Room Escape Artist

Literally novel

Location:  Urbana, IL

Date Played: April 28, 2025

Team Size: 4-8; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 75 minutes

Price: $37 per player for team of 4, $32 per person for teams of 5 or more

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  At least one player must climb stairs and at least one player much be able to duck or crouch, but we recommend multiple players be comfortable with these actions.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

We haven’t been shy about our love of CU Adventures in Time & Space as a company. They have long set a high bar in the Midwest, and their latest game, The Forest of Fables, raises that bar with a beautiful combination of creative gameplay and a reactive set that delivers on whimsy and adventure.

The Forest of Fables wears its influences on its sleeve, from fairytales to other theatrical escape games. CU Adventures took a number of big chances and landed them.

What we loved most about The Forest of Fables was how the game taught us to understand its world, interact with it in novel ways. When we achieved an aha, we felt especially smart, like we’d gotten away with something mischievous, and it worked. But, of course, this is what the game wanted us to do, and feel. Each time The Forest of Fables asked us to be clever, the stakes were higher, and the payoff more rewarding.

We’ve long felt that high-end escape rooms do not need to have intense self-serious plots. The Forest of Fables was the perfect dose whimsy. CU Adventures is worth traveling to visit, and this is the latest jewel in their crown. Anything can happen in The Forest of Fables, so go explore it with a sense of joy and wonder.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Fairytale fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• A beautiful set filled with surprises
• A wide variety of interesting game mechanics
• Strong puzzles that left room for player creativity

Story

While visiting the personal library of a rare book collector, we accidentally got sucked into a fractured fairy tale.

Setting

CU Adventures has never been shy about taking players to unusual places, and The Forest of Fables was their most unusual destination to-date. This eclectic world started out in a strange and beautiful library before sucking us into a story.

Each space was packed with interesting interactions and reveals. It really did feel like a journey.

Gameplay

CU Adventures in Time & Space’ The Forest of Fables was a standard escape room with theatrical elements and higher level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, drawing connections, solving puzzles, and engaging with characters.

Analysis

➕ The opening scene primed us for future interactions in The Forest of Fables. It subtly taught us how the game would ask us to think and interact… in ways we don’t often experience in escape rooms.

➕ The world of The Forest of Fables was adorable. From the opening moments in the wood-paneled library to the fantastical story world, it was a joyous play to inhabit.

➖ A few notes of world-building didn’t land for us. We kept looking to make this into a puzzle.

➕ Much whimsy. There was even a musical number!

➕ We loved recognizing fairytale characters in this world, and how we got to interact with them as part of the gameplay.

➕ CU Adventures transformed their game space so many times, with a simple, magical mechanic that we adored.

➕ We delighted in the oversized props. They sold the fiction.

➕ The gameplay made us feel sneaky, and crafty. It made us feel smart.

➖ Certain areas of the set lacked polish, sometimes in ways that unintentionally impacted the gameplay. Because of how players move through the set and interact with it, there were places to make it more clear that the set was meant to be further prodded. We were too gentle.

➕ There was depth and meaning to the narrative of The Forest of Fables. Furthermore, the narrative was deeply integrated into the gameplay. Even the most puzzle-focused players will engage with it, and understand the plot twist.

REPOD

During our first season of REPOD, we sat down with Anne and Chris Lukeman, the owners of CU Adventures in Time & Space to discuss where they get their design inspiration and what it’s like running an escape room in a smaller community.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.
• There is a live, in game actor.
• We recommend Black Dog for their burnt ends and brisket.

Book your hour with CU Adventures in Time & Space’s The Forest of Fables, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: CU Adventures in Time & Space comped our tickets for this game.