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LOCATION: Buffalo, New York, USA Photo above is property of Escape City Buffalo Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Hangover 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 16, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Vegas, Bachelor Party 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $32.99/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You wake up in your trashed Vegas hotel suite, and you’ve never been more hungover! You don’t remember exactly what happened, but evidently you stole a bunch of things from the Russian mafia. Not a smart move. You’ve got one hour to sort through the debris, recreate memories of what happened, and get out before they find you and bust in. Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Fans of The Hangover films will marvel at the incredible detail in the recreation of the Caesar Palace suite from the first movie, as well as nods to key moments. Escape City Buffalo clearly excels at immersive and realistic set design! The room also very much shares the vibe of the source material – total chaos, debauchery, and juvenile humor. Beyond the impressively executed disaster of a room, the initial overwhelm of a lot of puzzle elements being available from near the beginning certainly amplified the sense of pandemonium. For the most part, once we found all the requisite pieces and put them together, the solutions were sensible, and we felt confident in the solve. They brought together elements from various rooms to keep you moving. "The Hangover" doesn’t take itself seriously and delivers some hilariously memorable moments, including some absurdist teamwork. One element towards the end, in particular, provided an excellent way to ramp up the tension and humor, and led to a fairly smooth ending, giving players a bit of relief from the madness and ending on a high. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK This room is overwhelmingly full of debris. It required extensive searching and sifting through components. There was not clear delineation between what was in play and what was extraneous set dressing, leading to a number of red herrings. Given the volume of things, we would have far preferred a consistent rule – such that all epoxied items were purely décor. In one case, there appeared to be a discrepancy between a clue and solution, where two digits were switched. While we usually felt good about our solutions, there was sometimes confusion as to which of the many locks some of them were meant for. Even more so, the repercussions of success were often unclear – leading to uncertainty as to whether we’d really accomplished anything and increasing our need to continue re-searching areas to see if anything had changed. The group starts the game in three different locations. While we appreciated the concept behind this decision – and one super unique and silly element – it resulted more in frustration than anything, with one player left to sit alone, quietly in the dark for 10-15 minutes, and others with minimal puzzling to do. This section could have been fabulous but would’ve benefitted from more focus to shorten the separation and allow the group to then tackle the chaos as a team. Alternately, the best part of the separation could have been created with a live actor or simulation. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? We were amazed at how well they managed to recreate the environment and nature of The Hangover in this room. While it wasn’t totally up our alley, it’s a must play for fans of the film, who will fully appreciate all of the tie-ins to the movie (with a nod to the sequel). While knowledge of the original is not required, it might help in solving a few of the puzzles, as well as appreciating many of the in-jokes and references. However, it can be enjoyed by anyone 18+ who is ready for some bawdy humor and chaos in this super immersive scenario. It would be a particularly good option for larger groups, including things like bachelor/bachelorette parties or 21st birthdays. For a good time, call Escape City Buffalo to book "The Hangover" ! 🔎 HINT Ignore the dice, and explore thoroughly in all kinds of lighting. Photos above are property of Escape City Buffalo ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Escape City Buffalo has free parking in a lot outside. There is a lounge area with seating and a vending machine. Both bathrooms and lockers are available, and there is also a “VIP” room you can rent out if combining escape rooms with food or a celebration of some kind.The lobby, lockers, and hallway are fully decorated in rust belt fashion, giving it a unique vibe true to Buffalo's past. 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 City Buffalo for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #KristaJones #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #EscapeCityBuffalo #VegasBachelorParty #TheHangover #NewYork #USA

