15 things to know before playing a room escape
Checkout our Amazon store for all sorts fun.
Ubisoft Blue Byte – Escape the Lost Pyramid [VR Review]
Climbing Simulator.
Location: Breda, The Netherlands (on the Up the Game show floor, available for license by escape rooms & VR arcades)
Date Played: May 8, 2018
Team size: 2-4; we recommend 2 or 4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ticketing: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
REA Reaction
A major video game publisher created a VR escape room:
Set in the world of Assassin’s Creed Origins, Escape the Lost Pyramid placed us at the base of a beautifully rendered ancient Egyptian pyramid where we puzzled and climbed our way to the top… along the way convincing me that I could comfortably do pull-ups.
Ubisoft Blue Byte demonstrated thoughtful escape game design by creating a collection of collaborative puzzles that could not work in the real world. Their stated intention is to continue to create virtual escape games set in their own intellectual property, for license by escape room facilities and VR arcades.
I hope that this concept takes off. I encourage escape room players to play Escape the Lost Pyramid if you are anywhere near a facility that acquires the game.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Any experience level (with VR, escape rooms, or Assassin’s Creed)
Why play?
- Fantastic collaborative puzzles
- Beautiful graphics
- Massive set pieces
- Puzzles that aren’t possible in a real life escape room
Story
Set in the ancient Egyptian world of Assassin’s Creed Origins, we began at the base of a pyramid and had to work our way up to the top to earn the artifact that we sought.
Setup
Played on an Oculus Rift and wired into a PC, our gameplay area was 7 square feet with a recommended play area of 10 square feet. The controls were straightforward; we could grab/ hold items as well as teleport using one button on either controller. We wore headphones with microphones so that we could hear both the game world as well as one another.
Gameplay
Ubisoft Blue Byte’s Escape the Lost Pyramid was a virtual escape room. Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and puzzling.
Escape the Lost Pyramid had us puzzling and climbing our way through a pyramid. Most of the puzzles required collaboration with another player. Video gamers will recognize the concept of navigational puzzles as current mainstays of the adventure puzzle genre. Traditional escape room players might struggle to recognize the pathfinding challenges as puzzles… but I assure you, they are.
Analysis
Let’s start with the elephant in the room: Ubisoft decided to make an escape room and created a puzzle tower-climbing game. Gamers will know that tower climbing has become an Ubisoft cliche over the past decade. Ubisoft gets a lot of grief for this…
and has even made fun of themselves for it…
When I first heard that Ubisoft had made a virtual escape room, I unknowingly and sarcastically suggested to a friend that “it’s probably a tower climbing puzzle.” When I say that this concept really worked, I do so knowingly.
+ Escape the Lost Pyramid worked because Ubisoft Blue Byte presented a series of challenges that a real life escape room could not create. They used fire, projectiles, and a ton of climbing. There was only one puzzle that could be completely recreated in a real life escape room.
+ Ubisoft Blue Byte made great use of verticality. The vertical scale of Escape the Lost Pyramid was imposing. It was brilliant, once again, because this sort of grandeur isn’t possible in real life gaming.
+ Escape the Lost Pyramid leaned heavily on immersive adventure. The puzzles were in trying to maneuver our avatars through the virtual space. It was less puzzley in a traditional escape room sense. This format, however, played towards the strengths of a virtual space.
+ The challenges required teamwork. We enjoyed figuring out how to work together, from different spaces in the VR, using the tools each had at our disposal. It was exhilarating.
+ When we shot arrows in VR, it felt like we were shooting arrows.
? I didn’t get a lot of Assassins Creed out of Escape the Lost Pyramid. There were whiffs of the mythology in the briefing and conclusion, but it was more environmental. I didn’t see this as an issue. In fact, I felt that it made the game more approachable for those unfamiliar with the series. If you’re looking for a lost chapter of Assassins Creed Origins, however, you won’t really find it here.
– We did a lot of climbing. Climbing was initially deceptive. With each motion, it felt like moving the world rather than moving my own body. This took some getting used to. Climbing was also too easy, as it didn’t have any weight resistance. This was weirdly off-putting. And thus, we might as well have been moving the whole world.
