Search this site

LOCATION: Dublin, Ireland Photo above is property of The Clockwork Door Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played: May 11, 2023 Genre: Fantasy Difficulty (Based on 2 PPL): 5/10 Total # of Players: Up to 6PPL Length of Time: 60 Minutes Price: €75-120 (pending on team size) Booking Type: Private Escaped? Yes 📖 THE STORY A white rabbit? How could you resist the temptation to not follow it? After some time, it led you to a mysterious door. As you slowly opened the entrance, Wonderland appeared right before your eyes. Suddenly, the door shut tightly behind you. Is there another way out? Maybe the white rabbit can help? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE One of the props used in the set design really brought out the atmospheric imagery of Wonderland. The concept of one of the puzzles was pretty neat as it didn't only use the prop but another "enhancer" that's part of the room's design. The riddles used in the game all had a fairytale connotation. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The Props used in this room needed updating. There was a riddle that we solved that led to a clue that we never used. Later we found out it was just a red herring. One of the puzzle's cluing was really convoluted. There were many ways to interpret the clue which also led to multiple solutions. A visual clue was a bit difficult to see due to additional unrelated visual items. The finale fell short as there were no surprises or reveals since from the beginning we saw what we had to do in order to escape. Perhaps making it more secretive would help. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? As a fan of fairytales, I was very excited for another "Alice in Wonderland" themed game. Although the game did provide a few "magical" moments, the puzzles weren't as strong in terms of giving us that nice flow. This game had also been running for quite a while and we felt that it definitely needed a facelift. We also had the privilege of peeking into their newer game, "Witch House" (as seen in the background of our Youtube interview w/ the owner), horror fans might be in for a treat! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO There are no parking spaces available on the street. Located up one flight of stairs. Rooms available for rent for classes or events Kitchen available with complimentary tea and snacks (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 The Clockwork Door for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLEscapeRoom #EscapeRooms #TheClockworkDoor #Fantasy #AliceinWonderland #Dublin #Ireland