LOCATION: Buffalo, New York, USA Photo above is property of Escape City Buffalo Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Over the Falls 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 16, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Nautical Crisis 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $32.99/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You and your crew are piloting a freighter along the Niagara River when you are attacked by Canadian pirates!! They steal your precious cargo, disable the ship, and leave you adrift, being pulled towards Niagara Falls. You will be swept over the Falls in one hour unless you can get the ship operational and out of there! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This ship looks and feels like the real thing! The monochromatic below-deck environment is dimly (but adequately) lit and built largely of metal, giving it substance and grim authenticity. Many of the tasks involved are directly related to things you might actually do on a ship, rather than 'find the code and open the lock'. This thematic approach enhanced the immersion created by the realistic environment. It also gave the opportunity for lots of hands-on interactions, with plenty of crates/hidden passages to explore, knobs to turn, and ropes to pull. One puzzle really utilized out-of-the-box thinking and we really enjoyed the solution. As we moved through the various stages, there was a palpable sense of growing anxiety thanks to some incredibly realistic elements. This propelled us forward, helped us forget about a couple of early struggles, and led to genuine relief when we made it out! We appreciated some of the cooperative and physical aspects! In addition to an initial separation into two groups, a number of puzzles required us to work in concert as a team. There were also moments that relied on some physical dexterity, something rooms often overlook that gives different people a chance to shine. This is the first time we've experienced a real sense of urgency to GET OUT of an escape room. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The game began a bit roughly. Several obstacles in the first stage suffered from minor design flaws that made them frustratingly difficult in unintended ways. There is a decent amount of searching (and a color-based puzzle) involved; while these are not inherently a problem, the on-theme low, sodium-replica lighting made these processes slower and more cumbersome. There's a good amount of "search and find" in this game that's quite difficult with dim light settings. The ending could have been more dramatic in terms of how the boat was stopped. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "Over the Falls" is an action-packed room with an even balance of physical and mental challenges, that picks up steam as you progress. While those who are primarily interested in difficult puzzles might find this room a bit lacking, anyone who enjoys interacting with a well-designed set will appreciate the immersive environment. Along the way, it achieves a heart-pumping moment of intensity, without loud noises, jump scares, or similar tropes. You'll forget you're aboveground in this underwater adventure, so set sail for Buffalo City Escape today! WARNING: THIS GAME CONTAINS MILD RESTRAINTS, HIGH HEELS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED & YOU MAY GET WET 🔎 HINT Move swiftly and act decisively, as there is a lot to do! Photos above are property of Escape City Buffalo ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Escape City Buffalo has free parking in a lot outside. There is a lounge area with seating and a vending machine. Both bathrooms and lockers are available, and there is also a “VIP” room you can rent out if combining escape rooms with food or a celebration of some kind. The lobby, lockers, and hallway are fully decorated in rust belt fashion, giving it a unique vibe true to Buffalo's past. Please note: If we have less than 4 ppl, the GM might have to bypass a puzzle for you. 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 City Buffalo for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #KristaJones #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #EscapeCityBuffalo #NauticalCrisis #NewYork #USA

LOCATION: Buffalo, New York, USA Photo above is property of Escape City Buffalo Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Body Collectors 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 18, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Horror, Serial Killer 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-8 ppl (Recommend 2-4PPL) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $32.99/PP ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You’ve been captured by The Body Collector. He wants you to play some twisted games with him in order to prove your worthiness to live. Will you survive or become part of his collection? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Did I just set foot in a SAW movie set? The flickering lights, electrical sparks, and dark shadows lurking in the background quickly supplied my body with an adrenaline rush. There was a lot of attention to detail in the set design. Some of the tasks that we had to do definitely bought memories of horror movie scenes. The props felt so real that our hearts were pumping as we interacted with them. There were some jump scares that hit the spot exactly at the right moment. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK If you are sensitive to flickering lights, you might want to have a teammate help solve one of the puzzles as it does last quite a bit if you’re not good at “search and find”. Make sure to have one tall person with you for the puzzle at the beginning. Since there were just the two of us, I definitely should have not taken the outside position. There was a puzzle at the beginning that needed a visual clue which was hard to see in the dim light. We didn’t quite get why we were doing certain things in order to progress in the game as there were no indications or reasonings given. The hints from the GM felt cryptic and it took a long time for us to receive them on TV. The final puzzle was quite frustrating for us as there were no clues given on what we had to do. There was just a spoken voice from The Body Collector that was difficult to hear as most of the time the sound was pretty muffled. This time, the clue was not just an unimportant narrative, it was actually a clue for the upcoming puzzle. We think it’s best to display what he was saying on the TV as well in case the clue was missed. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Escape City Buffalo has a haunt house background (FrightWorld) and there’s no doubt that their set designs are top-notch. We feel that this game is more geared toward movie lovers and people who like to experience fear and that heart-throbbing “escape”. The puzzles felt secondary and as enthusiasts, we hope that some clarity in the storyline and puzzle flow will be implemented in the future. If you are not good at searching, bring someone who is. In the end, we truly felt the panic in this game as we were just seconds away from becoming The Body Collector’s masterpiece! Photos above are property of Escape City Buffalo ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Escape City Buffalo has free parking in a lot outside. There is a lounge area with seating and a vending machine. Both bathrooms and lockers are available, and there is also a “VIP” room you can rent out if combining escape rooms with food or a celebration of some kind. The lobby, lockers, and hallway are fully decorated in rust belt fashion, giving it a unique vibe true to Buffalo's past. WARNING: THIS GAME CONTAINS RESTRAINTS, CRAWLING & STROBE LIGHTING 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 City Buffalo 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 #EscapeCityBuffalo #Horror #SerialKiller #Saw #NewYork #USA

