Escape! Myrtle Beach – Race Against Time (Review)

Location: Myrtle Beach, SC

Players:  2-10 (We Recommend 4-6)

Price: $25 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Is that a bomb? I dunno, why don’t you go see? We’ll be way over there.

Theme:

You are a kidnapped group of CIA agents, locked in the hideout of a terrorist syndicate. They’ve abandoned this safehouse, but have left behind evidence against them in their haste. Luckily for you, a previous captive has left clues to help you get out. Unluckily, the bad guys have also left behind a suspicious looking suitcase, that’s ticking ominously outside your cell…

First Impressions:

Escape! Myrtle Beach has a comfortable lobby, which includes free snacks and drinks for while you wait. The owner seems to run it as a one man show, and provides personable customer service and an upbeat attitude that really got us in the mood for our fourth escape of the day. The over the top, but creative story was given to us along with a basic rules briefing, before we were blindfolded, and led to our cells.

High Points:

This room was just straight fun. The two of us were let loose with so many crazy props and puzzles at our disposal, and jumped right in. This was one of those rooms where all the puzzles were enjoyable to interact with, and our team was giggling the whole way through some of the more creative DIY puzzles we’ve seen in the area. We noted that while 2 puzzles seemed like they would be destructible, both had alternate ways to solve, which was a nice touch had we misstepped along the way. Everything in the room had a purpose, and was blissfully free of red herrings. Inputs were varied, and though the room was a mix of traditional locks and technical inputs, all clues led intuitively to where they needed to be input. The finale felt climactic and appropriate to the story.

Low Points:

Clues were given at the GM’s discretion, and while interacting with the GM was an fantastic experience, we would’ve preferred a few less clues in general. We felt many times that we were on the edge of solving something, and a clue was given, depriving us of a real ah-ha moment. Theming was good, but the room still felt more like an office, not quite bringing us fully immersed into the environment, but the excellent game more than made up for this. Some technology was less hidden than usual, so the inputs felt a little less excitingly mysterious.

Verdict:

Overall, Race Against Time is a great experience for anyone looking for an escape in Myrtle Beach, and I highly recommend trying it out, especially for the more innovative puzzles and fun interactions to be had. Beginners will enjoy the light-hearted nature of the game, coupled with a exciting introduction to escape rooms, while Enthusiasts will find a nice assortment of non-linear puzzling to enjoy. Book your Race Against Time here!

8/10 (Great)