Room Escape Artist

No vacancy…for demons

Location:  Austin, TX

Date Played: November 14, 2024

Team Size: 2-8; we recommend 4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $ 45 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  At least one player must be able to climb and crawl.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The Cabin: Chapter 2 – Monie Motel captured the best elements of Escape Hour Austin’s entire catalog, yielding the company’s most coherent offering to date. Beginning with the room’s entrance and carrying through to its finale, its central achievement was creating a mood of trepidation and anticipation that infused every clue and corner with the potential for excitement, bonding our team together in the process. This was accomplished not so much through cutting edge technology as through clever set design, a string of well-timed surprises, and a smooth set of puzzles for a variety of experience levels.

As the name suggests, The Cabin: Chapter 2 is part of a series of games at Escape Hour. Chapter 1 is not a prerequisite, but players will have the best chance of following the admittedly complex story by playing the games in order. We were pleased that Chapter 2 offered a completely different experience from Chapter 1 while sustaining the same aesthetics; we could easily believe we were in the same paranormal world, but the thrills and surprises haunted us in new ways. I would expect both games to appeal to the same audience.

Much like Escape Hour’s the Crypt, this room’s footprint defined its personality. From early on, it was clear that the game promised possibility and scale, and it didn’t disappoint. By the end, we felt like we had explored an entire motel, maybe even moreso than we expected. More than sheer expanse, though, the floor plan gave distance between vignettes, and that distance was used to heighten atmospheric foreboding. Moving back and forth among spaces was thrilling, both for the adventure of physical exploration and for keeping most of the game out of sight at all times, expanding the opportunities for surprise. The way the game scared us into staying together and then periodically coaxed us apart felt intentional and ingenious.

Oddly, this tense frolic left me with more warm fuzzies than most games, not from any heartwarming story arc but from the shared experience that resulted for my team. Our team was half newbies and half experienced players, and we all had an engaging and memorable time. The range of puzzle difficulty offered something for everyone, so each of us felt like we could contribute. More than that, though, the game gave us space (both physically and emotionally) to build up a shared sense of suspense and expectation. From the bravest to the meekest among us, we all felt like we had survived something together, and that’s the kind of experience that lingers.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Psycho fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• For thrills and chills…but different ones than in Chapter 1
• To bond with your teammates

Story

After inadvertently unleashing a demon during The Cabin: Chapter 1, we paranormal investigators felt somewhat obligated to continue “helping” the McKay family understand their possessed daughter, manage their accursed necklace, and maybe fix that demon problem. To escape the aforementioned demon, the family had last been seen checking into the Monie Motel along the way to their remote cabin. Our investigation led us there in hopes of learning more.

Setting

We sought a room at the Monie Motel, a dilapidated and ominous structure. After a bright yet ominous welcome, we found ourselves alone in the lobby, a daunting hallway before us, and the maintenance man just a phone call away.

Gameplay

Escape Hour Austin’s The Cabin Chapter 2: Monie Motel was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Gameplay consisted of observing, making connections, a bit of dexterity, and a bit of bravery.

Analysis

➕ The set design and decor was on point, beginning outside the motel with an energetic start and continuing through the appropriately dilapidated interior. In particular, the floor plan served the dual purpose of accurately representing a motel while enabling an intense atmosphere. It put us appropriately on edge.

➕ There were surprises of all varieties throughout the experience, leaving a satisfied sense of exploration, discovery, and just plain fun.

➕ The game had a well-balanced puzzle offering, ranging from fairly obvious to moderately complex. The puzzles flowed smoothly and complemented the other things happening, leaving us just enough brain space to balance our anxiety with the thought demanded.

➕ The gamemaster was thematic and logically integrated into the environment.

➖ There was cross interference between two locks where the clue for one unintentionally hinted at the solution for the other. Tighter map-locking could avoid this.

➖ Some subtle aspects of the room suggested ghost puzzles, including one set of features that just begged us to futilely play with them.

➕/➖ The story unfolded unobtrusively and intriguingly, though we didn’t have to understand it to win. Afterwards, we weren’t sure we caught all the plot points, so we wished we had been forced to process those more directly. That said, I was gripped by my interpretation, so I’m happy to go with it.

➕ Horror aficionados will appreciate the loose references to a classic here.

➕/➖ The final puzzle offered the potential to be a satisfyingly collaborative climax IF players approach it as such. It can just as easily become a single-player bottleneck. A slight prop modification could steer it more clearly toward a team sport.

Tips For Visiting

• Escape Hour Austin now has two locations, both within the same business complex. The Cabin: Chapter 2 is at the newer location, 2113 Wells Branch Pkwy Suite 6700, NOT Suite 4300.
• There is plenty of parking.
• For food, visit El Huarache right around the corner, and order sopes. We’re sope connoisseurs, and these are our favorites in Texas.

Book your hour with Escape Hour Austin’s The Cabin Chapter 2: Monie Motel, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Escape Hour Austin provided media discounted tickets for this game.