Rating: Normal

A Cursed Crypt? Where the Hell Was the Cryptkeeper? I LOVED that guy! – Room: The Cursed Crypt – February 13, 2017 – PLAY-TESTED

~ Jason ~ 3 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’ve ever yelled “Goonies Never Say Die!” or did the truffle shuffle.

Avoid if… you’re scared of dead bodies. Or rats. Or spiders. Or the dark. Or graves. Or tombs.

THE BASICS

Escape Room Herndon:

Address: 404 Elden St, Herndon, VA 20170 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 571-306-2279
https://www.escaperoomherndon.com

The Room – The Cursed Crypt: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): You’re a group of adventurers who’ve stumbled onto the tale of Chester Copperpot, a reclusive treasure hunter who’s gone missing. Your travels have brought you in front of this Cursed Crypt.

Through the darkened chamber doors, the candle shivers, casting shadows upon the entrance to the tomb. There within its cold walls, a mystery awaits in the darkness. Symbols cover the walls. Skulls litter the floor, and the graves of the dead fill the room with fiendish surprises. Here in this crypt, your team must uncover the riddle and discover the hidden treasure Copperpot never could before the devil knows you’re there.

Difficulty (1-10): 6/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 4-6

Staging Area: A pretty large lobby with a few bar tables and chairs, and a lounge with couches and chairs and tables.

Metro Access/Parking: It’s in Herndon so you’re better off driving.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

This is the video we took just after we completed the room:

Note: The ERG were given the opportunity to try out this room for free, with the understanding that we would continue to provide an honest review and follow the same process we’ve used on all of our other ratings.

Logistics:

Description of the room: You start off in a graveyard with a large stone wall, presumably the crypt. Can you find your way inside?

Understanding of the Mission: Find your way inside the Cursed Crypt, solve the puzzles, find the treasure, and secure the golden key that will allow you to escape from certain death.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: An even 10 minutes

Our Suggested Party Size: 4 was great. 5 could work too.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Mark and Eric

The ERG and their Disturbed Friends (Mark and Eric) went treasure hunting for pirate gold! Did we find the doubloons or were we sealed in the Cursed Crypt?

Worth the time and money? Yes, but it’s closing at the end of the February 2018.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

We have the Holy Hand Grenade, Sire! – Room: Kings Ransom – August 17, 2017

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love English history, or Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Avoid if… you are useless in a hostage situation.

THE BASICS

Escape Quest Inc:

Address: 1127 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-574-8175
alexandria@escapequestdc.com
https://escapequestdc.com/

The Room – King’s Ransom:

Description (from the company website): You and your friends are locked inside the King’s royal chambers, tasked with finding a hidden coffer of gold and saving the King from certain death. His chambers are riddled with secrets and hide his most valuable assets. See their video trailer below.

Difficulty (1-10): 8/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $34

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-10

Staging Area: Lobby has a lot of space to sit on couches and chairs, and the tables have a few puzzles to work on and get your mind revved up before starting your room. The front desk attendant will also offer a small bottle of water. Restrooms are right next to the lobby.

Metro Access/Parking: King Street metro w/ a .4 mile walk (or take the free King Street Trolley to N. Payne St.); street/garage parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

This is the video we took just after we completed the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: You walk in and there’s a giant table in the middle, a throne, fireplace, and other items relevant to the time period.

Understanding of the Mission: The King has been kidnapped (gasp!) and it’s up to you and your friends to figure out where the gold is hidden to pay his kidnappers for his safe return.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 25:33

Our Suggested Party Size: 5-6 should work fine if you all have done rooms before.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): JJ & Kristy, Sara & Eric, Mark, Alphoso, Margaret, Eric

Team Disturbed Friends (JJ, Kristy, Sara, Eric, Mike, Eric, Margaret, Jason, Alphonso, and Mark) found the treasure and were able to ransom the king!

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • Eamonn’s A Dublin Chipper – a great place to stop for some fish ‘n chips, and a nice cold beer.
  • Vermillion – stop in for a drink and some appetizers.
  • But, it’s Old Town and there are tons of places to eat and drink.

Continue reading →

Walker? I Barely Knew Her! Room: The Rising Dead – August 9, 2017 – PLAY-TESTED

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love The Walking Dead.

Avoid if… you have a fear of hospitals… or zombies… or hospitals with zombies in them.