Photos provided by Inside Castlebar Company: Inside Castlebar Game: The Restaurant Country: Ireland 🇮🇪 Language: English, Polish Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Adventure Date Played: 2/18/2021 Difficulty (based on 4 players): 5.5/10 Size of Team: 1-10 Players Time: 60 Minutes Price: €35 (1-2 Players), €40 (3 Players), €50 (4 Players), €60 (5 Players), €70 (6 Players), €80 (7-8 Players) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 You finally got an interview with the best restaurant in town. When you arrived, there's no one there. You found yourself trapped inside the restaurant and a timer started to countdown from 60 minutes. You probably don't want to sit around and wait to see what happens when the time is up... 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The game started with the avatar giving us a verbal intro of the backstory. We were then bought into the inside of a restaurant. The décor looked simple from first glance but there's a lot of hidden surprises. The owner also kept the set design in immaculate condition. As we continued on with the game, we kept getting surprised by new areas and more puzzles. There's no inventory system paired with the game but since there's not many items that we would need to read or focus on for too long, we didn't think it was a necessity. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 We liked the mixed use of physical puzzles and logic puzzles. The added humor to the utilization of one of the props was quite pleasing. There was almost no "red herring" prop usage in the entire room and we really appreciated that as being in a set for a restaurant, you could easily be lost with plates, utensils, etc...There was only one puzzle in the entire game we thought could be a bit confusing for online play as the association of the clue wasn't as clear to what we had to do. The owner did say she's going to adjust that so hopefully you won't have that issue during the game play. Although the puzzles were non linear and could be easily played as "divide and conquer" style, due to the fact that there's only one avatar and we were playing this online, it's not really possible to utilize that method. If the owner wants the players to be able to explore the "divide and conquer" way for the online adaptation, then we would suggest having an inventory system and add a 360 view of the room to the game. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Don't be fooled by the simplicity of "The Restaurant". You might think you'll be able to get out very quickly but you'll soon realize there are many hidden secrets within. It was a lot of fun seeing our teammates say to each other: "Wow there's more?" I'm happy to report that we left quite satisfied with our "meal" and I'm pretty sure we got accepted for the job. 𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤❜ ℙ.𝕀.𝕤❜ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 Hanna N. I really enjoyed The Restaurant, and I would absolutely have loved to be able to play it in person! The props and puzzles are fun and unique and there’s at least one puzzle where you have to break the usual rules of escape rooms, which was a super cute touch to the story. Martha was a lovely avatar and did a good job of sneaking hints in to keep us flowing, while giving us a lot of freedom to explore and try everything we could think of. The game is non-linear and there is a LOT to do and look at, so make sure to have pen and paper, or a screen shooter ready. At times I felt a bit stressed out about the sheer amount of locks and clues we found, and since there is no inventory system we had to rely on our avatar to do everything for us. Therefore I ended up taking the backseat in our group a little bit, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the ride! This is definitely the weirdest job interview I’ve ever been to, I can only recommend you give it a try! ______________________________________________________________ Helen B. I have done a few physical escape rooms with groups of friends and love the ability to run around and examine everything and work together, fumbling with keys and padlocks and putting together all manner of puzzles or hunting through bookshelves or boxes.... So I had to say I was dubious about how this was all going to work on Zoom, where we can't touch anything and our view would be restricted to a camera lens. Would the technology even hold out? We met Marta our guide outside the room and she welcomed us, gave us some background information and rules, and explain that she would be our avatar, and to guide her as we wish. We began, and we entered the room which at first appeared sparse and small. Marta wears a bodycam which gives a pretty good, clear view at all times, and we were able to ask her to move around to get the best view of things. As we called out what we wanted her to do, she obliged, with a nice balance between listening to what we wanted but also showing quite clearly that there was nothing more to be found on an item if we just gave it a general once-over. Her descriptions were clear, concise and flowed well, so there were never any awkward silences. She spoke in a lovely soothing and supportive voice and put a lot into expressions of surprise or excitement when something went right, which was lovely. The puzzles we encountered were clear enough for a screen and Marta helped by putting things close to the camera so we could see everything. As we progressed it was clear that some puzzles could only be solved after further exploration. As I don't want to spoil the room content I will just say that there were a few clever surprises that meant the room held a lot more secrets than we first thought, and despite a few uneducated guesses at some combination numbers we made swift work of most of the puzzles. There are some very clever uses of tech in this room which really impressed me, and a couple of items have been adapted for the online experience which was a nice touch. There was a lovely mix of puzzles and tasks, a LOT of locks and a bit of Math to be done, and with time ticking quickly away I found Marta to give lovely subtle suggestions and behaviour changes that weren't blatant hints, but guided us to knowing we were or were not on the right track. She has a beautiful lilting voice that always felt very encouraging! I felt that if she knew a group were struggling that she would say or do something that gave you a clue without giving the game away and seemed very good at judging how we were doing against the time. We completed the final puzzle with only a couple of minutes to spare and emerged victorious. Yes, it is tough not being able to get in there yourself and explore, and no it's not easy when someone else is your eyes, and you are all wanting to say something at the same time and end up hearing no-one, but that is just the nature of the beast until we can return in person. It still worked really well, we were an effective team and Marta made it very enjoyable and rewarding. We had a lovely chat with her afterwards where she told us a bit about the history and the practicalities of running the room, and their plans for expansion. If I am ever in the west of Ireland in future I will make a point of paying them a visit to do their next room, they certainly deserve the custom! *** 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 Inside Castlebar 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 #InsideCastlebar #TheRestaurant #Lockedin #Castlebar #Ireland #Adventure #Mystery #RemoteEscapeRoom

