Room Escape Artist

The Treehouse Raid at Fort Knocks is one of the best games in the Chicago area. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms around Chicago.

Unbeleafably intreeguing

Location: Forest Park, IL

Date Played: March 13, 2022

Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $139 for three players, plus $30 for each additional player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: Some slight crawling/ crouching is required for at least one player

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

When I was a kid, I dreamed of building my ultimate treehouse. My friends and I would lug around random junk we found in town, and save it for our master plans. The Treehouse Raid at Fort Knocks transported me to my childhood; it was filled with objects and puzzles that seriously felt designed by my 12-year-old self. By no means is this game specifically for children, but the wonder, imagination, and joy this room filled me with was a lovely change from the serious and thrilling escape rooms we typically find ourselves in.

Considering how small the floorplan of The Treehouse Raid at Fort Knocks was, Escape Factor was able to jam-pack a ton of puzzles and content from floor to ceiling. The further we progressed, the more we found ourselves discovering layers of the space we hadn’t realized were there the whole time.

The game’s difficulty came less with individual puzzles, and more in figuring out what in the space was used for each puzzle. Discerning which objects and locks went together was more time consuming than we expected, but felt satisfying once we made the connections.

Escape Factor is a fantastic location to check out if you’re interested in fun, original themes, and clever solves. While you’re here, be sure not to miss the Bonus Fun Time Gameshow as well!

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Moments of childlike wonder and joy
• A unique layered set with progressive discovery

Story

The neighborhood punk had stolen our stuff and hid it in his treehouse. We’d heard rumors of him being gone for an hour. This was the perfect timing for us to break in and steal back what was ours!

Setting

The Treehouse Raid at Fort Knocks was set in a smaller space full of found objects. The entire room looked repurposed in a positive, worldbuilding manner. Nothing felt out of place, and all elements of gameplay were appropriate for a teenager’s treehouse.

Gameplay

Escape Factor’s Treehouse Raid at Fort Knocks was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay included observing, making connections, puzzling, and searching.

Analysis

➕ Treehouse Raid at Fort Knocks was jam-packed with content, including layered puzzles and interactions continuously revealing themselves. Discovering new information in places and directions we never thought to look provided a whimsical feeling of discovery without requiring many space transformations.

➕ Each puzzle interaction had humor built into the mechanics and felt like it belonged, including many nostalgic objects as clues. The puzzles were presented nolinearly for a more freeform solving experience.

➖ The game’s difficulty came less from individual puzzles or solves, and more from sorting through the structured yet chaotic space full of puzzle elements. Because of the amount happening simultaneously in a small space, it was more difficult than usual to sort out what went with what.

➕ The hint system was incredibly clever and fit perfectly in the environment. The attention to detail for this communication mechanism made us giggle.

➕ A unique communication puzzle provided a challenge that pulled on our heartstrings.

➕/➖ The room had a very endearing and genuinely attractive found object aesthetic that felt as if some kids with a sense of design had decorated an actual treehouse. While almost every object felt at home in the space, a small handful felt flimsy or unfinished compared to the rest of the design choices.

Tips For Visiting

• There is street parking around the building.

Book your hour with Escape Factor’s Treehouse Raid at Fort Knocks, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Escape Factor provided media discounted tickets for this game.