Niagara Escapement – End of the *Bleeping* World [Review]

End of the Bleeping World is one of the best escape rooms in the Niagara / Buffalo area. Here are our recommendations for other great escape rooms around Niagara Falls / Buffalo, NY.

Puzzle Preppers

Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada

Date Played: May 1, 2022

Team Size: 3-6; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $25 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The word that came to mind when I walked out of End of the Bleeping World was just… classic. Most refreshing was the momentum that carried us through the plot, lining up opportunities for players to score successes in frequent and approachable intervals as we sought solace from catastrophe.

Designed by the same individual who was the mastermind behind Dead Air (a now-closed hallmark of escape rooms in the northeast), End of the Bleeping World was another example of rock-solid game design. This serious scenario with a lighthearted tone was a joy to work through. The puzzles were incredibly fair, the aha moments were particularly delightful, and the non-linear space itself was set up in such a way that enabled players to have their own range of motion, both physically and in discovery moments.

Inside of a brick and metal bunker with a pneumatic tube system.

If you are playing in the Buffalo/ Niagara/ Southern Ontario region and you don’t play this game (alongside the 2-person Easy Bake Coven), you are doing yourself a disservice. Suitable for beginners and entertaining for enthusiasts, End of the Bleeping World was a great example of intelligent, approachable gameplay really hitting a home run.

Who is this for?

  • Story seekers
  • Puzzle lovers
  • Any experience level

Why play?

  • Non-linear, bite-size solves that build to satisfyingly awesome ah-ha moments
  • The humor and story had depth
  • The set design represented a noticeable step up in production value for these creators.

Story

Well, the bad news was that we’d found out the world would end in 60 minutes. The good news? We’d heard there may be a nearby bunker to break into and weather out the apocalypse.

A big, metal door with a yellow sign that reads, "Mallory Bunkers"

Setting

End of the Bleeping World was set in a service elevator and other underground pockets of refuge on our journey to the famed bunker.

Mallory Safety poster beside some electrical equipment.

Gameplay

Niagara Escapement’s End of the Bleeping World was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

It had a fairly mixed blend of puzzles that emphasized making common sense connections.

Analysis

➕ A cadence of swift wins really carried us forward, building significant momentum in the process with clear indications of collaborative success.

➕ The light-hearted tone of the game contrasted nicely to buoy the theme with one particular aha moment making light of the journey players took to arrive at the solve.

➖ A late-stage roadblock would benefit from the differentiation of lighting colors; brightening hues here would make an improvement.

➕ The sheer variety of puzzles appealed to strong suits of different players in our group; logic, physical manipulation, and reasoning challenges were all well-represented and clearly designed.

➕ The post-apocalyptic bunker set was cool. The attention to detail and polished build demonstrated a step up in craftsmanship for these creators.

❓ Signposting and keys were well-integrated into the set design for the majority of the space. As the game matures, more polish in this area may be welcome. For example, an earlier puzzle may present the opportunity to clue one step stronger in order to bridge a logic hop with buttons.

Tips For Visiting

  • There is off-street parking in a lot directly to the right of this facility.

Book your hour with Niagara Escapement’s End of the Bleeping World, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Niagara Escapement provided media discounted tickets for this game.

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