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Photo above is property of The Curious Correspondence Club Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XIII: Chamber of Trials Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: January 22, 2022 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 7/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price : $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 You are following in the footsteps of an intrepid adventurer, Liarea. She had previously explored a temple containing five idols and a large altar before becoming trapped and meeting her untimely end. Fortunately, she documented her progress and her journal is your guide. You must retrace her steps to discover what she missed. She had recovered five idols - each resting in a different room, protected by a different trap - rolling spiked log, snake pit, etc. This is a true Indiana Jones-style adventure, and you will need courage and creativity to overcome the five obstacles and discover how to escape. Only with this knowledge can you discern the proper path to escape the temple after order has been restored. 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ This game has an impressive amount of collateral in the form of printed layouts - at least one for each trial and several for the final altar as well. Many of them are also double-sided, providing more puzzling material for the amount of items! They share a common look and feel, which contributes to the feeling of being immersed in the temple itself, especially when they are covering your kitchen table! There is also some construction to be done and we enjoyed the exploration and experimentation required to build the components themselves. We had to do some refining after our initial attempts at assembly; when they were properly assembled, it was clear we had done so correctly. Once everything is assembled and laid out, it's hard to believe it all came from a single envelope! The journal is written in small, cursive font on weathered pages, giving it an authentic look but also making it a bit hard to read. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 It's purely linear - solve each puzzle to determine how Liarea obtained the idol from that chamber. In the course of solving each puzzle, you also discover a set of three runes that will be necessary in the final meta puzzle. So, it's important to note which runes came from which room and keep them associated with the proper idol. The runes are used to determine the proper path to follow around the final altar. We enjoyed coming up with silly names for the runes (bear backpack, three-dot octopus) as we worked together. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 They are primarily spatial and logic-based. Each one involved some level of manipulation of the collateral provided. There was one straight-up assembly puzzle (fit the shapes into this area), but most of them involved first determining the proper mechanic, and then repeating it a number of times. There was some uncertainty regarding exactly how to apply the mechanic in some of the puzzles, leading to a lack of confidence in the answer generated. We struggled with these puzzles, for a couple of reasons. First, there is no way to verify that you are solving any puzzle correctly along the way (and no real A-ha moments). So, it's possible to get answers for all five, reach the end, follow the path, fail, but not have any idea where you went awry or which puzzle(s) were solved incorrectly. Secondly, the hint system is underdeveloped; the first hint for each puzzle was virtually identical and the second didn't provide much direction. (Although, we did find patterns after the fact that would've made for helpful clues.) We also experienced some confusion as to whether the journal was written from an omnipotent/overhead point of view or that of Liarea, which made it more difficult to understand the rules of engagement. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 We loved the look and concept of this envelope and its contents. Idols and ancient temples are wonderful source material for challenges like this, and it’s amazing how much material they packed in! We did have some frustrations with actual execution of the puzzles, and we often carried with us the uncertainty of whether we had solved them correctly. Curious Correspondence Club has done many wonderful things for the puzzling world. (If you missed Puzzletember, go back and check out @curiouscorrespondence on Instagram!) We also adore their tree-planting initiative! Despite the well-developed look and feel, this particular chapter missed the mark for us in terms of providing a satisfying puzzling challenge sprinkled with the moments of triumph that we crave when attempting to escape ancient temples. As each chapter tells one part of a continuing story, subscribers or fans of CCC may still enjoy having this one in their collection and we look forward to a new chapter to explore in the future! (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 Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #DaveBristol #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

Photo above is property of The Curious Correspondence Club Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XIV: Below Zero Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: February 7, 2022 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price : $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Chartering an expedition through the frozen ocean, you find yourself at the hull of a ship that has been buried in the snow for who knows how long. Making your way onboard and into the captain’s quarters, you find the remnants of many instruments that make up a rudimentary laboratory. You also encounter an old safe that hides what you are looking for but as you try to open the safe, the ship begins to shift in the ice. Can you obtain the contents of the safe before the ship is lost to the icy sea forever? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Unfolding the envelope, the story of this chapter is printed on the envelope. The envelope also has a checklist of the items you should have as well as a QR code to the hint and solutions page. Laid out in the envelope are multiple high-quality looking papers and paper items. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Going through the different papers, our jaws dropped when we found ourselves building a tangible object with some of the papers given to us which ended up looking really impressive. Not only was the overall story from the envelope well written and detailed but we found the story embedded in the puzzles and other items written with great quality as well. The look and feel of the paper was high quality that ranged from weathered paper and old looking sketches. The hint section offered a leveled hint system. We found the hint system could have been labelled better since we had trouble with the descriptions they gave them. We had to click through each of the hint titles before we found the one we needed. Once the game is completed, the ending did have a great quality video that progressed the story and got us excited for the next Curious Correspondence game. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzles were set up in a non-linear fashion so we were able to divide and conquer a little bit. At first glance, some of the puzzles were not very clear but once you read into the associated text, we got our aha moment and discovered how to solve them. One thing we liked was that the main pieces of each puzzle was marked out so that there was no confusion in wondering what pieces you need to solve them. There was a good mix of difficulty on the puzzles. Some we were able to solve and get right away while some we had to go over it a few times before realizing what needed to be done. There were some sneaky ones too that were fun to solve as they were not what they seemed. One thing we did find lacking was a confirmation through the game that you have the correct answer as you progress. There is a confirmation on the website for the final answer which will then reveal the final video but if you check your final answer and it is wrong, you may need to go through all the work you did through the other puzzles to see where a mistake could have been made. That being said, the solutions can be found on the hint pages if required. 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Overall, we were very impressed with the amount of puzzling and story that could fit into one regular sized envelope. The fact that we could even build a tangible item from this game got us excited right from the start. Even though there was only 2 of us playing, the non-linear puzzle stream was nice to allow us to split things up and puzzle through, which would allow for a few more players if needed. The immersiveness that they were able to provide through the story telling really stuck with us as this was our first Curious Correspondence game. Even not having played any of their previous game, we did not feel lost or lacking any information to play. We are definitely going to have to try out some more. (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 Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