– Escape the Lost Pyramid was missing a culminating puzzle or a finale scene.
+ The vertical movement didn’t cause motion sickness. Even Lisa – who is generally motion sick in all VR – was happily moving up and down.
? While motion sickness wasn’t an issue, vertigo or a fear of heights could be a factor.
– The VR equipment was a small obstacle, especially the wire. We’d constantly step on it, or get tangled in it. To compensate for the small physical space in which we maneuvered, we needed to teleport a lot, even across small distances. This wasn’t initially intuitive and took some getting used to. We did, however, get used to it.
+ Players could select an avatar and make small aesthetic customizations with hats, masks, and other props. While I couldn’t see my own avatar in-game, I spent a lot of time looking at my teammate’s avatar.
+ Overall, the equipment was easy to use, comfortable to wear, and worked well. The controls made sense.
+ The world of Escape the Lost Pyramid was beautiful and detailed.
Finally, Escape The Lost Pyramid is a licensable game that will only be available through escape room and VR arcades. Ubisoft Blue Byte intends to release new virtual escape games set in other Ubisoft worlds. If this is their starting place, I’m eager to see what they build next.
Tips for Playing
- If you have a fear of heights or are prone to vertigo, this may not be the game for you.
- You may have slight motion sickness early on. Lisa almost always gets motion sick in VR, but she was mostly comfortable in Escape the Lost Pyramid.
Connect with Ubisoft Blue Byte to license the Escape the Lost Pyramid, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Ubisoft Blue Byte offered free play-throughs of this game on the show floor at Up the Game.
Escape Room Live Georgetown – Titanic [Review]
“Draw me like one of your french girls.” -Rose
Location: Washington, DC
Date Played: April 21, 2018
Team size: 2-10; we recommend 2-5
Duration: 45 minutes
Price: $28 per ticket
Ticketing: Public
REA Reaction
Titanic was a puzzle-focused escape room for newer puzzlers ready to set sail. The themed challenges were a lot of fun. Titanic combined lock-based gameplay with tech-driven interactions. With the addition of more in-game feedback, Titanic could flow more smoothly and feel more immersive.
If you’re a less experienced player looking for an interesting puzzle game, this is a great place to dive in.
If you’re more experienced, this a value judgement. Know that you’ll move quickly through this 45-minute experience, but there are some cool puzzles to grapple with.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Best for players with little to moderate experience
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- Interesting puzzles
- The chaise longue
- The Escape Room Live lobby & bar
Story
In our stateroom aboard the Titanic II, the unthinkable happened: We hit an iceberg. (No one could have seen that coming). We needed to escape our room and find our way to the deck of the ship in time to board a lifeboat, or…
Setting
Our spacious stateroom was sparsely furnished with a few lovely antiques, some wall decorations, and a porthole with an iceberg view.
Aside from being a touch too spartan and a little worn, the setting conveyed Titanic-style luxury well.
Gameplay
Escape Room Live Georgetown’s Titanic was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around observing and puzzling.
Analysis
+ Titanic delivered fun, tangible puzzles. We particularly enjoyed a deduction puzzle.
+ We enjoyed the nautically themed props and their use as puzzle components.
+ David especially enjoyed sprawling on the the chaise longue and making jokes.
– Although we appreciated the theming, we would have liked to internalize more story – of the space, our characters, or the impending disaster – as we progressed toward deck.
+/- There wasn’t a lot to find. On the one hand, we weren’t bogged down by searching through red herrings. On the other hand, the space felt a bit empty. It lacked depth.
– A few of the puzzles lacked feedback. In one instance, when we couldn’t tell if we were striking the right chord, we assumed the puzzle was out of play or broken. It was working, but it gave no indication of that.
– Later in our play through, we solved a puzzle out of sequence, before receiving the appropriate cluing. The resulting interaction opened, but was not in play. Since we’d been conditioned earlier to proceed with puzzles even without feedback, we continued to hack at this interaction until our gamemaster noticed and nudged us back toward another unsolved puzzle.
