Cool, but bumpy.
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Date Played: March 12, 2022
Team size: 4-8; we recommend 3-4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $32.99 per player
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: Strong motion alert – please let your gamemaster know before your game begins if you do not tolerate sudden movement.
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
A strong representation of Ecuadorian culture and story is woven throughout this rainforest exploration adventure. The scenery, especially the first phase of the experience, is genuinely realistic and draws the player into the space. That strong narrative is really emphasized towards the end, and is paired with a broader sense of authenticity that underlines where the narrative is driving your team of researchers.
That being said, the absolute core of this escape room is searching, sometimes for items, and sometimes for UV clues in a broad area. Accordingly, the energy level often varied wildly (and unfortunately dipped towards the conclusion instead of ramping up). On a related note, it sometimes felt as though there was not enough gameplay to go around, favoring the involvement of only one or two players at a time with limited provided tools.
In summary, you’ll most enjoy this escape room if you don’t need to be a part of every puzzle and instead can stand back and appreciate the commitment to the underlying story.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Individuals who enjoy searching
- Any experience level
Why play?
- Mixture of scenery
- Dynamic start (note: motion-sensitive individuals should alert their gamemaster to opt out of this introduction)
Story
An abrupt plane crash forces your adventuring party of researchers to take an unscheduled layover. While tracking down the rescue rendezvous location, you further explore the Ecuadorian rainforest to reveal its secrets.
Setting
International Room Escape AZ’s Amazon Rainforest took place in the set of crash wreckage and the surrounding jungle.
Gameplay
International Room Escape AZ’s Amazon Rainforest was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching and connecting the elements that you find.
Analysis
➕ A mixture of hands-on puzzles, particularly in the second space that players encounter, presented an opportunity to physically engage with the space in a delightful way.
➕ Appropriate artifacts made it evident that this was an authentic, well-researched space that mapped to the narrative.
➖ Some encounters overstayed their welcome in length, particularly one towards the midpoint.
➖ The opening puzzle sequence potentially drains excitement, with satisfaction from puzzle solve leaving a bit to be desired.
➕ The scenery, particularly in the scale of the space, was remarkably realistic, especially in the introductory space.
➖ The experience sometimes stalled due to gameplay mechanics.
Tips For Visiting
- There is a parking lot.
Book your hour with International Room Escape AZ’s Amazon Rainforest, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: International Room Escape AZ provided media discounted tickets for this game.