THE BASICS

Laurel’s House of Horror and Escape Rooms:

Address: 935 Fairlawn Ave, Laurel, MD 20707 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 240-278-4545
http://www.laurelhaunt.com

The Room – The Rising Horror:

Description (from the company website): “The Rising Dead” is inspired by the hit zombie TV series, with hints of the hospital scene from the first season. This new game is one of our scariest yet, with the added pressure and motivation of a live-actor zombie. Can you get out of the quarantine room into the hospital lab? Bring your friends — you’ll need all the help you can get!

Formerly “Resident Horror”, this escape room experience has re-launched as “The Rising Dead” starting in August. A live actor is part of the experience* (incidental, but not intentional, touching may occur due to unpredictable activities of the dead).

Difficulty (1-10): 3/5 (medium difficulty)

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Cost: $30

Identifier: R2 (revamped from Resident Horror)

Party Size: up to 8 people

Staging Area: It’s in an old movie theater that is supposedly haunted, so pretty damn creepy.

Metro Access/Parking: Not metro accessible at all. The theater is in a strip mall so there is plenty of parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

This is the video we took just after we completed the room:

Note: The ERG were given the opportunity to try out this room for free, with the understanding that we would continue to provide an honest review and follow the same process we’ve used on all of our other ratings.

Logistics:

Description of the room: You start off in a hospital room that is connected to a hallway… and another room with a heavy lock on the door.

Understanding of the Mission: Make our way through the hospital, get to the lab, find the medicine, and escape before the zombies get us!

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 13 minutes

Our Suggested Party Size: We’d recommend 6 if you all have escape room experience; 8 if you have some newbies or ERVs (Escape Room Virgins) with you.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Mark, Eric, Shannon and three of the employees from Laurel’s House of Horror.

Team Disturbed Friends (Eric, Jason, Mike, Mark, and Shannon) found the cure and escaped the hospital of The Rising Dead! Zombie Heather photobombed us.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s in a shopping center in Laurel. Lots of places to eat. We had Five Guys before doing one of the previous rooms.

Continue reading →

The Games People Play… Room: The Game Museum: Evolution of Gaming – October 30, 2017 – PLAY-TESTED

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’ve been gaming your entire life. Or a part of it. Or you just like games.

Avoid if… you think board games are for kids, or are so competitive at Monopoly that your friends/family won’t play with you anymore (remember: Escape Rooms are cooperative experiences).

THE BASICS

Clue Carré: Metairie Location:

Address: 2712 Athania Parkway, Metarie, LA 70002 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 504-667-2583
https://www.cluecarre.com

Room – The Game Museum:

Description (from the company website): Welcome to the Evolution of Games exhibit at the Clue Carré Musuem of Games. As humanity has evolved over the centuries, so has our ability to fulfill possibly our most primal need: to play games. From thousand-year old games like Go and Mancala through today’s video and virtual-reality simulations, we have filled our free time with cards, boards, dice, and all manner of monsters to defeat. This time, the monsters are the games themselves. Can you play through the millennia of game history in under an hour, or will you be left staring at the two most dreaded words in history: GAME OVER?

Difficulty (1-10): N/A

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Up to 8

Staging Area: The location is on a residential street, so look for the sign. The seating area is comfortably set with couches and chairs. We are told that a private room for parties is in the works as well if you want to book your corporate event there.

Metro Access/Parking: You’ll need to Lyft/Uber unless you are local and have a car. Street parking may be limited.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took just after we completed the room:

Note: The ERG were given the opportunity to try out this room for free, with the understanding that we would continue to provide an honest review and follow the same process we’ve used on all of our other ratings.

Logistics:

Description of the room: It literally looks like a museum exhibit. As you scan the room, there are games posted to the walls with descriptions of each, along with a logical timeline from Stone Age dice all the way up to the present.

Understanding of the Mission: We’ve entered the museum exhibit and have to play all the games and beat the room within our hour-long tour before the next group gets its opportunity.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 6:15

Our Suggested Party Size: 4-6 is perfect. This room *can* be done with 1, but it would be very time consuming and you likely wouldn’t finish in time (there is a LOT to do in this room).

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): None

The ERG got to play test this really cool room down in Metairie, LA (while we were on vacation in New Orleans for Halloween).

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • We’re not local, so we suggest Google. There is a shopping center nearby, so there are likely lots of places to chow down and get some drinks.

Continue reading →

Lasers in Space?! What More Can You Ask For? – Room: Starbase Command – September 15, 2017 – DISTURBED FRIENDS REVIEW – PLAY-TEST

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you like space wars and ever had lightsaber battles with flashlights as a kid.

