The Timekeeper’s Trapped! is one of the best games in the Chicago area. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms around Chicago.
Back in 2016, Lisa and David reviewed The Timekeeper’s Trapped! at Escape Factor.
Six years later, I (Matthew) had a chance to play an updated version of the game. Though I hadn’t myself played the original version, I was able to piece together a picture of what had changed from discussions both with Lisa and David and with Escape Factor’s owner. This is my updated reaction.
Reaction
Most noticeably, The Timekeeper’s Trapped! had received a major facelift, and the new version of the room looked lovely. The room was still filled with countless clocks, but they were now strongly supported by the scenery. The room felt whimsical and somewhat cozy, with wood and brick paneling and a light steampunk aesthetic.
The puzzle flow had been streamlined and refined. There was still a bit of clock math here and there, but it all felt reasonable. As with the original, I enjoyed the “variations on a theme” approach to clock puzzles. There were a ton of puzzles to solve with lots available to work on in parallel, keeping our lean team of hardcore puzzlers occupied for a good chunk of time. We hit a few moments where it wasn’t obvious that we didn’t have everything required to solve a puzzle yet, but these tended to resolve themselves quickly. I especially enjoyed some puzzles that took advantage of the full room.
The Timekeeper’s Trapped! was a solid, puzzle-forward game. Compared to Escape Factor’s other rooms, though, it still felt the most dated and lacked some of the distinctive charm and cohesion of their newer themes.
The original REA review predicted: “We anticipate good things in [Escape Factor’s] future.” Six years later, I can attest that Escape Factor has indeed created many new good things. And seeing the trajectory of their newer rooms, I now echo the same sentiment and anticipate even more good things in Escape Factor’s continued future!
