Room Escape Artist

Stones, bones, and throne

Location: Holmdel, NJ

Date Played: November 9, 2025

Team Size: 2-10; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $39 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: None that we are aware of

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

From the opening moments, we knew that Curse of the Hidden Temple wasn’t an average temple-ish escape room. Our first action immediately shed light on the design philosophy.

Throughout our experience in Curse of the Hidden Temple, we were continually impressed with how PuzzleConnect used lighting and sound to give puzzle feedback and progress game flow, direct our attention, and amp up the excitement. These subtle details had outsized impact on our experience in the game.

While the opening set wasn’t especially impressive, the intensity built deeper within the game; the temple looked great. Both the set and the props were detailed. PuzzleConnect’s commitment to post production enabled 3D printed props to feel at home in their ancient world.

The gameplay flowed well, a slower processes puzzles notwithstanding, and offered opportunities for collaboration and communication.

If you’re looking for an escape room in central New Jersey with broad appeal, look no further. PuzzleConnect offers a great experience and (as of this writing) Curse of the Hidden Temple is the most impressive game in their lineup. We look forward to what they build next. PuzzleConnect has emerged as one of the standout escape room companies in New Jersey.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Indiana Jones fans
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Satisfying puzzle solves
• Well-crafted set and props
• The dramatic finale

Story

We had approached an ancient temple in the Amazon rainforest that was guarded by a curse that none had yet managed to break. To unlock the temple’s secrets, we would need to solve the ancient mysteries to break this curse.

Setting

We began just outside the temple, where previous explorers had set up camp, and left various notes and maps. The room was equipped with a desk, a stove, and various outdoorsy props. The temple doors loomed in front of us.

The temple – once we gained entrance – was a more impressive set with carved walls, a throne, and a sarcophagus centerpiece.

Gameplay

PuzzleConnect’s Curse of the Hidden Temple was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.

Analysis

➕ The set looked great. The large set pieces transformed the originally strip-mall space into someplace else. The painting and weathering added a lot to the aesthetic and supported the idea that we’d stumbled into something ancient and hidden.

➕ PuzzleConnect used light strategically for gameplay and dramatic effect. From the onset, light led our path beautifully. Throughout the game, many of our favorite moments involved lighting our spaces through in-world interactions.

➕ The 3D printed prompts looked and felt great. They raised the quality of in-game interactions. The detailed post-production work kept them from feeling like modern interlopers in an ancient space.

➖ Despite excellent attention to detail, Curse of the Hidden Temple had a few anachronisms. One larger set piece didn’t physically fit in the earlier act, but felt out of place in the later portion of the game. A few locks also looked out of place.

➕ We appreciated the difficulty arc of the puzzles, starting with more approachable solves and building up to more layered puzzles, and some well-concealed reveals.

➖ One puzzle overstayed its welcome, requiring substantial reading and repetitive action long after we’d had the aha.

➕ Although we finished this game well ahead of the 60-minute game clock, Curse of the Hidden Temple still amped up the intensity of the finale. PuzzleConnect used lighting and sound to add drama and real sense of urgency.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.
• There are ample food options nearby within Bell Works.
• This game originally came from Giant Dream Productions, but PuzzleConnect made a lot of their own modifications, especially in puzzle design.

Book your hour with PuzzleConnect’s Curse of the Hidden Temple, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: PuzzleConnect comped our tickets for this game.