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LOCATION: Concord, North Carolina, USA Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Hidden Lab Mission 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 13, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Sci-Fi 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $28/PP (5-10PPL), $112/TEAM (2-4PPL) ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY It's November, 3049 and Dr. Dawking has been developing a vaccine will allow us to survive with the radiation. While experimenting, he became seriously ill and is now confined inside a containment box. Your mission is to figure out which one of Dr. Dawking's vaccine was successful, activate it, and then recreate it! This is a biohazard area, so you will only have one hour to succeed! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The intro "video" of this escape room is one of the best we've seen. The technology and sound really set the tone of the rest of the room. We were literally "worried" about going inside (well Cici more than I). We loved how the owner put a lot of thought into the authenticity of the props used in this room. If you're not busy solving puzzles, definitely check out some of the decor items. There's so many puzzles in this room that every station is a different type of puzzle. If you have a large group, you can totally divide and conquer and I'm sure every player will be able to contribute something to this mission. Some of the simple puzzles were actually our favorites as we haven't seen it utilized like that before, especially with the prop design. The tech in this room is pretty insane. They use a system where not only they can see and hear you, they can also see what you're entering as your answers. If you are brute forcing, they will let you know. So don't embarrass yourself. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK One of the props had some foreign language written on it that Cici was able to detect the meaning which made our solve much faster. We've informed the owner about removing that "hint". The beginning of the room had a bigger impact than the ending. We wish there was a "wow" moment there as well for the complete package. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This room is made for enthusiasts who love puzzles. You're definitely going to feel like a crazy scientist running from one station to the other. You should also be aware of your surrounding as when you solve something, something else might pop open so if you are not paying attention, you might miss your next clue. This room is also very generous in size just like their first room "The Crystal Cave Missions" so feel free to bring your "A TEAM"! These missions are a continuous story. Although you don't need to play the first one (Crystal Cave) in order to play this one, I strongly suggest you play all of them to get the storyline. I love how there's something build into each room that if you didn't pay close attention, you wouldn't realize how they are connected. You just might have to replay all of them again just like binge watching a show when all of the rooms are complete. Currently they have two more in the works and we can't wait to go back! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO There's free parking in front of the facility. Make sure to NOT follow your GPS and go straight to the front of the building where the flagpole is. Selfie photobooth in the lobby. This escape room is located in Gibson Mill and there's plenty of food and entertainment to explore! 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 The Valcarol Missions 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 #TheValcarolMissions #SciFi #Adventure #Zombies #USA #NorthCarolina

LOCATION: Concord, North Carolina, USA Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Crystal Cave Mission 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 13, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Space 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 7.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $28/PP (5-10PPL), $112/TEAM (2-4PPL) ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY It's November, 3049 and the people of Valcarol have landed on Earth. Our mission is to explore this planet and determine whether the air and water is safe to consume. We've come into contact with a survivor from Earth who has provided us the coordinates of their water filtration station located inside a cave system. In this cave, there is a special element that can purify the water and make it safe again. We must go to the caves and find the elements, filter the water, and bring it back to the dehydrated people of Valcarol!! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Wow talk about first impression. Right when we walked in we felt like we're no longer on Earth. The lighting and the hundreds of skulls (all handmade by the way) made us feel like we've just entered a really cold and mysterious cave. Just when we thought that was the most impressive scene, we were welcomed into the actual cave. The ceilings are so high and the room is so spacious, I can hear echoes. We love the utilization of the features of a cave to create puzzles like rock formations, sound, and of course the various props left by the previous crew. The tech in this room is pretty insane. They use a system where not only they can see and hear you, they can also see what you're entering as your answers. If you are brute forcing, they will let you know. So don't embarrass yourself. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Certain clues at a beginning puzzle might be hard to see due to the lighting. One puzzle utilized props we've already used to solve another puzzle. Normally we would put those on the side so don't make the mistake we did as this room did have an except at reusing items. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? We really enjoyed everything about this room from set design, puzzle design to story. This is probably one of our favorite cave themed rooms. It's doable for small groups of enthusiasts but also can comfortably fit a large group (although "The Hidden Lab Mission" might have a bit more puzzles for a larger group to solve). We couldn't wait to get into the second room "The Hidden Lab Mission" which is the sequel to this room. I love how there's something build into each room that if you didn't pay close attention, you wouldn't realize how they are connected. You just might have to replay all of them again just like binge watching a show when all of the rooms are complete. Currently they have two more in the works and we can't wait to go back! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO There's free parking in front of the facility. Make sure to NOT follow your GPS and go straight to the front of the building where the flagpole is. Selfie photobooth in the lobby. This escape room is located in Gibson Mill and there's plenty of food and entertainment to explore! 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 The Valcarol Missions 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 #TheValcarolMissions #SciFi #Adventure #Space #USA #NorthCarolina

