I was told there’d be smores.
Location: Georgetown, Texas
Date Played: February 1, 2019
Team size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4
Duration: 48 minutes
Price: $25 per player
Ticketing: Public
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
The Saloon placed traditional lock-and-key escape room puzzles in an unconventional set up.
Come for the puzzles, stay for the gamemastering. If you’re looking for straightforward puzzle-play, know that The Saloon is just as much about interacting with your in-character gamemaster as it is about solving puzzles. Embrace the interaction to get the most out of this escape room.
If you’re in Austin and you like puzzle-focused escape rooms, but want to see a twist on that standard, head over to Georgetown for The Saloon.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Players with at least some experience
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
- People looking for an experience that’s quirky and cute
Why play?
- The gamemastering
- The vibe
Story
While traveling along the Chisholm Trail, we had stopped in a local saloon for a drink. It turned out that we were visiting a dry county and the owner of the establishment had grown mighty lonely… so she had hired a local blacksmith to create a series of puzzles to ensnare patrons in the saloon and force them to keep her company.
Setting
The Saloon’s set was mostly wood, which gave it a unique look, even if nothing about the gamespace was particularly fancy. It was simple, effective, and on-theme without any bells or whistles.
Gameplay
Boomtown Escape Games’ The Saloon was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, puzzling, and interacting with the in-character gamemaster.
Analysis
➕ Our gamemaster was a character in our experience. She was phenomenal. Her energy made this experience more than just a collection of puzzles.
➕ We loved the unique story and set up for this escape room.
➕ The wooden saloon aesthetic worked well. The lock-focused gameplay made sense in the narrative. (Boomtown Escapes could replace the more modern locks with period-esque locks to sell the story.)
➖ Some of the puzzle components were too small for the scale of the gamespace. Better integration of the puzzle’s components into the props would have been an improvement over the many small sheets of paper that held much of the game’s content.
➕ The puzzles offered variety in type and difficulty. They were traditional in style, but still offered challenge.
➖ One challenging puzzle seemed unsolvable without requesting a hint or substantial time for trial and error. We burned a lot of time before realizing that we didn’t have enough information.
➖ The gameplay was level. The Saloon lacked a big reveal or otherwise memorable team moment.
➕ The saloon owner was just a bit sneaky. We liked this about her. She made us think a little differently, in terms of escape room gameplay.
➕ Boomtown Escape Games had some lobby mini escape games that were delightful. We played The Loot and truly enjoyed it.
Tips For Visiting
- There is street metered parking.
- Boomtown Escape Games offers portable / lobby games. We enjoyed The Loot, a 15-minute add-on experience.
- Embrace the in-character gamemastering to get the most out of your experience.
Book your hour with Boomtown Escape Games’ The Saloon, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Boomtown Escape Games comped our tickets for this game.