Photos provided by Inside Castlebar Company: Inside Castlebar Game: The Roomvengers Country: Ireland 🇮🇪 Language: English, Polish Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Fantasy Date Played: 3/20/2021 Difficulty (based on 4 players): 5/10 Size of Team: 2-8 Players (Recommended ages 8+) Time: 60 Minutes Price: €35 (1-2 Players), €40 (3 Players), €50 (4 Players), €60 (5 Players), €70 (6 Players), €80 (7-8 Players) 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Humanity is at the brink of extinction by the Mad Titan who goes by the name Thanos! The Avengers are ready to do whatever it takes to save our world. However, Thanos has an army and we are outnumbered. The government has agreed to recruit new members and anyone can join if they complete their training mission in less than 60 minutes! 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 This is an avatar-led online escape game experience. There is no inventory system for this room and it actually doesn't really need one. Everything is straight forward and because the set design of this room delivers for Marvel fans, you won't want to miss anything. Marta was our avatar and she did a great job at letting us see the room in it's entirety. Normally, when I come across a theme that has a level of expectancy with the bar set really high, it's hard to be satisfied. But Inside Castlebar went over and beyond with the decor and the props. As a die hard Marvel fan, I truly appreciated the level detail and quality of the items in the room. Without being biased and judging purely based on the set design, I would still have the same level of satisfaction. One thing that I was concerned about is if playing a Marvel Avengers-type of escape room would have a cheesy storyline. I'm so glad that Inside Castlebar decided to take a different approach and make the storyline more "realistic", rather than focus on the superheroes and their powers. The storyline was creative and our mission to prove ourselves worthy of becoming an Avenger made the experience more interactive. 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 "The Roomvengers" is one of those escape rooms that you wish you could play in-person. Although, playing the game remotely was a lot of fun, I don't think it compares to actually playing it in real life. There were some really unique puzzle designs that fit well with the storyline and the set design. Most of the puzzles were fairly easy which provided a nice game flow. We highly recommend this game for families to play with their kids. With that said, there were a couple of "wow" moments in the room that we didn't expect. I wouldn't mind just running around with Thor's hammer or Captain America's shield and do absolutely nothing. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 This is the second game that we've played from Inside Castlebar, the first was - "The Restaurant". Both games were a lot of fun and completely different from each other. This just goes to show you that Inside Castlebar can deliver quality games with different types of themes for different players. Although this type of escape room is dedicated towards the Marvel fans out there, anyone can play this game and still experience a wonderful time. 𝔼𝕊ℂ𝔸ℙ𝔼𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕆𝕆𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕤❜ ℙ.𝕀.𝕤❜ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 Andrew K. For this live avatar online escape room, we had the wonderful pleasure of being guided through this adventure by Marta! Filled with bits of humor and fun, this adventure "teleported" us into the training facility of a superhero headquarters. Once inside, we were treated to a variety of impressive props scattering the room. For die-hard Marvel fans, there will be a LOT to appreciate in this room. For those not so clued into the Marvel Universe, the game still progresses nicely - you just may not catch the many MANY Easter eggs strewn about. The room has a variety of lock and key puzzles, combo puzzles, and more tech-driven puzzles. I was impressed with how many different types of puzzles they had, and how creatively tricky and clever they were. No puzzle was too difficult, and there did not appear to be any logical leaps necessary - just a lot of fun. The immersiveness of the room and the elaborate props really brought this room to life. Whether online or in-person, this room is definitely a must-play. I absolutely recommend the Room-vengers! ______________________________________________________________ Jen M. Roomvengers is a superhero themed online escape room. Impending doom has meant that the secret agency responsible for recruiting new superheroes has had to drastically lower their standards for entry—lucky for us! Prior knowledge about Marvel superheroes isn't required to play the room, but without some familiarity you may not fully appreciate all of the props and décor you encounter. Our team had some super fans, and that did make it more fun. During the game we encountered a few whizbang props, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well some of those 'wow' moments in the room came across over Zoom. The puzzles were highly enjoyable. There was a nice assortment, and they were well clued to help us recognize what went with what. I would have loved a punchier introduction to the story. Playing online doesn't offer the immersive experience that actually walking into the room does, so a more purposeful briefing on the premise and our goals might have motivated us from the get go and made the ending more satisfying. I was so swept up in the puzzle solving that when the exit door opened, I thought, "Oh, are we done?" Maybe all this superhero business has gone to my head, but I was craving a bit more fanfare. Overall, it was a very fun room. Wham! Kapow! Bam! I am now ready to claim my rightful place in the ranks of the greatest superheroes of all time. *** 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 Inside Castlebar 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 #InsideCastlebar #TheRoomvengers #TheAvengers #Marvel #Thanos #InfinityWars #Endgame #TheSnap #Lockedin #Castlebar #Ireland #Adventure #Fantasy #Action #Superheroes #RemoteEscapeRoom

LOCATION: Essex, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Escape Hunt 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Escape the Wild West 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 16, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £22-28/ pp (pending on the group size), student/over 60+ disc available ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Head to the old Wild West to the frontier town of East Victoria to celebrate with them on their discovery of gold! Bad news is that word of the gold has got to the Bill French Gang who are on the way to take ownership of the gold and kill everyone in the town. It is your task to get that gold and get safely out of town. There is a rusty old locomotive that hasn’t worked in years but you can head on up and move on out by getting it up and running then you have a great means of escaping this town richer than you went in, let’s get going “yee-haw!” Video above is property of Escape Hunt 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Lovely look and design to add to the feel to the room. All the puzzles were linked to the theme and some had some lovely quirky twists to them. There are specific puzzles that have to be done and others that are optional depending on how much gold you want to take and how fast you want to get out of town. This means the number of puzzles/games you play could be reduced if you start to run short of time. We needed a couple of nudges for those tumbleweed moments where silly ideas of what to do next run out and silence falls. Our host was very good at getting us to giddy up and get back on the right path. Most of the props were authentic and felt good quality (a couple of notes needed some love as they were on paper and one was already torn before I accidentally ripped it in half - sorry!). It’s not a linear room, there is plenty for everyone to get involved with. I really liked the puzzles and games, they weren’t too challenging but were a lot of fun. I do love that they provide props for your victory photo and our Games Host was very obliging in taking the pics of us, these were done on our own phones standing in front of the branded sign (they don’t take their own pics for their social media). 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Due to the room being within Boom Bar and a group of people having a lot of fun axe throwing, it made it hard to hear the opening story which was given over an audio feed within the room which was describing what our mission was. There was no clock in the room but we did get 10min updates from the sheriff and a 5 min one as the end approached that added to the need to the urgency to get out. We did have a ‘is that the end?’ moment as we weren’t quite sure - we are clearly better cowboys than we think we are! 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Overall we enjoyed the ride and had a rootin' tootin' good time. I darn well recommend giving the room a go, it ain't that hard and would be perfect for more of a novice escape roomer, if you are bringing your kinfolk or first timers. The puzzles ain't too complicated, but if you chose a certain path you could potentially be out of there faster than fallin’ off a bucking bronco, but due to the fun elements of certain puzzles there is no way you’d not give them a bash. Good luck cowboys, git ‘er done! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Escape Hunt Lakeside is based within the Lakeside shopping centre so there is plenty of free car parking available. Currently, they have 3 traditional escape rooms at this venue as well as a few VR experiences. Lakeside Shopping Centre has a direct link to Chafford Hundred railway station where c2c trains travel from London Fenchurch Street via Upminster and West Ham or towards Southend Central via Grays and Stanford-le-Hope. Buses include: 370, 372, X80. Escape Hunt is located within Boom Bar which is a games venue (axe throwing, darts, pool, shuffleboard etc). The Escape Hunt part of the venue has its own waiting area and alcoholic and soft drinks can be ordered through your games host or from the bar within Boom Bar - there was a list with a couple of themed cocktails available too which was a nice touch. Accessibility - unfortunately this venue isn’t wheelchair accessible. 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 Hunt Lakeside for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #DawnBallard #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Western #Adventure #EscapeHunt #Essex #UnitedKingdom