LOCATION: Amherst, New Hampshire, USA Photos above are property of Break Free 603 Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Skull 📅 DATE PLAYED: September 30, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 6.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 10ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $90/Team (Min 2PPL) ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Atlas James was an archaeologist who explored the world searching for rare artifacts. There was one relic in particular that was his prize possession - an artifact that he believed would change life as we know it! Unfortunately, while searching for it in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Atlas was never seen again...Can you discover the secret behind his disappearance and uncover the mystery behind this powerful relic?? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Anytime there's an Indiana Jones-inspired storyline, it's sure peaks my interest. Inside "The Skull", we definitely get the "Indie" vibes and by starting off inside of Professor Atlas James' office, we are already in adventure mode. The continuation of the story through various communication tools was well utilized. It felt like we're really looking at clues left behind to find this artifact. The set design started off simple and presented what you would expect from an office - a computer, curio, desk, photos, etc. The dramatic cinematic change was rather pleasing for the players as we progressed deeper into the game. We really liked one part of the game where it made us feel the urgency of the situation. The puzzle was really cleverly done. We haven't seen it anywhere before and it fit the situation perfectly. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK *Disclaimer - Breakfree 603 had some technical issues that morning. We can only presume certain things from what the owner had told us but we didn't fully experience it ourselves. (Update 10/29/21: Owner has informed us that more backstory about Atlas has been added and they've also fixed a lot of the automation in the game.) One puzzle felt like it was played out of order. If we didn't have access to it first then it wouldn't trigger as early. We really enjoy the storytelling aspect of the game but it wasn't used in any of the puzzles which felt like a lot of content just for backstory. Some parts of game had audio that was hard to hear clearly but it was important for the game. One puzzle needed certain part to be decoded and visually it was a bit hard to see the message. It would help perhaps to make it glow due to the distance. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "The Skull" is one of Breakfree 603's newest games and it definitely had a fun and intriguing storyline. There were a couple of "aha" moments and things we didn't expect to happen but actually did! If you like the treasure hunter or alcohological discovery type of game, then you should challenge yourself to find the rare artifact in this expedition! Additional Info Parking in front Lobby with waiting area 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 Break Free 603 for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Adventure #BreakFree603 #USA

LOCATION: Nashua, New Hampshire, USA Photos above are property of Key to Escape Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Blind Tiger 📅 DATE PLAYED: October 1, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $34/PP ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY In 2050, an organization has taken over and renamed the old United States..."Nomis"! The new government has banned the citizens of Nomis their rights and freedom. As a result, a rebellious group known as "The Resistance" along with the rest of the United States has devised a plan to overthrow the Nomis government. Valuable intel was in transport to our city, but one of our rebels got caught. Luckily, she was able to hide the intel before getting captured and the coordinates of her last location was The Blind Tiger Chophouse. Now it's up to you to recover the intel and find the Resistance hideout before they capture you as well... Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE "The Blind Tiger" wasn't just a typical bar. Going in we already knew that there were going to be many secrets hidden with in and they definitely delivered in that aspect. The set design felt like an "off-the-grid" chophouse restaurant. The marble flooring, purple curtains, black wall paneling and black glossy ceiling tiles with gold accents everywhere gave the room a lot of character and a sense of secrecy. It feel very clean. Maybe a little too "clean". Key to Escape was able to utilize a lot of the props that were part of the restaurant to create puzzles. This really stuck to the theme of embedding secret messages within what we're trying to find. In this room, if you're unable to complete a puzzle, you'll know right away as you simply won't have enough information to come to a solid solution. Key to Escape was great at making this very clear to the players. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There were one or two times that something triggered in the room that we're not sure what was activated. Since there is a need to go back and forth between rooms, it would be great to alert the "change" with light or a more obvious opening. The change in the second room in terms of lighting/set design wasn't as dramatic as we thought it would be since the restaurant is just a front so it would've been cool to see a more dimmer lit up room with a trail of what the other agent had left us. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "The Blind Tiger" is set in the not-so-distant future and the speakeasy theme is a familiar take on what you would experience at some other companies. However, Key to Escape has managed to add a little twist to the storyline that provides a different type of experience. Key to Escape is also able to customize the level of difficulty for each of their games. You can request for easy, normal or hard. The difference is the actual clues you'll receive in the room as they'll give less cluing if you wanted a harder level. We tried this game in normal level and thought it was perfect for what we were looking for. Since we had some extra time that day and because Cici saw candy and her eyes lit up, we had to go their "House in the Woods" a go! Additional Info Parking lot in front Lobby area with seats Event spaces available Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Key to Escape 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 #Mystery #Speakeasy #KeytoEscape #USA #NewHampshire #Spy