LOCATION: Rochester, New York, USA Photo above is property of Omega Escape Room Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Game of Clans 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 18, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Medieval 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: $30-35/PP (pending on group size) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Your rival clan invited you and your clan to celebrate a wedding at their castle. Are they plotting something? You decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and show up at the wedding. Too bad your initial suspicion was right. Will you lead your clan to safety before it's too late? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The candle-lit room had the right type of ambiance for a castle theme. The touchscreen clue system was easy to use and saved a lot of time as normally we would have to wait for a GM to respond or type out the clues. One puzzle had us collect pieces of information throughout the game and it was fun to be able to solve the meta puzzle at the end. There was a good mixture of puzzles from deduction to logic to simple "search and find". 🧩 MISSED THE MARK We didn't really get a sense of a storyline. It just felt like separate puzzles we had to solve in order to get to the end zone. This room could have used a bit more "mystery" in terms of places to hide things (since we are in an ancient castle after all). The latter part of the room space could use a bit more decor and puzzles as well. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This room would be great for teams that like to "divide and conquer" since there were a lot of puzzles that could be solved in a non-linear manner. The puzzles weren't that difficult for enthusiasts but could be challenging for beginners. Once you have completed the room, make sure to ask the GM to let you read the comic book that's specific to the game. It was great to be able to see where the inspiration came from and an awesome way to end the game. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Event space available Free parking right in front of the location Waiting area in the lobby (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 Omega Escape Room for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #OmegaEscapeRoom #Adventure #Battle #GameofThrones #NewYork #USA

LOCATION: King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, USA Photo above is property of Amazing Escape Room 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Submarine Ship 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 27, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Survival 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $30.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You and your friends are visiting a museum which was once a real submarine. During your exploration, you notice that the submarine begins to sink! Normally, this wouldn't be an issue except this submarine hasn't been operational for decades. However, you face an even bigger problem... Something else is lurking in the ocean! It wants to pulling the entire submarine down to the bottom! Your only chance for survival is to get inside the engine room, override the system and electrocute this "thing" before it's too late!! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE I loved the storyline! As a kid growing up in New York City, I've been on many school trips to The Intrepid. I've always wondered what would happen if it started to sink and we had to find a way out! "The Submarine Ship" is one of those escape games that I get to vicariously put myself in that situation. The room was quite spacious and the dim lighting and wallpaper created that enclosed feel of actually being inside a submarine. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Although the set design did resemble a cold interior of a submarine, the atmosphere was too quiet. There's no music or change in the light settings that would have went along with the urgent situation of the storyline. We were supposed to feel like we're being pulled into the ocean by a giant octopus but sadly the room did not portray the storyline. There was a lot of logic leaps that we had to take with the puzzles. Some felt like we just had to randomly spot answers and knew where to place them. There was a puzzle where we didn't feel had any relevance to the storyline and there was no clue on how we was supposed to interactive with it. Even with the clues, we had to have the game master come inside the room to explain it to us. Certain placements of props was not clear in terms of the ordering. This made us have to guess by using trial and error. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "The Submarine Ship" had a unique storyline paired with a fairly well established set design but the puzzles unfortunately were all over the place. With some added lighting and sound effects and adjustments to the logic behind the puzzles, this could be a really fun game. There was a good amount of puzzles to solve so we suggest bringing a group of 4 or more. The trick to this game is to not over think and when desperate, "trial and error" might be your best option. And if you have extra time after the game, check out their enormous "Bury The Hatchet" site! 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 Amazing Escape Room for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #USA #PA #Submarine #AmazingEscapeRoom #ExclusiveLook #Adventure

LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Photo + Video credit: Amazing Escape Room (Philadelphia) 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Art Gallery 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 6, 2018 🎬 GENRE: Heist 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 10ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $28/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: No This is our first time booking a room at this Philadelphia, PA location. We've tried this company's rooms in Montclair, NJ. Read our reviews on "The Forest" and the "Case Closed" rooms in order to find out more about this company in the Montclair, NJ location. Once you enter, there's a really cool graffiti mural followed by a two-floor walk-up. The lobby has a waiting area but not much decor. When we arrived, our game master debriefed us before we entered the room. After two puzzles in, we realized that one of the locks was open and the key was to be found. We tried to signal our game master, but there was no response. So we continued playing as if we needed to open that lock on our own. This room needed some upgrades in the decor and the puzzles. It didn't feel like an "Art Gallery" and we didn't feel immersed into the room at all. Some challenges that they presented were unique and some were not. The one's that weren't unique had nothing to do w/ the storyline. There were a couple of red herrings in this room as well. We were one lock away from escaping and were on the right track. We just needed a little bit more time. *** We regret to inform this location has closed its doors, check out their other locations for other games *** #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #amazingescaperoom #artgallery #art #Pennsylvania #philadelphia #pa

LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Photo provided by Liberty Escape Rooms 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Blitzkrieg 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 6, 2018 🎬 GENRE: War 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 8ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $33/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes You start off by walking through this alleyway (not a scary one) towards the back where there's an entrance to a two-floor walk-up. The lobby is extremely clean and well maintained. The decor is very modern and artistic. Our game master debriefed us w/a video and remained in character as he sent us off to war to deactivate a bomb. We felt immersed into our room immediately as if we were transported into a booby-trapped bunker. The design was incredible and the props complemented our surroundings. The only thing we felt that it was lacking was more puzzles. We were able to complete our mission and escape the room w/ time to spare. Other than that, we had an incredible experience in the "Blitzkrieg" room and look forward to visiting again! *** We regret to inform this company has closed its doors *** Disclosure: We thank Liberty Escape for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #libertyescaperooms #blitzkrieg #Pennsylvania #philadelphia #pa

LOCATION: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA Photo provided by Human vs Room 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Operation 26 📅 DATE PLAYED: January 4, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Mission 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 10ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $25/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Human vs Room currently has three rooms to choose from. The one we are attempting to escape is called "Operation 26". We were fortunate enough to meet w/ one of the co-founders and learn more about their company. Their company was created by a married couple who are escape room enthusiasts themselves w/ a love for games and storytelling. The lobby area of the facility is quite large w/ games and puzzles to entertain you while you wait. As you enter the "Operation 26" room, the decor appears to be extremely normal and simple (much like a doctor's waiting area should be). The puzzles that were implemented went very well w/ the design and the theme of the room. There wasn't that much technology incorporated into their puzzles, but they were definitely well planned. We look forward to trying out their other rooms soon! ** UPDATE - We regret to inform you that "Human vs Room" has closed. Disclosure: We thank Human vs Room for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #humanvsroom #operation26 #pennsylvania #bethlehem #pa

LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Photo provided by Olde City Escape Games 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Midnighters 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 1, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 10ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $30/pp ($45/PP if private) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public/Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Our last and final stop for the day is at Olde City Escape Games in Philadelphia, PA. Yes... we bounced around from Delaware to Pennsylvania to New Jersey and back to Pennsylvania! With all the driving and the rooms that we did today, we ended on a high note. Olde City Escape Games is a really cool establishment. It gives off that 80's "Stranger Things/ Black Mirror" vibe. They currently have two rooms available to choose from with a third on the way. The one that we are trying today is "The Midnighters". Parking the area could be a little hard to find due to the fact that the location is surrounded by museums, restaurants, bars and the Liberty Bell within walking distance. We were fortunate enough to meet with the owners - Brooks & Vi to learn more about the company. Both Brooks & Vi come from an artistic background and their concepts and designs clearly show in their work. In regards to "The Midnighters", the room design was quite impressive and had us fully immersed. From the storyline to the puzzle challenges, along with the music playing in the background, everything was constructed very well as it set the tone for our experience. There was a good mixture of old school and modern day tech. Without giving away too much, there was one puzzle that we found challenging mainly due to the fact that it required "a lot..." in order to continue on. Maybe that could be adjusted or kept in the game. Either way it was doable after a few attempts. We are really looking forward to trying their other room - "A Quest for Freedom" and the new one coming soon - "2084". (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 Olde City Escape Games for media discount tickets for this game. Although media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #oldecityescapegames #oldecity #themidnighters #strangerthings #goonies #80s #pennsylvania #pa #philadelphia #philly

