The Search for Leviathan is one of the best escape rooms in Pittsburgh. Here are our recommendations for great escape rooms in Pittsburgh.
Mysterious Depths
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Date Played: July 3, 2021
Team size: 4-10; we recommend 4-6
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $165 up to 4 players, additional $26 per person up to 10
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: you need to walk up stairs to get to this game
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
The mystery in The Search for Leviathan was its unusual blend of high highs that followed an opening act loaded with low lows.
This was an escape room in which multiple teammates stopped dead in their tracks from sheer amazement, in the best of ways.
The thing is, if you want to be amazed, there’s a moat of less-than-stellar gameplay that you’ll have to overcome. The first act of The Search for Leviathan felt like it was designed by a completely different company. Fortunately, this segment was not the bulk of the game.
Somehow, these two worlds are part of one whole that was entirely worth playing… even if I truly believe that a handful of little improvements could elevate this game in countless ways.
The Search for Leviathan is worth traveling to play, especially if you haven’t played the other offerings at Enter The Imaginarium. It’s certainly not perfect, but I encourage you to push onward when you stall because there’s something worthwhile on the other side, and the stuff that makes this game great is rare.
Who is this for?
- Jules Verne fans
- Adventure seekers
- Story seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Best for players with at least some experience
Why play?
- Some spectacular set design
- Killer transitions
- A strong second act
Story
Our mission was to dive deep beneath the waves to tangle with incredible beasts between us and buried treasure.
Setting
It felt like Enter the Imaginarium had blended together two completely different games to create The Search for Leviathan. One looked like an escape room and the other looked like another world. This otherworldly part ranked among the most beautiful escape rooms we’ve seen. It was artful and refined. The initial set, however, was like a budget steampunk spaceship with wall-to-wall carpet.
Gameplay
The Search for Leviathan was a search-and-puzzle escape room that required keen observation and connection-building.
Analysis
➕ I think most players will remember The Search for Leviathan for its show-stopping reveal, and the stunningly beautiful world that emerges.
➕ The unique layout of this incredible set led to progressive discovery… of a space we sort of already knew. This was a lot of fun.
➖ The early gameplay lacked energy. It combined a less-than-exciting set and tedious puzzles with imprecise cluing. Without any onramp or adequate puzzle feedback, we started to lose confidence in the gameplay.
➕ The latter portion of The Search for Leviathan included fun, layered puzzles that we enjoyed solving collaboratively. Gameplay-wise, this was the pinnacle of the game.
➖ In general, however, the puzzles felt under-clued.
➖ In the late game, it was nearly impossible to hear the cluing over the sound effects.
➕ /➖ In The Search for Leviathan, Enter the Imaginarium pulls off a mechanic few creators try. It’s impressive and it works brilliantly for this game. That said, if you know how to look, you’ll find its marks too early. Consider yourself warned.
Tips For Visiting
- Parking: There is a parking lot.
- Food: For sandwiches, Primanti Bros is a Pittsburgh classic.
Book your hour with Enter the Imaginarium’s The Search for Leviathan, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Enter the Imaginarium comped our tickets for this game.