LOCATION: Nashua, New Hampshire, USA Photos above are property of Key to Escape Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: House in the Woods 📅 DATE PLAYED: October 1, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Fantasy 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $34/PP ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You and your friends are out hiking in the woods when all of a sudden, you come across a cottage covered in candy!! This seems too good to be true, but your curiosity gets the better of you. As you step foot inside to search around, the doors lock behind you trapping you and your friends inside. It appears that you have just volunteered yourself to dinner. Unfortunately, you're the main course... Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE We love how Key to Escape was able to bring the "Hansel & Gretel" vibe to life. The enticement of the candy-covered cottage leaving you trapped inside forever only to discover that previous victims have left you hints for your survival is what really makes "House in the Woods" unique. When you first step into the house, it actually smells sweet! It's as if we walked into a pleasant “Sugar Factory”. This room will bound to capture attention from little kids. You better make sure they don't start to eat the props in the room! Don't be fooled and think this room is for kids so puzzles should be easy. You'll still need to put that thinking cap on as there are a few tricky ones in there. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The second room felt a bit plain in terms of set design in comparison to what they had put in to the first room. Because there's a lot of decor and art, some information might be interpreted as red herrings to experienced players. Some puzzles became confusing due to the fact that Key to Escape is able to alter the difficulty level as certain elements of the cluing is still on the same clue paper. Players will overthink at that point with the given material. It would be more clear if each level had a complete different set of clues and props. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? The inside of “House in the Woods” provides a glimpse of what every sweet-tooth's fantasy would look like. We definitely got distracted as even though we were playing the easy mode, we missed a few very important clues (too busy ogling over the candy and cookies). If you think you can conquer that temptation, go for the harder levels of the game! This game will be sure to bring out the inner kid in you! Just don't fight with your kids for the victory candy after! Additional Info Parking lot in front Lobby area with seats Event spaces available (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Key to Escape 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 #Fantasy #KeytoEscape #USA #NewHampshire

LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Secret Laboratory of Dr. Prometheus 📅 DATE PLAYED: October 1, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $40/PP ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Your mentor, Dr. Prometheus has left you with his life's work. His legacy consists of a series of secret experiments and quite possibly the world's greatest creation of all time! Unfortunately, there are others that disagree with his practice and are prepared to barge into his lab! As Dr. Prometheus' assistant, it's your responsibility to decipher his work and complete his final experiment before they get to it! You have exactly one hour before they raid the place! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The premise for "The Secret Laboratory of Dr. Prometheus" definitely provides a sense of mystery. Immediately, we connect with the story as Dr. Prometheus' loyal assistants aiding him in continuing his legacy. Regardless, if his detractors view him as a mad scientist or not, our loyalty is dedicated to his practices. It's definitely unique in a sense that our role as good or bad is undefined which makes the story intriguing all the way to the end. The set design had a really cool steampunk vibe to it which was reminiscent of an earlier time. The owner build everything in house so it was cool to see some of the originality of some of these prop designs. Some puzzles were quite basic but the creator did a great job with putting their own little twist on it. They incorporated puzzles that were relevant to what you would see in a Science lab like mixture, chemical elements, and if you done everything right, you will get that "electrifying" ending at the end. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There's one prop during the game that could be a bit finicky. Our GM had to bypass it for us after a couple of tries of the correct input. (Update 10/29/21: the owner has informed us that this prop has been replaced) 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This game had a good amount of challenging puzzles (especially for two people). Since the puzzles were not linear, we were able to "divide and conquer" most of the time. There were times that working together as a team was a better fit for certain puzzles. The originality and storyline really made it shine. If you love a good "Scientist vibe" type of room, you'll definitely have a great time searching for what's hidden inside this secret laboratory! 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 Portsmouth 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 #PortsmouthEscapeRoom #SciFi #USA #NewHampshire

LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of Portsmouth Escape Room Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Surgeon 📅 DATE PLAYED: July 19, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Horror 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 4/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-7 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $30/PP (4+PPL), Various prices for weekday/weekend ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (30:33) 📖 THE STORY You’ve been kidnapped by a madman: a surgeon with an unhealthy obsession with human body parts. As you wake up, you find yourself chained to the walls in a blood-stained operating theater, with just an hour left until the psychotic surgeon comes back. Will you make it out alive, or will your dismembered organs be part of the surgeon’s next experiment? 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The decor and props in this room are not only consistently creepy, but also well integrated into the puzzles instead of standing wholly apart from them. Horror fans will have a good time here! Puzzles are well designed and appropriately balanced for a lower difficulty experience, without any unfair leaps in logic or tedious time-waster puzzles. The design of this room makes it easy to stay organized. There is a large work table positioned at one end of the room so as to be useful without being in the way, plus a helpful discard bin to get rid of used props. This is an aspect of escape room design we find is sometimes neglected, but always appreciated! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Your team starts the room handcuffed to different walls, but it takes all of 30 seconds to find the key that gets you all out. This feels like a missed opportunity to throw in some puzzles with asymmetric information access. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Horror escape rooms aren’t for everyone… or at least they typically aren’t. While in my experience the creepier rooms are generally higher in difficulty, Portsmouth Escape Room has made an interesting choice in making their lowest difficulty, most beginner-friendly room also their creepiest! Though this might discourage families with younger children from trying this room out, its fun yet approachable puzzles and creepy but not over-the-top-terrifying decorations make The Surgeon an excellent way to dip your toes into the worlds of escape rooms and live horror attractions at the same time. In most respects, the puzzle design of The Surgeon satisfies, with plenty of fun secrets to uncover and creative integration of the room’s creepy props in the solutions. One aspect I saw as a missed opportunity, however, was the room’s beginning, which saw your team handcuffed to separate walls and looking for a way to escape. This scenario would have been a perfect opportunity to ask players to use teamwork and communication skills to solve puzzles relying on scattered pieces of information, but instead The Surgeon just had us spend a few moments looking for a key, which was easily within reach of one of the players and wasn’t protected by any puzzles. Given we were only stuck to the walls for about a minute of the experience, this part of the room felt largely unnecessary, so I would encourage the designers to get a little more creative with such sequences in the future, as they can be the highlight of a room when well-integrated into the puzzle design. That aside, the rest of the room was a good experience, and one which we had a lot of fun with. We asked the staff to turn off the flickering light due to photosensitivity. The room was still plenty doable and enjoyable in the dark. We had a great time uncovering all the gross little surprises the room’s titular surgeon had squirreled away in all the hidden corners of the room, and even though the difficulty was a little lower than what we normally go for, we still had a great time completing the puzzles. All in all, I’d say this is a good escape room, especially for people new to the hobby, new to horror, or both. If that’s you, this one is probably worth a shot… pun intended! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Plenty of parking is available outside the building. The building and its individual rooms are largely handicap accessible. The lobby features merchandise for purchase, as well as some small puzzles to pass the time if your room is not yet ready when you arrive. There is a flickering light in this room (for atmosphere). There is an option to turn it off by request. 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 Portsmouth Escape Room for offering us a media discount for our tickets to this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #KevinHelock #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #PortsmouthEscapeRoom #Horror #USA #NewHampshire

LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of Portsmouth Escape Room Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Dojo 📅 DATE PLAYED: July 19, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 10/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $30/PP (4+PPL), Various prices for weekday/weekend ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (59:47) 📖 THE STORY You and your team know absolutely nothing about martial arts, which is why it's both confusing and intriguing when you receive invitations to join a mysterious training academy called "The Dojo". A powerful and dangerous secret lies inside, and it's up to your team to investigate when no one else is around so you can learn the truth. But beware: you might be getting in dangerously over your head! 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The puzzles in this room are excellently designed, with tons of variation and clever solutions we haven't seen before! Technology is well-integrated in ways that enhance the experience and the puzzle design while highlighting rather than hindering the room's theme. The room's story is very well done, with an impressive mid-game twist that does an excellent job of reframing your actions, mixing up the aesthetic, and changing out the types of puzzles you solve. Very well Done! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK One puzzle about looking at objects from the right perspective can be a little tedious, and takes the full attention of two players for some time. Large groups should be fine, but smaller groups (like ours!) will be pushing the timer to complete such puzzles. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? With its unique premise, excellent decor, and fun puzzles, "The Dojo" is a high-quality room that we found incredibly impressive, and our favorite from those on offer at Portsmouth Escape Room! Almost every puzzle in here is a winner, with some very outside-the-box solutions that are sure to be very memorable, even to those with lots of experience in escape rooms. In addition to the big picture details-like the seamless tech integration and strong mid game twist-there are also a number of small touches that give this room a high level of polish, like the fact that some clues on the walls have velcro on the back that lets you take them down to inspect up close and bring along with you as you solve their puzzles (honestly, why have I never seen that before!?). The overall effect is a room that is not only professional in its design and appearance, but loads of fun to play. My one word of caution about this room is that the difficulty (especially in its latter half) is not to be underestimated. The designers have done a great job of smoothening the puzzle solving process with little touches like visual cues on locks that tell you what puzzle they go with, but this is still very much a room aimed at people looking for a high level of challenge. Small teams will also likely struggle to finish this room on time, as there are some multi-step puzzles that will take some focused attention and a little patience to solve. For that reason, small teams that can only work on one or two puzzles at a time will be at a huge disadvantage in the latter half, which is why my team of two just barely made it out with 13 seconds left on the clock! I recommend a team of a least four experienced players for this one. If that's not you, I'd check out one of Portsmouth Escape Room's other experiences, all of which are good. If that is you, however, buckle up, because this is going to be one excellent ride! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Plenty of parking is available outside the building The building and its individual rooms are largely handicap accessible, though the first section of "The Dojo" has a soft mat across almost half the floor, which may cause problems for those using wheelchairs The lobby features merchandise for purchase, as well as some small puzzles to pass the time if your room is not yet ready when you arrive 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 Portsmouth Escape Room for offering us a media discount for our tickets to this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #KevinHelock #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #PortsmouthEscapeRoom #Adventure #USA #NewHampshire

LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of Portsmouth Escape Room Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Westtower's Study 📅 DATE PLAYED: July 19, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $30/PP (4+PPL), Various prices for weekday/weekend ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (43:36) 📖 THE STORY After esteemed world traveler and collector of antiquities Ian Westower is kidnapped and held for ransom, the Westower family is in a tizzy trying to find a jeweled necklace to trade for Ian’s safety. Fortunately for them, there’s a group of detectives on the case ready to scour Ian’s office and find the priceless relic before the kidnappers get tired of waiting. With just one hour left until Ian will be killed, it’s up to you to find the necklace and save his life. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The decor in this room sells the look of an eccentric collector’s office rather well. The puzzles incorporate the “antique” props in interesting ways. The first room is rather spacious and uses nonlinear puzzle design to create an experience that would be ideal for large groups, though small groups shouldn’t have much extra difficulty tackling this one either! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK So many books and drawers to search! While the game master was nice enough to inform us ahead of time that we did not need to actually read any of the books on the shelves, we did still have to page through them to find multiple paper clues inside, which got tedious given how many books there were. The drawers had a similar problem. Most puzzles are wholly analog, with clues giving directions for how to open padlocks on closed boxes. This meant some redundancy in puzzle design and a huge pile of empty boxes by the time we were done. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "Westower’s Study" stands apart from its peers at Portsmouth Escape Room as an almost entirely analog experience, but even without some of the electronic bells and whistles of rooms like "The Dojo", it still manages to carve out its own satisfying niche. Like many escape rooms themed around a mysterious office or study, this room isn’t particularly jaw dropping to look at, but its decor nonetheless does a good job of setting the game’s tone. This is a room about world travel and all the fun things a collector can get their hands on, and in that respect it is successful. Puzzles are generally fun to solve as your team connects the dots between written clues and the various decorations in the room, and there’s a few fun secrets tucked away in unexpected places that add some intrigue to the whole setup. While the analog approach is probably the best way to design a room such as this, there are some ways in which "Westower’s Study" gets a little bit repetitive. The biggest hangup for me was just how much careful searching had to be done to find some of the clues. There are loads of books in this room, and more than one of them had clues tucked away between the pages, which of course necessitated a search of every one of the books in turn. Similarly, the furniture here features a large number of drawers, and it gets a little tedious to open every one of them to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Finally, most of the clues opened locked boxes or suitcases, which meant that we had a whole corner of the room stacked up with the empties by the time we were done. Though the extensive searching made this room a bit of a chore for two, it probably wouldn’t wear out its welcome quite so much for a larger group. Indeed, the first area in particular is rather spacious, making it ideal for spread-out-and-look-for-clues moments. Since many of the puzzles can be completed in any order, it’s also possible to have a big group split into teams to tackle different tasks at once, which isn’t always the case in some other rooms. All around, this is a good room for those who like classic analog puzzle solving. We recommend you only approach this one with a small team if you already have some experience with escape rooms and don’t expect to have much “down time” figuring out what to do next, while a team of 4 or more could probably get away with a more beginner crowd. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Plenty of parking is available outside the building. The building and its individual rooms are largely handicap accessible. The lobby features merchandise for purchase, as well as some small puzzles to pass the time if your room is not yet ready when you arrive. 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 Portsmouth Escape Room for offering us a media discount for our tickets to this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #KevinHelock #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #PortsmouthEscapeRoom #Mystery #USA #NewHampshire

LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of Monkey Mind Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Legend of the Shoals 📅 DATE PLAYED: October 1, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Pirate, Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 1-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $30/PP ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Based on local lore, "Legend of the Shoals" explores Captain John Quelch's secret hideout. Relive his adventures by unlocking the mystery of his map and retrieving his precious crystal skull!! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The "Legend of the Shoals" is based on an actual local pirate - Captain John Quelch who looted on the high seas back in the 1700's. Legend has it, Quelch’s men deposited their treasure at the Isles of Shoals in New Hampshire. We love how Monkey Mind built the game off of a less popular buccaneer for us to learn more about his story. The set design bought us right into a section of a pirate's ship and instantly we felt like characters in the "Pirates of the Caribbean"! The layout was spacious, giving us room to spread out and work on different puzzles separately. Most of the puzzle reveals were controlled by tech. There were a few moments during the game where sound and lighting worked perfectly together to grasp our attention. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK A majority of the puzzles were straight forward and we were blazing through most of the room. However, one of the puzzles was a bit of a logic leap on HOW it was to be used (definitely not the typical logic that we've seen in other rooms). This puzzle also had us question if it's safe to use during COVID period. I'm sure the room sanitizes everything prior to game play but it still made me feel a bit uncomfortable due to how close we had to stand to operate on the puzzle. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Although they have informed us that this game is their most difficult, we thought this one was a lot easier than The Antidote. Kids would love this room for the cinematic feel. The gameplay for "Legend of the Shoals" is mostly non-linear so you and your team can spread out and start solving things on your own. You can't go wrong with pirate-themed games, especially when the set design felt like we were onset of a Disney attraction. It bought back some memories of "Goonies" and their quest to find One-Eyed Willy's ship - "Inferno"! Additional Info Parking lot in the area or metered parking lobby area with seating and games Merchandise available for purchase 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 Monkey Mind Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #MonkeyMindEscapeRooms #Pirate #Treasure #USA #NewHampshire

LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of Monkey Mind Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Antidote 📅 DATE PLAYED: October 1, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi, Time Travel 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 8.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $30/PP ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Dr. Phineas Watchtower possesses a machine that'll allow him to send stuff to any point in time. Inside of his steampunk laboratory is an antidote that he must find. Once he has it, he must send it back to the past in order to save his loved one. Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Time travel has always been one of our favorite themes. This room has a unique intro that bought us back in time and into the game immediately. There's so much at first glance that you really don't know where to begin. And then right when you thought you had all the time in the world, you don't....We liked that change of event based on the player's decision. The set design was top notch. This is a beautifully crafted steampunk laboratory. As you solved puzzles within in each station, you'll receive more pieces that you'll be able to combine and put together to repair the machine. It's a great way to tie the story together. You'll probably more of an advantage if you bought in a bigger team as it's really spacious and essentially everyone could have their own station. You'll probably want to rotate though so you all get to see the individual puzzles. This room is all tech and used in the right places. The final reveal feels like a scene in the movies. You'll definitely get that satisfying ending. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK One of the deduction puzzles were extremely difficult. With a smaller team, one person will be tied up there for most of the game play. Even with hint it will take sometime to complete. This puzzle feels like a time filler for this room which we wouldn't have missed it if it was removed. One other puzzle's clue was a bit confusion in terms of the angle of viewing. We had to just give it a few guess attempts to get it at the end but from the given drawing it could have been read several ways. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? If you like sci-fi time-traveling themes like "Doctor Who", then you are in for a treat! The lighting, sound, and special effects really made this time travel themed room feel real. This room wouldn't have received a high difficulty level on the rating scale if it weren't for that one particular puzzle. But there's definitely lot to do so bring your A game and see if you'll be able to beat that clock and retrieve the antidote in time! Additional Info Parking lot in the area or metered parking lobby area with seating and games Merchandise available for purchase 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 Monkey Mind Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #BrandonChow #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #MonkeyMindEscapeRooms #Steampunk #Laboratory #SciFi #USA #NewHampshire

LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of Monkey Mind Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Cursed Tomb 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 17, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $34/PP ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You are an intrepid explorer venturing into an Egyptian tomb said to be haunted by a pharaoh's curse. Disregarding the rumors you head inside… and immediately find yourself trapped. With just an hour left until you are buried alive with the pharaoh's mummy, you must venture deeper into the tomb, solving its puzzles in order to acquire the scarab of life and return it to the sacred sarcophagus. But beware! Not all is as it may first seem. Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Atmosphere in this room is top-notch, with excellent lighting, props, special effects, and a fun surprise at the very beginning of the experience. The puzzles are varied in their style and solutions, and are (mostly) satisfying to solve, especially the last puzzle. We just wish there were more of them. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK By our count, there were exactly five puzzles in this room – six if you generously split the two halves of one bit into their own puzzles. That’s not even half the number we’ve come to expect in an escape room with an hour-long timer, so we were shocked when we completed the fifth puzzle and found that we were done. All of the puzzles require clues from the same journal, so expect lots of time paging around and reading. This may be frustrating for large groups, as there isn’t much to explore in the space, despite its size. One puzzle has a pretty sizable red herring written into its journal entry. There is a logical way to determine the correct answer, but it relies on a detail that’s very easy to miss in such a dark room. I’d say close to half the time we spent in this room was on this single puzzle alone. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? In most respects, “The Cursed Tomb” has everything it should need to be a successful escape room experience. Its puzzles are clever and largely satisfying to solve. It has a good story with strong sound design and special effects. Its decor is top of the line, oozing atmosphere with its detailed wall carvings and mood lighting. All of that is wonderful and in line with some of the best rooms I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit… which is why it is absolutely baffling to me that this otherwise excellent room contains only five puzzles. It took just 26 minutes for my team to complete The Cursed Tomb, making it the third fastest room we’ve ever completed (the others were both beginner rooms, with one specifically aimed at small children). This was despite the intermediate difficulty of its puzzles, and the fact that we were far from delivering our usual performance here, believing ourselves to be terribly far behind and burning two hints in an effort to catch up. So when the game’s narration told us we could leave, we almost didn’t believe it. But sure enough the game was over, and we hadn’t even hit the halfway mark on our timer, despite how much we struggled on one of the puzzles. In hindsight, frustrating challenges like finding puzzle pieces in a dark room and then stumbling over a big red herring baked into one of the clues seemed more like time-wasters to fill out an empty room rather than well thought-out puzzles that would be satisfying to solve. My advice to the designers of this room is simply