+/- We are glad we couldn’t advance out of sequence because we would have missed a substantial portion of the game and some of the best puzzles. We wish the gamemaster didn’t have to step in to redirect us.
+ The exit door was nifty.
+ Escape Room Live’s lobby and bar area is gorgeous; it’s a lovely place to hangout. I don’t normally get excited for lobbies, but this one is special.
Tips for Visiting
- There is a parking garage few blocks down at M and Wisconsin. Street parking is a challenge in this neighborhood.
- There are lots of restaurant options in Georgetown.
- For baked goods, we recommend Baked & Wired. Be prepared to stand in line on the weekend.
Book your hour with Escape Room Live Georgetown’s Titanic, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Escape Room Live provided media discounted tickets for this game.
Common Summer Activities [Escape Room Meme]
Welcome to summer!
Snickers – Intense Flavors Hunger Bunker [Reaction]
Chocopocalypse
Location: New York City
Date Played: June 19, 2018
Team size: 2-10; we recommend 3-4
Duration: 10 minutes of gameplay + post-game snacking & mingling
Price: Free for one day only (June 19, 2018)
Ticketing: Public
What’s Going On?
Snickers created a popup escape room with public relations firm Weber Shandwick to mark the launch of three new “intense flavors”:
- Fiery (pepper)
- Salty & Sweet (salt & caramel)
- Espresso (speaks for itself)
The Intense Flavors Hunger Bunker was a free 10-minute escape room themed around an unexplained apocalyptic scenario. Our crew of survivors had secured ourselves in a bunker that was well supplied with the new Snickers bars.
The Snickers Intense Flavors Hunger Bunker was open for 9 hours yesterday and will never return again. If you didn’t play it yesterday, you won’t be able to play it.
Structure
Upon arrival, I walked into a large warehouse that had a few tasting stations, the entrance to the game, and a big, well-lit post-game photo area. Decked out in white jump suits, the game staff looked like Oompa Loompas who were getting ready to “accidentally” shrink Mike TV. This was charming and affordable costuming.
Once the game began, we were led through three challenges by an actor in a video. Each puzzle took us through another aspect of survival in the bunker. Each puzzle included a search and puzzle component. (The searching was frequently finding the instructions.)
The mid-game challenge was a fairly straightforward group decision-making game where we had to use an Android tablet to make a series of choices about how to run our lives in the bunker. Each decision we made added some resources and burned others. We simply had to keep our resources above the critical level to survive.
REA Reaction
Intense Flavors Hunger Bunker was a solid 10 minutes of gameplay. The premise was simple, but effective. The puzzles weren’t mind-bending, but each had a distinctive challenge, and was rooted in the narrative. It didn’t drag, even though we were a large group. I would have loved it if the puzzles had required a little less rigid instruction delivery.
The Snickers Intense Flavors Hunger Bunker delivered a brief yet worthy experience. It wasn’t tuned for puzzlers; it was more for experience-oriented, Snickers-curious New Yorkers.
Finally, the post-game photo setup was fantastic. It was escape room-y with cute signs, great staging and even better lighting. Many permanent escape room facilities could learn from this. The post game photo is a promotional and Instagramable takeaway. If it looks great, then it functions as inexpensive marketing.
It was also a shame that this one wasn’t running a bit longer. The Snickers apocalypse was no joke… There really was no tomorrow.
Escape Room Live Georgetown – The Mummy [Review]
Mummy may I?
Location: Washington, DC
Date Played: April 21, 2018
Team size: 2-10; we recommend 2-5
Duration: 45 minutes
Price: $28 per ticket
Ticketing: Public
REA Reaction
The Mummy was about adventure over puzzles. The large-scale, interactive set pieces were exciting to manipulate. While some of the props and interactions were a touch too temperamental, the escape room delivered well-timed cinematic and memorable moments.
If you’re a new player in the area, try this one out.
If you’re more experienced, this a value judgment. Know that you’ll move quickly through this 45-minute experience.
