Room Escape Artist

The Cairo Connection is one of the best games in Oklahoma. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in Oklahoma.

We dig it!

Location:  Tulsa, OK

Date Played: August 25, 2024

Team Size: 2-7; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 65 minutes

Price: ranges from $32.50 to $65 per player depending on size of team

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  All floors are covered in sand

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Eleventh Hour Enigma created a convincing Egyptian experience whose superb ambiance and interesting puzzles yielded an excellent execution of a common theme. Its standout moments impressed us with ingenuity while also flowing smoothly from the story. And look at that camel!

This game created the sense that we were on a real adventure. In large part, the set was constructed from authentic materials that felt natural to interact with. The puzzling was entirely integrated into the environment, adding physicality to our efforts. We also manipulated a few technologies that were appropriate to the time period, adding variety. Even a bit of absurdity felt appropriate to its context.

Although Egyptian tombs are common in the escape world, this game used some of those common elements in fresh ways. The ambiance was exquisite yet not overdone, avoiding the usual Egyptian dilemma of overwhelming iconography. However, a number of translation tasks interrupted the momentum of the second half of the game, and we’re not even sure we completed them all. Combining this with dim lighting was probably the room’s only significant issue.

Regardless, along with its sibling room Winchester’s Widow, The Cairo Connection proved that Eleventh Hour Enigma has a firm grasp on how to blend puzzling, environment, and story to create memorable experiences. As a whole, the company literally puts Tulsa on the map of standout escape rooms, and it’s worth an evening of your time to play all they have to offer.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Any experience level

Why play?

• For a well-executed archeological adventure
• Because there’s a camel and you’ll love it

Story

In 1915, multiple powers were vying for control of the Suez Canal. In an effort to achieve peace, we had been sent to retrieve the Unification Heart from deep within an Egyptian dig site. Others had gone before us and disappeared; would we follow in their footsteps?

Setting

An agent behind the unification effort led us to a convincing dig site, replete with billowing tents, legit sand, an ominous doorway, and a stately camel. The accompanying set pieces felt both appropriate to the time period and sturdy. In particular, several technologies were both fun to fiddle with and entirely at home in this environment.

Gameplay

Eleventh Hour Enigma’s The Cairo Connection was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Gameplay consisted of observing, making connections, and plenty of decoding.

Analysis

➕ Eleventh Hour Enigma outdid itself with this set. It was gorgeous and impeccably detailed, avoiding extraneous information while feeling rich and complete.

➕ Prop and set interactions, rather than locks and combinations, propelled the experience, contributing to the authenticity established by the set.

➕/➖ Although the set was visually appealing and all the props resonated conceptually, the tangible quality ranged a bit throughout the experience. Because some acts felt sturdy and regal, elements that felt like foam or plastic stood out.

➕ The hint system was imaginative and evolved throughout the game. It was worth finding reasons to interact with it.

➕ The puzzles were challenging yet fair, sometimes with seemingly endless layers.

➖ Translation tasks abounded, but they didn’t match the momentum of the game’s highlights.

❓ We finished the game without using at least two prominent clues. Judging from their pristine appearance, they surely weren’t ghost puzzles, so somewhere we short-circuited the intended gameflow.

➕ The camel stole the show for me. I want one.

Tips For Visiting

• Parking: There is street parking that was easy to access even on a Saturday night.
• Food: Eleventh Hour Enigma offers a list of staff favorite restaurants in the area. We enjoyed East Village Bohemian Pizzeria.

Book your hour with Eleventh Hour Enigma’s The Cairo Connection, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Eleventh Hour Enigma provided media discounted tickets for this game.