to add a lot more puzzles, and that’s not something I think would be too difficult to do based on the work that’s already been put into its design. After all, the tomb is very spacious, comprising three big rooms, the first of which has no puzzles whatsoever. Instead, the first room is more of a set-piece where the narrative kicks off before the group enters the tomb itself and the timer begins. If instead the group had to solve five or six puzzles to unlock the tomb (perhaps recovering important tools necessary for the expedition) and only then found themselves trapped inside, that would fill out some much-needed puzzle time while also making better use of a space that is so well decorated it’s a shame the group won’t spend much time at all in it there. Throw in a couple more small puzzles in the tomb itself, and I’m sure we’d end up with a room that’s great in all respects. Alternatively, the room could be run as is, but with only 30 minutes on the clock and a lower price point to match the shorter experience. Based on what I’ve seen there, I am confident that the team at Monkey Mind Escape Room has the skills and know-how to shape The Cursed Tomb into a truly awesome escape room if they put in the effort to fill out the rest of the experience with more puzzles. However, in its current state, it’s hard to recommend this room to anyone, unless they’re only in it for the atmosphere and nothing else. If you’re in it for puzzles, however, I’d pass on this one for now. After all, any experienced team will find the game is over far too soon to satisfy. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Merchandise is available for purchase in the lobby The lobby area has plenty of comfortable seating with small games, a foosball table, and a TV that was showing Indiana Jones when we visited. While the room itself is largely handicap accessible, the building that Monkey Mind is located in may pose a challenge, as we had to climb stairs up to the correct floor. There was also a large step up in the middle of the lobby, which you may have to cross to get to your escape room. Paid parking lots in the area 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 Monkey Mind Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. Update: We also visited Monkey Mind Escape Rooms and played "The Cursed Tomb" and "The Stolen Diamond" in August 2023!! #KevinHelock #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #MonkeyMindEscapeRooms #Adventure #NewHampshire #USA

LOCATION: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of Monkey Mind Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Stolen Diamond 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 17, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 4/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $34/PP ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You have just been contacted by your friend Bob, who is on safari in Africa. Bob is in a bit of trouble after “borrowing” a very expensive diamond and hiding it somewhere in his office, and now his life is on the line as the people he stole from have come to collect. With just an hour left to return the diamond before Bob is killed, it’s up to you to follow the clues he’s left behind and produce the valuable relic to save his life. Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE "The Stolen Diamond" does a good job making a lot out of a little, employing a small space and mostly analog puzzle elements effectively. There are only a couple electronic elements in the room, but these are used strategically for a strong finale. Puzzles are all simple enough to be approachable for a beginner, without any unfair leaps in logic. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK As a room designed to be portable, "The Stolen Diamond" is a little limited in terms of the kinds of puzzles it can present, so they get a little repetitive over time. Expect lots of laminated paper clues that open numerous locked containers. The space isn’t terribly impressive to look at. Some safari-themed accents improve the overall effect, but it still feels largely like a sparse office space. With a window overlooking the street below, string lights dangling from the ceiling, and a large air unit taking up one corner, it’s hard to feel immersed in the story. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Especially when compared to the other rooms on offer at Monkey Mind Escape Rooms, "The Stolen Diamond" is an outlier in terms of its simplistic approach to decor and puzzle design, a result of its portable design. If you go into this room expecting a deeply evocative atmosphere and Disney-World-quality special effects, you’re probably going to leave disappointed. But if you’ve got the mindset to enjoy a room that ditches bells and whistles for simpler fare, you’ll probably have a good time. The puzzles in "The Stolen Diamond" are analog in the most basic sense, frequently relying on paper clues that give you number or letter codes to open the locks on sealed containers. The exceptions mix things up here and there, but this is mostly a room about noticing hidden clues in pictures or writing. A lot of the puzzles are pretty straightforward in their solutions, which might disappoint a team with lots of experience, but it’s balanced excellently for a group that is new to the concept of solving puzzles on a time crunch. New players are also less likely to have inflated expectations for presentation and pizzazz, so that’s another reason I’d be most likely to recommend this room to a beginner. Still, that doesn’t mean this room can’t be enjoyed by experienced teams. As much as I enjoy a tense game that takes the timer down to the wire where every second counts and everyone has to be on their A-game to make it out, sometimes it’s just satisfying to blast through some puzzles and feel good about yourself! For that reason, The Stolen Diamond may have been the least pretty room at Monkey Mind Escape Rooms, but it was probably the one I had the most fun in. All around, this is a room where your enjoyment will depend on what you are looking for, and one where your mileage may vary a good deal from mine. If you’re all about the props and electronics, you’re going to be better off checking out Monkey Mind’s other experiences, all of which are designed for their spaces and focus more on the atmosphere. But if you’re in the mood for smooth sailing through some simple but satisfying puzzles, this might be worth the look for you. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Merchandise is available for purchase in the lobby. The lobby area has plenty of comfortable seating with small games, a foosball table, and a TV that was showing Indiana Jones when we visited While the room itself is largely handicap accessible, the building that Monkey Mind is in may pose a challenge, as we had to climb stairs up to the correct floor. There was also a large step up in the middle of the lobby, which you may have to cross to get to your escape room. 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 Monkey Mind Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. Update: We also visited Monkey Mind Escape Rooms and played "The Stolen Diamond" and "The Cursed Tomb" in August 2023!! #KevinHelock #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #MonkeyMindEscapeRooms #Adventure #USA #NewHampshire

