individually on separate puzzles and then come together to discuss the answers and theories to the ones yet to solve. We were delighted to be the first team to score full points on this room and I can't wait to do another one. Feb 11, 2021 Update: The following items have been revised based on our feedback since we've played the game: 1) Clue document is now organized as a table of contents by exhibit where the things were found / whose locker it was in. Clicking each clue title opens the clue independently, so no more scrolling or seeing everything at once. 2) We show a QR code at the start for players to scan with their phone if they would like, as it puts the clue document on their mobile device for multi-tasking. The link is still also provided in the chat. 3) Smaller groups are given different framing on clues to assist with group size and speed up their work. 4) The starting evidence is provided with the booking confirmation email. 5) All audio filed are now just transcripts, and they are much shorter. 6) Two plotlines have had massive rewards tacked on the end to permit even more freedom in choosing paths 7) The clue document now has a photo of each exhibit to open so players can explore the space without Sherlock going there. All photos are strategic to include anything related to this mystery. 8) Sherlock is now required to "run" if the group is working quickly. 9) Eight puzzles have been updated/replaced for ease of use, simplicity, or to remove red herrings. 10) Large groups can qualify for a second detective (Lestrade, Watson, or Adler) to have a second camera and work in other parts of the museum simultaneously. *** We regret to inform this company has closed its doors *** Disclosure: We thank Museum Of Intrigue for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MuseumOfIntrigue #AStudyInIntrigue #Detective #SherlockHolmes #Mystery #Solve #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar

Photos provided by Museum Of Intrigue Company: Museum Of Intrigue Game: A Holiday Heist - Operation: Red Sled Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Heist, Fantasy, Christmas Date Played: 12/10/2020 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 3/10 Size of Team: 4-10 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: $25/pp 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Jack Frost is being very naughty this holiday. He swapped Santa's Nice and Naughty list! We have to help Sly the Elf get the list back before it's too late! 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 We started the game with a live avatar over Zoom. Museum of Intrigue did a great job with a clever and fun intro. We did experience some connectivity issues but that was mainly because they are literally a museum and in the game you're actually using the entire space. The owner did inform us that they are getting better devices to improve connection, so hopefully when you play the game, you'll have a smoother experience. We were given a floor plan of the museum at the start of the game. There were so much to see! Most of the time we were mesmerized by the set design of various areas of the museum and forgot that we're actually playing the game. One second ago we're in a tropical rainforest. A few moments later we traveled to a medieval castle looking great hall. And then somehow we ended up on a traveling train. There was so much grounds to cover, we forgot what our goal was at one point. The game master was great at "hinting" us on what we needed to do next. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 This was more of a puzzle hunt game rather than an escape room. It was quite easy and could be especially enjoyable for kids. There were a lot of times I felt like I was playing the "I spy" game. If you found and collected all the pieces, you'll be able to claim the final prize. For experienced players, you may find this game a bit slow and not as challenging. If you know what you're booked into from the beginning, you'll have a lot of fun. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Museum Of Intrigue has been a place we wanted to visit in person for a long time now. The physical location is enormous and has many interactive stories, live actors and puzzles that you'll need to spend 2-3 days there in order to complete everything. When we heard that they're going to have a game online, we're so excited to take a peek of what it is like inside this magical place! Now that we've seen it, we want to visit it even more. If you are too far to travel to upstate NY and want to see what the Museum of Intrigue is all about, this is your chance! *** We regret to inform this company has closed its doors *** Disclosure: We thank Museum Of Intrigue for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MuseumOfIntrigue #AHolidayHeist #OperationRedSled #Holiday #Christmas #Heist #Santa #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar

