Simple and elegant solutions.
Location: Los Angeles, California
Date played: June 2, 2017
Team size: 2-6; we recommend 3-4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $38 per ticket for 2 players, $32 per ticket for 3-6 players
Story & setting
We had arrived at Occam’s Apartment to investigate the resident’s suicide… but it was a set up by the Evil Genius. Now we needed to escape with the evidence before the police caught us at a crime scene.
Occam’s Apartment was a typical gritty bachelor pad. It was dimly lit, with old mismatched furniture, and appliances that had seen better days.
Puzzles
Evil Genius Escape Rooms designed puzzles that utilized the bachelor pad and its contents. Occam’s Apartment rewarded keen observation.
The puzzling wasn’t particularly in depth or labor intensive. It was mostly about making connections and many of these were seriously satisfying.
Standouts
In Occam’s Apartment, Evil Genius Escape Rooms introduced us to their title character, and through him, added drama and a twist on what had seemed like a straightforward mission. Additionally, our hints arrived in character, supporting the narrative and keeping us engaged in an exciting and cohesive story.
There were a few particularly clever puzzles that made use of the space in simple but satisfying ways.
Evil Genius Escape Rooms designed the late game to instill a sense of urgency, even in players who are far ahead of the 60-minute game clock. This added to the drama of the narrative.
For players who booked Evil Genius Chapter 1 & 2 back-to-back, the final moments of Occam’s Apartment were pretty great.
Shortcomings
Occam’s Apartment wasn’t a particularly exciting setting. While it made sense in the story, it was still a dim, gritty room with a couch and a table, which didn’t entice exploration.
Although we enjoyed a few clever puzzles, Occam’s Apartment didn’t deliver any show-stopping, jaw-dropping, memorable moments.
Should I play Evil Genius Escape Rooms’s Chapter 1: Occam’s Apartment?
Occam’s Apartment was an incredibly clean execution of a basic escape room.
It relied on a simple set, typical puzzle styles, and analog technology.
With these basics in place, however, Evil Genius Escape Rooms created an exciting and cohesive narrative that permeated the entire game. Their title character added a plot twist and the additional drama needed to sell the simple escape room. It worked.
We recommend Occam’s Apartment to both newer and experienced players alike. It’s a beautiful execution of the building blocks of escape room design.
Furthermore, we were in for a fun surprise when we escaped Occam’s Apartment… Because we had booked it back-to-back with Evil Genius Escape Rooms’s Chapter 2: Norcross Art Gallery.
Book your hour with Evil Genius Escape Room’s Chapter 1: Occam’s Apartment, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Full disclosure: Evil Genius Escape Rooms comped our tickets for this game.
