5 Wits Archives - Room Escape Artist

5 Wits Foxboro, MA – 20,000 Leagues [Review]

17 August 20188 February 2019 by Lisa Spira, posted in 5 Wits, Massachusetts, Reviews

“Trains, like time and tides stop for no one.” -Jules Verne

Location: Foxboro, MA

Date Played: July 15, 2018

Team size: 2-15; we recommend 3-6

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $19.99 per ticket for one adventure, $24.99 for two adventures

Ticketing: Public (contact them for private games)

REA Reaction

20,000 Leagues was beautiful. At times the gameplay dragged. At times the puzzles were surprisingly challenging. Above all else, it was an immersive adventure in a spacious, detailed, elaborate environment.

If you’re familiar with 5 Wits, know that the Foxboro location offers longer, actor-lead adventures. 20,000 Leagues is only offered at the Foxboro location.

5 Wits was more about the adventure than the puzzles. If that’s appealing, and you’re anywhere near Boston, this is worth a visit, especially if you have children with you.

Who is this for?

Adventure seekers
Story seekers
Scenery snobs
Sci-fi fans
Families
Any experience level

Why play?

A magnificent and massive set
Great approachable puzzle sequences
Family friendly entertainment

Story

Our trip to the Jules Verne museum took a turn for the fantastic when we stumbled upon the long-hidden submarine Nautilus. Once under the depths of the sea, however, we had a lot of work to do. Captain Nemo’s old vessel wasn’t exactly in mint condition.

Setting

We entered the Jules Verne museum for our tour of their collection. Through an unexpected accident we ultimately found ourselves traveling 20,000 leagues in the legendary Nautilus. From there our experience traversed the massive boat.

The set was beautiful, weathered, detailed, and wide open (which didn’t necessarily feel like a submarine, but did help keep things comfortable).

Gameplay

5 Wits’ 20,000 Leagues was a family-friendly adventure guided by an actor with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around puzzling and enjoying the large and detailed set.

Analysis

+ 20,000 Leagues was aesthetically beautifully from entrance to exit.

– While the opening sequence in the museum was a cute idea, wandering among paintings and some basic exhibits was far from an exciting opening. It took a long time for the experience to start delivering serious interactive excitement.

+ The transition moment from museum to submarine was surprising, humorous, and entertaining.

+ We enjoyed many of the spatial reasoning puzzles in 20,000 Leagues, some which especially got our brains in gear.

+ There was an honestly challenging puzzle sequence in 20,000 Leagues. Solving this felt especially satisfying.

– One segment relied too heavily on precise color perception. It was more frustrating than engaging.

+/- There were great opportunities for team work throughout 20,000 Leagues… but I certainly would not want to play it with a group of more than 6 engaged players.

? Some of the best puzzles from 20,000 Leagues reemerged in 5 Wits’ newer games at other locations: Drago’s Castle and Deep Space. We genuinely enjoyed solving these again, but it had been a long time since we’d played those other games.

+ 20,000 Leagues surfaced theatrically. It was a dramatic conclusion with exciting effects that engaged the entire group.

Tips for Visiting

5 Wits is located at Patriot’s Place, near the cinema.
There are many food options at Patriot’s Place.
20,000 Leagues is entirely wheelchair accessible.

Book your hour with 5 Wits’ 20,000 Leagues, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

5 Wits Foxboro, MA – Espionage [Review]

26 July 20188 February 2019 by Lisa Spira, posted in 5 Wits, Massachusetts, Reviews

“Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”

Location: Foxboro, MA

Date Played: July 15, 2018

Team size: 2-15; we recommend 3-6

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $19.99 per ticket for one adventure, $24.99 for two adventures

Ticketing: Public (contact them for private games)

REA Reaction

5 Wits’ original Espionage in Foxboro, MA was bookended with awesomeness. The clandestine introduction and dynamic conclusion were leaps and bounds beyond what we had experienced in the more recent, more technology-driven version. In the middle, we saw segments that had been carried over into the updated experience and a section that… we can see why it got cut.

If you’re familiar with 5 Wits, know that the Foxboro location offers longer, actor-led adventures.

5 Wits is more about the adventure than the puzzles. If that’s appealing, and you’re anywhere near Boston, this is worth a visit, especially if you have children with you.

