Retired

We’ve Been Living “Shuttered” Lives – Room: The Shuttered Room – June 2, 2018

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you ever wanted to be one of the “Ghost Hunters”.

Avoid if… old dolls creep you out. (Note: Mike did not know this prior to entering the room.)

THE BASICS

One Way Out Escape Rooms:

Address: 2264 Lakeside Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24501 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 434-329-7329
https://www.lynchburgescape.com

Room – The Shuttered Room: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): The Shuttered Room is a murder mystery where you play the part of a paranormal investigation team that’s been called in to investigate a creepy old mansion under new ownership. The new owners got more than they bargained for in the purchase. They’re at their wits’ end and you’re their only hope.

During your investigation you’ve discovered a hidden room in the cellar that seems to be the source of the disturbance. You’ll need to uncover the clues and solve the mystery before time runs out. Are you up for the challenge?

Difficulty: Hard

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $18 per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-6

Staging Area: A very large lobby with a reception desk, small fridge with bottled water (free to players), and some seating along the walls.

Metro Access/Parking: In Lynchburg, so you’ll have to drive or figure out the public transit system.

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 are in a creepy hidden room in the basement of a house with old toys and junk strewn around the room.

Understanding of the Mission: You are a team of paranormal experts who have been hired by the new owners of a very old house to find out what all the spooky disturbances are and how to get them to stop.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 10:35

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 3, which seemed to fit for our group (but we’re good friends and work together pretty well). We’d likely recommend at least 4.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Rohan

We solved the murder and were able to put the soul to rest.
We solved the mystery of the room and were able to put the soul to rest.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

Escaping Detention Challenged Our Simple Minds – Room: Escape Detention – March 18, 2018 – PLAY TESTED

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’re a jock… or a princess… or a brain… or a criminal… or a basket-case… or were a goody-goody in high school who never had to sit in detention and now want to know what you missed.

Avoid if… sitting in detention will bring back horrific high school memories.

THE BASICS

EXIT Plan:

Address: 201 Royal St. SE, Ste. F, Leesburg, VA 20147 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-777-4710
http://exitplanva.com

The Room – Escape Detention: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): Everyone gets in trouble at some point. What you do when you find yourself locked in a classroom with the other unruly students is up to you. Here’s the thing though, in an hour the monitor will return and chances are you will Never. Get.  Out. Whether you are a brain, an athlete, a basketcase, a princess or a criminal, it is up to you to start a ruckus and escape detention.

Difficulty (1-10): 7/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $29 per person – Use ERGUYS15 to get 15% off per person when booking your reservation for any of their rooms

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-10

Staging Area: EXIT Plan has a great reception area (two, actually) with lots of chairs. There is a large flight of stairs to reach the main lobby.

Metro Access/Parking: This spot is in downtown Leesburg in the historic district. Lots of street parking, and there is a small lot right behind Macdowell Brew Kitchen.

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: A classroom from the 1980s, complete with teacher’s desk, overhead projector, terrarium, and a chalkboard.

Understanding of the Mission: Solve the puzzles in the room and find out how to escape detention before the monitor returns in 60 minutes, or stay trapped in Detention for eternity.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 4:35

Our Suggested Party Size: 4 was good, but can easily accommodate 6-10. We would recommend 6 if the group has done rooms before, and the full 10 if mostly ERVs (Escape Room Virgins) or novices/noobs/newbies.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Heather and Steph

The Escape Room Guys (Mike and Jason) and their escape room gals (Heather and Steph) were sentenced to detention in a 1980s school room. Did we channel all the collective powers of John Hughes’ movies and escape without anyone “cracking skulls?”

Worth the time and money? Yes, but get in there before it’s retired in early April.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

Pawns ARE the Weakest Piece in the Game – Room: House of Pawns, Episode 3 – January 28, 2018 – PLAY TESTED – FAILED!

~ Jason ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you ever had a fantasy of being a burglar in the Watergate scandal, or a private investigator ransacking an office.

Avoid if… you get anxious just walking into someone’s vacant office, let alone having to search their desk for a pen in the fear that someone walks in on you while you’re doing so.

THE BASICS

Escape Artist DC:

Address: 720 I St SE, Washington, DC 20003(click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 301-502-2043
https://www.escapeartistdc.com

The Room – House of Pawns, Episode 3: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): Esteemed scientist Kumar is dead, and “foul play” is on everyone’s lips. With the Asteroid Bill past the Senate floor, and the Concorde project on schedule, the plot is thickening fast.

Your duty as an oil lobbyist to identify who axed Kumar and why. Was it Frederick O’Connor in a rage of jealousy? After all, Kumar was reportedly having an affair with O’Connor’s wife. Could it have been Mrs. O’Connor herself, a politically ambitious woman who would rather not have had her Kumar antics revealed? Or perhaps someone else altogether with an ulterior motive unbeknown.