If you’re in Georgetown looking for a good adventure, checkout The Mummy.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Scenery snobs
- Any experience level
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- Beautiful set pieces
- Exciting, set-based interactions
- Cinematic moments
- The Escape Room Live lobby & bar
Story
As archeologists, we were exploring an ancient Egyptian tomb when the main doors sealed shut. We needed to escape because… Egyptian curses aren’t favorable.
Setting
The set felt small; there wasn’t a ton of room to walk around. (Note for the claustrophobic folks: It’s not that small.)
The props felt enormous. The Egyptians had carved life-sized – and larger – stone depictions of their gods to guard this ancient burial place.
The floor was covered in real sand and the entire set was a bit sandy.
Gameplay
Escape Room Live Georgetown’s The Mummy was a standard escape room with a compelling set.
Core gameplay revolved around observing and determining interactions.
Analysis
+ The set had scale. The space may have been smaller, but the props and scenery felt immense.
+ The Mummy was an adventure. We interacted with it and it reacted to us.
– While we weren’t a rough group, our gamemaster repeatedly told us not to touch or investigate the set pieces with our hands or other in-game props. The continual admonishment diminished the fun of exploration. More player-proofing would go a long way; we felt like we needed permission to play.
– We found one search puzzle more frustrating than fun, especially given the small search tool and the admonishment for certain types of set exploration.
+ We loved one particularly larger-than-life set piece’s reaction. It engaged and impressed the entire team.
– The Mummy looked worn and not in a ruins kind of way. Escape rooms with sand wear more quickly than most and need additional maintenance.
+ The initial room setup subtly clued late-game gameplay. This small detail probably makes a big difference for many teams. It was thoughtfully designed.
– One prop fit exactly into a place where it didn’t belong. We ultimately used it for a completely different purpose where size and shape meant nothing. This was confusing, unsatisfying, and avoidable.
– The gameplay relied on a run book: a journal contained a good portion of the clue structure. While the run book made some sense narratively, in an escape room with a visually interesting set, it was disappointing to have my nose in a book.
+ The opening and closing puzzles were cinematic. Escape Room Live Georgetown designed the puzzle flow around memorable moments. It worked. The final puzzle was a great choice.
Tips for Visiting
- There is a parking garage few blocks down at M and Wisconsin. Street parking is a challenge in this neighborhood.
- There are lots of restaurant options in Georgetown.
- For baked goods, we recommend Baked & Wired. Be prepared to stand in line on the weekend.
- The floor is covered in sand. We recommend closed-toe shoes.
- Note that this is a 45-minute game. If you are experienced player, it will move quickly and feel short.
Book your hour with Escape Room Live Georgetown’s The Mummy, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Escape Room Live provided media discounted tickets for this game.
Brainstorm Escape Games – Black & White [Review]
Black and white and gray.
Location: Norcross, GA
Date Played: March 23, 2018
Team size: up to 10; we recommend 3-5
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $28 per ticket
Ticketing: Public
REA Reaction
Black & White was a neat concept. It didn’t need the extra hype of the storyline, which it didn’t deliver on. There were some good puzzle, but one was nonsensical and essentially broken.
If Brainstorm Escape Games cleaned up the nonsense, and dropped the over-the-top story that didn’t exist beyond the setup, this one could be worth a visit.
Who is this for?
- Any experience level
Why play?
- Some good puzzles
- The look of the space
Story
We were sucked into an old black and white TV program. If we couldn’t escape before the end of the show, we’d never see color again.
Setting
Black & White was a giant checker board. The set and props were boldly painted to conform to this aesthetic. It was a cool aesthetic.
Upon closer inspection, a lot of the props looked like they could benefit from some refinement.
While everything was black and white, nothing else about the set gave us the sense that we were trapped in an old television show.
Gameplay
Brainstorm Escape Games’ Black & White was a standard escape room with a tough onramp that gave way to a generally low-difficulty game.
Core gameplay revolved around observing and puzzling.
Analysis
+ When our teammates heard the setup for this game, everyone wanted to play it. We were running ahead of schedule and we just couldn’t say no.