Avoid if… you don’t know Trek from Wars, or can’t follow directions.

THE BASICS

Escape Room Woodbridge (designed in collaboration with the Escape Room Guys):

Address: 12668 Darby Brook Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22912 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-910-6015
https://www.escaperoomwoodbridgeva.com
info@escaperoomwoodbridge.com

The Room – Starbase Command: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): An Elite Enemy Force has infiltrated your military compound on a distant planet. As Rebel Fighters, you’ve successfully fought them off. There is but one final task, to deactivate a deadly laser aimed at your home planet. Can you save your people from annihilation?

Difficulty (1-10): none listed

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28 + tax per person. – Use ERGUYS when booking to get either a percentage or set $$ amount off per ticket (whatever promotion is running)

Identifier: N1 (replaced Dr. Jones’ Apprentice)

Party Size: up to 8 people

Staging Area: Simple sitting area with couches. Restrooms are located in the back of the building past the Escape Rooms.

Metro Access/Parking: No metro access. This company is located in a shopping center and has ample parking. Watch traffic delays on I-95 and leave ample time to get there.

OUR EXPERIENCE

SPECIAL NOTE: As the Escape Room Guys, Mike and Jason, worked with Escape Room Woodbridge to design this room, they felt it would be a supreme conflict of interest for them to rate something they helped develop. To that end, this review is written by Disturbed Friends, Mark and Eric, who are members of our regular team and graciously agreed to substitute for us in writing and rating our sections below. Their reviews are untouched (with the exception of fixes to grammar or punctuation), unless otherwise “noted.” 

Logistics:

Description of the room: A remote intergalactic outpost (hmmm… this is very reminiscent of the Hoth scene in Empire Strikes Back).

Understanding of the Mission: Disable the laser before it destroys your home planet and the enemy reinforcements arrive. The mission was really well laid out to us before we went into the room, and we all knew exactly what we were looking for.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 16:40

Our Suggested Party Size: The room is rated for a max of 8 people. To get the full experience of the room, we would say that 8 is 2 people too many, and would not go in with more than 6. ERG Note: if your party of 8 consists mostly of of newbies or Escape Room Virgins (ERVs), the maximum rating will work fine.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes. Even though we were all escape room vets, the room still presented a challenge. If you have done escape rooms before, you will complete some of the puzzles quickly, but there were still many puzzles we had never seen before, and they presented a tough challenge.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Steph, Tara, Mark, and Aaron

Team UN-Disturbed Friends (Eric, Steph, Tara, Mark, and Aaron) saved their home planet by deactivating the laser!

Worth the time and money? Yes. The room was really well put together and the puzzles all made sense with the theme of the room it is definitely worth the time and money.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • Fair Winds Brewing Company – We hit up this place on a previous visit. Great place for beer flights, beers and some food truck grub.

Continue reading →

The Penitentiary Was Truly a Punishment – Room: The Penitentiary – July 15, 2017 – FAILED!

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’ve always wondered what it’s like being behind bars.

Avoid if… you are claustrophobic or scared of the dark.

THE BASICS

Omescape DC: LOCATION CLOSED

Address: 2406 18th Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20009 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 202 644 0825
omescapedc@gmail.com
http://omescapedc.com

The Room – The Penitentiary: RETIRED

Description (from the company website) (Note: this is the most recent and differs from the original storyline we were told): Saint Temple Prison is one of the most infamous military prisons in history. No one has ever escaped it. Until one night, all the prisoners vanished. They were never seen or heard of again. Rumors say the incident was related to a rampage killer named Richard Ramirez, aka “The Night Stalker”. Another prisoner found a weird-looking machine in the cell of “The Night Stalker” and disappeared the next day…

You wake up one day and find yourself locked in a cramped cell. You are cold and alone. Silence surrounds and holds you. Suddenly, you realize this is the mysterious cell in which “The Night Stalker” died. Your heart is pounding. No matter if this is a game, you know your only goal is to escape.

Difficulty (1-10): 5/5

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-12

Staging Area: The lobby is up a flight of stairs and has a small number of couches and tables. Also note that it’s above a restaurant, so be prepared for some…interesting…smells in the warmer weather.