Videos/Photos provided by District 3 Escape Rooms District 3 Escape Rooms currently offers 3 remote escape room options and we played 2 of them. Below are our thoughts on each of them. Company: District 3 Escape Rooms Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Size of Team: 2-8 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: $27 pp (adults)/ $20 pp (ages 8-17)/ $8 (ages 5-7)/ Free (ages 4 and under) Game: The Cabin Genre: Horror Date Played: 6/19/2020 Difficulty (based on 6 players): 7.5/10 We were one of the first groups to play test "The Cabin" when it was released as a remote escape room. The back story was given to us through the audio from the room which made it quite hard to hear but this was quickly corrected by the company. Now the game starts off with a very clear audio that will be sent to you through their inventory portal at the beginning of the game. The avatar (David) introduced himself as a victim that was captured by a kidnapper. He was locked up in the cabin and our goal was to help him escape and figure out why he was kidnapped. We liked the initial sound effects of the kidnapper leaving the house. The 10 minute warnings also made it easy to keep track of time through a very visible large window. This was the first time we used "Telescape" as an inventory portal. It was quite easy to use as only one player had to type in the password to reveal all the inventory items for the entire team. Another cool feature this portal was able to do was remove all the items that were already used as new items were entered. This made it a lot easier for us to focus on the current puzzles. The room had a few secret compartments that we were not expecting. It was nice to discover them as the story developed. It would've been helpful if the avatar was able to narrate the story as he's discovering items. It would make the ending at lot more clearer for the players. We got stock on one directional puzzle that we felt could be shortened for the online version but I am also pretty bad at directions so hopefully this is not a struggle for you guys. This room does have an eerie story but the set design was not scary at all. So if you were hesitant to book due to being worried about the horror theme, don't be. In case you like to be competitive, you will receive an actual score for the company at the end of the game. There are also different achievements you'll be able to earn. The hint system is unlimited but after the first two, your score will be deducted. We (6 players) scored 93 points at the end with 12 minutes and 47 seconds left (used 0 hints). The achievements we earned were: escaped, no hints, and division leader (online live division). Let us know how you did when you try out the room! Game: Haunted Genre: Horror Date Played: 6/28/2020 Difficulty (based on 4 players): 7/10 "Haunted" was played similarly to "The Cabin". An email with the Zoom link and "telescape" link was sent to us before the game. We were given a code to start with an audio intro through "telescape". Each of the players were able to click on it and listen to it in their own headsets. We recommend headsets for this game since there will be audio components throughout the game. If you wanted to add some ambiance to the game, you could chose to play the audio file that will provided at the beginning of the game. The set design of this room was a bit more creepier than "The Cabin" since we were invited to a haunted mansion after all. A fake second floor added a nice illusion to the grand feel of a mansion. You shouldn't worry about not booking because it would be too scary of a theme for you. Since this was a remote experience, there were definitely a few moments where we felt it would've been a nice " jump scare" in person but didn't impact us as much on camera. It was nice to have "telescape" (read the above review for more detail how the inventory portal works) as the inventory system as there were quite a bit of reading and some documents that needed a close up examinations. Since all of us had access, it was easy to divide the work load. We got "stuck" on two spots for this game which we thought could use some clarity in the remote version. It would've been a very easy puzzle in person but it's hard to make it clear to the avatar when we're not on site. Hopefully our feedback was able to make the game play smoother for future players. With the 4 of us, we finished with 6 minutes and 25 minutes left. There were definitely more puzzles in this room that needed a bit more "nudging" from the avatar as a few were harder to visualize on the remote version. Overall we had a lot of fun with the various puzzles and we enjoyed the surprise ending to the story line! (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 District 3 Escape Room for comping our tickets for their games. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #District3EscapeRoom #TheCabin #Haunted #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar #Horror #CabinInTheWoods #HauntedHouse #athomegame

Photos provided by Escape 60 Peoria Company: Escape 60 Peoria Game: Shagadelic Super Spy Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Espionage Date Played: 5/28/2020 Difficulty (based on 4 players): 6/10 Size of Team: 2-6 Players Recommended (Up to 4 Connections) Time: 60 Minutes Price: $60 (Group) Oh groovy, baby! We were on a mission to save our British spy friend from Doctor E. He has captured our friend and locked him in his "shagadelic" London pad. To make matters worse, there's a missile that will be set off in 60 minutes! Doctor E thinks it's all going perfectly to plan... This room was a lot of fun to play. It's been awhile since we've played in a real escape room and this one definitely bought back memories. The room wasn't really a high tech room but we really enjoyed a lot of the gen 1 puzzles we haven't seen in awhile. We were just so happy that the puzzles all made perfect sense and there were so many of them! It really fulfilled our craving for a solid puzzle room. Our avatar was such a good sport. Besides his groovy watermelon shirt, he also had a pair of "shagadelic" spy sandals. The sandals must've been equipped with "magic spy power" as it turned him into speedy Gonzales. With his help, we finished with 4 minutes left on the clock. There were some moments we did feel that the camera could be a bit sturdier but it did not affect our game play. There was no inventory list for this game but we didn't really need it. Our avatar was so great at organizing the items for us on the table that we could easily refer back to it when needed. Finally, we just want to say to the evil Doctor: "Oops, we did it again, baby. Your evil plan has been destroyed. "Shagadelic" super spies over and out! *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** Disclosure: We thank Escape 60 Peoria for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #Escape60Peoria #ShagadelicSuperSpy #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar #Espionage #Spy #AustinPowers #DrEvil #MiniMe