Photo above is property of The Curious Correspondence Club Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XV: Safekeeping Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: March 23, 2022 Difficulty (based on 1 player): 7/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price : $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Next stop, the Banca Bernascont! As you approach the bank, you notice that a robbery has taken place. Ushered in by the manager, Oskar Bernasconi III, he debriefs you on the situation. It seems that Starfall has come looking for a particular item in the safety deposit boxes. The problem is, that no one, not even Oskar himself knows which safety deposit box that item is kept in. The only way to find the correct box is by solving and combining the clues of six different safety deposit boxes, all of which have been ransacked by Starfall. Can you unravel the puzzles of the six boxes, find the crucial one and determine if the item has fallen into the wrong hands? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening the envelope, the inside has a beautiful illustration and design to help set the mood of the game. As you start to set up the game, the envelope also contains the story. After reading that, you can begin to check out the rest of the contents which contains safety deposit boxes, a steel bullion cart, a locket and other well-designed paper items. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 After reading the in-depth story from inside the envelope, there is a decisive nudge at the end to tell you where to start. The story is impressive in how detailed and well written it is to engulf you into the game. Going through the papers and items, I am always impressed with what CCC is able to replicate with just paper. Using papers that fit into an envelope, I was able to feel like I was rifling through 6 safety deposit boxes as well as working with a diamond and a locket. In this game, I felt there was some good cryptic directions on how to proceed and navigate the items and puzzles. Make sure to take your time to go through everything thoroughly. I also recommend having enough space to spread everything out. It would be easier to see everything and help make certain connections. Once you finish the game, the quality of the end video is a pleasure to watch which is a still shot narration. This game also has some subtle confirmation of the answers along the way which was nice to see. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 There was a large swing in difficulty in the puzzles as there were some that I was able to solve right away to some that after a significant amount of time spent, I had to refer to the hints. Make sure to read everything and go over it carefully. There were a couple of puzzles where I missed what it needed me to do. The puzzles played out in a non-linear order which let me bounce around and take some breaks on some of the more difficult ones. CCC has a good hint system set up in case you do get stuck. I did have to use it a few times and it was well organized. One thing was that there were a few hints and solutions that did require some in-depth explanation and I had to reread it over a few times to understand what was required. Those ones could have used some pictures or diagrams to help guide you. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 " Safekeeping " felt like a pleasant twist to a bank heist escape room. Even though everything was made out of paper, I felt like a detective trying to discover the mystery of many boxes. Since this is a non-linear game, this would be a good game for up to 4 or 5 people since everyone can be checking different things out together. Depending on your solving skills, there are some puzzles that are quick to get but some that you may have trouble interpreting what to do. Do not be afraid to check out the hints when you need them to ensure that you have a great puzzling time with this game. (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure: We thank The Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

Photo above is property of The Curious Correspondence Club Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XVI: Endangered Species Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: April 21, 2022 Difficulty (based on 1 player): 7/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price : $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Our adventure led us to the mysterious home of Mr. Whitlock. Sadly, he passed away but we were greeted by his granddaughter Louise. You wouldn't be able to tell from the outside, but this cottage even has a museum inside! Looks like we'll be helping Louise with sorting out some of the works left behind by her famous entomologist grandfather Batholemew Whitlock... 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ In this envelope, you'll receive your backstory printed on the envelope with contents (see above for the list) on the left flap and hint QR code on the right. They use to have these items on separate papers but it's great to see them able to consolidate and save more on paper usage (since they already utilize every paper you see in a double sided fashion within the envelope). Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 If you read our previous reviews on the games by CCC before, they haven't changed much in terms of the play style. But, they have definitely improved on clarity and game flow throughout the years. In this game, it would be beneficial to read the "last testament" first as it serves as a check list for things you'll need to complete in the game. From there, you'll need to pair together which information is relevant to which task. Of course there might be details printed on different pages. Remember they are double-sided, so make sure to search carefully! As always if you are stuck, there's always nudging hints you can check on their website. We still hope that the hint page could be improved for this game. It would be helpful to see some completed pictures as examples of solutions as some gadgets in this game are really cool to assemble. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 CCC never makes their games too easy for the players and we usually block off a few hours when we start a new one. In this game, we were surprised as a few puzzles were not as difficult where as others definitely took multiple steps to complete. I really enjoyed the variations. I'm also an animal lover, so the different types of specimen and how we're able to maneuver them made the puzzles come to "life" as well! Every time we're able to complete a CCC puzzle without the hints, it's an accomplishment for sure. But we love the challenge! Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 The creative minds at CCC is insane and has surprised us every single time that we received an envelope. I'm always wondering, what else can they do this month? I feel like they've done every scenario already? It was as if we're changing careers every time and of course this time we got to be an entomologist. There are less things that we're able to build this time, but the props that they've come up with were still very unique and complimented the storyline really well. At one point, the butterfly felt 3D on our table and I almost thought it was real! If you haven't done a chapter yet, definitely give it a go! (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 Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

Photo above is property of The Curious Correspondence Club Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XVII: Protege Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: June 17, 2022 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price : $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179.00 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Inside the Dupont gallery, a cultural heritage foundation, you begin to learn more about Sylvester Dupont, a painter, sculptor and wartime codebreaker. Sneaking into the forthcoming exhibit, you find yourself in Sylvester Dupont’s final studio, where many believe that his final works may have contained a secret message, ready to be deciphered by the keenest of eyes and sharpest of minds. Can you look through the artwork, learn about Dupont himself and find the message that he has hidden away in his final works? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Unfolding the envelope that this game comes in, you are greeted with Curious Correspondence Club’s standard set up where the story is written on the envelope with a checklist of what should be included on the right and the QR code on the left for the hint page. In this particular game, the key items are (5) pieces of artwork, a gallery brochure, a paintbrush, artist palette and a pigment shelf. