Room Escape Artist

This company is closed.

It felt like an Apple Store and a padded room had a baby and named it Orwell.

Location: Murfreesboro, TN

Date Played: February 10, 2018

Team size: 2-7; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $28 per ticket

REA Reaction

The White Room fit the lesser-known “white room” escape game genre, but offered a warmer sentiment. It worked. EscapePoint designed a mechanic that messed with assumptions in a good way, though it needed some refinement for seamless gameplay. There was a lot of fun hiding within this minimalist environment.

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Dystopia fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Looks and plays unorthodoxly
• Playful take on dystopia

Story

In a dystopian future all forms of entertainment and expression had been outlawed and we had been arrested for these crimes. Our punishment was reprogramming in The White Room. We had to identify a way out and determine where we would be safe before the room reconditioned our minds.

Setting

The White Room was exactly as described: a stark white room. It was simple, yet imposing, and loaded with secrets.

Gameplay

The White Room felt like we were locked inside of a giant puzzle box filled with hidden compartments and interactions. While we’ve seen other “white room” escape games, this one had a unique play style that kept things feeling fresh.

Standouts

The white, sterile aesthetic. EscapePoint’s choice of flooring punctuated this look.

As we unlocked more of The White Room, the stark white world softened, opening more puzzles as well as bits of the narrative. The commitment to narrative set this white room apart from others that we’ve seen in the past.

The White Room required observation, beyond the boundaries of typical gameplay.

EscapePoint made smart use of technology to create a style of play that was fresh and unusual. This shift in gameplay changed how we approached the puzzling in The White Room. It also altered the flow of The White Room by teaching us to follow a pattern.

Shortcomings

There was an occasion where EscapePoint deviated from the game flow that they had established; they didn’t clue this shift.

While we liked the concept that tied everything together, the execution was choppy. The cluing was a little too ambiguous, and, in a strange twist, accidentally misleading for enthusiasts familiar with white-room escape rooms. We suggest the EscapePoint continue to refine the late-game gameplay.

One bit of tech needed extra cluing for us to interact with it, even though we had the right solution. This could also be overcome with a gamemaster override.

Tips for Visiting

• There is parking out front.
• We enjoyed the muffins (and other delicacies) at Mimi’s Cafe.

Book your hour with EscapePoint’s The White Room, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

The next Room Escape Conference is taking place in Nashville, TN from July 27-29, 2018. The conference organizers sponsored our trip to Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Franklin to play this game and others in the region. We strive to help conference attendees visit the room escapes that are best for them.