LOCATION: Birmingham, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Escape Hunt Birmingham Photos above are property of Escape Hunt Birmingham 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Our Finest Hour 📅 DATE PLAYED: January 21, 2022 🎬 GENRE: War, History 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £20-25/PP(pending on the group size), 15% (Mon-Thu), 10% off (ages 60+) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (49:08) 📖 THE STORY It is 1942, the middle of World War II. You are MI6’s top agents, and you have been informed that the Nazis have developed terrifying new weapons which could easily mean not only the end of the war, but the end of Britain! You have been scrambled, as word has come through that these weapons have been activated and will launch in just 1 hour from now. What are you waiting for? Get in there, find the weapon, deactivate them and save the country! Video above is property of Escape Hunt Birmingham 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The room contains amazing replicas of items from the actual war effort used to crack codes and communicate at the time. Two items in particular had me wanting to just admire them and know more about how they were made, and seriously impressed me. Absolutely authentic decoration, disheveled and sparse room, totally believable of the time period, several areas to gain access and explore, and plenty of props and furniture that felt totally in character. There was a nice balance of standard locks, tech, codes and activity-based puzzles which kept us engaged and stayed in theme throughout. Great use of teamwork and logical thinking required and a gentle build-up of pressure happens as time whittles away. They have a bunch of great in-keeping props available at the end to dress up for your victory photoshoot! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK A couple of the puzzles didn’t quite signpost us as much as we had hoped, but after a little analysis we worked it out in the end. A couple of items were tricky/fiddly or didn’t operate “perfectly” which held us up, but then who expects technology to be perfect in wartime! The way we got out of the room wasn’t as exciting an ending as I’d hoped. While we waited for our GM to come and meet us after I felt a little like I’d cheated and just walked out early, although we had definitely achieved the goal and been told to do it that way :) Photo above is property of Escape Hunt Birmingham 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Supposedly the hardest game at time of writing, this game definitely threw us a lot of challenging hunting, figuring out and trial and error, and required two nudges (call out for help and it shall be given!) to make the final connection in puzzles that we thought we were on the right lines with but were struggling to complete. The theme is authentic and not scary. The lighting is good and there’s nothing too physical. My tip is to go with what you think is right but maybe try other ways of making it work! Despite these small hiccups in our methods we got out in 49 minutes and were very pleased to be second on the leaderboard for that month (for that moment anyway!) If you are a fan of authentic themes, war movies and historical stories, then this room will absolutely appeal, or if you just want to go straight for the hardest room at a venue! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO "Our Finest Hour" is located at their City Centre location. There are several paid car parks within a few minutes walk of the venue but the site does not have its own. It is just a couple of minutes from Birmingham New Street Station so trains will be frequent from wherever you are. The lobby is amazing! Spacious, clean and beautifully decorated and with many tables, drinks available to purchase, games to play and lockers for valuables. They have rooms available for groups to hire for games too. The venue and "Our Finest Hour" are wheelchair accessible rooms (although maybe a squeeze in the room for moving around). (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 Hunt Birmingham for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #HelenBailey #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #History #WorldWarII #EscapeHunt #Birmingham #UK

