Category: Escape Center

Challenge accepted

Location: Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel

Date Played: May 11, 2022

Team Size: 4-12; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 75 minutes

Price: 135 NIS per player for 4 players to 110 NIS per player for 7+ players

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: All players must crawl and climb (ask your GM if this is a concern)

Emergency Exit Rating: We’re unsure what fire escape measures there were, if any. More Info.

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The Intervention was an absolutely legendary adventure.

Loosely themed around How I Met Your Mother, the true focus of this game was the character of Barney Stinson. The significance of this theming goes yet a level deeper: Neil Patrick Harris, the actor who portrayed Barney, is a massive escape room fan in real life. (Listen to NPH talk about puzzles, escape rooms, and more on Season 2 of Reality Escape Pod.)

While The Intervention was rooted in the world of HIMYM, the story was original. Through this approach, even players unfamiliar with HIMYM will still experience a cohesive, self-standing narrative arc throughout The Intervention. For me, this is the ideal way in which to pay true homage to source material, without feeling like a cheap knockoff or incoherent patchwork of references.

The Intervention excelled in many dimensions. A sprawling set meticulously rendered each scene with stunning realism. Puzzles and story together drove forward our adventure with compelling, if at times ridiculous, reasons for our being there. Environmental ahas, puzzle ahas, and unexpected transitions were plentiful. Across all these dimensions, the pacing and flow was spot on.

The Intervention is one of the top escape rooms in Israel. Kami Temple is equally a must-play, and which of these two games will be your favorite is but a matter of personal preference. With these two top-notch rooms, Escape Center has established themselves as a rising global escape room destination.

Continue reading “Escape Center – The Intervention [Review]” →

Shuriken be a good time

Location: Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel

Date Played: May 11, 2022

Team Size: 2-7 (2 only Sunday through Wednesday); we recommend 2-3

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: 140 NIS per player for 3 players to 110 NIS per player for 6+ players

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: All players must crawl (but there is a way around)

Emergency Exit Rating: We’re unsure what fire escape measures there were, if any. More Info.

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Kami Temple was a masterpiece in escape room puzzle design.

Unabashedly a puzzle-centric experience, Kami Temple served up a multi-course tasting menu of smooth, satisfying ahas. Each puzzle mechanic was distinct, and each was seamlessly integrated within the Japanese temple. Nothing felt trivial. Nothing felt insurmountable. Each and every puzzle in Kami Temple impressively hit that sweet spot right in the middle.

Along the way, a stunning set and moodily colorful lighting strongly supported this puzzle feast.

Though Kami Temple was a good deal smaller than The Intervention, both rooms had a notably high caliber of set design. This level of polish, intricacy, and budget was a step above any other escape room we played in the country.

Kami Temple and The Intervention are amongst the top escape rooms in Israel. Both are premium, highly memorable experiences in wildly different ways. Absolutely try to play both if you have time. If you have to choose between the two, Kami Temple is better suited for smaller, puzzle-loving teams, whereas The Intervention can accommodate a larger team and has more of a balance between puzzle, narrative, and adventure.

Continue reading “Escape Center – Kami Temple [Review]” →