Room Escape Artist

Tomb Explorer is one of the best escape rooms in Pittsburgh. Here are our recommendations for great escape rooms in Pittsburgh.

The Search for Isis

Location:  Pittsburgh, PA

Date Played: July 4, 2021

Team size: up to 8; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $32 per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

I’ve seen the inside of a lot of Egyptian tombs in my escape room career. I’ve seen overwhelmingly fancy Egyptian tombs… and I’ve seen Egyptian tombs that looked an awful lot like offices. I can best describe Escape Room Pittsburgh’s approach as dynamically minimalistic. It hit all of the right beats, and felt great without a ton of detailing.

From a gameplay standpoint, The Tomb was entertaining and engaging. It had strong Indiana Jones overtones, and a plot twist that we didn’t see coming and enjoyed wholeheartedly.

At times, we found ourselves frustrated with laggy technology, and some apparent ghost puzzles (we also found these in Escape Room Pittsburgh’s Carnegie’$ Million$). Those hiccups aside, The Tomb was thoroughly enjoyable, and well worth playing if you are in the Pittsburgh area.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Indiana Jones fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Fun interactions
• Expansive, themed set
• Plot twist

Story

Andrew Carnegie had funded a famed Egyptologist to search for the lost tomb of Isis. Their last messages suggested that they had made great progress, but no one had seen or heard from them since. We were sent to learn their fate and complete the work.

Setting

This was a compelling ancient Egyptian set without being overly ornate or detailed. With its cleaner design, it didn’t have any of the red herrings that detailed tomb depictions frequently manufacture. It was also consistently designed throughout the large space. Throughout the game we could feel the pop culture references that the creators were striving to represent.

Gameplay

Tomb Explorer relied on searching, puzzling, and building connections. It also included teamwork tasks.

Analysis

➕ The sprawling set was thematic, yet minimalist. It felt grand and Egyptian without distracting from the gameplay. Escape Room Pittsburgh used the space well. We rediscovered it from different perspectives as the game progressed.

➕ We loved stumbling upon a collaborative, interactive solve. Tomb Explorer included a number of excellent group solves that kept everyone engaged and the gameplay flowing.

➖ We encountered a bit of wear on the room and the props. This, combined with delays in the tech triggering, sometimes stalled the flow of the game.

➖ At times it felt like something was missing. Either we encountered ghost puzzles, or Escape Room Pittsburgh built some props that begged to be better utilized for the gameplay.

➕ At its best, Tomb Explorer made us feel like Indiana Jones.

➖ One process puzzle felt thematically out of place.

➕ The plot wasn’t a straight line.

➕ Escape Room Pittsburgh included the opulence we’d expect from an Egyptian pyramid, and revealed it such that we could appreciate its glory.

Tips For Visiting

• You can bring a beverage into your escape room. Every game at Escape Room Pittsburgh has a handy cup holder (large enough for multiple beverages) within the game.
• Parking: There is a small parking lot across the street with meters, and ample street parking around the area.
• Food: We enjoy unique burgers and awesome milkshakes at Burgatory nearby.

Book your hour with Escape Room Pittsburgh’s Tomb Explorer, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.