LOCATION: Reykjavik, Iceland Photo + video property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played:  June 1, 2019 Price: $40 Length of Time: 60 Minutes Total # of Players: Up To 6PPL Difficulty Level: 6.5/10 Public/Private: Private Escaped? Yes Hint: A picture is worth a thousand words... We are so excited today to visit Iceland’s largest city and its capital, Reykjavik! You’ll see our YouTube video on what Reykjavik has to offer (especially our midnight trip to the Blue Lagoon)! But enough about sightseeing, we are here for escape rooms! We are fortunate to have been hosted by the only escape room in Reykjavik – Reykjavik Escape. Because we had a tight schedule with our cruise, we were able to only try 2 of the 8 rooms that they currently offer ("The Mafia" and "Escobar"). It’s a perfect location to host big parties and corporate events. In the same building, they even have a restaurant right across the hall from them. The location is accessible by either walking (quite a far walk) or taking a bus from the cruise port. After some strong Icelandic coffee, we were ready to tackle our first room. "The Mafia" is one of the rooms they had suggested for us to try. Our mission is to break into the Godfather’s home to recover a famous painting “Madonna” which we think he had stolen. Time is of the essence and we entered what seems to be his office. We love surprise elements and this room had a few for sure. One thing I would say is that there were a few items that could have improved on the condition and some items were also a bit misleading since it seemed to be labeled from a previous puzzle or design but had nothing to do with the current puzzle. I’m sure the owner has revised that since we’ve given our comments. Other than some updating, we truly enjoyed this room and the storyline. Especially since there’s an actual true story driven behind this as inspiration. We successfully escaped the room with two people with some spare time left. We can’t wait to try the next room that they have in mind for us which is their newest room - “Escobar”. (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 Reykjavik Escape for media discount tickets for this game. Although media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #reykjavikescape #themafia #iceland #reykjavik #bluelagoon #harpa #hlemmur

LOCATION: Reykjavik, Iceland Photo + video property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played:  June 1, 2019 Price: $40/pp Length of Time: 60 Minutes Total # of Players: Up To 7PPL Difficulty Level: 8.5/10 Public/Private: Private Escaped? No Hint: Something may seem more clearer if it's slowed down "The Mafia" was the right choice for us to do first since we needed to warmup. This new room "Escobar" is on a different level in terms of level of difficulty. We are judging this based on two players so if you bring more people it will definitely work in your favor. The story brings us into one of Pablo Escobar's safe houses to find some of his valuables. But we got locked in as soon as we entered and now, we are hoping to find an exit and escape in an hour hopefully with some loot as well. Since this room is newer, we got to see the updated development in the use of technology and props right away. There were a few clever use of the "tools" for solving the puzzles that didn't really need high tech but ended up being my favorite. You really needed some logic skills for this room especially for one particular puzzle that stumped us for some time and that’s the reason why we were very close to the ending but didn’t get out. There’s a good amount of variations of puzzles that used reduction theory, math, the good old “searching”, thinking outside of the box, etc… If you want a challenge, this is the room for you. We appreciate Reykjavik Escape showing us their scale from an old to new room and their ongoing hard work to improve their rooms for escape room enthusiasts like ourselves and the level of difficulty they make them for beginners and for experts. There’s a ROOM for everyone there! If we have the chance, we will return to try their other rooms for sure! (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 Reykjavik Escape for media discount tickets for this game. Although media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #reykjavikescape #escobar #iceland #reykjavik #bluelagoon #harpa #hlemmur

Location: Akureyri, Iceland Videos/ Photos are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played:  May 30, 2019 Price: $24-$32/pp (pending on the amt of ppl) Length of Time: 60 Minutes Total # of Players: Up To 5PPL Difficulty Level: 7/10 Public/Private: Private Escaped? Yes Hint: It might not be the obvious electronic device in the room. We are so excited for Iceland and Akureyri is our first stop! We can’t believe there’s an escape room in this 5th largest town of Iceland. We got the friendliest owner as well and she took us around the town after the escape rooms (check out our YouTube vlog for an exclusive tour of beautiful Akureyri). There’s so much to do here like visiting an automated cow farm and drinking some fresh brewed coffee and milk, Santa’s house (Iceland has 13 Santas), and more! But let’s get back to what we’re really here for... Escape Akureyri! If you are coming by cruise, Escape Akureyri is within walking distance from the port. Make sure you look up as you are trying to find the location as they have a big sign on the second floor. There are currently two games at the location and we tried both - "Wonderland" and "The Bunker". The first one we tried was “Wonderland”. The mission objective for us was to find the Madhatter’s hat and escape. This was a very fun room and we were impressed by the designs given that it is quite difficult to get props to Akureyri, Iceland and the owner builds everything herself. We appreciated how the room had a good combination of locks and technology. For beginner players, we think the room will definitely give you the sensation of wanting to play more. For expert players, two people was enough to tackle the room. Even with the limited amount of space the owner was able to work with, she still utilized it very well and kept an element of surprise in it. We were eager to play “The Bunker” room as that’s the new room she recently completed. *** We regret to inform this venue has closed its doors *** Disclosure: We thank Escape Akureyri for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #escapeakureyri #wonderland #alice #iceland #akureyri #sushitrain #gameofthrones #got #kaffiku #justinbieber #illshowyou

