Escape in 60 – Ransom (Review)

Location: Charleston, SC

Players:  2-6 (We recommend 4-6)

Price: $28 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Hello, Escapers, I want to play a game.

Theme:

Your son has been kidnapped, and the kidnapper has trapped you in his bedroom in order to teach you a lesson for being absentee parents! (Which fits, I didn’t even know he existed until being locked in…) You have an hour to solve the puzzles he’s laid out for you and find your son before it’s too late! For obvious reasons, this room is rated as 18+ on Escape in 60’s website.

First Impressions:

Walking into the dark, creepy room set the tone well, and a SAW-like video from the kidnapper immersed us even further. The tone of this room is set perfectly from the moment you begin. The room is laid out as a child’s bedroom, and it is done perfectly, nothing feels out of place, and the haunting soundtrack will spook you at perfect intervals.

High Points:

Ransom is an amazing room, from the previously set tone, to the wealth of interesting puzzles, there is something to do for everyone, even at maximum capacity. It is a rare feat, and Escape in 60 should absolutely be praised for it. Each puzzle follows the child’s room theme, and they build well in difficulty and complexity throughout. Several creepy surprises add to the overall immersion and will keep your party on their toes throughout the experience. This room demands teamwork, but is not so overwhelming that it becomes impossible to complete. Two puzzles add in some great thrills when solved, and provide perfect feedback when completed. While not being scary, per se, Ransom excels at keeping the experience intense and exciting.

Low Points:

It eventually ends. The only trouble we had was one puzzle interaction that felt as though there wasn’t quite enough cluing to understand the solution organically.

Verdict:

Ransom is an amazing escape room that should absolutely be tried out by anyone interested in room escapes in the Charleston area. This room blends story, puzzles, and setting to create an experience that thrills throughout. Even though the room has one of the darker themes I’ve played through, it is handled well, and manages to create a room that really sticks with the player long after the puzzles have been solved. Book your time being held ransom here!

10/10 (Sublime)