Who is this for?

Adventure seekers
Story seekers
Scenery snobs
Secret agents at heart
Families
Any experience level

Why play?

A massive set with some beautiful sections.
A creative and exciting opening sequence.
A brilliant and magical closing sequence.

Story

Our team of spies had been sent into the headquarters of a nefarious organization known as The Cabal. Our mission was to find stolen satellite plans, identify the mole within our own organization, and do so without being discovered.

Setting

Our adventure began in an old rug shop, a front for our covert organization and a listening post. After receiving our mission, we descended into the Cabal’s base and began infiltrating their security.

From there, we explored an ever-changing series of corridors and research labs. Most of the experience was incredibly detailed and incorporated more than a little magic to keep things interesting.

Gameplay

5 Wits’ Espionage was a family-friendly adventure guided by an actor, with a lower level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around puzzling, navigating physical challenges, and enjoying the large and detailed set.

Analysis

+ We entered this undercover operation… under cover. The opening sequence was charming, interactive, approachable, and exciting.

+ Our guide Angela was energetic, humorous, and a lot of fun.

– We received substantial mission intel through video recordings. Most of these overstayed their welcome.

+ We brought mission-critical tools with us on our adventure. We could choose to access them as it seemed appropriate. This stayed true to the story and worked well.

+ Our guide also carried our gear around with us; it was never a burden.

+ Espionage included a few more challenging cerebral puzzles that relied on logic and reasoning.

– One set was filled with red herrings. We did not enjoy a search-focused segment in a room where anything felt like it could be relevant.

– One puzzle required substantial guesswork. We were hesitant to guess, wondering if we’d missed some information. We would have preferred some cluing.

+/- Espionage had some beautiful segments, but a fair amount of this game was aesthetically a step down from all of the other experiences we’ve had with 5 Wits.

+ The concluding sequence was brilliantly designed and appeared magical. 5 Wits tricked our senses to end Espionage with a bang.

? We reviewed Espionage at 5 Wits’ Syracuse location more than three years ago. The two versions follow the same mission and incorporate many of the same sets, structure, and puzzles, but they aren’t identical. There are segments that differ between the two. Additionally, the older Espionage in Foxboro is guided, while the newer version in Syracuse (NY) and Plymouth Meeting (PA) is automated, with only voiceover and video guidance. If you enjoy 5 Wits’ adventures, it’s worth playing both versions, but maybe not in too short a span of time.

Tips for Visiting

5 Wits is located at Patriot Place, near the cinema.
There are many food options at Patriot Place.
At least one team member must be able to crawl through a small space.
At least one team member must be comfortable with a more physical challenge.

Book your hour with 5 Wits’ Espionage, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

5 Wits West Nyack, NY [Overview Review]

17 January 201721 June 2017 by David Spira, posted in 5 Wits, Buffalo / Niagara, New Jersey, Reviews

The cream.

Location: West Nyack, NY

Date played: November 20, 2016

Team size: 2-15; we recommend 4-6

Duration: 30 minutes per game

Price: $17.99 per ticket for one adventure, discounted if you play multiple adventures

What’s 5 Wits?

Founded in 2004, 5 Wits has offered incredible immersive puzzle adventures with Disney-level production value since long before escape rooms popped up in Budapest and Tokyo.

We reviewed four of their games in 2015 and loved them. They weren’t quite escape rooms, and the folks from 5 Wits would be the first to tell you that, but the core concept of puzzling through a timed adventure absolutely overlapped.

Game reviews

Located in the Palisades Mall, the West Nyack 5 Wits facility has three of the four games offered at their Syracuse location. We reviewed all of these in 2015 and we’re standing behind those reviews (even though they are in our older style), while adding a few additional notes specific to the experiences we had in West Nyack.

Tomb

5 Wits Syracuse – Tomb

The Tomb in West Nyack had an updated middle section. That segment of the game had a completely different set of challenges from the ones offered in Syracuse. As great as the Syracuse game was, the new one was leaps and bounds better.

Deep Space

5 Wits Syracuse – Deep Space

When we played Deep Space in Syracuse, it had just opened and we encountered some bugs in the gameplay. None of those bugs was present during our playthrough in West Nyack. It was an impressive sci-fi adventure oozing with pop culture references and a few honest challenges.