Photo above is property of EXIT NOW Company: EXIT NOW Game: Horror Hotel Country: Greece 🇬🇷 Language: English, Greek Type of Game: Remote Escape Room 🗣 Genre: Horror Date Played: June 9, 2020 Difficulty (based on 3 players): 5/10 Size of Team: Up to 6 devices Time: 90 Minutes Price: €60 per game (team) We played a bunch of horror themed remote escape room in the past, but this one really got us! It's very difficult to express "horror" remotely but EXIT NOW did a fantastic job through character play and set design. Our mission started with an agent intro outside an abandoned building. Our avatar informed us that they had lost contact with the previous agent and we needed to investigate this creepy place to find out what had happened to her/him. It may not look like it from the outside, but this place was massive! I had a mix feeling of wanting to do this in person and glad I was behind my trusty "computer screen shield". We were amazed at how much flexibility they had with bypassing some of the safety issues when building this set. We would've loved to try out some of these fun props in person (probably prefer not to be chased by a psycho with a chain saw though). My brain just stop functioning in scary situations. I would've probably ended up hiding in one of the rooms and never moved. Even during the remote play I let out a few screams. There weren't as many puzzles in the online version of this game but we were occupied by other "fun" elements the entire time. Ninety minutes flew by and we wanted more! The ingenious usage of the inventory list (although it might've been easier if we could see it on the side screen but we just took a screen shot with our phone and that worked well throughout the game) as the agent's tools and to think outside of the box on how you would use them in a real life situation was already a puzzle on its own. Both the avatar and the "characters" did an awesome job leading us through this escape. The special effects were also amazing. At times you couldn't even see what was in front of you and suddenly, you might have a "visitor" in the fog. This was also the first time we're able to hear the background music and that added to the suspense. At the end of the game, we felt like survivors from "Saw". If you are into horror and immersive theater, you don't want to miss this game. It's as REAL as it gets. *** 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 EXIT NOW for comping our tickets for this game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCaos #AtHomeGames #EscapeRooms #EXITNOW #RemoteEscapeRoom #Avatar #Horror #Saw #Immersive #LiveExperience #saw #scary #chainsaw #butcher #omg #ahhhhhh

LOCATION: Akureyri, Iceland Videos/ Photos are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played:  May 30, 2019 Price: $24-$32/pp (pending on the amt of ppl) Length of Time: 60 Minutes Total # of Players: Up To 7PPL Difficulty Level: 6/10 Public/Private: Private Escaped? Yes Hint: Sometimes it's about the quantity After completing the “Wonderland” room, we were excited to try their newest room “The Bunker”. Please refer to the “Wonderland” review on this location’s details. Right when you enter the room, the lighting has a drastic change from the “Wonderland’s fun and vibrant feel. This room is in a dimmer setting resembling the war time’s eerie and “secrecy” feel. We like the decor as it made us feel like we were actually stuck in a bunker. We were happy with the puzzle designs as they had a nice flow and was pretty linear. The theme stuck to the storyline the whole time. T he props that were used all had to do with the storyline and we were happy to discover some “surprising” element throughout the play. This room is also not on the difficult side for expert players. We were able to get out with time to spare with two people. We did however enjoy the puzzles and the fact that no red herrings were used. For beginner players, we did hear from the owner that this one is definitely more challenging than the “wonderland” room for some people, so we definitely recommend bringing a group of friends together and make it a fun trip! *** We regret to inform this company has closed its doors *** Disclosure: We thank Escape Akureyri for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #escapeakureyri #thebunkere #iceland #akureyri #sushitrain #gameofthrones #got #kaffiku #justinbieber #illshowyou

