Room Escape Artist

Sliding down the rabbit hole…

Location:  Richmond, VA

Date Played: July 10, 2021

Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $25 per player, minimum $75

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  Crawling, stair climbing, strobe lighting

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Alice was a beautiful depiction of Wonderland that pulled off a refreshing new take on this common escape room theme. The room creatively utilized full-wall murals, vertical space, and distinctive lighting palettes to create an immersive, wonder-filled environment. Alice was notably devoid of any combination locks, instead using some tech magic for more environmentally triggered gating.

The team at River City Escape Room is overflowing with a genuine passion for what they’re creating and facilitating, and this really shone through in Alice. Our game hosts added playful theatrical pizzazz before, during, and after our game experience, making us feel welcomed and engaged throughout.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Disney/ Alice in Wonderland fans
• Any experience level

Story

We slid down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, where we had to discover how to please the Queen.

Setting

Alice was set within various recognizable scenes from the Alice in Wonderland story and film.

Gameplay

Alice was a puzzle-heavy game with a few tasks mixed in. Puzzle difficulty was adaptable based on your team’s experience level.

Analysis

➕ Prior to beginning Alice, you can choose between 4 difficulty levels that affect the specific puzzles and cluing included in the room, making Alice adaptable for players of all experience levels. For enthusiast teams, we recommend the “Insane” difficulty.

➖/➕ The entry space of Alice was a bit visually underwhelming, though this actually made later parts of the set feel even more exciting by contrast.

➕ I loved how the game used augmented reality to make static images in the room come to life with scenes from Disney’s classic Alice in Wonderland film, which in turn provided clever cluing for certain puzzles. This was a meaningful use of AR, not just a gimmick.

➕ Alice included more tech than we expected, working seamlessly in the background to facilitate small magical moments and unexpected input mechanisms using object placement instead of combination locks.

➕/➖ A space within Alice had really cool lighting, but a puzzle involving color there was our least favorite of the game.

➕ When we encountered a minor reset issue, our game host responded promptly and professionally.

🐶 River City Escape Room provides the option to book an emotional support dog during your room. I’ve never seen this before in an escape room, and Mister Snowflakes was a delight.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot in front of River City Escape Room with plenty of free parking.

Book your hour with River City Escape Room’s Alice, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.