Deep Space had a puzzle in it that was a riff on a classic video game. When we played Deep Space in Syracuse, we were a group of adults. This time, however, we brought friends and their pre-teen daughters. During this playthrough, we noticed that while that particular interaction design was intuitive to adults, the girls were baffled by that portion of the game.

Drago’s Castle

5 Wits Syracuse –Drago’s Castle

Drago’s Castle remained our favorite of the 5 Wits games; I may have liked it even more on the second playthrough. To the best of my memory, it was identical to the game we played in Syracuse and I cannot possibly recommend it more highly.

Should I visit 5 Wits in West Nyack, NY?

Whether you’re visiting Syracuse, West Nyack, or Albany (the games in Albany were produced in tandem with those in West Nyack), 5 Wits is worth a few hours’ visit.

Each game offered an immersive experience with beautiful set design, compelling puzzles, and mind-boggling automation.

If you have adventurous kids about 8-12 years old, it’s a must visit.

If you’re an escape room enthusiast who loves brilliant tech and scenery, it’s a must visit.

If you’re an escape room owner or potential owner, you need to visit 5 Wits. You’ll feel like you’re looking at the future. Then you’ll realize that they have been doing this for years.

Book your sessions with 5 Wits and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Full disclosure: 5 Wits comped our tickets for these games.

5 Wits – Deep Space [Review]

22 September 201510 August 2017 by David Spira, posted in 5 Wits, Buffalo / Niagara, New Jersey, Reviews, Syracuse

“I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Location: Syracuse, New York

Date played: August 31, 2015

Team size: 2-15; we recommend 4-6

Duration: 30 minutes

Price: $17.99 per ticket for one adventure, discounted if you play multiple adventures

Theme & story

“After no contact for years, and assumed destroyed, there’s been a distress signal from the starship Nebulous! You have just 30 minutes to teleport aboard the craft, figure out what happened and get back safely. But be prepared to battle an asteroid storm, rewire the engines, refuel the power supply and stop an evil Artificial Intelligence in time to save the world!”

This game was equal parts Star Trek, Portal, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

We were repairing a failing starship with a psychopathic AI “helping” us. The AI was basically one joke about your weight away from being GLaDOS.

As a sci-fi puzzle nerd, the setup couldn’t be more my speed.

Staging

As with the other games we’ve played at 5 Wits in Syracuse, the 5 Wits production quality was in full swing here.

From start to finish, the look and feel of this game was staggeringly cool. There was a moment early in this game that made me forget I was in a game; that doesn’t happen often enough.

Captain’s chair

There was a captain’s chair on the bridge. I confess that sitting in it filled me with joy.

Bugs & prompting

During our playthrough there were buttons and puzzles that didn’t work.

This is 5 Wits’ newest game (we saw it under construction during our visit in May). While the game looked exceptionally polished, it was buggy.

In two separate instances, we know we solved puzzles correctly, but our solutions didn’t register with the system.

Then there was the puzzle where we had no idea what to do. Maybe our team missed something, but I don’t know what was expected of us during the “refuel the power supply” portion of the game. We needed more prompting.

Should I play 5 Wits’ Deep Space?

5 Wits is just as much a playground as it is a puzzle game. The spaces that they have fabricated are such a pleasure to inhabit.

It is worth seeing the automation, engineering, and care that went into building Deep Space. Even if I had known it would be a buggy experience, I probably would have played it anyway. 5 Wits creates a wonderful escapist experience.

This is billed as the most challenging game 5 Wits has to offer and it is. But in its current state, some of that difficulty is likely derived from bugs and minimal instruction.

5 Wits Syracuse’s three other games, Drago’s Castle, Tomb, and Espionage are stronger games, so if you need to choose among them, skip Deep Space for now. But if you have time, it’s well worth the $3 extra dollars it costs to tack this one on.

Book your time with 5 Wits Deep Space, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Full disclosure: 5Wits comped our tickets for this game.

5 Wits – Drago’s Castle [Review]

10 September 201523 November 2018 by Lisa Spira, posted in 5 Wits, Buffalo / Niagara, New Jersey, Reviews, Syracuse

From start to finish, this is 5 Wits’ best creation.