Videos/ Photos provided by Amaze Escape Events Company: Amaze Escape Events Game: KGB Country: Netherlands 🇳🇱 Language: English, Dutch Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Espionage, Adventure Date Played: 5/25/2020 Difficulty (based on 3 players): 7/10 Size of Team: Up to 6 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: €49/ Team Our team of 3 were sent in as CIA spies to infiltrate a secret KGB hideout. The game started right away into our avatar being locked up in a jail cell and we had to get her out to safety ASAP! The dim lighting, usage of flash light and the avatar's ability to move in stealth mode all contributed to the immersive experience of this game. Good thing the game designer didn't add much searching to the room as it would've been difficult with the lighting situation. There was a separate portal for the inventory list and that also helped with items you couldn't see well. The table in the room served as a great area to put items that were already used or not in play. We did find one puzzle where we felt that outside knowledge was needed but good thing my teammates have experienced this before. If your team does not have the knowledge to solve this, a clue paper would be provided (Update 5/29/20: The owners have came up with an alternative solution to this puzzle so this issue should be resolved now). The game did contain some fun physical puzzles that fits well with the story line. It was a puzzle heavy game so definitely get in with a strong team if you want to save the agent, as we barely made it out with 1 min 28 sec left on the clock! But that is the exact adrenaline pump that we, "escape-junkies", look for ! *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** Disclosure: We thank Amaze Escape Events for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #AmazeEscapeEvents #KGB #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar #Espionage #Mystery #Adventure #Spy

Photos provided by Mystery Mansion Regina Company: Mystery Mansion Regina Game: Night Terrors Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Horror Date Played: 5/24/2020 Difficulty (based on 6 players): 7/10 Size of Team: Recommend max. 8 ppl by company Time: 75 Minutes Price: ​1 or 2 Households: $65 plus tax/fees 3 to 5 Households: $115 plus tax/fees Alex was being haunted by "The Sleepyman". He went to a hypnotherapist for help. We were all part of his subconscious (best not to have more than 6 or else Alex could get quite confused) and our goal was to help him wake up from his nightmare. This story line was really good. It kept us intrigued the entire time. By incorporating the audio concept of storytelling with puzzles, it made us feel like we were not just playing a regular puzzle solving game but were really part of this horrible nightmare. We looked forward to solving each puzzle since we're always rewarded with another development in the story. It almost felt like opening a different chapter in a book.... I'm glad we played this during the day time because "creepy shadowy man" was my worse childhood nightmare. There were definitely times when cold chills were running down my spine. If you would like to enhance the experience, I definitely recommend playing in the dark and put on your headphones. We were given time after the game in zoom to discuss over our experience and till this day, we all have different opinions on what had happened to Alex. We love to hear what you guys thought after you play this game! That is, if you don't get stuck in Alex's subconscious forever... *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** Disclosure: We thank Mystery Mansion Regina for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MysteryMansionRegina #NightTerrors #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar #Horror #sleepyman #creepy #scary