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 As usual, the story writing for Curious Correspondence Club was top tier. The narrative always feels like it was taken out of a novel. This game specifically though, did have a lot more reading in it than the other CCC games we have played and we found it easy to read and truly believable. The information and pamphlet about the artist felt very realistic and did make us contemplate looking them up to see if they were real or not. With this theme especially, the story and puzzles made sense and worked together quite well. Much like all the other CCC games, we're always impressed with everything that they can fit into the envelope. The flow of the game revolves around non-linear puzzles that will lead you to a meta-puzzle. This allows you to tackle each of them as you please or can be played with a larger group of friends. The hint page was useful for our play. There are 2 layered hints that will slowly give you more before the solution, which gives you a full explanation on how to solve the puzzle. Some include a picture which helps a lot as well. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 There is a nice range of puzzles in "Chapter XVII: Protege" , difficulty and diversity-wise. Reading into the flavor text, some we were able to understand and solve right away, some we had to ponder what needed to be done and a few we knew what the end goal was but then needed to complete them. All the paper items were also fun to play with. One issue we had in this game, each puzzle would reveal a set of numbers but unfortunately, there is no way to self-confirm the answer if they are correct a not. A couple of puzzles were also a little ambiguous on how to extract the numbers once you solved the puzzle and could be misinterpreted. This was where we leaned into the hints and solutions. When we think we got the answer, we would use the solutions to confirm if it was correct. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 "Chapter XVII: Protégé" gives you a history and art lesson (though not a real one) through the amazing writing of the story and background of Sylvester Dupont. Throughout the game, I was completely convinced that he was a real person which made for an even more immersive experience. The flow of puzzles also made for a nice game where you could divide and conquer with a larger group of friends. CCC provides a video at the end too which gives a satisfying conclusion to the game. We find CCC continues to provide solid games and have enjoyed all the ones we have played so far. (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 Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

Photo above is property of The Curious Correspondence Club Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XVIII: Calling Card Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: August 9, 2022 Difficulty (based on 1 player): 5/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price : $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179.00 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Moving through the streets and alleys of London, you finally discover what you were looking for. Draped in caution tape, you find an old red phone booth that looks like it hasn’t been entered in ages. Stepping under the tape and into the phone booth, you find a mix of items scattered around the booth including a directory of names and numbers. This confirms that this is where you need to be but who do you have to contact? Short on both, time and pocket change, you only have one shot to figure out who’s number to dial and where you need to head to next. 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening up the classic Curious Correspondence Club envelope, you are greeted with the novel-like story on the envelope and the checklist of items off to the side. In this mailing, some of the key items you will get to play with are a subway map and ticket, drink coasters, coins, a postcard, and more. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 After reading the story on the envelope, you are nothing but immersed in the narrative and objective of the game. Having played a few of their previous games, this one felt the smoothest to me. The signposting on how to start, how to progress, and what you needed to do was straightforward. With what was packed in this envelope and being able to solve the puzzles with no online material required always catches me off guard. If you are looking for hints and the final video once you solve everything though, you will need to access them on the internet. One of the other standard things you can find in most CCC games is being able to make something tangible to work with in the game and there is no exception here as we were able to interact with a telephone booth and rotary phone. One of the feedback with some of the CCC games is that you are typically looking for a set of numbers and there is not a way to confirm your progress without looking at the solutions. For Calling Card, I found that most of the puzzles were self-confirming. As I solved them, I knew for sure I had the correct answers and they stood out as being more obvious than some of their previous games. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 " Calling Card " can be played non-linearly so there can be a few people working on different puzzles at one time. If you follow the order laid out for you, though, the puzzles ramped up quite nicely. The puzzles required you to read into the instructions and figure out what needed to be completed. The final puzzle was also the right amount of challenging and satisfying once you realized what needed to be done. There was one puzzle though that did stick out a little bit where I needed to use the hint system and could have been better as you need to be familiar with words and the word discovery did seem a little random. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Curious Correspondence Club knocks it out of the park with their high-quality game that fits into an envelope. This one is definitely one of my favorite CCC games. From the well-written story at the start to the final video to finish the experience, I was engaged and immersed the entire time. The puzzles were just the right amount of difficulty where I did not feel frustrated but challenged along the way. All the puzzles fit well into the story including the memorable final puzzle. If you have been waiting to play a game with a few beginner or veteran puzzle friends and introduce them to Curious Correspondence Club, this is the one to do it. (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 Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

Photo above is property of The Curious Correspondence Club Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XIX: Foretold Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: August 24, 2022 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price : $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179.00 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Entering under the flashing lights, you get a whiff of popcorn in the open air as you navigate through the loud and busy crowds of "Zambini’s Circus"! This is where the Nexus brings you to find the next item. You make your way into the big top and find the main attraction of the circus. A grand, antique organ that legends says holds a secret, waiting to be found. Can you tune the right key and figure out what the secret is? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening the Curious Correspondence Club envelope, you are greeted with the high-quality story and graphics to immerse you into the game. On the right is the QR code to take you to the hints and the conclusion when you are done. On the left is a checklist of the contents which includes a Circus poster, Tarot cards, a Duck game, Acrobats and other high-quality items. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 The story is high quality and a pleasure to read. It feels like a novel when going through it which completely immerses you into the game. Looking at the items, you can separate the different items needed to solve each of the puzzles. One tip that we learned in the past is the front of a sheet and the back of the sheet typically are not part of the same puzzle so do not look for connections there. The art and design also look like something from an old fashion circus which we loved. In most CCC games, there are some tangible items that can be built to add to the experience. In this game, there were more tangible items than normal but the standout one was the pipe organ. It was absolutely a highlight in the game as well as the puzzle surrounding it was a lot of fun to solve. For this CCC game, there were a couple of times we solved a puzzle and there was no way to confirm the solutions you were getting until you get to the meta puzzle at the end, which will only confirm the solution if the final answer makes sense. The only other way to confirm your solution is going to their tiered hint system and looking up the solution. A way to check your solution along the way would be helpful. Once you finish the game, another highlight of all CCC games is the concluding video that ties together with the beginning story and the overall season story. They are always a pleasure to watch and makes for a very satisfying end to the game. