Room Escape Artist

The other blue gemstone

Location:  Albuquerque, NM

Date Played: June 1, 2024

Team Size: 1-10; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes, extra time for post-game museum exploration

Price: $25 per player, includes museum admission

Ticketing: Private, but the game is played in the public museum space where other visitors may be

Accessibility Consideration:  None

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

When I travel, I enjoy activities that are unique to my destination. The turquoise gemstone has strong associations with the Southwest for me, so the Turquoise Museum seemed like a perfect addition to my Albuquerque itinerary. When browsing their website, I noticed that they were offering an escape room experience and was curious, so naturally I decided to participate.

While Escape the Turquoise Museum was framed as an escape room, its structure was closer to that of a light puzzle hunt. Instead of solving puzzles to obtain codes that open locks, most boxes contained a quiz card, a simple puzzle that clued the next location, and the actual key to open the box hidden there. In this manner, I was steered through the different museum galleries. Completing the quiz cards required careful examination of the exhibits, but I received the hint that doing so was not required for a successful escape. In a normal escape room, these would have been considered red herrings, but in this case, the game was designed to guide the museum visitor experience in an optimal manner.

I enjoy deep dives into esoteric topics and I found the museum quaint and fascinating. The game was not a traditional escape room, but it did add an appropriately fun dimension to my experience.

Who is this for?

• Museum goers
• Family groups
• Anyone with an interest in the turquoise gemstone

Why play?

It is a fun way to be more directed about your visit to the Turquoise Museum.

Story

The crazy curator had locked me in the museum until I learned everything about turquoise! He had forced the museum staff into playing along. I had to learn the right information to convince the museum staff to allow me to leave.

Setting

The game took place in the actual museum. It was a castle-styled mansion that had been converted into a collection of elegant galleries. It was richly appointed and beautifully lit with well-annotated exhibits.

Gameplay

Escape from the Turquoise Museum required as much walking as an average museum visit. It had a low level of difficulty.

Gameplay was linear and involved solving clues and finding relevant exhibits. Each gallery contained a locked box that had the next set of game items I needed, including the key to the next box. The actual challenge was primarily solving the clue for the next box location, and the final meta puzzle.

Since I was aware that the quiz cards were not necessary to solving the meta, I decided not to spend excessive time on searching the exhibits if a specific factoid proved elusive.

Analysis

➕ If you were already planning on visiting the Turquoise Museum, this game gives you the same access to everything, with an added puzzle layer, for a nominal increase in price. No separate museum admission is required.

➕ The puzzle portion of the game progressed smoothly, with clear signposting. My game host remained unobtrusively in the space to be available for hints.

➖ The quiz cards collected along the way were a good way of encouraging visitors to read the displays in order to find answers, some of which were required for the final win condition. However they included a number of red herring questions.

➕ The museum itself was a small private family-run enterprise and it was charming and information-packed. Everyone I met there (including some family members) was very friendly.

Tips For Visiting

• Parking is free.

Book your hour with The Turquoise Museum, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.