Metro Access/Parking: Woodley Park / National Zoo and then walk .7 miles across the Calvert Street bridge into Adams Morgan. It’s Adams Morgan, so parking at night and on weekends can be really tricky. We suggest Uber or Lyft if that’s an option.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: This is supposed to be a prison, and as such you start off in cells that are opposite each other. There are 3 rooms (to start), including the 2 cells.

Understanding of the Mission: You wake up in the cell of an infamous prisoner and all you know is that everyone who stays in this cell disappears. So, you need to get the hell outta there!

Did We Escape: No; read on to find out why.

Time Remaining: :-/

Our Suggested Party Size: Minimum 6-8

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Valerie, Heather, Mark, Shannon

Worth the time and money? No

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

We Went Down (and Not in a Good Way) – Room: Titanic – June 16, 2017 – FAILED!

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you enjoy a good ocean cruise.

Avoid if… you have a fear of drowning, or just really, really hate Leonardo DiCaprio in that movie.

THE BASICS

Escape Room Live Georgetown

Address: 3345 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 800-616-4880
http://www.escaperoomlive.com/our-rooms
hi@escaperoomlive.com

The Room – Titanic:

Description (from the company website): Aboard the beautiful, new Titanic, you are surrounded by opulence on the journey of a lifetime… until you hit an iceberg. Trapped in your state room, can you find a way out using your ingenuity and wits before the water rises above the porthole?

Difficulty (1-10): 8/10

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Cost: $28 + tax per person but use ERGUYS15 when booking to save 15% off per ticket.

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 8-10

Staging Area: This is probably the swankiest location we’ve seen. Tons of seating AND A BAR (wine and beer, for Escapers only). There are also free lockers to stash your belongings before you enter the room.

Metro Access/Parking: Rosslyn metro and then a .9 mile walk across the Key Bridge. It’s Georgetown, so parking can be difficult (so definitely carpool and use the parking garage for Georgetown Mall (at Wisconsin and M, head down the hill towards K Street). We suggest Uber or Lyft.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

This is the video we took just after we completed the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter the room and find yourself in the opulent quarters on the unsinkable cruise ship, the Titanic.

Understanding of the Mission: Simple… escape your quarters and the level before time runs out (and your porthole fills with water).

Did We Escape: No (we needed another 30 seconds (Jason’s estimate) or 2 minutes (Mike’s estimate))

Time Remaining: grrrrrrr

Our Suggested Party Size: 6 should work fine

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes (Jason begs to differ)

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Whitney, Birgit and Mindy

Team Disturbed Friends (Mike, Whitney, Birgit, Mindy and Jason) were lost at sea when they failed to escape the Titanic.
Photo courtesy of Escape Room Live Georgetown’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes (if for nothing else than aesthetics)

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:  It’s Georgetown. Take your pick

Continue reading →

His Roar Was More Like a ‘Meow’… Room: Lion’s Den – June 10, 2017

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… your sleuthing skills are high and you love the smell of books.

Avoid if… you hate libraries.

THE BASICS

Immersion Escape Rooms:

Address: 2125 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 434-249-8797
https://www.immersionescaperooms.com
hello@immersionescaperooms.com

The Room – The Lion’s Den:

Description (from the company website): The Silver Lining computer virus is spreading and the world is now on the brink of total collapse. Alfred Roland, the CEO of Locus Industries, is harnessing its power to locate items of great value without remorse of the destruction it is causing. He is hosting a party at his private manor and Dave has been put on the guest list, thanks to some help from a friend. Jump into Dave’s shoes and sneak into Alfred’s study to disable the core of the virus. It’s a stealth mission, and security is on high alert at this corrupt billionaire’s abode.

Difficulty (1-10): N/A, but the record is 42:15 and it has only a 41% success rate

Time Limit:  60 minutes

Cost: $25

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-8

Staging Area: The location is downstairs in the strip mall and does not have an outside door to the parking lot (you have to go in through the building and down the stairs). Waiting area is clean, several chairs; place looks nice and cozy.

Metro Access/Parking: There’s no metro or anything nearby, but there is plenty of parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

This is the video we took just after we completed the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: You start off in a library surrounded by books. There’s a desk, a full wall of bookcases, and a podium with a map.

Understanding of the Mission: We had to break into the office and find out how to steal the virus. And then escape.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining:12 min

Our Suggested Party Size: A slightly larger group (7/8) is great for searching this room, as there’s a lot to look for.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Amanda, Mike, Corey, Brittany, Rohan

Team Disturbed Friends (Rohan, Amanda, Mike, Corey, Brittany, Mike and Jason) infiltrated the Lion’s Den and found the code for the computer virus!