Location: Syracuse, New York

Date played: August 31, 2015

Team size: 2-15; we recommend 4-6

Duration: 30 minutes

Price: $17.99 per ticket for one adventure, discounted if you play multiple adventures

Theme & story

The game started with a video projected onto a colossal story book; the characters came to life and so did the game. The intro was equal parts impressive and fun.

Drago’s Castle was impeccably themed from our initial interaction with the game through the dramatic conclusion.

Physicality

Characteristic of 5 Wits’ games, Drago’s Castle was fully interactive. We pulled, pushed, and placed large game elements. As we moved between the rooms of this castle, we unlocked gates, opened imposing doors, and crawled through a passage.

This felt like a real life Zelda game, and based on the wonderful and not-so-subtle Zelda reference, the game designers knew it.

Teamwork

5 Wits designs their games around teamwork, but in this game a few puzzles actually required multiple players. Mostly, more players sped these puzzles along. But in one instance, the additional people participating were an added challenge. I’m confident that anyone of us could have solved the puzzle quickly on our own, but as a group we intellectually tripped over one another. This variety was interesting.

Set design

The set design was out of this world. Literally. We were in a castle chasing a beast.

In all seriousness, the rooms and their puzzles were thematically appropriate with awe-inspiring theatrical production value.

Climax

As the story reached completion, Drago’s Castle delivered a dramatic climactic moment that wowed us. We were all grinning. Young players might be scared. It was surprisingly exciting.

Escape room genre

Of the four games 5 Wits offers in Syracuse, Drago’s Castle was the most like a traditional escape room.

The puzzles drew on different intelligences – spacial, logical, pattern based, observational – and were of the type found in a more traditional escape room. They were more challenging than many other 5 Wits puzzles, but children will still be able to engage with them.

Automatic reset

Through ingenious set design, this game continually reset itself after we completed each puzzle. Half the fun is trying to figure out what’s different for the next team to pass through.

Should I play 5 Wits’ Drago’s Castle?

You have to appreciate the 5 Wits style of game to truly enjoy Drago’s Castle. It was physically interactive and less intellectually challenging than a traditional escape room. It transported us into a fairy tale and the set created the magic.

I recommend Drago’s Castle to families. But I also recommend it to adults; our team of four adults had a great time.

Furthermore, I recommend it to players interested in theatrics and engineering. The production value far exceeded industry standards.

Book your time with 5 Wits’ Drago’s Castle and tell them the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Full disclosure: 5Wits comped our tickets for this game.

5 Wits Syracuse – Espionage [Review]

24 May 201510 August 2017 by Lisa Spira, posted in 5 Wits, Reviews, Syracuse

An enhanced playground experience.

Location: Syracuse, New York

Date played: May 15, 2015

Team size: 2-15; we recommend 4-6

Duration: 30 minutes

Price: $17.99 per ticket for one adventure, discounted if you play multiple adventures

Plot

“The Fate of the Free World Depends on You!

Time is ticking and everything is on the line when the evil CABAL Corporation threatens the world. Do you have what it takes to infiltrate an enemy base and disarm the missiles before it’s too late?

Dodge lasers, crawl through vents, defuse a giant missile and stop a madman from triggering a world war in this action packed spy thriller! Every puzzle you solve, challenge you conquer, and mistake you make will change the outcome, so stay sharp, move fast-and don’t get caught!”

Espionage

You are the team that has been tasked with disarming a missile to save the world. A kid-friendly agent personality leads you through a series of puzzles culminating in this task. Espionage is the most physically involved of the games that 5 Wits offers in Syracuse. Players feel that they are infiltrating high command.

Puzzle difficulty

The puzzles in Espionage are less cerebral than those in their other game, Tomb. They are significantly less intellectually challenging than those in traditional room escape games.

The challenge derives from their physicality. Crawl precisely; hit the buttons quickly. They rely on nimble teamwork.

There's a laser-grid that is larger than most escape games! — There’s a laser-grid that is larger than most escape games!

The experience

The game feels like you’re infiltrating an enemy base. As with the Tomb, it’s kind of nuts. The look, the feel, and the sounds are all on-point.

