Room Escape Artist

Urine for a treat

Location: Crystal Lake, IL

Date Played: April 25, 2025

Team Size: up to 10; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30 per player for 4 or more players

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: None that we can think of

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Few classic escape rooms land the introduction as well as Last Call. From the opening moments, Game Theory Escapes had us enchanted with their unique blend of history and silliness.

As the intro faded into the mid-game, we found an extremely traditional escape room in a lightly themed environment. Put another way, Game Theory Escapes didn’t channel the momentum of the intro into something more. The rest of the game played out well-enough. It’s a fine escape room.

The struggle was that Last Call wants to be more. There is an ember of greatness here, and I would love nothing more than to see that ember turn into a blaze of glory. The possibility is there. As it stands, this is a classic escape room with more charm than the norm, and the potential to be so much more. If you’re in the area and want to slip another game into your schedule, this one is worth visiting for the intro alone… but I really hope that Game Theory Escapes pushes their concepts a little harder, because they are onto something here.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Any experience level

Why play?

• A very funny intro
• Solid, classic escape room play

Story

January 26, 1986, Chicago. It’s Super Bowl night and da Bears are playing the Pats. The bartender announced last call, and after a long night of drinking, we figured that we had time to go… relieve ourselves. We underestimated how much time we had.

Setting

Last Call was set within a bar (and its bathroom). Aesthetically, the bathroom looked a lot like a bathroom, whereas the bar had all of the right components, but didn’t quite feel like any bar that I have set foot in. It was however, more than sufficient as a bar-themed escape room setting.

Gameplay

Game Theory Escapes’ Last Call was a standard escape room with a low level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, solving puzzles… and for some football fans, not getting too distracted.

Analysis

➕ The opening moments of this game were hilarious, as we all realized we were, in fact, trapped in the bathroom of a bar. It was an amusing premise, conveyed instantly and unambiguously by the set.

➖ While the set was thematic, and the decor thoughtful, it didn’t really feel authentic in the second act. There was opportunity to make the game world feel more lived in.

➕ The puzzles were well-clued, and largely worked into the props of first the bathroom, and then the bar. We loved observing details that were funny and relevant to gameplay.

➖ Many of the puzzles solved to number codes. There was an opportunity for better lock-mapping, so that we would know immediately where to input any given solution.

➕ For teams that solve Last Call quickly, a bonus puzzle may appear. We loved how a narrative-twist justified its entry into the game.

🏈 Game Theory went all in on the theming, even down to the iconic Super Bowl vibe. If you have non-puzzler friends who will get a kick out of this theme, there’s something for them too. Just don’t bring a whole team who will get distracted!

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.

Book your hour with Game Theory Escapes’ Last Call, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Game Theory Escapes provided media discounted tickets for this game.