Disco 54 is one of the best escape rooms in Northern New Jersey/New York area. Here are our recommendations for other great escape rooms around Northern New Jersey and other great games around New York City.
Last Dance
Location: Staten Island, NY
Date Played: March 17, 2019
Team size: up to 11; we recommend 3-7
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $30 per player
Ticketing: Public
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
Disco 54 was all about atmosphere and fun. The look. The music. The theme. All of it.
Aesthetically, it looked and felt like a club, and it had a brilliant playlist underpinning it all.
Unreal Escape’s second game was significantly different from their first. It wasn’t as visually arresting as Battleship and it didn’t have the same volume of tech. Instead it felt more focused on gameplay.
That said, the party vibe of Disco 54 was occasionally distracting. There were moments when the dance floor and music called to us more than the gameplay did… which, honestly, was fine. We really enjoyed this dynamic.
Unreal is a bit of a hike to visit, but now that they are operating two games it’s an easier decision. For our taste, we preferred Disco 54, but if you’re visiting Unreal, you should play both. They both have something worth experiencing.
Who is this for?
- Groups looking to party
- Hustlers
- Scenery snobs
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- A unique story and set
- You can dance (don’t worry; it is never required)
- An unusual and authentic experience
- Great song selection
Story
The legendary Disco 54 was closing down due to a… disagreement with the IRS. While the owner may have been in debt, that didn’t stop him from stashing cash throughout the club. We went in for one last party and a heist.
Setting
Taking clear and heavy inspiration from Studio 54, Disco 54’s set was on point. From the dance floor, to the DJ booth, to the bar, to the VIP lounge, to all of the velvet, the escape game felt like a club.
All of this was elevated by a playlist that was as smart as it was fun.
Gameplay
Unreal Escapes’ Disco 54 was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty and the opportunity to dance.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, puzzling, observing, and making connections.
Analysis
➕ A disco club was one of the more interesting and unique settings that we’ve seen for an escape game. It was refreshing.
➕ The club felt right. It was immediately clear to us just how passionate its creators were about nailing the right vibe.
➕ The music was perfect.
➕ Our gamemaster asked us what volume we wanted the music set to. We could request to turn the volume up or down at any time. We were quite content with our selection of “medium.”
➕ Disco 54 flowed fairly well.
➖ There were some opportunities for stronger clue structure in a couple of puzzles.
➕ The open-ended goal of finding as much money as we could before escaping left plenty of reason for us to keep searching… we might find another way to earn more money.
➖ Not all parts of the set delivered the same scenic quality. The decisions made sense, but we felt when it lacked of grandeur.
➖ There was a missed opportunity that could have floored visitors.
➕/➖ There was some great use of tech within Disco 54. We wish that there had been better feedback and in-game notification of what we had accomplished. We had been instructed to “double check” things after we thought we solved something… and this was ok, but less than ideal.
➕ We really enjoyed taking a break from puzzling and dancing.
➕ Disco 54 would make a great venue for a party.
Tips For Visiting
- Unreal Escapes has a parking lot.
- There’s a lot of great Italian food on Staten Island.
- Unreal Escapes will reskin this escape room for bar and bat mitzvahs.
Book your hour with Unreal Escapes’ Disco 54, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Unreal Escapes comped our tickets for this game.