For a more about the 5 Wits experience, design and production value, see our aforementioned review of Tomb.

The environment

There is an intensity to the environment in Espionage that pushes the game forward. The scale and variety in the game are impressive. The setting greatly elevates the puzzles.

Still, Espionage has a playground feel that is unlikely to intimidate a child. In fact, I imagine children will want to loop through these puzzles again and again… I know that I would have.

Like a playground, it is infinitely re-playable for children (less so for adults).

Should I play 5Wits Syracuse’s Espionage?

If you were a playground kid, you’ll love how 5 Wits integrates that rush into the escape room experience.

If you have kids and want to incorporate mentally stimulating games into a physically interactive environment, this room is a must.

If you have trouble with mobility, this isn’t the game for you. But you could still accompany children or friends to experience it from the sidelines. At the very least, you’ll have quite a sight to watch.

If you’re an escape game designer looking to create more physically involved puzzles or understand the possible scale of environment, you should play. 5 Wits sets the bar incredibly high.

If you’re focused more on the intellectual puzzle aspect of games, this isn’t the game for you. However, I recommend you try one of their other games just to experience the production value. If you are in the area, you should play, just for comparison.

You don’t go to 5 Wits to test your mind, and you especially don’t play Espionage for that reason. But there are other reasons to play this game.

No need to book in advance, just head over to 5 Wits Syracuse and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Images via 5 Wits Syracuse

5 Wits Syracuse – Tomb [Review]

21 May 201521 November 2018 by David Spira, posted in 5 Wits, Reviews, Syracuse

An awe inspiring game, with Disney-level production value and family friendly puzzles.

Location: Syracuse, New York

Date played: May 15, 2015

Team size: 2-15; we recommend 4-6

Duration: 30 minutes

Price: $17.99 per ticket for one adventure, discounted if you play multiple adventures

Plot

Prove your worthiness and survive to tell the tale!

Enter a 3,000 year old tomb with only a flashlight and your wits to guide you! At an archaeological dig, you find yourself deep in an Egyptian tomb… face to face with the spirit of an ancient Pharaoh! Are you brave enough to make it out alive?

The only way to survive will be to best the Pharaoh at his own game and prove your worthiness… but watch out for traps along the way! Test your skills in this amazing adventure thousands of years in the making!

Tomb

Tomb is an Indiana Jones-esque crypt raid where you disturb the ghost of a dead pharaoh who puts you through a series of challenges. This is billed as the more cerebral 5 Wits offering, and has more mentally challenging puzzles than their other games. Still, escaping the tomb isn’t difficult.

The experience

The game feels like you’re in a pyramid. It’s kind of nuts. The look, the feel, and the sounds are all on-point.

I have to imagine that the experience must be intensely cool for children (and maybe a bit too much for sensitive kids).

Literally every single puzzle is physically involved.

The game has a production value that is a few orders of magnitude greater than anything we have seen from any other escape game company.

Automation

A team of 2-15 players will begin with a recorded briefing (with solid, kid friendly acting), and advance into the first room. Everything from this point in the game is fully automated; the game mechanics push the team into each of the subsequent three rooms. Each team completes the game in 20 – 30 minutes.

The game mechanics are designed so that players reset the room for the next team. This allows 5 Wits to have a team in each of the four rooms at one time. It’s impressive. It is designed such that teams can’t butt up against each other.

Should I play 5 Wits Syracuse’s Tomb?

Yeah, you probably should.

If you’re an escape game designer, and you want to understand how high the bar is set for production value, go to 5 Wits.

If you have kids and want to do something fun and mentally stimulating with them, then you must go.

If you’re a live action puzzle enthusiast, this isn’t going to present a serious challenge to you, but I think you should see it if you’re near one of their locations (Syracuse, NY, Foxboro, MA, and they will be opening in West Nyack, NY soon). However I wouldn’t recommend rounding up a whole team and traveling specifically to play Tomb.

If you’re going to 5 Wits looking to test your mind, you’re profoundly missing the point. This is about the experience, family-friendly fun, and the brilliance of a fully automated escape game that reset itself.

No need to book in advance, just head over to 5-Wits Syracuse and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Images via 5 Wits Syracuse