Room Escape Artist

Contamination is one of the best games near Denver. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in the Denver area.

Zombies vs. Science

Location:  Brighton, CO

Date Played: August 11, 2024

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

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30-45 per player, depending on day and size of group

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  There are two stairs that all players must cross to experience the full game.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

REA Reaction

As Mile High Escape Ops’ inaugural game, Contamination clearly established the company as a creator of quality escape rooms with  their own quirky personality. We were guided through a suspenseful story, completing lab-ish puzzles to trigger mesmerizing effects and riveting surprises. A mix between zombie attacks and unmanageable science experiments, it was a cheeky good time.

The set and its embedded effects were perhaps the highlight of the experience, offering an interesting juxtaposition of sparsity with jolting focal events. In that vein, this wasn’t a horror game per se, but jump scares abounded, so avoid if you’re the jittery type. The design details rewarded dabbling, and the gameflow cues were a riot. That said, there were enough notable cause/ effect delays or subtleties to feel temporarily unmoored at times, making the experience seem a little rough around the edges.

An elaborate narrative attempted to offer cohesion to the various surprises we encountered. It overwhelmed us a bit with goals that seemed reasonable at first, but became somewhat jumbled in the telling. After reflecting on the story beats afterwards, most things made sense. However, in the heightened pressure of the moment, we found multiple, sometimes indistinguishable voices competing for our attention with no clear downtime to process what was happening.

Contamination was a memorable game that entertained beyond just puzzles. It’s a strong first offering, and its sibling game, Dragon Heart, is even stronger. Together they add Mile High Escape Ops to the already impressive list of must-visit companies in the Denver area.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Sci-fi fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• For jumpscares and nervous laughter

Story

Amidst a zombie apocalypse, a top zombie researcher had mysteriously disappeared, possibly at the whim of the lab’s AI assistant, ASTRID. Our three-pronged goal was to figure out what happened to the researcher, find the cure for the zombie plague, and probably destroy ASTRID for good measure.

More than in most escape rooms, the story wove through the gameplay, contributing to many of the game’s key moments. We needed to reflect afterwards to fully appreciate everything that had happened.

Setting

Our investigation focused on Dr. Rosen’s lab, which presented as a fairly typical lab: a computer, a smattering of experiments, and some buttons. It felt sparse, as labs often do, which brought intense focus to every element. It also offered an unassuming backdrop to help highlight the vignettes that would unfold.

Gameplay

Mile High Escape Ops’ Contamination was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay included high doses of observing and making connections.

Analysis

➕/➖ The game had a multi-part narrative that, in retrospect, made sense of our progression through the game. However, in the moment, it was hard to synthesize the different threads of the story, leading to jarring context switches.

➕ A distinctive personality permeated the room’s written materials and story beats. It didn’t take itself too seriously but rather delivered its plot points with humor.

➕/➖ The puzzles were entertaining and reasonable but often lacked a clear connection to the progression of our goals. Making these connections more explicit could enhance the gameflow; as it was, the flow from puzzle to puzzle sometimes felt disjointed.

➖ One puzzle suffered from minorly destructive behavior, requiring players to take a risk with information. This may hinder cautious players.

➕ Theatrical components brought multiple sequences to life.

➕/➖ Many actions (even a few wrong ones) were rewarded with fun effects. However, the practical consequences of our actions weren’t always immediately clear, either due to too-subtle cues or delays.

➖ Though capped by a fine puzzle, the ending was abrupt and anticlimactic compared to earlier events.

Tips For Visiting

• There is plenty of parking.

Book your hour with Mile High Escape Ops’ Contamination, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Mile High Escape Ops provided a complimentary game.