Bridge Between is one of the best games in Los Angeles. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in Los Angeles.
I want a genie, and a cheetah, and a unicorn.
Location: Pomona, CA
Date Played: March 4, 2022
Team size: 3-7; we recommend 4-5
Duration: 75 minutes
Price: $45 per player for teams of 3-4 and $42 per player for teams of 5-7
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: At least one person needs to go in an enclosed space. Everyone needs to go up a few stairs.
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
Bridge Between had a couple of unusual things going for it:
First, it was really cute. There aren’t enough cute escape rooms:
Second, it was explicitly designed for experienced players, with lots of layered puzzles and a 75-minute game clock.
Quest Tavern did both cuteness and elevated difficulty well.
There were a few places where I would have liked to see a little more clue structure, and there were instances where the puzzles would have been helped by having bigger, chunkier components. Overall, however, Quest Tavern has emerged as one of the more compelling escape room locations for experienced players to visit. Intentionally designing for experienced players looking for something different and novel is an interesting approach that seems like it could actually work in the greater Los Angeles area.
If you’re an experienced escape room player in (or visiting) Southern California, Quest Tavern is a company that you should seriously consider, whether you’re more drawn towards the theatrical Last Supper or the puzzley and adorable Bridge Between. There’s something here for any seasoned escape room fan.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Best for players with at least some experience
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- An unusual theme
- Many layered puzzles designed for experienced players
- A cute conclusion
Story
The guardians of the Enchanted Forest had gone missing. The rumors suggested that a local merchant had had something to do with it. We set off to investigate.
Setting
Bridge Between was set in a fantasy boutique market with unusual wares. Quest Tavern used the setting to create a brilliant hint system. They used the various trinkets found throughout the market to build their puzzles. It was a smart setting for a puzzle-forward game.
Additionally, the set escalated in some interesting and delightful directions as we pushed into the final scenes of the experience.
Gameplay
Quest Tavern’s Bridge Between was a standard escape room with a high level of difficulty, stemming from a high volume of puzzle content.
Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.
Analysis
➕ Bridge Between was puzzle dense. It was designed for experienced players and relied heavily on layered puzzles. We enjoyed making connections through the various props and set pieces.
➕ For the most part, the gameplay was elegant. We appreciated how Quest Tavern used small details to link objects within the space.
➖ At times, we spent substantial time on a puzzle without realizing we lacked information and couldn’t tackle it yet.
➕ The set looked great, and Quest Tavern used every inch of it to build out the gameplay.
➖ The puzzles felt small. In many cases, because of space constraints, they engaged at most 2 players at once. Although the game was nonlinear, and there were usually other puzzles available to teammates, we would have appreciated a little more room for collaboration.
➖ One late game puzzle required substantial coordination, and frustration escalated quickly. We suggest a less variable implementation, to be more generous to teams that are low on time.
➖ In one instance we struggled with color variation in challenging lighting.
➕ The thematic hint system added to the world. We loved it.
➕ The late game transitions in Bridge Between were a ton of fun. They were varied, and beautifully executed.
➖ We weren’t entirely clear on the story beats. As the game transformed, additional narrative integration would have helped ground our actions.
➕ Quest Tavern built a final scene for the joy of arriving in that moment… and the adorable photo op to follow. This wasn’t necessary for the gameplay, but it elevated the entire experience.
Tips For Visiting
- There is a parking lot.
Book your session with Quest Tavern’s Bridge Between, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Quest Tavern provided media discounted tickets for this game.