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzle themes worked great with the story and blended in effortlessly which we really liked. There is an order that the puzzles need to be arranged for the meta puzzle at the end, but with the non-linear style, these were solid puzzles to divide and conquer. The puzzles consisted of a few logic puzzles that we knew what to do and had to figure out how to do it while there were a few that we had to determine what needed to be done to solve the puzzle. The latter ones were well done and had us pondering for a bit but not enough to make us feel frustrated. There was one puzzle that required manipulation to solve which the intended method did not really work but we were able to come up with our own method to solve it. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 "Chapter XVII: Foretold" was exceptionally written and enjoyable to play. Though having to check the solutions to verify your answers, the puzzles were fun to go through and tied in with the narration to reach a rewarding climax at the end. If you are a fan of circuses, well written stories or logic puzzles, this is one to pick up. We loved the non-linear style of the game that allows you to play with more people. We played with 2 people but feel that up to 5 could play this together and still not be over each other and still have a great time. (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 Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

Photo above is property of The Curious Correspondence Club Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XX: Ludwig's Legacy Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: October 18, 2022 Difficulty (based on 1 player): 7/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price : $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179.00 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Pulling your boat ashore, you and the Nexus arrive at the coordinates that were given to you by the Fortune Teller in your last adventure. Digging into the sand, sure enough you find what you were hoping for; a tin box full of materials. Sigrid of Brightstar has collected information on Captain Ludwig, a notorious pirate in these waters. Sigrid believed that a medallion had fallen into the hands of Captain Ludwig and we are now looking to retrieve it. To keep his stash of treasures safe, Captain Ludwig hid it away on an island nearby but only by discovering the associated islands will the final location be revealed. Heading back to the boat with the tin box, can you discover the islands and make your way to the final destination? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening the envelope, you are greeted with the in-depth story to introduce you to the game as well as a QR code that will take you to the hints and an inventory list. Inside, you will find some high-quality items including a portolan chart, a traverse board and a sea chart. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Investigating all the items, the game was signposted well. I was able to figure out where to start and where to head after that. This game also had more onboarding and story notes than some of the previous CCC games, which I thoroughly enjoyed and found it drew me into the game. Though the game was all paper, CCC was able to hide some fun secrets all around and set the game up for some interesting discoveries and different way to use the paper items. CCC normally includes a tangible item that could be built out of paper in their games and this time around it was a chalice which fit perfectly into the theme and story. Later in the game, there were a few more difficult puzzles which I felt could have used a little more cluing in the text or possibly used a little more tiers in the hint system, which only includes 2 clues before providing the solution. There was one puzzle that could have used a way to confirm the solution as it did seem ambiguous how to determine that answer. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The first couple of puzzles were simpler which started the game off on a high note. The later ones were a little more difficult and a little vague on what I was supposed to do. This left me trying different things out for quite some time. Sometimes after my initial attempt on a couple of the puzzles, things weren’t matching up correctly but after looking at the hints, I was doing the right process and just needed to finish to see the big picture. A tip would be to do your process right to the end if you are confident about it because there is a chance you might be solving the puzzle correctly. There were some visual puzzles that made for some great eureka moments and a clever meta puzzle that was fun to solve and had a satisfying ending. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 Exploring the myth of "Chapter XX: Ludwig’s Legacy" and puzzling to find his lost treasure made for a grand adventure. The story was well told with lots of narrative and some clever manipulation of the items to make you feel like a treasure hunter. The puzzles did range largely with the difficulty level but were all themed within the story. They were all a pleasure to navigate especially the final puzzle. Pirate lovers, puzzle manipulators and people who love a good narrative would enjoy this game. CCC also wraps the game up beautifully with their outro and if you have been following along with the other CCC games, makes me excited to see how season 2 will be wrapping up. (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 Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Company: The Curious Correspondence Club Game: Chapter XXI: The Fountain Country: Canada 🇨🇦 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: February 11, 2023 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 8/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Age 12+) Time: Unlimited (Suggested: 60-90 Minutes) Price: $21.95 (free shipping in North America); Monthly Subscription: $19.95/Yearly Subscription: $179.00 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Navigating the streets, you and the Nexus continue to pass by many archways leading into the catacombs. Each one you pass has nothing distinguishing about itself from the previous or next one. Reaching an archway, the Nexus notices a crack in the wall that gives way to a journal inside. Looking at the journal, it seems to come from a previous Guardian, searching for the Fountain of Youth. Believing that the Fountain of Youth contains what you are looking for, can you decipher the journal notes to navigate the different levels of the catacombs and find the next medallion? 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ Opening the CCC envelope, you find the story written on the envelope as well as a checklist of the contents and a link to the hint page. You also find many interesting contents that include a journal, some map pieces, and different archways. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 Reading the highly detailed story and checking out the beautiful drawings on the envelope, you are immediately drawn into the story. Going through the contents, we found this game was laid out straight forward with the cluing and directions with what needed to be done. One of the things that CCC does well is intertwine the story and the clues together seamlessly. This requires you to make sure you read the text carefully to find what you need to solve the puzzles. Each CCC game usually comes with a tangible object that can be built from the contents and the one included in this game was one of my favorite ones in the series so far, a replica of the tunnels. We are also a huge fan of the outro that you are rewarded with once you make it to the end and it will get you excited for the next chapter in the game. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 The puzzle setup in this game was slightly different than other CCC games. Rather than 5 puzzles leading into a meta puzzle, this game offered 4 more difficult puzzles leading into the meta puzzle. The bulk of the puzzles were made up of logic puzzles. CCC also ensures all sides of the paper are used and relevant to the game. In this game, the puzzles were printed in a well thought out manner that the bulk of the solving could be done easily without interfering with other puzzles. This made it easy for us to work on separate puzzles without getting in each other’s way. The hint system for this game requires you to go to their website and for each puzzle, there are 2 hints before providing you with the solution. We found for this game, the solutions were easier to confirm once the puzzles were solved and you knew it was correct once you got there. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 "The Fountain" was a great continuation of the ongoing Brightstar story. It also had a magnificent tangible item to play with and some high-quality print items. The puzzles could have used more variety, especially if you are not a fan of logic puzzles but was set up easily to divide and conquer. We played with 2 people but this one could work easily with up to 4 people. This was a little more difficult of a game but another solid chapter as season 2 makes its way towards the ending. (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 Curious Correspondence Club for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #SubscriptionGames #Mystery #Canada #TheCuriousCorrespondenceClub