Location: Budapest, Hungary Photos property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played:  11/15/2019 Genre: Suspense, Crime, Mafia Difficulty Level based on 2PPL: 7/10 Total # of Players: Up To 8PPL Length of Time: 60 Minutes Price: €11-€22/PP (pending on the amt of ppl) Public/Private: Private Escaped? Yes 📖 THE STORY Our undercover agent who’s been collecting evidence in Pablo Escobar’s house for months now has gone missing. We need to break in to rescue him! 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE One minute we were standing in the courtyard of some apartment complex in Budapest. The next, we were transported outside of the gate of a real HOUSE in Colombia. Yes! An entire HOUSE! From the lighting to the music, no detail was spared. This set design was amazing for the limited space they had. It was very clever how they were able to use the different compartments to create “wow” moments for us throughout the storyline. We liked how the puzzles were closely connected with the storyline and as one puzzle was solved, the next clue was revealed. The game flow was nice. There are not much red herrings at all. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK We really enjoyed one of the puzzles that they thought of to incorporate in the house and it was very logical to have it. But it would be great to consider the height element in the puzzle design as I (5 ft) was not able to see the clues. Perhaps adding in a stool would be helpful to solve this issue. Every set was very realistic and beautifully presented. We wish there were more puzzles in each as some felt like they were only utilized once. We were confused by the way how something was written as it stumped us for awhile even though we thought we had the right answer. It would be great if that can be rewritten clearly so all the players internationally could understand. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? “AROOM” has a very comfortable and welcoming lobby. They also have an awesome location near the famous Váci Utca which features a whole street of restaurant choices. We tried 2 out of the 4 games that they have available currently and we would definitely recommend visiting them when in Budapest. They have a new room coming out soon called “Deadland” and we are very excited to revisit if we have a chance in the future. You’ll enjoy “The Escobar House” if you love adventuring through immersive set designs like a secret agent. We recommend a group of 2-4 people pending on your experience level for this room. 🔎 HINT Where are they pointing? Additional Info Lobby with games Complimentary water, tea & coffee Street parking (recommend public transportation) Some players may be required to climb up/down one flight of stairs (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 ARoom for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperoomreviews #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #aroom #lockedroomhu #theescobarhouse #pabloescobar #budapest #hungary #hu

LOCATION: Moschato, Athens, Greece Photo above is property of Mystic Corporation 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Mystic Corporation 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 9, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Horror 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 3-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 120 Mins. 💰 PRICE: €26/ pp (4 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You are a group of journalists who learned that the first-ever escape room, created by the eccentric Lord Beaverwood, has been reconstructed. The Lord's descendants found the designs and built his unique room in Athens. You arrive at the HQ of the Company to cover this incredible story... Video above is property of Mystic Corporation 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The game begins as soon as you arrive with a thematic and engaging briefing that flows seamlessly into the beginning of the experience. This is a sprawling ER, built inside a neoclassical mansion and taking over two entire floors. Expect ups and downs, ins and outsides, overs and unders, and much more. We were ‘treated’ to some of the best acting we’ve experienced in an escape room. Is this a game or a movie set? The depth of the story and the quality of the acting results in a highly immersive and theatrical experience which will have your heart racing and nervous on high alert. The riddles engage all the players, all the time, and often require more than one person to solve, which is fantastic; no bystanders here! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There wasn’t much we didn’t like about this production; "Mystic Project" has become my number one ranked escape room. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "Mystic Project" is not for the faint heart, this is a two hour nonstop psychological thriller. So if you are up for some climbing, crawling, and running from the bad guys then this is a challenge worth experiencing. I have played rooms with one and sometimes two actors, but to have three and only charge what they do I am amazed they can stay in business! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Plenty of free street parking available Involves 3 live actors (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"!) #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #MysticCorporation #MysticProject #Horror #Greece

Location: Budapest, Hungary Photos property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played:  11/15/2019 Genre: Suspense, Adventure Difficulty Level based on 2PPL: 8/10 Total # of Players: 2-6 PPL Length of Time: 60 Minutes Price: €11-€22/PP (pending on the amt of ppl) Public/Private: Private Escaped? Yes 📖 THE STORY We received intel that there was going to be a bombing of a subway station under the parliament. We needed to get there in time to save the day! 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This is probably one of the best subway replicas that we’ve seen so far in any of our transit-themed rooms. The details incorporated the actual platform, train’s control room, and even part of the train track which was impeccable! Once again, we were impressed by how much they were able to do in such a small space just by using different heights in the room design. This room was mostly running on tech components which we thought fit well with the story line since most of the puzzles were based on mechanical devices. All of the puzzles had to do with the train or train station one way or another. We appreciated that during the game play we didn’t have to raise questions like: “Why was that there?” We enjoyed the finish as we felt like we’ve accomplished what we were sent into do. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK We didn’t have any issues with the language aspect of the game until we ran into one particular puzzle in this room. It was more difficult for us to coordinate the connections of the hint system with what needed to be done. We had to use a hint in order to get pass this puzzle. One puzzle used a symbol that was the same as a useless prop which was confusing to us. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? “AROOM” has a very comfortable and welcoming lobby. They also have an awesome location near the famous Váci Utca which features a whole street of restaurant choices. We tried 2 out of the 4 games that they have available currently and we would definitely recommend visiting them when in Budapest. They have a new room coming out soon called “Deadland” and we are very excited to revisit if we have a chance in the future. Although their website rated this room as being less difficult than “The Escobar House”, we felt that this room was more difficult for us. There were more puzzles and needed more time to process (especially the one with the language issue mentioned above). Our recommended team size for this room is 3-4 people. 🔎 HINT Make sure it’s on the hook or else it won’t work. Additional Info Lobby with games Complimentary water, tea & coffee Street parking (recommend public transportation) Some players may be required to climb up/down one flight of stairs (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 ARoom for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperoomreviews #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #aroom #lockedroomhu #metro #budapest #hungary #hu