LOCATION: Concord, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Enigma 📅 DATE PLAYED: September 30, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Mystery, Sci-Fi 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL):8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $150/Group (Up to 5PPL) ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY You and your team are entering Professor Ore's laboratory which has been closed for decades after his death. As a professor, his primary focus was chemical studies and contributed greatly to this field of science. However, Professor Ore had his own agenda which stemmed from his discovery of an ancient formula allowing him to transform lead into gold. This lead him down a path of obsession, eagerly wanting to learn more drove him insane. It has been said that his laboratory is cursed and anyone who dares to enter will be in great danger! However, if you can escape with the secret formula within an hour, then it might be all worth it! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The storyline for "The Enigma" was really creative! To be able to explore a professor's laboratory rigged with challenges designed to only reward those that are worthy of his secret formula is something that forces players to be on their "A" game. The set design for "The Enigma" portrayed exactly as intended. From the first look, you won't be able to detect the transformation at all. But it's truly a secret laboratory filled with secrets to unlock that's been hidden away for years! The brick walls and gold finish definitely added a steampunk vibe to it. The game was mostly linear with a meta-puzzle for you to solve based on all the items collected along the way. The puzzles in this room were mostly "stationed" for you to solve before progressing to the next. We loved how everything that gated us from moving on felt enigmatic! Like we were in the presence of something very secretive that's been locked away from the world. Since we literally took to almost down to the seconds to escape this room, the final puzzle and the ending really added to the suspense. The ending was fantastic! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There were a few times we didn't realize when something opened. It could help with added light ambience or louder sounds to point us to right direction. One puzzle felt like it was too easy to fit in the mist of all the others. There was no cluing as to the actual order but we're looking for direction for some period of time until we got a hint to not over think it. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Escape Room Concord NH currently has 5 games available to play with all difference types of themes. In "The Enigma", you're not only booking an escape room, you're booking an experience! The combination of attention to detail and quality build in the set design, unique puzzle takes, and an intriguing storyline truly embodied the whole package of what escape room experiences should be all about! This game will keep you active the whole time! You'll also be putting your memory and logic skills to the test. This is a must play room if you're ever in New Hampshire. We'll definitely return for their other rooms including the highly anticipated new room "The Dragon's Chamber"! Additional Info Parking lot in front Event space available Photo booth in lobby 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 Room Concord NH 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 #SciFi #Mystery #Cursed #EscapeRoomConcordNH #USA

LOCATION: Concord, New Hampshire, USA Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Sanctuary 📅 DATE PLAYED: September 30, 2021 🎬 GENRE: Mystery, Occult 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 7.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins 💰 PRICE: $150/Group (Up to 5PPL) ☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY It is believed that "The Sanctuary", a mystical place was created by a group of monks. Legend has it that these monks protected this sanctuary which contained the greatest mystery of all... life. At some point in time, evil desecrated the sanctuary and life was lost. It was then, a curse fell upon this mystical place... After discovering that your great aunt died venturing into the sanctuary, you find a clue that leads you on your own path to find this once mystical place. No one has lived to tell the tale of what's inside the sanctuary... will you? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE "The Sanctuary" is not a horror room, but there's something eerie about the storyline and the dark floors & monastery feel that sets the tone for what you're about to experience. From the wooded doors and tables to the cathedral glass windows to the various props that reminded us that we're in a sacred place, we were immersed into the storyline right away. There were so many different types of puzzles that we've encountered throughout the game that every player is bound to find something that they'll like or is their forte. My favorite ones were the logical based ones and Brandon of course opted for most of the physical ones. Since most of this game was mostly non-linear, it was quite easy for us to divide the tasks. The entire game was designed and build around that final meta puzzle. It was amazing to see what we've discovered along the way were all used in someway. Once again that final reveal was a lovely surprise. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Somethings had opened or dropped as we heard the sound but the actual prop sometimes did not open to the extend where we don't have to use our fingers to pry. Not sure if that reveal could be a bit more obvious? As enthusiasts we're super careful when it comes to props and a few things in this room needed a bit more "strength" than what we're use to. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This room might not seem like there's a lot to in the beginning but you'll be surprised with how much you'll need to complete as you open up its "doors", literally. Don't get stuck on the beginning for too long (although you might just get lucky and receive a little bit of help). Teamwork and communication are two essential things you'll need in order to beat this game. We loved the little episode we had during the game where at one point Cici thought it was a design fail that her arm wasn't long enough to reach something. It's this kind of memory that will let us remember this room forever. From what we've experienced in this room, we know you'll be creating some fun memories too! Because of this, we'll definitely be back for their other rooms in the future! Additional Info Parking lot in front Event space available Photo booth in lobby 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 Room Concord NH 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 #Mystical #Mystery #Cursed #EscapeRoomConcordNH #USA #Occult