Room Escape Artist

Room 1408 (available in English)

Location:  Nice, France

Date Played: October 1, 2018

Team size: 3-5; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: 25-32 € per team person depending on team size

Ticketing: Private

REA Reaction

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Chambre 1408 was a slightly spooky escape room in a simple, elegant set. Blackout Room balanced puzzles with elevated intensity and provided some cinematic moments.

Chambre 1408 had an unusual approach to cluing that threw us off for the first few puzzles. Additionally, when we solved puzzles we frequently didn’t know what had triggered as a result of our success.

If you’re in Nice and your escape room preferences lean more heavily towards immersive set design, Chambre 1408 would be a solid escape room to visit. 

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
  
• Any experience level
  

Why play?

• Strong puzzle game
• Homey yet haunted
• Dramatic final scene

Story

We sought a room at The Dolphin Hotel. The man at the front desk had told us that the hotel was full except for room 1408, a cursed room where strange things happen and no one leaves alive. We really wanted a room, so we took it, of course.

Setting

Chambre 1408 looked like the living room of a large hotel suite. It had bulky (and comfortable) old-fashioned furniture and a generally creepy hotel vibe.

It was missing many of the items that one would expect from a hotel, most notably a bed or even a door to a bedroom. That nitpick aside, the set of Chambre 1408 was more immersively designed than the other escape rooms that we encountered in southern France.

Gameplay

Blackout Room’s Chambre 1408 was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, making connections, and puzzling.

Analysis

➕ The gamespace looked homey and inviting, in a haunted sort of way. It was quite spacious. The set looked pretty good and periodesque.

➖ Chambre 1408 took place in a hotel room, but the set lacked a few hotel essentials, like a bed. It felt more like a parlor.

➕ The puzzles varied. Chambre 1408 included both association solves and meatier puzzles. It worked well.

➖ Chambre 1408 didn’t fully clue the gameplay in the environment. It wasn’t immediately apparent – even to experienced players – what would be relevant in this escape room. As players, it took us a little while to understand the unusual clue structure of Chambre 1408.

➕ Chambre 1408 illuminated some fun puzzle sequences.

➖ We frequently didn’t know what a solve had unlocked. More feedback from the set – when puzzles solved and set pieces pop open – would dramatically improve the experience of Chambre 1408.

➕ The dramatic final scene upped the intensity of the experience. It added urgency and excitement.

Tips For Visiting

• Chambre 1408 is available in French, English, and Russian. There is one puzzle, however, that is only solvable if you understand French.
• If you have asthma, other breathing conditions, or scent allergies, talk to Blackout Room before booking Chambre 1408.

Book your hour with Blackout Room’s Chambre 1408, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Blackout Room comped our tickets for this game.