Category: Philadelphia

“Escape rooms are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” – Benjamin Franklin

Location:  Philadelphia, PA

Date Played: June 13, 2021

Team size: up to 10; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30 per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

A Quest for Freedom is Olde City Escape Games’ original experience. It’s a good, traditional escape room set against a fantastic theme.

Escape room fans who have visited Philly over the past few years have consistently told us, “You have to go to Olde City to play Midnighters.” While I agree, Midnighters is great fun, I feel like A Quest for Freedom deserves some love.

With a venue a few blocks from the Liberty Bell, a game themed around Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution is as sensible as it is obligatory… and Olde City did a great job with the concept. It looks the part, has a unique character, and played well.

From a gameplay perspective, A Quest for Freedom was especially non-linear with many puzzle paths opening up more or less at once. This made it a little challenging to figure out where an individual thread of gameplay began, but it was always clear when it had concluded.

There were a few puzzles that felt like they could have been a bit more refined, but overall, this was a strong experience, especially for the region. If you’re near Philadelphia, Olde City Escape Games is a must-visit and I recommend playing everything they have to offer, not just Midnighters.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• History buffs
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• An elegant 18th century set
• Puzzle-focused play with good variety
• Thematically fits with the character of Philadelphia and the neighborhood that Olde City Escape Games occupies

Story

It was 1776 and Benjamin Franklin had just been appointed ambassador to France. As he embarked on a mission to secure a $10 million loan from France to fund the rebellion, Franklin sought our help. We had to search his office and print shop to help him assemble his argument with 7 American Reasons.

Stranger Heists

Location:  Philadelphia, PA

Date Played: June 13, 2021

Team size: up to 10; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30 per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Imagine Stranger Things and Rocky mashed together into an escape room and you have The Midnighters: a puzzle-focused escape game in a compelling boxing gym setting with a sci-fi backstory. It’s kind of nuts in a good way.

Where I found myself wanting more from The Midnighters was in tying the story to the interactions. There was a deep backstory, and it certainly permeated the experience, but I never felt like I was truly living the story. There was also a puzzle that was difficult to track. We got there with a hint, but I don’t think that we would have been able to confidently follow it through without that external confirmation.

Overall, this was among the strongest games that we’ve played in Philadelphia, along with Olde City’s first game A Quest For Freedom. Olde City is a regional must-play.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Stranger Things fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Unusual story and staging
• Fun puzzles

Story

Philadelphia, 1988: we’d long suspected that Uncle Mick had been the culprit of “The Heist of ‘79.” A lunar rock had gone missing and the family had always thought Mick was behind this. Our group of friends had decided to break into Mick’s gym, Brotherly Love Boxing Club, and steal the rock from him. We call ourselves The Midnighters.