Photos above are property of Looking Glass Adventures Company: Looking Glass Adventures Game: Operation Flamingo Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Secret Agent, Family-Friendly Date Played: October 25, 2021 Difficulty (based on 1 player): 7/10 Size of Team: 2-10 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: $28 CAD/ pp (must pay for 4 players) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 You are special agents helping your field agent break into the Floridian vacation home of a person-of-interest. You must find and secure some dangerous evidence of their crimes before their return at sunrise! And so you begin in the yard of this kitschy Florida home, complete with plenty of lawn flamingos, a BBQ, a giant American flag, and a white picket fence. The only things missing are some gators! While the overall story is a little light on details, the set keeps you in the Florida vibe, and you receive periodic updates and instructions from your superior back at the agency to keep you on-mission. 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The GM gave a nice introduction to how everything would work and ground rules before the game began, which would be really helpful for newer players (or those unfamiliar with the remote avatar format). It was actually the first time for my GM to run this game (and I was very impressed, given that), so they did not play a character. However, I understand that in many cases the GMs do run the games in-character. This is a purely Zoom-based avatar game, without Telescape or an inventory system. Since it is quite linear, I found this worked well, and there was no real need for an inventory system that you might see in other games. There were a few times that a digital image of a note or item might have been nice, but I was able to read quite well via the camera and with the GM reading aloud as well. Not needing a second window also meant I could fully focus on Zoom, the camera, and what the GM was saying. With one exception, they also had most of the room sounds and audio tracks piped directly into Zoom, which was a nice touch and meant they came through loud and clear. Though be sure to pin the avatar’s window at the start, so that they don’t get displaced when a triggered communication comes through. Photos above are property of Looking Glass Adventures 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 This is a fairly linear game with a nice mix of accessible puzzles: logic, decryption, perspective, observation, etc. There are a number of traditional locks to open, as well as some creative entry mechanisms and reveals. There were a few small technical hiccups where the system didn’t quite respond as it should have, but these were quickly resolved, and things ran smoothly overall. They adapted the game well for the remote version, with at least one puzzle modification, but I could definitely imagine the fun of being there, particularly for the more physical and cooperative elements! It took me 55min, since I played this game solo and got stuck on two puzzles (one classic case of enthusiast-overthinking, and the other just a silly oversight that I’m sure would not have happened with a group). I never asked for any hints, but I did get a few subtle nudges and affirmations along the way. One amazing thing that Looking Glass Adventures does is that they have an extra set of “bonus” puzzles for each room that will get added (along with a little extra storyline) if a group finishes super early. While I did not get to see them myself, they explained how it worked to me afterwards, and I adore this idea. I feel like the extra puzzles would have blended in well with the overall experience, and their inclusion really helps to ensure that those super-quick groups not only “get their money’s worth” in terms of length, but also the joy and reward of extra puzzling! Photos above are property of Looking Glass Adventures 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 As someone who really appreciates more quirky and whimsical games, Operation Flamingo was right up my alley! I was in the midst of a stressful week, and this light-hearted experience was just what I needed. As with most avatar games, if you are able to play in person, you should totally do that. However, this one has been adapted quite well to the remote format, and (as someone unlikely to get there myself) I was very happy I had the chance to play it from afar! There’s a nice mix of puzzles that are well-tied to the theme, and I love that they have bonus puzzles kept in reserve for really fast teams! This really facilitates having a good chance for inexperienced players to be successful while also preventing enthusiasts from finishing ridiculously early. It’s also definitely family-friendly, so it’s really a great game for a wide variety of people. Dave and I had previously enjoyed the Mystery at Maryweather Mansion, and this just makes me want to play their last game (Walden’s Wizarding Shop) even more. *** This game can no longer be booked as a remote game (call to see if they can for team building) but can still be booked as an in-person experience *** (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 Looking Glass Adventures for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #KristaJones #AtHomeGames #RemoteEscapeRooms #SecretAgent #Spy #Espionage #Family #LookingGlassAdventures #Telescape #Canada #Ontario

Video/Photos provided by Looking Glass Adventures Company: Looking Glass Adventures Game: Mystery at Maryweather Mansion Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Mystery Date Played: 5/12/2020 Difficulty (based on 5 players): 6/10 Size of Team: Up to 8 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: $74.00 CAD (Up to 8 players)/ $10 each add'tl player We were sent in by Ms. Maryweather, a world renowned archaeologist to find her most valued possession. Our avatar had a great "storyteller" voice. It actually made the experience felt magical like we were on a Disney adventure. The set design had a mansion type of feel with beautiful antique props. The lighting had a nice balance of keeping the ambiance but not losing the visibility. The minor issue we had during the game was the camera device that was used. Since our avatar was holding a GoPro stick in one hand, she only one hand free to perform the tasks. This caused some shakiness during the game and also made lock opening quite difficult. It would be great if a harness type of camera could be introduced. The puzzles weren't extremely difficult but they were fun and often came with surprising elements. We were satisfied with the amount of puzzles that were introduced in this room. For people who haven't tried a remote escape game yet, this is a great one to start with. You'll definitely feel hooked afterwards! *** This game can no longer be booked as a remote game (call to see if they can for team building) but can still be booked as an in-person experience *** (If you do decide to try this experience, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Looking Glass Adventures for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #LookingGlassAdventures #MysteryAtMaryweatherMansion #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar #Fun #Mystery #lookingglass #find #search