– The opening puzzle was staggeringly obtuse. It was needlessly difficult to get started, due to lack of in-room cluing and abundant ambiguity. This was the kind of puzzle that teaches new players to just guess at things in escape rooms.
– Much of the gameplay came from laminated sheets of paper rather than the interesting environment. This felt like a missed opportunity.
+ Black & White put a brilliant twist on a time-tested escape room standard puzzle.
– There was a frustrating search mechanic: a small tool, a large space, and no direction.
+ Black & White came round to a satisfying final solve. It tied back to the opening, albeit abstractly, and worked well.
– The mid-century TV story felt bolted on. While the black and white aesthetic was cool, it didn’t feel like a period television set. That plot had no obvious correlation to the puzzles. The plot could have just as easily not existed, and the escape room might have been better for it. We didn’t need to make sense of that wacky black and white world, we simply puzzled in it.
Tips for Visiting
- Parking: There is parking out front.
Book your hour with Brainstorm Escape Games’ Black & White, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Brainstorm Escape Games provided media discounted tickets for this game.
July 9: Everything Immersive NYC Meetup
Next month, together with No Proscenium, we are co-hosting the second Everything Immersive NYC Meetup.
Escape rooms are one form of immersive entertainment. This umbrella also includes immersive theatre, VR/ AR, LARP, site-specific pieces, experiential art & tech, and so many other creations. We encourage you to join us in exploring these other works.
Details
When: Monday, July 9 at 6:30 PM
Where: Somewhere in Greenwich Village (tbd)
RSVP: Please RSVP on Facebook
Who Attends
This event is for those interested in, passionate about, or working within immersive arts & entertainment in New York City. We’re calling all creators, storytellers, directors, engineers, artists, designers, writers, performers, event planners, producers, and more.
If you want to meet other passionate souls and exchange ideas about the future of entertainment and storytelling, join us.
We look forward to seeing you there. Please find us and introduce yourself!
Nashville, Tennessee: Room Escape Recommendations
Are you traveling to Nashville, TN for a concert, bachelorette party, or other festivities?
In preparation for the escape room conference in Nashville July 27-29, 2018, we took a trip down to Music City and explored its booming escape room scene.
You can play some great games in downtown Nashville. If you have (or can rent) a car, we also recommend you drive 30 minutes south to Franklin, TN and 40 minutes southeast to Murfreesboro, TN. These recommendations cover Nashville, Franklin, and Murfreesboro together, which collectively make one fine escape room market.
Here are our escape room recommendations near Nashville, TN to help you choose the games you’ll enjoy most.
Market standouts
- The Blind Pig, Murfreesboro Escape Rooms
- Gold Rush, The Escape Game (or just about anything at The Escape Game)
- Pharaoh’s Chamber, 60 Minute Escape
- Treasure of Pacari, LiveMinds Adventure Escape
- The White Room, EscapePoint
Set & scenery-driven adventures
- The Blind Pig, Murfreesboro Escape Rooms
- Mission Mars, The Escape Game
- Pharaoh’s Chamber, 60 Minute Escape
- Treasure of Pacari, LiveMinds Adventure Escape
Puzzle-centric
- The Blind Pig, Murfreesboro Escape Rooms
- Gold Rush, The Escape Game
- Mayday Adventure, Escape Plan Nashville (Mobile)
- Mission Mars, The Escape Game
- Movie Theater, Locked: Escape Game Murfreesboro
- Pharaoh’s Chamber, 60 Minute Escape
- Vaccine, Escape Experience Nashville
- The White Room, EscapePoint
Newbie-friendly
- Antidote, Locked: Escape Game Franklin
- Mad Scientist, Extreme Escape Game
- Mayday Adventure, Escape Plan Nashville (Mobile)
- Movie Theater, Locked: Escape Game Murfreesboro
- The entire suite of games at The Escape Game
Games with actors
You are always welcome to contact us if this recommendation list doesn’t answer your specific questions.
PanIQ Room – Primal Quest [Review]
Grunt loudly and carry a bigger stick.
