Time Siege – The Battle of Yorktown is one of the best escape rooms in Williamsburg, VA. Here are our recommendations for great escape rooms in Williamsburg.
Time turned upside down
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Date Played: October 1, 2021
Team size: 2-8; we recommend 2-4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $27.50 per player
Ticketing: Public
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
We have a huge soft spot for locally-themed escape games, and Time Siege – The Battle of Yorktown was just that. Williamsburg is a tourist town built on history, and Room Escape Williamsburg set their story in an especially intriguing – and the most influential – moment of the region’s history.
This time travel game focused heavily on its story, creating a sort of Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego narrative. A time heist occurred that would spell disaster for the American Revolution. We had to use our time machine to traverse time, find the stolen items, and return them to their rightful time and place.
Aesthetically, Time Siege – The Battle of Yorktown vacillated between deliberate and haphazard craftsmanship, with lots of exposed wires and loose components. It was always clear that things were there for a reason; it wasn’t clear that they had been built with intention.
From a gameplay standpoint, the puzzles were pretty straight forward. Experienced players will likely move through this game pretty quickly. This is one you enjoy for the local flavor rather than the challenge. If engaging with that local history sounds like your type of adventure, and you’re in the area, then this one is worth checking out.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- History buffs
- Any experience level
Why play?
- Local theme
- Did a lot with the time travel mechanic
Story
As agents of the Bureau of Time Justice, we had been dispatched to traverse time in pursuit of Valerie VonBuren, codename Magpie. Magpie had stolen key items from General George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown.
We needed to find the items, correct the timeline, and if possible, apprehend Magpie.
Setting
Time Siege – The Battle of Yorktown had a homemade time-ship aesthetic. The props were carefully selected. Portions of the set looked great, while other sections showed many seams.
Gameplay
Room Escape Williamsburg’s Time Siege – The Battle of Yorktown was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around making connections and puzzling.
Analysis
➕ We love to play locally-themed escape rooms. Time Siege – The Battle of Yorktown was the perfect adventure for Williamsburg, combining invented characters with historical ones.
➕ Room Escape Williamsburg used the time travel mechanic well, which opened up new ways to use the gamespace to its fullest.
➕ We appreciated that it was not complicated to operate our time travel machine, and our current objective was always displayed. In this way, the challenge was in the puzzles, and not in how to operate the game, as it should be.
➖ The touchscreen interface was a bit clunky.
➕ Room Escape Williamsburg built some especially satisfying interactions with props of the era that triggered fun solves.
➖ We encountered some loose tech that needed proper housing.
➕ The puzzle flow was always clear, even with an unusual traversing of the gamespace.
➖ The build quality was adequate. The essential elements were there, but there was an opportunity to further design the spaces to make the set more convincing and more exciting. A soundtrack would also enhance the experience.
Tips For Visiting
- There is a parking lot.
- We enjoyed Masala Craft Indian Kitchen for a nearby dinner.
Book your hour with Room Escape Williamsburg’s Time Siege – The Battle of Yorktown, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Room Escape Williamsburg provided media discounted tickets for this game.