Video/Photos provided by Mysterium Escape Company: Mysterium Escape Game: The Earl's Will Country: Italy 🇮🇹 Language: English, Italian Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Mystery Date Played: 5/11/2020 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 7.5/10 Size of Team: Recommend 4-6 ppl Time: 60 Minutes Price: €40.00/ Group Earl left his will hidden in the manor and our mission was to help retrieve it. It was great to have his entrusted butler Leonard on our side as there were a lot of searching we had to do. Leonard provided excellent white glove service throughout the game. It wouldn't been great if he was able to speed a bit (we completed the game with merely 40 seconds left on the clock) but he was an old butler. Although no outside knowledge was needed, you'll have a slight advantage if you know your wines. There was no separate portal for inventory but because there weren't many puzzles involving reading, it wasn't really necessary to have one. We enjoyed the various puzzles as they certainly reminded us of Italy. During a time like this where traveling is restricted, this remote escape room definitely helped us fulfilled a virtual "vacation". *** We regret to inform this company has closed its doors*** Disclosure: We thank Mysterium Escape for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOmers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #MysteriumEscape #EarlsWill #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar #Mystery

Photos provided by BH Escape Company: BH Escape Game: The Mystery of Santos Dumont Country: Brazil 🇧🇷 Language: English, Portuguese Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Mystery, Time Travel Date Played: 5/7/2020 Difficulty (based on 4 players): 7/10 Size of Team: 4-10 players Time: 60 Minutes Price: $40/Game We time-traveled back to 1932 to recover an invention by Santos Dumont. If we don't complete this mission within an hour, we'll be stuck in 1932 forever! The props used in this room looked like antiques from the 20th century. There were a few unique uses with these items that gave us "wow" moments. Like the name of the game, the entire room felt like a mystery. I liked how it slowly unraveled as we discovered clues and solved puzzles. There were a few times we encountered some blurry images and it was hard to see due to the reflections. It would be great if a sturdier camera could be implemented to enhance the experience. The special interface that this escape room used was not seen anywhere by us yet. As we started the game, we were sent in a separate website link a layout of the room and you were able to see how many locks are in it. If you think you have the right answer to one of the locks, you could try it on your portal. If you got it right, your teammate's portals will also get updated with a green check on the lock. This saved a lot of time for us in terms of trying the wrong codes but also took away some elements of self-discovery. I would've loved to play this room in person as some tech reveals were quite unique but we are thankful to at least to have experienced this remotely as it was definitely a cool room! *** This game can no longer be booked as a remote game but can still be booked as an in-person experience *** (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 BH Escape for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #BHEscape #TheMysteryofSantosDumont #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar

Video/ Photos have been provided by St. Louis Fantasy Maps Company: St. Louis Fantasy Maps Game: Escape The Empire Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English Type of Game: DIY Escape Kits 🖨️✂ Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure Date Played: 5/6/20 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10 Size of Team: Unlimited Time: Unlimited Price: $19.99 (Download), $24.99 (Physical Copy) Duh duh duh DUN DA DUN, DUN DA DUN....Ok, I have to admit I'm not a Star Wars fan but when I heard that St. Louis Fantasy Maps made a Star Wars inspired DIY Escape Kit, I had to check it out. This game was designed with "party" in mind. You can either do the simple "print and cut and solved the puzzles" version or you can make some blue drinks, form your squadrons, get dressed up and have some cosplay fun! If you are going to play it the "boring" way, You'll be able to save a good amount of paper that you don't need to print out. But the little lightsabers (yes, I know what they are) are must print items for an inevitable thumb war! (If you do decide to try this game, please remember to let them know that you heard it from"ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank St. Louis Fantasy Maps for providing us with a sample of the game. Although complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #ESCAPETHEROOMers #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #StLouisFantasyMaps #EscapeThe Empire #DigitalEscapeGames #Adventure #Sci-Fi #StarWars #DIY