Third Gate Escape – Third Gate Hotel [Review]

Third Gate Hotel is one of the best escape rooms in Las Vegas. Here are our recommendations for other great escape rooms in Las Vegas.

Welcome to Hell

Location:  Las Vegas, NV

Date Played: January 29, 2022

Team Size: 3-8; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 70 minutes

Price: $45 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: One player must be able to crawl

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Third Gate Hotel was a memorable experience, grounded in a consistently haunted ambiance, and punctuated by a unique interaction in the middle of the experience.

Transitions between the vast set spaces were polished, with each door leading us to unknown and increasingly eerie scenes. The gameplay traversed these areas, making this linear escape game feel more layered than it was. While the spaces made sense to be in a hotel with the detailed décor to match, we left wishing to see more of a fleshed out story carried throughout the experience.

The final puzzle was weak and included elements of what seems to be a previously designed puzzle. The components from this ghost puzzle solved well, but they ended up being unused for the actual solution. Following the mid-game climactic sequence, this conclusion was a let down.

We really loved the haunted hotel vibe at Third Gate Hotel, and can’t wait to see what this game looks like once all of the kinks are ironed out.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Horror fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• Shocking yet memorable mid-game sequence
• An expansive set with stunning décor

Story

Ushered in by a silent maid, our team found ourselves at the Third Gate Hotel. This hotel was more than we’d bargained for, forcing us to escape before it was too late.

Setting

Third Gate Hotel began in a dimly lit hallway of hotel rooms, each having their own impressively designed door. Each room opened up into a spacious and extensively decorated set for players to explore.

Gameplay

Third Gate Escape’s Third Gate Hotel was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, dexterity challenges, shocking interactions, and puzzling.

Analysis

➕ The set was beautifully designed to look like an eerie and unsettling hotel. From the wallpaper to the velvet couches and the massive chandelier, Third Gate Escape added many small (and large) details to make the environment true to the theme.

➕ The atmosphere was notable from the moment we stepped foot in the facility until our experience concluded. This was further enhanced with an in-character, silent gamemaster with a backstory.

➖ An early game jump scare felt cheap compared to the beautiful, creepy, and intricate set. This scare overstayed its welcome far beyond the first jump.

➕ / ❓ Third Gate Hotel combined a creepy set and a serious gamemaster with a goofy introduction video and other playful moments. The dichotomy between these elements set the tone to be campy and fun, rather than horrifying. This worked great for us, but may not be the terrifying experience players expect.

➖ There was room throughout to polish small set details, add crawl padding, and hide exposed wires.

➕ Third Gate Escape excelled at audio design, masking noise from next door, and integrating audio into a foreboding interaction.

➖ We wished the puzzle inputs were further varied, and that reuse of one input mechanism was better clued. Multiple identical input locations caused confusion.

➕ A specific mid-game interaction was incredibly memorable. We were shocked at this moment, and Third Gate Escape managed to provide the feeling of both horror and intrigue for our team.

➖ The final sequence felt under-developed and missing. The bones of a strong ending existed, but need to be further fleshed out in order to truly close out the experience with a bang.

Tips For Visiting

• There is ample parking onsite
• Your experience starts the moment you enter the building. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to email or call beforehand to get these answered.

Book your hour with Third Gate Escape’s Third Gate Hotel, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.