All the evidence you need is in Frederick O’Connor’s office. The clock is ticking and you must figure out the plot before the time runs out.

Difficulty (1-10): N/A

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Cost: $20 (for adults; $16 with Student ID)

Identifier: R3 (Episodes 1 and 2 have been retired)

Party Size: 3-10

Staging Area: Decent sized waiting area with plenty of things to keep you occupied while you wait. FYI, to access the site you’ll have to go up half a flight of stairs. Then, to get to the actual escape rooms, another flight of stairs.

Metro Access/Parking: Eastern Market is a few blocks away. We recommend that or Lyft/Uber unless you want to roll the dice on driving and finding street 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’re now an oil lobbyist who has infiltrated Senator O’Conner’s office, looking for proof of who killed the scientist (Kumar) in an effort to kill the Asteroid Bill that has passed the Senate (the bill, from Episode 2, would advance alternative energy from the element discovered on the asteroid, using the formula that Kumar developed to turn it into efficient energy). Lots of intrigue here.

Understanding of the Mission: Find out who killed Kumar, and the role of the conspirators.

Did We Escape: No, but we had an issue with the timer and never had any idea how much time we had left (so we didn’t ask for any help at a point where it would have made a difference)

Time Remaining: less than zero 🙁

Our Suggested Party Size: We only had 3, and that wasn’t enough. We recommend 5-8.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Heather

Worth the time and money? Yes, however we think not knowing the story may make most of the puzzles and such feel out of place. Read on to understand why.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

We’re Just Pawns in a Much Larger Game… – Room: House of Pawns, Episode 2 – January 28, 2018 – PLAY TESTED

~ Jason ~ 3 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you live in DC primarily for the political scene.

Avoid if… you couldn’t make it through Season 1 of House of Cards.

THE BASICS

Escape Artist DC:

Address: 720 I St SE, Washington, DC 20003(click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 301-502-2043
https://www.escapeartistdc.com

The Room – House of Pawns, Episode 2: RETIRED

Description (from the company website):
Fossil fuel dependency may come to an end faster than expected if the Asteroid Bill passes, but not everyone is happy about the prospect of this game-changer. Sen. Frederick O’Connor’s college buddy may have found a way to convert one of the asteroid’s natural elements into abundant fuel. Can you, as a lobbyist for the alternative energy jetsetters, find the element and the formula to secure your freedom from the room?

Do not expect the key to be out in the open. It is hidden among clues everywhere you look. Your objective is to sift through all the chaff to get to the wheat — fast! You will have no time to waste flapping your gums when the world’s energy crisis could be moments from an astounding conclusion.

Difficulty (1-10): N/A

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Cost: $20 (for adults; $16 with Student ID)

Identifier: R2 (Episode 1 has been retired)

Party Size: 3-10

Staging Area: Decent sized waiting area with plenty of things to keep you occupied while you wait. FYI, to access the site you’ll have to go up half a flight of stairs. Then, to get to the actual escape rooms, another flight of stairs.

Metro Access/Parking: Eastern Market metro stop is about 3 blocks away. If you drive, you’re going to be looking for street parking, so we recommend metro or Lyft (or rolling the dice and 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’re locked in an office and have 60 minutes to find the formula for this alternative energy spectacle.

Understanding of the Mission: While locked in the office, you need to use all the clues hidden in plain sight, as well as your mental faculties (if you have any), to solve the puzzle and find the formula and element needed for this astronomically useful source of new found energy.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: ~7:30

Our Suggested Party Size: We only had 3, and that wasn’t enough. We recommend 5-8.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Heather

Worth the time and money? Yes. But we missed episode 1, and we feel that we lost some of the backstory (again, however, it wasn’t a requirement to play this room, which has since been retired and replaced with Episode 3.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

Here, Kitteh, Kitteh, Kitteh… That’s a Bad Kitteh! – Room: Kingdom of Cats – July 15, 2017

~ Jason

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’re a cat person more than a dog person.

Avoid if… cats acting like humans freaks you the hell out. Where is Cartman with a big box of catnip when you need him?

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 – Kingdom of Cats: RETIRED

Description (from the company website but cleaned up a bit to make it readable): Welcome to the Cat Kingdom. The ruler, Austin Schrodinger, holds annual championship tournaments to select the wisest cat in the kingdom. Unexpectedly, you, as a human, accidentally set foot on their championship battlefield. According to the kingdom’s law, those in the battlefield must compete in the tournament or otherwise be imprisoned here forever. You have no choice but to accept the challenge and solve puzzles and riddles in the tournament.

Difficulty: 3 of 5

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28 per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: up to 8 people

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

Logistics:

Description of the room: You start off in a parlor that is heavily decorated with cat art.