LOCATION: Exton, Pennsylvania, USA Photo provided by Elite Escape Room 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Magician's Assistant 📅 DATE PLAYED: March 1, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Magic 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 10ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $25/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes It's a new day for escape rooms and we start ours off at Elite Escape Room in Media, Pennsylvania. There is tons of parking outside the facility with a couple of restaurants right next door within the complex. The lobby is spacious with plenty of seating in the waiting area. We were fortunate enough to meet with the owner/ developer - Todd to learn more about the company and what inspired him to create the rooms. Elite Escape Room currently offers two rooms with the third one "The Magician's Assistant" on the way. Today, we will be beta testing "The Magician's Assistant" room. As usual, we enjoy it not only because it give us the chance to try something that hasn't been released yet, but also because we get to see the thought process behind it. Because the target demographic in Exton, PA is mainly geared towards families, the rooms are more catered towards kids. Todd is tentatively planning on launching a 2nd location in Pottstown, PA which will be a larger facility and cater to a wider audience. Although "The Magician's Assistant" is still a work in progress, it has a lot of potential. The room design was structured quite well with a lot of detail. The puzzle challenges correlated with the storyline which kept it interesting. There were some minor hiccups along the way which is an easy fix. We recommended some suggestions to improve the flow of the gameplay. Since this review is based on a "beta test" room, we are clearly rating it "as is". We took a peek at the other two rooms - "Escape From Oz" and "Andy's Room" in order get an idea of his finished projects. We are confident that once completed, "The Magician's Assistant" will offer the same type of quality. We look forward to visiting the new location once it opens! *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Elite Escape Room for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #review #escaperooms #escape #rooms #games #eliteescaperoom #elite #themagiciansassistant #magic #betatest #beat #pennsylvania #pa #exton

LOCATION: Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA Photos/ Videos are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Blackheart Murder 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 24, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Murder Mystery, CSI 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 16ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $25/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Escape My Reality is a newcomer in the escape room world. They just recently opened and when we went, they were still under construction. There’s plenty of parking outside the location and they have a huge amount of space inside. It was quite dusty and dirty everywhere, but they had informed us that once it’s finished it’ll receive a complete makeover. We believe it’s very important to keep the simple hygiene for an escape room business especially when the objects are being touched by numerous hands daily. This is a family business and each member play their part. “The Blackheart Murder” is a unique kind of escape room where it feels more like a “murder mystery role playing" game " vs. a traditional “key lock puzzle solving” type of game. We were sworn into the office and brought to the crime scene by another detective who was also our game master helping us throughout the game. The storyline felt real and we enjoyed the twist at the end. The restroom is visible in the room but not in play. It would be better if it could be covered or somehow sectioned off as it could become a distraction. The only things that we would suggest is to better maintain the room with higher quality props and perhaps if the storyline can unfold itself without the consistent assistance from the game master, it would be more exciting. The game master’s role play can also be more exciting based on the character and storyline. This room is huge, but we felt it wasn’t utilized to it’s full potential. They could have easily created secret spaces or compartments to add more of a “wow factor” rather than just one big open space. The idea was great and something we haven’t seen before, but we are unsure if it should be categorized as an escape room or just an immersive theater experience type of game since we didn’t really solve any puzzles. We think with better set design, props, and puzzles this has potential to become better. *** We regret to inform this company has closed its doors *** Disclosure: We thank Escape My Reality 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 #escapemyrealityblackheartmurder #stroudsburgpennsylvania, #stroudsburg #pennsylvania #pa