Location: Washington, DC
Date Played: April 22, 2018
Team size: 2-6; we recommend 3-5
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: ranging from $24 – $36 per ticket depending on weekday/weekend and team size
Ticketing: Private
REA Reaction
Primal Quest was our first prehistoric escape room. It was a puzzle-focused game with enjoyable puzzles, set against a fun theme. The setting and the gameplay felt split from one another, as the set was prehistoric and the puzzles were modern. Pulling the puzzles and environment into a more cohesive unit could make this interesting game great.
If you’re in the neighborhood, it a fun playthrough.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Any experience level
Why play?
- Interesting puzzles
- Some good moments
Story
We were hostages of cannibal cavemen. Before they returned from hunting, we needed to escape or we’d be the meal in our last supper.
Setting
The cave was dimly lit and dusty. PanIQ Room had treated the walls to give them a more cave-like vibe. Some rooms had been heavily augmented to create a cave feel while others remained fairly modern. The cave was decorated primarily with animal hides, bones, and a glowing fire pit.
Gameplay
PanIQ Room’s Primal Quest was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, and puzzling.
Analysis
+/- Primal Quest was our first prehistoric escape room. It was thoughtfully but unevenly themed in terms of set decor and props. Some portions of the game felt like they had received a lot of attention, while others strongly resembled the office building that housed the game.
– Some of the decor needed maintenance; it looked worn.
– A few modern details remained exposed. The escape room would have been better had these details had been hidden away.
– The set was dusty. After crawling through one low doorway, our pants were covered in grit. Especially considering PanIQ Room’s location in Georgetown, we recommend a cave aesthetic that looks and feels dirty without the actual dirt.
+ Primal Quest started off in a limited space with only a few challenges available. This offered an on-ramp for newer players.
+ Primal Quest escalated in difficulty and intrigue.
+ Primal Quest contained interesting, satisfying puzzles of varied types. We generally knew how to approach them, but to solve them, we had to think a little differently than we had upon initial glance. The puzzles resolved cleanly.
– The puzzles were escape room-y and generally felt modern, even though we were in a prehistoric setting. This created a schism between the setting and the gameplay.
– One heavy prop may stall a team of younger or smaller people for substantial time on a puzzle where hints won’t be any help.
+ We particularly enjoyed the late-game puzzle embedded in an early set piece.
Tips for Visiting
- There is a parking garage few blocks down at M and Wisconsin. Street parking is a challenge in this neighborhood.
- There are lots of restaurant options in Georgetown.
- For baked goods, we recommend Baked & Wired. Be prepared to stand in line on the weekend.
- This cave is dusty.
- At least 2 players will need to crawl or otherwise get through a low doorway.
Book your hour with PanIQ Room’s Primal Quest and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: PanIQ Room comped our tickets for this game.
Escape This Podcast – We kicked cultist butt on the Season 2 Finale
We’ve been big fans of Escape This Podcast since it launched last year… and we finally got to play!
What’s Escape This Podcast?
Creators Dani & Bill have merged escape rooms with Dungeons & Dragons-like roleplaying (without the dice rolls) and recorded it in podcast form.
Dani writes and “dungeon masters” the episodes.
Bill plays along with the guests.
You’re free to play along at home (and scream at the players) or simply listen to the episode’s guest(s) play.
Season 2
Escape This Podcast’s second season told one big story with 10 self-contained episodes.
To quickly summarize the plot:
A mysterious puzzle-obsessed cult had gassed an entire town, making everyone apathetic so that they could implement their evil master plan. A few people had been unaffected by the gas and have been trying to stop the cult.
We joined up with Bill to finish the job.
Our Episode
You can listen our episode now.
Lisa drew quite the map with our favorite FriXion pens throughout our gameplay. If you seriously inspect it, it’s spoilery… You’ve been warned.
Spoiler - Map
This is filled with spoilers; it just might take a lot of interpretation.
[collapse]
We had a ton of fun and a lot of laughs. We are even more impressed with Escape This Podcast after having played it. Dani is brilliant and devious… which is one of the highest compliments I give.
I hope that you have as much fun listening to our episode as we had recording it.