Gold digger?
Location: Peterborough, Ontario
Date Played: May 26, 2019
Team size: 2-8; we recommend 4-5
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $28.00 CAD per player
Ticketing: Private
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
Escape Maze’s world was set in a late 1800s, post-gold rush Canada. The company is on a farm and the games were built within a beautiful old barn.
The Curious Case of Cariboo Cameron was traditional, low-tech escape room gaming done right. Escape Maze knows their aesthetic and thoroughly sticks to it. Their puzzles ranged in difficulty and were generally well executed.
Additionally, Escape Maze mines stories from Canada’s history for their games. That was great fun.
If I was going to ask for anything more, it would be a greater variety of interactions and deeper story integration.
If you love puzzling in charming environments, Escape Maze would be well worth a drive out into the Ontario countryside.
Who is this for?
- Scenery snobs
- Puzzle lovers
- Players with at least some experience
Why play?
- The Escape Maze farm is incredible
- Escape Maze’s 19th century aesthetic
- Traditional escape room gaming executed really well
Story
Cariboo Cameron loved two things in life: gold and his wife. When his wife passed away, he continued traveling with her coffin. When Cameron entered customs in New York, his wife’s coffin curiously weighed in at 400 pounds.
This begged the question, what was in the coffin? We had to find out.
Setting
Escape Maze was built inside of an old barn on a sprawling, active farm. It was a gorgeous place.
The Curious Case of Cariboo Cameron, along with everything at Escape Maze, was set in the late 1800s. The gamespace was a log cabin with a very large, very heavy coffin in the middle of it.
Gameplay
Escape Maze’s The Curious Case of Cariboo Cameron was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, puzzling, observing, and making connections.
Analysis
➕ The farm and barn were beautiful. I wish that I had had a little more time to spend just taking it all in.
➕ Escape Maze had an all-around fantastic and unique aesthetic. This was a low-tech escape game accentuated by details and aesthetics.
➕/➖ There were a lot of great challenges in this puzzle-focused game. At the same time, however, it felt a little one-note. For the most part, we solved puzzles that opened locks.
➕ There was a simple, no-tech puzzle that I loved. It was one of those moments where I stopped everyone to show the team how a puzzle solved.
➖ One puzzle was totally solvable, but we found how to approach it ambiguous. We collectively spent a ton of time getting the lay of the land on this puzzle and I don’t think it was worth it.
➕ The story was loosely woven into the game, but it was unique and amusing.
❓ Basically everything at Escape Maze was set in the late 1800s including the bathrooms outhouses. I thought that this was delightful… your opinion might vary.
Tips For Visiting
- While traveling to Escape Maze, you might think, “there’s no way that there is an escape room out here.” When you think that, just keep driving.
- Parking: Escape Maze has a parking lot.
- Accessibility: The game doesn’t really have limitations, but it is set on a farm and getting around that space might prove difficult for those with mobility restrictions.
Book your hour with Escape Maze’s The Curious Case of Cariboo Cameron, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Escape Maze comped our tickets for this game.