LOCATION: Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, USA Photo credit: Trap Door Escape Room 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Cure Z 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 25, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Zombie 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 16ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 120 Mins 💰 PRICE: $49.98/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Have you ever played a 60-minute escape room and came out and wanted to book another one right away because time just flew by in there? Well, Trap Door Escape Room has the solution for you. This is the last of the Trap Door Escape Room’s location that we haven’t visited yet. Read our reviews on "F5 Tornado Escape", "Witch Hunt", and "Bogeyman" to learn more about Trap Door Escape Room's other games and locations. We were very excited to drive 1.5 hours to get to this Poconos, PA location as this would be the first 120-minute escape room we’ve ever played. When you arrive, make sure you go behind the complex that you entered as this entrance to this location is in the rear of the complex. "Cure Z: Quarantine" is over 3,000 square feet and has 10+ rooms for you and your team to explore. They originally had a much smaller version of this room at their Red Bank location but even If you have played that before it’s completely changed. We were joined by our enthusiast friends whom played the older room before, but it doesn’t seem to relate to this new room in any way. This room can easily fit more people but today we are taking on the challenge with just the four of us. Our recommended size would probably be 4-6 if you are enthusiasts and 8-10 if you are just starting to try escape rooms. We felt that the intro video could be shortened or perhaps play the ad portion in the waiting room and just the game trailer before the game starts. By the way, there are no live actors in the room so for people who are worried about that, it’s merely just the eerie atmosphere. We were sent into mission control to be debriefed on the situation. After the original epidemic of the zombie virus known as "Malatitus", most of the people were able to contain it with the Quiet-Z drug. But One World Alliance terrorist group has a new plan of attack and we had to stop them and save our civilization! It was a bit surprising to us that as enthusiasts who play over 1,000 games added together, we were all stumped in the first room for a long time trying to find the code to the first door. Sometimes, the more of these escape rooms you play the more you start to complicate things and overthink the puzzle. Turns out, it was such an easy solution that we just didn’t spot it. The first room is quite dark so I would imagine with a bigger group it could get a bit frustrating if they are all stuck in there for a long time. This is also when we learned that the clue system was not triggered by us asking for them but based on time and your progress in the game. We had to wait for awhile before we actually got to continue on with the game. This happened a few times in the duration of the game as well which prolonged our play time. As we stepped into the zombie realm, I felt chills down my spine. Even though I know there are no live actors, the set design was pretty amazing to give you that feeling. At times, it felt like we were on a real production set of "The Walking Dead". There’s a lot of areas to explore in here so we would definitely recommend comfortable shoes and clothing. One puzzle stumped us for a while, and we were still unsure why the code was what it was from the clue given. There were a lot of “cool” tech moments in the puzzle designs but some we felt were way simple and was just added in but didn’t have a reasonable connection to the storyline. The props used were all pretty authentic and we liked the different themes we received from each room that we entered. If there could be an adjustable version of the difficulty level of the game for enthusiasts and a quicker hint giving system, this could easily be considered a top-rated room for us. We love Trap Door Escape Room’s unique set designs and ideas for room themes, and this is why we keep coming back to try their rooms. With that said, we can’t wait to test out their Morristown location’s “The Greatest Freakshow” room which is a 2-hour musical escape room! If you have been to these rooms already, we love to hear your thoughts! *** This game is currently unavailable. Check out their other games at their other locations*** (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 Trap Door Escape Room 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 #trapdoorescaperoom #curez #thewalkingdead #bartonsville #pennsylvania #pa

