Room Escape Artist

Don’t split the party.

Location:  Gainesville, Florida

Date Played: July 14, 2024

Team Size: 2-8; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $35 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  All players are required to crawl a short distance and one player must get into some tight spaces

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

We have played at least half a dozen 80s rooms and Jacobs Nightmare was an enjoyable departure from the normal experience. Our team started in the bedroom of our friend Jacob, fully equipped with cassette tapes, classic horror posters, and even a skateboard. However, we were pulled by the soundtrack and demonic puzzling into a spooky journey through an unfamiliar twisted dimension.

As we moved from scene to scene and uncovered more about this devilish place, our group was enamored with the detailed murals. The lighting effects and ambience also kept us enthralled and encouraged a sense of urgency throughout the escape room. The puzzles paired well with the atmosphere and underlying story. Several thematic props and set pieces were used to solve puzzles and provide narrative beats.

The tension built to a final showdown of us versus the evil. However, we found the conclusion anti-climactic and somewhat disappointing. After that final moment the permanency of the murals left us feeling stuck within the story and led to a clunky exit.

Jacobs Nightmare was just spooky enough to keep us on edge, but the logical puzzle flow kept us engaged in the story and pushed us to keep exploring and moving forward through the escape room. We had a good time puzzling and were floored by how intricate the art was throughout the gamespace. The murals enhanced the set and added a unique flair that isn’t often found in other escape rooms.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Art connoisseurs
• 80s horror fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• You are looking for a twist on the standard 80s theme
• The set and murals are very well done

Story

We bailed on our Dungeons & Dragons session last night. Jacob and our one friend who didn’t bail decided to play an ill-advised game of Devil’s Dice instead. Things got weird and now Jacob is missing. To make up for being bad friends we decided to help figure out exactly what happened to Jacob and to see if there was still time to save him.

Setting

We started in Jacob’s totally rad bedroom, straight out of the 80s. Jacob’s bed dominated the floor, but his love for horror films, music, and books filled in all of the edges. We were then swept into a nightmarish new land. After the bedroom, handpainted murals followed us through every scene. Entering each new space I was greeted with a fresh perspective on the twisted mind that decorated these walls. The murals transformed each scene and progressed the story.

Gameplay

Jacobs Nightmare at Huddys Escape was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Jacobs Nightmare was primarily a linear game. Most of the puzzles were focused on visual connections and searching for the objects needed, but there were also tactile and logic puzzles present.

Analysis

➕ The overall puzzle flow was logical and clear throughout the experience.

➖ One set of props was damaged, but still functioned to solve the corresponding puzzle.

➕/➖ We noticed some lockmapping issues in the first scene. However, the correct lock was usually the one nearest to the puzzle that was just solved. 

➖ In the first scene there were some ghost puzzles, one of which the gamemaster specifically instructed us to ignore. If these were removed, we would have found the introduction more immersive and would have avoided some confusion during the room.

➕/➖ There were some tight spaces where one player had unique interactions to solve puzzles. However, since the room was linear and minimal communication was necessary between players in those moments, the players outside were left waiting while the player inside completed their task.

➕ Jacobs Nightmare provided the feeling of movement and progression as we went deeper into the gamespace.

➕ The murals throughout the room provided an immersive atmosphere and helped tell the story as we progressed.

➖ The finale to the escape room started strong, but fizzled after the climax. A portion of our group was confused by the ending.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a dedicated parking lot for this location.
• University of Florida is also located in Gainesville and there are ample restaurants within driving distance

Book your hour with Huddys Escape Jacob’s Nightmare, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.