Maritime Mutiny is one of the best games in the Metro DC area. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms around Washington DC.
A bounty
Location: Herndon, VA
Date Played: October 2, 2021
Team size: 2-10; we recommend 4-6
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: scaled pricing from $39 per player for teams of 2 to $28 per player for teams of 5+
Ticketing: Private
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
No matter how many times it happens, I am still surprised when I walk into an escape room in a strip mall, enter a game, and find myself in another world. Walking through the doors of Maritime Mutiny took us onto a pirate ship. A picture is worth a thousand words:
In Maritime Mutiny, Escape Room Herndon nailed the classic thematic escape room style. The story was present, but this game was all about solving puzzles in a compelling environment. It was a ton of fun. This game is a regional standout, and if you’re nearby, absolutely go play it.
My word of caution is to consider whether you want to tackle the bonus puzzles. They were a serious leap in difficulty and brought a change in tone that, for us, didn’t do the game any favors. They were certainly solvable, but we would have been happier walking out of the game with the vibe of the base game’s conclusion instead of the studious tone of the bonus puzzles.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Story seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Any experience level (newbies will want a larger team)
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- Fantastic puzzles
- Compelling ship set
- For a serious challenge, the bonus puzzles pack difficulty
Story
Our crew had realized that Captain Ravensbeard had been cheating us out of our fair share of the plunder. He’d barricaded himself in his quarters, but we were committed to finding our way in and enforcing a change of management.
Setting
Escape Room Herndon built the interior of a pirate ship. It was both rugged and gorgeous.
Gameplay
Escape Room Herndon’s Maritime Mutiny was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and puzzling.
Analysis
➕ When we stepped into Maritime Mutiny, we stepped onto a ship. It looked great. Escape Room Herndon included so many details.
➕ The puzzles were fun to solve. Although there were a lot of locks, they were well mapped and the gameplay flowed from start to finish.
❓ Maritime Mutiny was a stellar puzzle-driven, thematic adventure. If you’re looking for a story, or a thought provoking experience, this won’t be it.
➖ We found that one solution had charted a slightly unusual course.
➕ The transition from act 1 to act 2 of Maritime Mutiny was explosive and memorable.
➕ Maritime Mutiny hit the mark with stellar interactions that revealed new segments of the game, or just had some fun with the theme. These were the best moments in the game.
❓ The bonus puzzles were legitimately challenging, more akin to puzzle hunts than escape rooms. For better or for worse, these bonus puzzles felt like they were part of a completely different game. They will change the way you interact with the main escape room, and potentially how you’ll feel at the end as they bring a remarkably different energy.
Tips For Visiting
- There is a parking lot.
Book your hour with Escape Room Herndon’s Maritime Mutiny, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Escape Room Herndon comped our tickets for this game.
I Love, Love, Love Pirate Ship games. One of the “not always done well” elements is the hint system. Can you review that part of the experience without a spoiler?
The hint system in this game was the traditional text on a television that doubles as timer.
It didn’t add anything, but it also didn’t detract.