Location: Budapest, Hungary Videos/ Photos property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played:  11/15/2019 Genre: Adventure, Action Difficulty Level based on 2PPL: 6/10 Total # of Players: 2-6 PPL Length of Time: 60 Minutes Price: $9-14/PP (pending on group size) Public/Private: Private Escaped? Yes 📖 THE STORY The setting of this room was in pre-WWII Egypt. As officers in the British Army, our mission was to infiltrate the enemy’s hideout to retrieve a secret message before it gets into the wrong hands! 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE We enjoyed the setting of the first room. It reminded us of a Moroccan market. The props used were also relevant to the storyline. The ending without a normal key is always more intriguing. We suggest working that into the storyline for a “wow” moment at the end. The set design had a nice change of décor. We suggest making the entrance a bit different so it can seamlessly connect with the next location and the story line. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The clue for one of the puzzles was too revealing which made the other “red herring” items confusing. It’s probably best just to just remove it or hide it better. There were a few puzzles we didn’t understand why the answer was in that particular order. If a story or clue could be written for it, it will make more sense. Some props needed updating as they felt worn out. We couldn’t read one of the clues during the earlier part of the game as the last pieces of the clues were blurred. A particular puzzle was no longer relevant in the room as it was not working. It’s best to remove it to cause less confusion or fix it so it could be part of the room again. Adding sound or lighting to puzzles that will reveal after a puzzle is solved would be very helpful in this room as there were a few times we didn’t know what opened even though we had already solved the puzzles. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? “Scavenger Escape” is a franchise currently with 9 different locations all over the world. It seems like they have three core games currently and some locations have one other one that might be special to their area. This room is their beginner room in terms of levels of difficulty and we felt the same in terms of puzzle complexity. Although, we would advise a larger group mainly because it may be easier to “discover” items when you have more people searching. 🔎 HINT It’s a G not a “9”. Additional Info Lobby with waiting area & lockers Street parking (we recommend public transportation) You'll need to walk down one flight of stairs to get to the game (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 Scavenger Escape Budapest for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperoomreviews #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #scavengersescapebudapest #egyptianadventure #budapest #hungary #hu

Location: Budapest, Hungary Videos/ Photos property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Date Played:  11/15/2019 Genre: Adventure, Magic, Fantasy Difficulty Level based on 2PPL: 5/10 Total # of Players: 2-6 PPL Length of Time: 75 Minutes Price: $54/Room Public/Private: Private Escaped? Yes 📖 THE STORY Our journey started in a Wizard school. We needed to venture through different obstacles in order to get out… at least that’s what we think we needed to do… 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Parts of the room really reminded me of Harry Potter a lot. Besides the decor, we loved the incorporation of characters in projector format as storytellers in the room. The wand usage was truly fun and felt magical when something was activated by it. We enjoyed being “wowed” by a prop for the life size effect. Most of the reveal for a puzzle solved all felt “magical” which was very appropriate for the theme of the room. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There was no real clarity on our mission for the storyline. We just pretty much assumed we were young wizards like Harry Potter just put into a magic school and started our adventure. We didn’t feel a true ending. One puzzle was quite high for my height (5ft). It would be great if a stool could be provided in the room or it could be placed elsewhere that’s lower. The location of the escape room was in the basement. We felt that even though it did create some sort of “atmosphere” for the escape room, it also felt a bit dirty. If the set design could be a bit more improved on the sanitation so that the props could just look like from centuries ago but in tidier condition that would be great. There weren’t that many puzzles for a 75-minute room. We felt that the latter part was very spacious but there were only a few puzzles in it. It would be great if more puzzles or hidden elements could be added for a longer play time. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? If you are a Harry Potter (which we are) or any sort of magic fan, you’ll enjoy this room. I’m not sure what the average play time for this room is but we were able to get out this room with the two of us with time left on the clock. If you just started to explore escape rooms, we suggest you go with a larger group. For experienced players, a smaller group will probably give you longer play in the room. 🔎 HINT Make sure you check the directions. Additional Info Lobby with waiting area & lockers Street parking (we recommend public transportation) You'll need to walk down one flight of stairs to get to the lobby (If you do decide to try this room, please remember to let them know that "ESCAPETHEROOMers" sent you!) Disclosure: We thank Time Trap for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #escapetheroomers #etr #review #escaperoomreviews #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #CsapdaIdő #TimeTrap #chamberofsecret #harrypotter #budapest #hungary #hu