Room Escape Artist

Escape Annabelle is one of the best escape rooms in St. Louis. Here are our recommendations for great escape rooms in St. Louis.

Well hello Dolly, guess we have to put you back where you belong.

Location:  St. Charles, MO

Date Played: January 7, 2023

Team Size: 2-10; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $26.99 per player

Ticketing:  Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Deadlock Escape’s Escape Annabelle was a fun trip through a well-designed haunted house with a variety of puzzle types. The space was dimly lit and moody, with effects that created a spooky – but not scary – experience.

With its lower difficulty level and PG-13 level scares this was a good room for beginners and families looking to try their first room, but there was also enough here for veteran players to enjoy. The puzzles were well clued such that whenever we found something new, it was clear where we would need it.

There were a few areas, however, where the decisions made for set design got in the way of gameplay, resulting in some frustration. With a few tweaks, most notably an ending that is more of an event, this escape room could be further elevated.

With strong puzzles and a stellar atmosphere, whether you’re new to escape rooms, or you’ve already played quite a few, if you’re in the St. Louis area, stop in and play Escape Annabelle.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Horror fans
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Explore a creepy haunted house
• Fun reveals as puzzles are solved

Story

The haunted doll Annabelle had escaped and her former owner had gone missing. It was up to us to find Annabelle, her case, and her lock in order to seal her away before becoming her next victims.

Setting

We started in the office of Annabelle’s former owner and from there explored numerous rooms in search of the doll.

The house was dark and creepy, with boarded up windows and unsettling noises throughout.

Gameplay

Deadlock’s Escape Annabelle was a standard escape room with an easy to moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, making connections, and solving puzzles

Analysis

➕ Deadlock Escape nailed the creepy atmosphere of a house that was once normal but was now haunted by Annabelle. It was unsettling and suspenseful. They used light and sound to enhance our experience in the set.

➖ Parts of the room were so dark it was difficult to find clues and input combinations into locks. Plus, in order to maintain the dimly lit atmosphere there was too much reliance on black light. There was also a lot of black light writing to sift through. While it worked well with the theming, and it was not difficult to sort the clues from set decoration, it became tedious as the game went on.

➕ Several of the puzzles had fun, satisfying reveals when solved, creating moments where my whole group would stop for a moment to watch what was happening.

➖ The final act of locking Annabelle back up was not especially satisfying. We were looking for a stronger indication that we had completed the game, and more of a finale.

Tips For Visiting

• Note that Escape Annabelle is at the 1026 1st Capitol Dr location.
• Parking available on-site

Book your hour with Deadlock Escape’s Escape Annabelle, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Deadlock Escape comped our tickets for this game.