Room Escape Artist

Don’t ruin the sacred timeline!

Location:  Reno, NV

Date Played: November 3, 2024

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

Duration: 61 minutes

Price: $99 for up to 3 players and $27 per player after that

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  Some crouching, stepping over a low ledge, and one person must maneuver into a confined space

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

As we crossed the threshold into Dragon Alley, we were greeted by a quirky guide and an immersive set. A worn market stall, castle parapets, and a skeleton in a cage were just a few of the impressive set pieces created for this escape room. We experienced a puzzle-y romp through carefully crafted and detailed gamespaces. The pacing of Dragon Alley paired with multiple puzzles available at any given time kept us engaged for the entirety of the adventure. Several moments sprinkled throughout the game also required us to split up and communicate to solve puzzles.

The task was clear from the beginning: find the time crystal shards and fuse them back together. Our efforts were rewarded with a spectacular finale as we fixed the time crystal and saved the timelines. The light narrative functioned as a vessel for the puzzles, but didn’t provide any further depth. It would have heightened the experience if there were intermediate story beats as we found each crystal fragment, which would have encouraged a sense of triumph as we moved closer to achieving our goal. Additionally, we wished that wall decorations depicting the land and the other inhabitants of Dragon Alley were incorporated more into the story. This would have drawn us deeper into the world and bolstered the fact that our success made us heroes.

If you’re in Reno, this was a stellar and logical room that put puzzles first, but didn’t skimp on the set design, which created a beautiful world to discover. The inclusion of a comical guide added an extra layer of delight that you don’t find elsewhere in the region. I recommend putting this high on your agenda.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Medieval Fantasy fans
• Best for players with at least some experience
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Puzzles that require teamwork
• Logical puzzle flow
• Charming and fun hint system

Story

After traveling back in time to a Medieval village, we discovered that a wizard had destroyed the time crystal! Our task was to find the shards of the time crystal and perform a ritual to magically fuse them back together and heal the fractured timelines. Many had tried before and failed, but with determination and help from Jim we were certain we would prevail before the blue moon set.

Setting

We started in a Medieval market outside of the wizard’s castle. We arrived at night so perceiving details around us was initially challenging. Once we found out how to create some light, the vague shapes quickly revealed a cart, merchant’s stall, and parapets of the wizard’s castle. These set pieces filled the space and drew us into the world immediately. As we ventured forth, the quality and detail followed throughout the entire escape room.

Gameplay

Keystone Escape Games’ Dragon Alley was an in person escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Dragon Alley did require a fair amount of searching to complete two significant puzzles. Outside of that there was an excellent variety of puzzles including process, observation, logic, and communication.

Analysis

➕ The set was well designed and sturdy. As we stepped into the medieval market we were enveloped in a new world that we were excited to investigate. This attention to detail continued throughout the entirety of the escape room.

➕ We enjoyed interacting with Jim: our story giver, hint system, and a personal cheerleader throughout our quest.

➖ One memory puzzle required us to input a complete solution before cycling the pattern. We found this puzzle tedious especially with the method chosen for the answer input.

➕ We were impressed with the unique implementation of sudoku, maze, and communication style puzzles throughout Dragon Alley.

➕ There were multiple puzzles that required split communication and a team effort to complete.

➖ There was an opportunity to weave a deeper story around each solve, pulling us further into the world of this game. Due to the spread of puzzles throughout the spaces, it was easy to miss out on game progression since there weren’t intermediate story moments that brought everyone back together.

➕ The finale was theatrical, exciting and required participation from the entire team.

Tips For Visiting

• Ample Parking. There is a code to get down to the escape room lobby (provided via email or solving a puzzle on arrival)

Book your hour with Keystone Escape Games’ Dragon Alley, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.