Time to Escape – Flashback [Review]

Totally rad Dragonlance collection!

Location:  Lakewood, CO

Date Played: September 8, 2019

Team size: 3-10; we recommend 4-6

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $25 per player

Ticketing: Public or Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Time to Escape’s Flashback was a traditional escape game in a large space.

The puzzles played well and the set was loaded with 80s charm. It was a solid old-school escape room.

There wasn’t much wrong with Flashback, but there also wasn’t anything truly memorable about it either. If you’re in the area and looking for an escape room fix, it’s a fine option.

Seeing where Time to Escape started and where they are heading, they are clearly on an upward trajectory. After peeking inside, I’d be curious to play their next game when it officially opens.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• 80s lovers
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Fun traditional escape room gameplay
• Totally rad references

Story

It was 1989 and someone had kidnapped the pioneer of time travel technology. We had to investigate her home and explore her work to find the secret of time travel.

Setting

Flashback was set in the main character’s 1980s teenage bedroom. From a construction standpoint, there wasn’t anything special going on. Where the environment’s design shined was in the details. The room had a lot of personality beyond the standard 80s cliches that most 80s rooms lean heavily on.

Gameplay

Time to Escape’s Flashback was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

➕ Flashback was adorable. We enjoyed the props that harkened back to the ’80s. It also had a great soundtrack; we danced our way through the puzzles.

➖ Flashback felt homemade. The set looked like a home, which wasn’t particularly interesting, and by the end even that look had kind of evaporated.

➕ Our favorite puzzles repurposed period appropriate games and toys into escape room-style solves. Time To Escape also leaned into some more niche 80s props, which was charming. These worked well.

➖ Time to Escape struggled with digit structure. At times, we’d derive a combination and try it in the wrong place because we had too many similarly structured inputs. This hampered momentum.

➕ We enjoyed the final puzzle sequence. It was an interesting, layered solve.

➖ Although it was fun, Flashback wasn’t exciting. It needed a memorable moment or a dramatic turn.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.

Book your hour with Time to Escape’s Flashback, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Time to Escape comped our tickets for this game.

Disclosure: Our trip to Denver was sponsored by the Denver escape room community. Contributions were anonymous.