LOCATION: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Photo above is property of The Nemesis Club Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : Mogollon Monster 📅 DATE PLAYED : August 22, 2022 🎬 GENRE : Survival, Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 6.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 4-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : $35.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY You've just arrived as a new trainee at the Monster Rangers campsite and already you've been tasked with an extremely difficult job. They want you to lure the Mogollon Monster onto the campsite and take a photo of it as proof of the monster's existence before the camp gets shut down within an hour. Are you up for the challenge? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE We absolutely loved the intro for this game. Besides the game master being an excellent ranger, the way they set the scene gave us goosebumps before we even started. We definitely felt the fear of being in the middle of the woods and the only protection between us and the monster is a flimsy old tent. Just like in " EVIL Robots ", the creator thought of a clever way for us to figure out a way in. The mission for this adventure was very clear. We had to come up with ways to lure the monster to the camp. I loved the puzzles that they came up with in order to prepare the lure. All the props in the game would be something you'd find at a campsite and surprisingly they were all used in someway or another. When in camp, there are always silly moments that might happen around the campfire and we definitely experienced a few in this game. The set design had a little bit of a horror movie scene vibe especially when paired with the lightning and sound effects. I honestly thought the game master wore a monster outfit and came into the room at one point. But there's no live actors in this game, it's all in my imagination (I'm very good at scaring myself). The conclusion was spectacular. It totally rocked my world (you'll get my pun after playing this game). 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Absolutely nothing. We loved everything about the game. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? The moment we entered that tent, we no longer felt like we were in an escape room. We had been transported into the world of Steam Crow's Monster Rangers, Mogollon Monster: Scouting for Arizona’s Bigfoot . The puzzles felt a bit more difficult in this room than in " EVIL Robots " mainly because there were a few more logic and deduction types and a little more "search and find". Everything was spot-on from beginning to end. Both games were amazing in their own ways. So if you ever make it to Phoenix, AZ, this is a location that you will have to carve out time for. But you'll have to find the way into the club first (check out our YouTube video for some guidance). Word of advice, don't get distracted by the yummy milkshakes (that's your first challenge)! Photo above is property of The Nemesis Club ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking right in front. Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar attached to the escape room. Lobby with seating areas Merchandise available for sale. (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 Nemesis Club 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 #Survival #UrbanLegend #TheNemesisClub #USA #Arizona

LOCATION: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Photo above is property of The Nemesis Club Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : EVIL Robots 📅 DATE PLAYED : August 22, 2022 🎬 GENRE : Sci-Fi, Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 4-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : $35.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY You are just on a normal tour at the Experiment Virtual Intelligence Laboratory (EVIL). All of a sudden, the assistant tells you that they are having an emergency lockdown because a menacing robot just powered himself on. Since you are the only ones on the premises, it's up to you to stop his evil plan. Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The game master did an amazing job with acting out her character. The intro video wasn't the normal ones you see at most of the escape rooms on TV, it's actually a prerecorded skit being presented in a very creative way within the escape room. It was as if we were part of a show. The set design reminded me of " The Jetsons ". It felt like we were in a futuristic cartoon. The objective was very clearly introduced at the beginning but in case you didn't pay attention, there was a list in the room as well. There were a lot of tech used in this room which complemented well with the futuristic laboratory theme. One of our favorite moments was discovering something we never thought could be possible to be utilized in solving a puzzle. That "aha" moment was gratifying. Special effects were found everywhere in this game. Smoke, fog, laser, water, various types of lighting and more! This is a production! We love the feeling of having to break into the lab but not just by finding a normal key or entering a code. All the puzzles were designed to feel like real life situations. The plot was engaging and of course having a twist at the end is always a plus. Let's not forget that touch of humor as well! Sometimes you just want to take a break from solving puzzles and have some plain old fun. We had an opportunity to do that in this game. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK If we had to nitpick on a perfect game, towards the end, some controls were a bit difficult to maneuver (not sure if it was intentional) and dragged on a bit before we saw the finale. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? When we got out of this room, a guy walked into the laboratory (yes, you can get lost inside the Nemesis Club) and was like "I'm lost". We thought this was still part of the game still and there were more surprises waiting for us. Truthfully, we just didn't want it to end. I probably used this terminology quite a few times in reviews before but this time I really felt it, "Disney Quality". From the set design to puzzles to storyline to cinematic effects, Nemesis Club hit the bullseye on everything. Just like how they advertised on their website, this is an attraction you don't want to miss when visiting Phoenix, AZ! But you'll have to find the way into the club first (check out our YouTube video for some guidance). And don't get distracted by the yummy milkshakes (that's your first challenge)! Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Free parking right in front. Milkshake bar attached to the escape room. Lobby with seating areas. Merchandise available for sale. (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 Nemesis Club 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 #SciFi #Adventure #TheNemesisClub #USA #Arizona

All photos are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers We embarked on our cruise on November 1 st , 2025. The Carnival Cruise Jubilee marks our inaugural experience with Carnival Cruise Line, as well as our first departure from the Galveston, TX cruise port. As seasoned cruisers, we naturally intend to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this cruise line in comparison to others we have experienced, such as NCL, Virgin, MSC, Princess, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean. In this blog, we will primarily focus on the culinary offerings, while also providing tips that we hope will be useful in planning your next Carnival cruise. The Carnival Jubilee embarked on its maiden voyage on December 23, 2023, departing from Galveston, Texas. The ship measures 1,130 feet in length and has a gross tonnage of about 183,521. It can accommodate 5,374 guests at double occupancy, supported by a crew of 1,735. The vessel includes 18 passenger decks and can host up to 6,630 people when the crew is included. Preboarding Preparation Don't forget to download the Carnival Hub app! It's super handy since you can check the ship's time, see what's happening daily, find out where to grab food or drinks, check your room account balance, book excursions, see your casino tier and balance, book the onboard rollercoaster, reserve restaurants, get an internet package, and view the ship's deck plans. Make sure to print out your embarkation papers, or you'll end up having to wait in another line at check-in to get it printed by an employee. It was pretty annoying because they didn’t mention this, and we always just used the app before for other cruise lines. But they're really strict about needing a paper ticket for everyone. If you've got drinks in plastic or your own bottles, you'll need to toss the