Backstage Escape Games – The Legend of Atlantis (Review)

Location: Myrtle Beach, SC

Players:  2-8 (We recommend 4-6)

Price: $34 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

…in a day and a night, Atlantis disappeared under the sea, and resurfaced in Myrtle Beach!

Theme:

It was the discovery of a lifetime! Your mentor, Hathaway Wren, had found Atlantis, and not only that, a series of what he called power crystals were stored inside. Charged with enough sustainable, clean energy to bring power to the entire planet, discovering them would make him a very rich man, and change the entire world! A greedy person at heart, Wren set out on this expedition alone, not wanting to share the credit, or the money, with anyone else. That was weeks ago, and no one has heard from him since. Now, your team has found the coordinates Wren hid from you to discover his fate, and find the crystals! Unfortunately, the underwater city only surfaces for an hour, and once it goes down, it will take you with it unless you can escape!

First Impressions:

The entrance to The Legend of Atlantis is situated at Broadway at the beach, and stands out beautifully against the shops and restaurants nearby. The georgeous doors beckon, and begin to set the tone for the room long before you enter. The interior of lobby is very welcoming and similarly well decorated, and includes a mirror maze and quick bank vault laser maze for additional experiences. Backstage’s friendly staff led us into the room itself, and a professionally produced intro gave us the rules and background story before the timer began to count down!

High Points:

Absolutely the best set I’ve seen in an escape room so far. The Hollywood quality props and interior grant a level of immersion that most escape rooms can only dream of. The sheer magnitude of the temple when fully explored is impressive, and every detail is used to create a fully cohesive experience, including lighting and sound. Puzzles flow beautifully, and the difficulty curve is implemented well. They are also varied enough to provide something for all types of puzzlers, and give each teammate a way to shine. There is only one timer in the first room, but updates are given throughout the experience, which was appreciated. The storyline weaves throughout the experience, and one particular prop helps deliver it through the puzzling beautifully. This room was also the most challenging but fair room I have experienced to date, and we barely made it with 27 seconds to spare!

Low Points:

The amount of people needed to solve the room fluctuates between the beginning and end of the experience. A small group will be more comfortable during the first half, but the last half opens up greatly, necessitating more players splitting up to tackle the full range of puzzles. Lighting inside the rooms isn’t dark, but underwater colors, while they help add to the theme and immersion, cause the color dependent puzzles to go from difficult to frustrating in places. One particular puzzle is very large and feels as thought it overstays it’s welcome once the main deductions are made.

Verdict:

The best escape room we experienced in Myrtle Beach, this is a must do for anyone who is visiting the area. The Legend of Atlantis is an exhilarating challenge for enthusiasts that beginners can also enjoy, delivering a fully immersive experience. The Legend of Atlantis will surely be a top favorite room of mine for a long time. Book your time in the underwater city here!

Full Disclosure: Backstage Escape Games comped our tickets for this game.

9/10 (Excellent)