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

I Don’t Remember Putting on That Ankle Bracelet… Room: House Arrest – June 10, 2017

~ Jason ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you live in a messy house or apartment. Or you think escaping death is thrilling.

Avoid if… you are prone to wetting yourself or truly believe the moon landing was faked.

THE BASICS

Immersion Escape Rooms:

Address: 2125 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 434-249-8797
https://www.immersionescaperooms.com
hello@immersionescaperooms.com

The Room – House Arrest:

Description (from the company website): The world is heading for a catastrophic collapse since the release of Silver Lining, a cloud-based computer virus developed by Locus Industries. Dave Benson, Chicago journalist and conspiracy theorist, knows this and Locus will stop at nothing to keep him quiet. Enter his apartment and retrace his steps during the final moments leading up to Locus’ arrival at his door. Does he get out in time? The story is in your hands.

Difficulty (1-10): N/A – website lists a 40% success rate with a record of 36:45.

Time Limit:  60 minutes

Cost: $25

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-8

Staging Area: The location is downstairs in the strip mall and does not have an outside door to the parking lot (you have to go in through the building and down the stairs). Waiting area is clean, several chairs; place looks nice and cozy.

Metro Access/Parking: There’s no metro or anything nearby, but there is plenty of parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

This is the video we took just after we completed the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter a small studio apartment that is somewhat in shambles. Obviously, the person living here has other things to be concerned about than regularly cleaning the place.

Understanding of the Mission: Escape your locked apartment before agents from Locus Industries show up and cart you away.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: Roughly 2 minutes.

Our Suggested Party Size: 6 would have been the sweet spot, but 7 didn’t hurt us

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Amanda, Mike, Corey, Brittany, Rohan

Team Disturbed Friends (Rohan, Mike, Corey, Brittany, Amanda, Mike, and Jason) embraced our inner conspiracy theorist and escaped our apartment before being captured by some very bad men.
Photo courtesy of Immersion Escape Room’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

Good will always TRIUMPH! – Room: Good vs Evil – May 7, 2017

~ Jason

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you like beating your friends at any sort of game.

Avoid if… you’re a sore loser.

THE BASICS

Laurel’s House of Horror:

Address: 935 Fairlawn Ave, Laurel, MD 20707 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 240-278-4545
http://www.laurelhaunt.com

The Room – Good vs. Evil: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): “Good vs. Evil” is a brand new escape room that challenges groups to race each other. The winning group will be rewarded a special prize at the end: a gift card! Join us for this 45-minute game and find out…who is the smartest group?

Difficulty (1-10): not listed

Time Limit: 45

Cost: $25 per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Minimum of 6; max of 8

Staging Area: It’s in an old movie theater that is supposedly haunted, so pretty damn creepy.

Metro Access/Parking: Not metro accessible at all. The theater is in a strip mall so there is plenty of parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

This is the video we took just after we completed the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: Each team starts off divided into 2 groups with a shared wall between them. You have to help your teammates get out of their room while they help you do the same. The opposing team has the same types of puzzles, but different solutions.

Understanding of the Mission: Get through to the final room to secure your own exit. And let your opponents out if you feel so obliged.

Note: Because we paid to do the other three rooms, and had a lengthy discussion about who we are and our thoughts on the rooms, the GM (this time that’s General Manager…) wanted to get our take on the competitive room and allowed us to go through it for free, provided we give him feedback at the end. We ended up pointing out a few issues with the Evil set of rooms that would have delayed or prevented the team in that room from completing the mission altogether.

We also feel that it is not fair to do the standard rating scale on this room, since each of the different teams would have different experiences, but we have provided our feedback on the experiences in those categories below.

Did We Escape: Jason’s team did (and eventually let Mike’s team out)

Time Remaining: The experience lasted about 35 minutes until Team Good solved the last puzzle and won the game.

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 8 (2 teams of 4). That was pretty perfect.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Alphonzo, Mark, Katheryn, Eric, Eric.

Team Good: Jason, Eric, and Alphonzo

Team Evil: Mike, Eric, Mark and Katheryn

Worth the time and money? Yes, especially if you’ve got a group that’s done a few rooms before and is really competitive. Like ours.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: We’re not familiar with Laurel, so we’re going to have to leave you to Google for a recommendation. But we did go to a Five Guys for lunch beforehand that’s 2 blocks away.

Continue reading →