liquid. You're allowed to bring a 12-pack on board, but make sure they're in metal cans. Bringing a water bottle was a lifesaver since there aren't any cups in the gym. You'll either have to use the water fountains or bring your own bottle. The TV channels on board are pretty limited. You can get movies on demand, but you'll have to pay for them. It's a good idea to download a bunch of movies beforehand so you have something to watch. They do have movie nights on certain days, but it can get a bit repetitive. Onboard Cruise Tips: If you didn't pick a dining time when you booked your cruise, make sure to use the app to check in when the Pacific or Atlantic restaurant is open. They usually let you check in a bit earlier on the app. Once your table's ready, they'll send you a notification. It's much better than hanging around in the crowd by the restaurant. On sea days, everyone wants to do brunch at Pacific. We checked in pretty early but still ended up waiting about an hour for our table. Cucina del Capitano and Chibang are two special dining spots you can try out for free on your first visit, and then it's just $8 per person after that. Make sure to check in on the app ahead of time, as the wait can get pretty long. We recommend hitting up other specialty dining places you’re interested in first and saving these for later in your cruise since most folks will have already tried them by then. These restaurants are also open for lunch on some sea days, but remember, the charge still applies if you've already used your freebie. There's no strict limit on how many dishes you can order at specialty dining spots. They seem pretty chill with you getting two or three appetizers and one main dish. At Cucina del Capitano and Chibang, the server mentioned you can even order two main dishes if you want. Just be friendly with your server and avoid wasting food, and I'm sure you'll get to try more than one dish in each category. On most sea days, the pools on the 8th and 16th floors are packed with kids. If you're looking for a chill spot, head to "Serenity" for adults on the 18th floor. It's a hidden gem (and it's FREE) that most folks don't discover until later in the cruise. Also, the towels there are a different color, so make sure you check in and check out when you return them, or you might get charged. We ran into a few problems like our stateroom not being super clean, a kind of broken balcony door, and some undercooked chicken at one of the restaurants. Just a heads up, you can ask them to take off the daily tips on the last day of your cruise, and then you can just tip the servers or stateroom attendants in cash if you think they deserve it. If you want to snag an early disembarkation time, the app is your best bet. Make sure to do it ASAP, because even if you pick the earliest time, you might end up in a later group since a lot of experienced carnival cruisers are on the same page. If you're into board games or cards, make sure to pack your own since there’s no spot on the ship that offers them. Also, there's no library, so don’t forget to bring something to read. But hey, you can grab crosswords daily at two bars—one on the 6 th floor and the other on the 8 th . There are a couple of cool free activities on board: a craft/color event on sea days and a virtual aquarium. You can color your own fish and watch them come to life in the display! Mini-golf is also free. The roller coaster costs $15/PP. If you go for the thermal suite option at the spa, just know that the "jacuzzi" pool only has one corner with bubbles; the rest is more like a lukewarm soaking tub. The steam room, aromatherapy room, salt therapy, and sauna are pretty nice, but sometimes people don’t shut the doors properly, and the heat escapes. The best time to visit is in the last few hours before they close at 10pm because it’s less crowded, and you can snag one of those hot stone beds. They charge $5 for texting in the Hub APP, but we found a little loophole. Somehow, our texts still went through to everyone in the outside world, even non-iPhone users, just by connecting to the free ship WiFi. So, definitely give it a shot before paying that extra fee you don't really need. Food Options Complimentary "Pacific Restaurant" - (you might also get "Atlantic Restaurant" for dinner, so just check your app to see which one you're assigned to) – They're open for brunch and dinner. The brunch menu stays the same, but for dinner, there's both an express dining menu and a full menu that changes daily. With so many food choices on this ship, we only managed to have dinner here once, on the last day. Big Chicken – We tried this on our first day on board. It's pretty saucy and fried, so if that's your thing, you'll probably enjoy it. They're open for lunch and also offer a light breakfast in the morning. Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse – They offer breakfast just like Lido, but if you're up for a change of scenery, give this spot a shot. They've got an ice cream truck and an espresso machine, so it's the only place to snag a free "specialty coffee." You can also grab a smaller lunch menu and a full dinner menu here. If you're willing to pay, they have ribs and wings. Our top picks were the brisket and pulled pork. Lido Market – This is your usual buffet spot. Unlike other ships with loads of stations, there are usually just one main station and some other stations that all serve the same stuff. In the morning, there's a separate area for omelets and bread, and some of the paid stations are open for dinner too. There's a salad station, but it doesn't have a huge selection. Lida is open late at night from 11:30 pm to 2 am. Blueguana Cantina –You can snag breakfast options like arepas and huevos rancheros, plus lunch burritos and tacos here. The best part? They've got a ton of toppings you can add to your dishes. Guy’s Burger Joint – They're open for lunch, and you can create your own burger. Everyone goes on about the Donkey sauce, but we thought it was just okay. Street Eats – There are three spots here where you can snag a free item each day, and they switch it up daily. There's a fries station offering different kinds of fries with all sorts of toppings, plus two Asian stations that sometimes serve bao, dim sum, or kababs. Everything's super tasty. Also, if you're in the mood for bagels in the morning, you should definitely check out what they've got. They've got all sorts of cream cheese and fun combos. The rainbow bagel was definitely our favorite. Fresh Creation –This salad bar spot is only open on seadays, not every day, so be sure to check the daily planner. They've got a few extra ingredients, but the salad dressing options are pretty limited on this ship. Coastal Slice – Pizza is open from 9am to midnight. They've got the same 5 types for free all the time, but the paid ones switch up every day. We loved the pizzas and went there A LOT. Swirls Soft Serve & Froyo – You can find these machines at Guy’s Burger Joint, Lido Market, and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse. They switch up the flavors every now and then. Beach Buns – They're usually open from 12 noon to 10 pm. They serve sandwiches, hot dogs, salad, soup, and the cheese melt is sooo good. Speciality Dining (Paid) Emeril’s Bistro 717 – We didn't check out this spot. It's not in a typical restaurant setting; instead, it's in an open seating area on Deck 6. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, focusing mostly on Southern and seafood dishes. The menu is a la carte. Cucina Del Capitano – The first time's free for everyone, and after that, it's $8 per person. They're open for both lunch and dinner. We only went for dinner and tried the Arancini, Nonna’s Meatballs, Caprese Salad, and the Rucola, Cracked Farro Salad as appetizers. The Arancini was really good, but the meatball was a bit overcooked, though the sauce was tasty. Both salads were just okay. For the main course, I went with the Paccheri Patate E Cozze since it’s the captain’s favorite, and my husband got the short ribs. The pasta was a bit too heavy for us, but we'd definitely come back just for those short ribs. For dessert, the Tiramisu was amazing, and the Apple Crostata was just okay for me, but if you like apple desserts, you might enjoy it. Chibang - Your first visit is on the house, and after that, it's $8 per person. We kicked things off with egg drop soup, slow-braised pork belly, spring rolls, and lettuce wraps for starters. The egg drop soup was delicious, the pork was a tad too fatty, the spring roll was just okay, but the lettuce wrap, even though saucy, was really good. Since this place mixes Chinese and Mexican flavors, we also tried the Queso Fundido as an appetizer. It was a bit salty, but the cheese was spot on. For the main course, I went with the beef and broccoli, and my husband chose the steak ranchero. They were both just alright. The appetizers definitely outshined the main dishes. Plus, there's a lion performance during dinner that's a must-see. Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse – We hit up this restaurant on the first day of our trip because they throw in a free bottle of house wine if you book on embarkation day. It's $52 for adults and $15 for kids 11 and under. We tried the pork belly, jumbo shrimp cocktail, baked onion soup, and tuna tartare. If you're into cool pics or videos, definitely go for the smoked oyster—the presentation is awesome. For appetizers, the onion soup and tartare were the real winners. For the main course, we had the cowboy steak and prime ribeye. My husband thought his cowboy steak was pretty bland and couldn't really taste the marbling. My ribeye was better since it had some seasoning, but it still didn't match up to a real steakhouse steak. The mac n cheese and Yukon gold mash were tasty, though they were a bit cold, like they'd been sitting out for a while. For dessert, we had the chocolate sphere and cheesecake. If you’re after a show, the chocolate sphere is the way to go. It was also my husband's birthday celebration. Usually, on other cruises, they give you a separate cake for birthdays (we were celebrating my husband’s), but here they just brought out a plate with "happy birthday" written on it. It didn't feel as "special." Rudi’s Seagrill – It's $52 for adults and $15 for kids 11 and under. We started with tuna, blue mussels, oysters, and scallops. My husband thought the scallops were buried under too much mashed potato and there weren't enough scallops, but I enjoyed the mash, so it's really up to personal taste. The tuna and mussels were super fresh. The oysters had too much sauce, which kind of overpowered their natural flavor. For the main course, I went with the full 9 oz lobster, and my husband had a surf and turf. There's no extra charge for that, but you'll get half a lobster tail instead of a whole one, which the waiter said was about 5 oz. It was really good, and we were both pretty stuffed afterward. For dessert, we tried the apple cheesecake and key lime pie, and they were both pretty tasty. Seafood Shack – You'll find this spot in the Street Eats area, and they're open for both lunch and dinner. They offer an à la carte menu. It was pretty busy on our cruise, so we didn't get a chance to try it. The Chef’s table – They're open for dinner and you'll need to make a reservation. It's $124 per person. We didn't get a chance to try it on this cruise, but the menu is heavy, so make sure you arrive hungry! Donuts & Biegnets –This spot at Street Eats serves breakfast with an à la carte menu. All things Wings – This spot at Street Eats serves lunch with an à la carte menu. Empanada & Pie and Masala Tiger - Both spots are in Lido Market. They offer an a la carte menu for both lunch and dinner. Bonsai Sushi – This spot is right next to the Teppanyaki. They serve lunch and dinner with an a la carte menu and stay open late. Bonsai Teppanyaki - It's $49 per person, and it's right near Bonsai Sushi. You'll start with a set menu featuring four appetizers: teppanyaki white shrimp, pork belly yakitori, spicy tuna on the rocks, and your choice of miso soup or salad. For the main course, you pick one entrée—I think the combo options are the way to go since you get to try both a meat and a seafood dish. These come with fried rice and stir-fried veggies. To wrap it all up, you get a chocolate bento box with green tea ice cream for dessert. If you like a bit of a show with your meal and don't want to fuss over too many choices, this spot is perfect. Java Blue Café –This spot offers desserts, sandwiches, and coffee, all available a la carte. Tea Time in Atlantic Restaurant – On certain sea days, there's a tea time from 3-4pm where you can enjoy some specialty teas (the coconut one is awesome) and pastries. The App doesn’t list this as a “fee” event, and when you go, they just give you a tea box without a menu. You’ll find out later that there’s a charge for the tea bags. It feels a bit sneaky if you ask me. We managed to get the charge removed, but it’s a good idea to ask before picking your teas. The front desk mentioned there’s also a free tea event in the Lido Market, but it’s not listed anywhere on the App. Occasionally, they also have special dining events here. For example, on this cruise, they had a birthday breakfast ($15 for adults and $10 for kids) with a theme (this time it was Thing 1 & Thing 2).   In Conclusion We thoroughly enjoyed Carnival's diverse food options, high-quality shows, and the abundance of entertainment available around the ship. Seating is never a concern, as there are plenty of seats everywhere. The ice maker is consistently operational, ensuring a plentiful supply of ice, unlike the issues we've encountered with other cruise lines. However, we believe that the service, particularly the cleanliness of the ship, sanitation (no "washy-washy" staff at the port or in front of the lido), the warmth of the staff, and conveniences to enhance passengers' experiences (especially during embarkation and debarkation), do not yet match the standards of other cruises we've experienced. We hope to see improvements in these areas over time, but for now, we'll likely return to our preferred cruises that truly make us feel at home. #CiciCao #travel #Cruises #Carnival #traveltips #food

LOCATION: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Photo above is property of A/MAZE Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : Possessed 📅 DATE PLAYED : September 20, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Horror 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 Players) : 4/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : CAD $40/ pp (pending on group size) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes [28:00] 📖 THE STORY An old Victorian house has stood abandoned for decades after a series of gruesome deaths — suicides, unexplained fires, and whispers of rituals gone wrong. You and your team of paranormal investigators are sent to uncover the truth behind its curse. But once inside, the air thickens with dread, objects move on their own, and an unseen force begins to take hold of your thoughts. To survive, you must unravel the house’s dark secrets before something ancient and malevolent consumes your souls. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The room feels professionally built, with a large and thoughtfully designed space that gives a strong sense of exploration. Moving between areas feels natural and satisfying, and the layout adds depth to the overall experience. Props and set pieces are of high quality, with a realistic and authentic look that enhances the story’s believability. Everything from the furniture to the small decorative items feels chosen to reinforce the theme rather than just fill space. As the game progresses, the presence of the occult grows stronger — subtle hints give way to darker symbols, eerie lighting, and an unsettling atmosphere that builds steadily. The pacing of that shift makes the environment more and more immersive. The room strikes a good balance between exploration and focus. There aren’t piles of random items to sort through, but there’s enough material to make the world feel rich and lived in. It keeps you searching without feeling cluttered or chaotic. Special effects are present but light — they help establish tone without taking over. While subtle, they contribute to the eerie vibe rather than relying on cheap jump scares or loud surprises. The puzzles offer solid variety, including searching, logic, decoding, and decryption. There’s a good rhythm to how they appear, and they feel well integrated into the story rather than disconnected tasks. Many puzzles naturally encourage teamwork — some require multiple people to interact with objects simultaneously, while others simply flow better when the group communicates. It creates a nice sense of shared progress. While the narrative loses a bit of strength once the gameplay picks up, the ending still provides closure and wraps up the story in a satisfying way. It feels complete without dragging on. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Although the game offers both a “scary” and “non-scary” mode — which is a great concept — the scary version isn’t actually frightening at all; the tone is more eerie than terrifying. For players who enjoy the horror genre, this lack of intensity might feel like a missed opportunity. The environment sets the stage for horror but never truly leans into it. That said, for players who prefer atmosphere over fear, the lighter tone might actually be a relief and make the experience more enjoyable 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "Possessed " is a perfect gateway escape room for people looking to experience a light horror game with a strong aesthetic and an interesting selection of puzzles. The nonlinear puzzle format also offers an opportunity for larger teams to stay engaged throughout. ℹ️   ADDITIONAL INFO There is no parking available on site. There are some available spots on the surrounding residential streets. There are also good bus links to this location. There is a lobby area with comfortable seating and secure lockers for your belongings. 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 A/MAZE for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Horror #AMAZE #Montreal #Canada