LOCATION: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA Photo provide by escape.exe 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Site 117 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 19, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi, Suspense 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 9/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $29.99/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY It’s approximately the year 2100 C.E. (relative to Earth). Our team was being deployed to "Site 117" as we had lost contact with 4 of our most elite test subjects. TS 101 was recovered but unresponsive. We needed to find out what was going on... 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE There were some innovative puzzles that we haven’t seen before. We enjoyed the choices that we had to make for various endings. One prop in particular felt really genuine and was fun to see it in action. A.I. “Gavin” was a great add on to the immersion factor. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Lighting was a bit too bright for the starting point. It would've been great if it was dimmer with some fog for some added effects especially when you are led into the room blindfolded. It would be great if the additional hints can be spoke with A.I. "Gavin" as well to keep the consistency. Update: Owner has informed that additional voice interactions have been added to "Gavin" since our visit. The hint for one of the puzzles was kind of confusing as it could be read in various ways. It would be great it could be clarified. Update: Owner has informed that additional hints have been added since our visit. A bit more music integration and lights at various “revealing” moments when a puzzle is complete would add more intensity to the game play. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? The puzzles were pretty challenging for just the two of us. There was a lot to do and some puzzles were two or three step puzzles. For beginners, we would recommend a bigger group so you can divide and conquer. Let us know which choice you made after trying out the room! 🔎 HINT Copy and do. Additional Info Lobby area with seating Parking in front GPS may be confusing multiple address in search result, use "Muller Heights Medical Associates" as landmark and they are directly across the street (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.exe for inviting us to be their beta testers for the 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 #escapeexe #site117 #newroomalert #bethlehem #pennsylvania #pa #usa

LOCATION: Easton, Pennsylvania, USA Photo + video property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Ransom 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 25, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Mission 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 8ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $26.50/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes Twisted Escapes is a fairly new company, but its developers have surprised us with the “readiness for business” of their location. The lobby was beautifully designed with a comfortable seating area with some puzzle games. The hallways are very wide with fun decors throughout. When we went, they had 3 games and in a month’s time they have already produced another 2 new games ready for Halloween! They are the fastest "room-swapping" company that we’ve ever encountered. The “Ransom”, which was the game that we played, is still active so make sure you try it soon before it gets swapped out again! One of the owners was our game master that debriefed us. He’s quite humorous and you’ll also recognize him in the trailer for the room. Apparently, the crooks got our uncle and have demanded a heavy ransom. We must go into his place to find the money and get out in time to save him. This room was quite spacious and everything was very well organized and maintained. All the game pieces were set up against the wall. It’s quite easy for a large group to come in to spread out and look for clues. Our recommended size is 4 although we were able to get out in time with just the two of us. Due to the sparse spread of the props, there was no place for hidden “wow” moments for us since everything was visible. It would be great to see if they can utilize some of the space to create another section with a different theme within the storyline. The puzzles had a nice flow and the only time we got stuck was on something super simple and of course we overcomplicated it for ourselves. Twisted Escapes is very friendly and active in their community and they accommodate a lot of celebration events. We were told that they even organized a "baby gender reveal" party in one of their retired rooms! We hope to return soon to try their spooky Halloween-themed rooms as the titles seems pretty "spook-tacular"! *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Twisted Escapes 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 #twistedescapes #ransom #easton #pennsylvania #pa

LOCATION: Easton, Pennsylvania, USA Photo + Video property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Deranged 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 29, 2019 🎬 GENRE: Horror, Crime Solving 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 8ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $26.50/pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY There were series of murders happening in the month of October and it seems like the evidence is all pointing to Lenny. Lenny seemed to have killed his own wife on their wedding night. We were sent into his lair to investigate and bring back evidence to put this man back in jail. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Eerie feeling was immediately felt when entered the room. Game master did a great job on controlling the players emotions and reactions as the story developed. Few surprising elements created a few jump scares from us but did not hinder us from solving puzzles. Enjoyed a simple use of a “trick lock” which we haven’t seen before. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK A bit hard to see at times when light was needed for certain puzzles. Understood the final puzzle had an interesting element which made it a bit harder but did not really understand the logic behind it since now we feel like one “spot” is missing. Some music would be a great add on to enhance the creepy ambience 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? If you like a little intensity mixed in with some elements of horror, you’ll love this room. Normally, I don’t like haunted house kind of “scream” scares so I would avoid this type of escape room. But this one was not that type of room. The interaction element was quite enjoyable. Do note that most of the time you’ll be playing in a dim lit setting, so if you have any issues with that make sure you bring a teammate with better eyesight. 🔎 HINT Make sure you're always "watching"... *** We regret to inform this game is no longer available for booking but check out other games on their website*** (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Twisted Escapes 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 #twistedescapes #deranged #easton #pennsylvania #pa #usa