Understanding of the Mission: You are being forced to participate in the annual tournament to find the wisest cat and solve the riddles and puzzles to win the tournament… as humans… or be locked up in prison forever.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: about 26 minutes

Our Suggested Party Size: 4

Did the room challenge the entire team? No

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

Worth the time and money? Maybe? If you have kids.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

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 →

Now Open! Starbase Command – Promo code inside

Video ~ ~ Mike K.

ESCAPE ROOM LAUNCH: RETIRED

We’re excited to announce our collaboration with Escape Room Woodbridge on their new room called Starbase Command. The ERG worked with ERW to develop and design the room and puzzles, and even created one of the props from scratch.

After watching the video, go to Escape Room Woodbridge’s website, and use ERGUYS as the promotional code when booking the room to get $7 off per person by September 25.

Please share this link on your social media channels!

And, after you’ve done the room, come back and comment here on what you thought of it!

Let’s Take Another Crack at This – Room: The Heist (Redux) – June 2, 2017 – SECOND ATTEMPT!

~ Mike K.

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you get pissed off at not completing the mission and have the cojones to go back for round 2.

Avoid if… you think things should always be easier the second time around.

THE BASICS

Brain Storm Adventure: LOCATION CLOSED

Address: 312 Victory Drive, Herndon, VA 20170 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 571-375-1123
email: brainstormadventure2016@gmail.com
www.brainstormadventure.com

The Room – The Heist: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): An extremely dangerous, criminal mastermind and his crew have stolen Johnny’s – my top client – very valuable diamonds, gold, and more. Johnny has given us the information necessary for you and your team to complete this operation…

Dimitri Chechenkov:

  • Wanted by all International Security Agencies
  • Considered Extremely Dangerous
  • Professional Thief/Assassin:
    • Historic Art & Jewelry
    • Precious stones, diamonds, and gold
    • Classified Documents
  •  Beware:
    • Travels with highly trained bodyguards
    • Many connections
    • Security on Premises

WARNING! THERE HAVE BEEN MANY AGENTS BEFORE YOU THAT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. ALL HAVE FAILED THE OPERATION TO RETRIEVE MY CLIENT’S STOLEN ITEMS.

Protocol:

  • Assemble your team
  • Report to location

BE PREPARED • BE DILIGENT • BE FOCUSED

Be ready:

  • Find the clues
  • Solve the puzzles
  • Search all rooms
  • COMPLETE EACH TASK AS DIRECTED!
  • Don’t set off the silent alarm
  • Find all stolen items
  • Follow THE directions
  • Be careful of the lasers

Difficulty (1-10): not listed, but no one (to date) has ever successfully escaped with all 10 items

Time Limit: 55 minutes

Cost: $30 per person up to 4, and slight price breaks after that. We paid $22 each for 7 people this time vs. the $18 per person discounted rate that was offered. On your second attempt, if you pay $22 up to full price, you are eligible for the whole pot of prize money if your team is the first to complete the room. If you take the $18 per person discounted rate, you are only eligible to win back half of the prize money.

Identifier: R1 (but this room has the clues and puzzles reset every week, allowing you to come back and try again)

Party Size: up to 10 (max), but at least 6 is suggested

Staging Area: This is located in an indoor game room facility (indoor golf simulator, anyone?), and has plenty of seating on couches and chairs. Restroom is right next to the seating area. Food and libations are also available in the Bar-n-Lounge area.

Metro Access/Parking: Not metro-accessible, but it’s out near Dulles Airport and easy access from the Dulles Toll Road.

OUR EXPERIENCE

NOTE: We suggest you read about our first attempt on this room (Better “Safe” Than “Dead”) before continuing with this post.

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 in your mission briefing area outside of Dimitri’s house with your handler (handlers for this mission, not Game Masters). After your briefing, you enter the first room…

Understanding of the Mission: Go through Dimitri’s house and accomplish the objectives for each room, solve the tasks assigned, avoid security, make your way to the safe room, and find and escape with all 10 of your boss’ stolen items within 55 minutes, PLUS two secret documents of Dimitri’s that your boss now wants because you didn’t complete the mission last time. So, now you have 12 items to find, and only three clues available to you (versus five on the first attempt).

If your time runs out, you get captured and executed (even if you have found some items). Otherwise, you can abort your mission and escape with what you recovered.

Did We Escape: Well, we escaped this time by the skin of our teeth (aborted said mission) with six items, so we definitely got better this time. And, we did make the leader board again because we recovered 50% of the stolen items and escaped with those.

Time Remaining: 1 second

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 7, and that worked pretty well, but 6 would work too.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Hell, f#$&ing yeah!

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

Worth the time and money? Absolutely

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: Try Google. This time, we headed back to Kingstowne for drinks at Fiona’s Irish Pub.

Continue reading →