LOCATION : Ponchatoula, Louisiana, USA Photo above is property of The Escape Warehouse Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : SHHH! 📅 DATE PLAYED : October 12, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Horror 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 90 Mins. 💰 PRICE : $34.99/ pp (Min. 2 ppl required) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY You and your friends have joined a haunted tour through the outskirts of New Orleans, where your next stop is an abandoned schoolhouse shrouded in mystery. Decades ago, thirteen children vanished within its walls, and their bodies were never found. The locals still whisper that the building is cursed—and tonight, you’ll find out why. What begins as a harmless ghost tour quickly turns into something much darker when you make contact with the spirit of one of the missing children. Guided by this ghostly companion, your group must piece together the truth behind the disappearances and uncover the tragic secrets that have kept the school’s halls haunted for generations 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE " Shhh! " nails the fundamentals of good escape room design. The puzzle flow is excellent—cohesive, logical, and rewarding throughout. Despite being a longer experience than many of Escape Warehouse’s other offerings, it never drags or overstays its welcome. The designers struck a perfect balance between variety and challenge, offering plenty of different puzzle types that push the story forward while keeping teams engaged from start to finish. The set design is also a standout feature. Every corner of this decrepit schoolhouse is packed with small, thoughtful details that make it feel authentic—aged furniture, weathered chalkboards, and eerie remnants of a long-forgotten classroom. Each new area feels distinct yet cohesive, and simply exploring each room becomes part of the fun. The designers clearly poured their passion into worldbuilding, and it shows in the level of polish across the entire experience. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK While the story is engaging, some of the exposition comes across as more “tell” than “show.” The delivery of key story moments—particularly through dialogue—feels slightly forced and unnatural at times, which briefly pulls players out of the immersion. These moments don’t ruin the experience by any means, but a little more subtlety in the storytelling could elevate the emotional connection even further. The other small drawback was the timekeeping mechanic. Because there’s no visible timer in the room, a child’s voice periodically provides updates every 15–20 minutes. While we appreciated the effort to integrate this diegetically, it occasionally interrupted puzzle-solving flow. A few times, our group paused mid-solve, thinking the update was story-related, only to realize it was just a time reminder. It’s a creative idea, but one that could use slight refinement to better blend with the gameplay pacing 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? " Shhh! " is pure, haunting fun. It’s atmospheric, spooky, and full of personality. Escape Warehouse leans hard into the horror theme—teasing players with promises of frights—and delivers on them effectively without going overboard. The fact that there’s no in-room game master yet the room still maintains tension and immersion speaks volumes about the quality of design and automation. The scares are well-timed, the tone consistent, and the story’s dark mystery remains compelling until the end. The puzzles fit naturally into the environment, making sense within the world of the schoolhouse. While not every puzzle contributes directly to the overarching narrative, each one reinforces the setting and keeps players engaged. A few moments caused unexpected reactions—like puzzles solving automatically or appearing solved before completion—but these were rare and didn’t detract much from the experience. The set design deserves special recognition once again. The use of verticality and light physical interaction makes this game stand out among U.S. escape rooms. It’s refreshing to see a design that doesn’t shy away from giving players a more dynamic space to move through and explore. One of the most exciting aspects of Escape Warehouse is their interconnected storytelling. Each of their games—while playable in any order—contributes to a larger universe of mysteries and lore. Shhh! deepens that world beautifully and showcases just how much this team continues to learn, innovate, and grow with every new creation. Escape Warehouse has proven itself as a studio with creativity, ambition, and a love for storytelling. Shhh! is a strong example of what indie escape room creators can achieve with imagination and care. It’s eerie, smart, and full of surprises—an experience that leaves players both unsettled and smiling. If this is any indication of where Escape Warehouse is heading next, the future looks incredibly bright… and maybe just a little bit haunted. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Photos above are property of The Escape Warehouse ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Game Specific Basic physicality is recommended as there are stairs and crawl spaces Venue Specific Free Parking next to venue (Follow signs to correct door) Lobby with plenty of space and drinks and merch for purchase Private lockers for supplies during games Located ~10mins off of highway 12 and 55 between Baton Rogue LA and New Orleans LA 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 Escape Warehouse  for providing a media discount on the tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #MikeSchnurr #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #TheEscapeWarehouse #Horror #Louisiana #USA

LOCATION: Glen Rock, New Jersey, USA Photo above is property of Escape Much Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The Lost Artifact 📅 DATE PLAYED : October 10, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : $36-40 PP (pending on the amt of ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY You are Ohio Smith, a daring archaeologist. A mysterious government agency contacts you about a stolen ancient ceremonial dagger from a Mayan Temple in the Amazon. Suspecting your rival, Pilote, you learn the artifact could have apocalyptic consequences if mishandled. The agent insists you recover the dagger at all costs. Despite suspecting the agent's hidden motives, your love for adventure prevails. Pilote's greed drives him to the highest Black Market bidder, so you gather a trusted team to track him. Amidst competing interests, you are certain of one thing: the relic belongs in a museum! Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Entering this room feels like stepping into an archaeologist professor's office, with a museum clearly visible right next door. The spaciousness makes you feel like there are numerous puzzles waiting to be solved.. The game balances the perfect amount of reading to offer context on Mayan culture and essential clues for finding the right solution, without overwhelming players with excessive reading. One of the puzzle we really enjoyed integrates information typical of a professor's study with elements from his daily life, creating a complex, multi-step challenge. The room utilizes various props in innovative ways to craft visual puzzles that captivate our attention throughout the game. Several hidden reveals emerge during the game, perfectly aligning with the theme as we aim to discover where the stolen items are concealed. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Several clues were drawn or stickered in different areas of the room. We believe these could be presented more aesthetically, enhancing their integration with the room's decor more. Additionally, one clue's visibility is compromised by its coloring. The placement of a clue might confuse players because it matches the shape of a nearby input. We recommend relocating it to a different spot. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? If you're a fan of Da Vinci Code-style cryptic puzzle-solving themed rooms, this challenge is perfect for you. You'll face some puzzles that are commonly found in other escape rooms, making it ideal for beginner escapees to learn the ropes. Additionally, there are a few multi-step puzzles that are very satisfying for enthusiasts to solve. Act quickly, as this game may change soon. If you want to experience this version, head to Escape Much now! ℹ️   ADDITIONAL INFO Lobby with seating Limited free parking spaces in front and on the side. There are metered parking spaces across the railway station as well. The intro videos for this location provide valuable hints about what you'll encounter in the room. You might appreciate these insights or feel they diminish the surprise element. However, if you view them as helpful hints for the game, you'll gain an advantage over other players. So, be sure to pay attention. 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 Much 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 #EscapeMuch #Adventure #NewJersey #USA