Room Escape Artist

Frost Base Z is one of the best games in Denver. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in Denver.

The cold never bothered me anyway.

Location:  Louisville, CO

Date Played: September 26, 2021

Team Size: 2-7; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $40 per player for 2 players to $30 per player for 4+ players

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: all players need to crawl

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Rabbit Hole Recreation Services has concocted some chillingly beautiful magic with Frost Base Z (pronounced “zeta”).

This room was a heavy hitter in every dimension. With clever puzzles, a stunning set, and a clearly communicated story, I don’t think it’d be too polarizing to assert that Frost Base Z has something for everyone. It combined the best of both Paradox (a 2019 Golden Lock Award winner), which stood out for its depth of puzzles structured around engaging interfaces, and Mystic Temple, which had a gorgeous set and exhilarating, diegetic gameplay.

Frost Base Z was a true premium experience, and if anything, it was limited only by its 1-hour clock. I yearned for more time in this rich, compelling, gorgeous world, and for a game themed around cold stuff — an arctic research station and an ancient ice core sample — my team walked away with the warmest, fuzziest of emotions, feeling like heroes.

As with Mystic Temple and Paradox, Frost Base Z is unequivocally a regional must-play. And with this trio of standout rooms, Rabbit Hole Recreation Services is well worth a visit for any escape room enthusiast able to travel to Colorado.

Who is this for?

• Scenery snobs
• Puzzle lovers
• Adventure seekers
• Players with at least some experience
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Story

We traveled to an underground Arctic research station, where a malfunction had caused an 800,000-year-old ice core sample to begin to melt. We had to remedy the malfunction before the ice sample released a deadly virus.

Setting

We entered Frost Base Z by train, and a magical cavern led into the indoor research base.

Inside, it felt like we were in a real Arctic research base, with a large computer terminal, various research stations, and heavy winter jackets.

Every inch of the set felt meticulously crafted and robust in build quality, from concrete-molded cave walls to welded metal doors and panels.

Gameplay

Rabbit Hole Recreation Services’ Frost Base Z was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Gameplay centered around puzzling and making connections.

Analysis

➕ Frost Base Z excelled at worldbuilding. The set, in addition to being beautiful, felt real and robust. Our puzzle interactions all had meaning directly relevant to our target objectives. It felt like we actually were in an Arctic research base. Following our game, we learned that the Rabbit Hole Recreation Services team actually visited an Arctic research institute in Colorado while designing Frost Base Z, and the extra details resulting from this depth of research showed.

➕ We entered and exited Frost Base Z by train. Immersively facilitated through both set and special effects, this successfully eased our transitions between outside world and game world in a way that’s underutilized in most escape rooms.

➕ Frost Base Z contained a number of humorous little touches as a reward for observant players. A collection of paper documents fit perfectly with the environment as a non-runbook and was full of fun Easter eggs.

➕/➖ Frost Base Z was full of magical effects. However, a few of my favorite moments were designed for just 1 or 2 players, making it possible for other teammates to miss these highlights.

➕ I was floored by Frost Base Z‘s use of a seemingly infinite effect. Context matters, and they cleverly used it to their advantage to create something visually dazzling.

➕ Clear lock mapping made perfect sense within the narrative of the room.

➖ The controls for the computer were a bit finicky, especially while solving one particular puzzle. One physical button seemed to be the main culprit.

➕ Frost Base Z built up to a chilling climax, followed by a well-timed cooldown period. The game ended as strongly as it started, with a satisfying buildup in energy and pacing throughout.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.

Book your hour with Rabbit Hole Recreation Services’ Frost Base Z, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.