REA in The Game Museum with the Solution
Location: Metairie, Louisiana
Date Played: July 14, 2019
Team size: up to 8; we recommend 3-4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $28 per player
Ticketing: Private
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
Clue Carré has three locations around New Orleans. The Game Museum was the only game we played at the Metairie location. We chose it based on the recommendations of many well-traveled escape room players.
There’s a lot of love in The Game Museum. It combines two approachable themes – tabletop games and museum – and it’s satisfying to solve puzzles around recognizable, nostalgia-inducing props. Furthermore, it was brightly colored and inviting.
Although there is opportunity for Clue Carré to level up the scale and prop quality in this game, giving it a more polished look, the gameplay flowed well and the solves were fun.
While our favorite Clue Carré games are still French Quarter House of Curiosities at their New Orleans location, as well as Bookie and Alien Encounter inside the Surge Trampoline Park, if you like your escape rooms puzzle-focused and have time to visit Metairie, we thoroughly enjoyed playing The Game Museum; it wasn’t fancy, but it was fun.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Tabletop & video gamers
- Any experience level
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- A fun collection of game-inspired puzzles
- Some clever nostalgic interactions
Story
We entered The Game Museum and had one hour to play through the history of gaming.
Setting
The Game Museum was set in a bright, office-like space with windows letting in natural light. The space had museum exhibits along the walls – each about a popular game throughout history – and a table in the middle of the room.
Gameplay
Clue Carré’s The Game Museum was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and puzzling.
Analysis
➕ We enjoyed how Clue Carré built puzzles around familiar tabletop games. This gave each puzzle an added level of excitement. First it was “Hey, it’s dominos!” and then we reached the “Hey, I’ve solved a thing!” moment.
➕/➖ We encountered a nifty communication puzzle where one teammate could look upon the room in a different way. While we enjoyed the concept, the necessary gear made the transition clunky between folks who wanted to share the experience.
➕ Clue Carré’s homage to the point & click adventure game genre was delightful.
➖ There was an opportunity to level up the puzzle components in this game. Along with the game pieces, we encountered laminated paper and some messy modification. Some of these puzzles would have felt more grand if they were built at a larger, escape room-y scale with entirely tangible elements.
➕ The Game Museum was bright and vibrant. Few escape rooms have windows. Light streamed in and illuminated the colorful props. The space felt joyous.
Tips For Visiting
- This game is located at Clue Carré’s Metairie location.
- There is a small parking lot.
Book your hour with Clue Carré’s The Game Museum, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Clue Carré comped our tickets for this game.
The first time we played the game museum we didn’t even make it to the second room. We got stuck on a lock that you had to press down on to put the key in and unlock. I thought that was kind of unfair. Really just because of the way the lock was placed it was *really* hard to push down. And we’ve never had to push down on a lock to unlock it.
So. We went back for a 2nd try and finished with 10 minutes to spare. We were determined to get through that room. Lol.
I thought the room was alot of fun!
I’m glad to hear you had fun in the end! And that’s great feedback about unintuitive locks. They are problematic in escape rooms, for sure.