Insomnia Escape – Oblivion (Review)

Location: Washington, DC

Players: 2-8 (We recommend 3-4)

Price: Varies, see here for details.

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

I am Computer. Do you love Computer?

Theme:

A brilliant scientist has recently created the most advanced AI the world has ever seen, ELIZA! After fully integrating ELIZA into his lab, however, he has mysteriously disappeared, and it is up to you and your team of investigators to find out what happened! Power up the AI, and with her assistance, you may be able to unravel the case! But something seems a bit… off.

First Impressions:

Insomnia came highly recommended to us, and their new theme promised a unique experience, so we were definitely looking forward to how they implemented Virtual and Augmented Reality into the room. Insomnia’s friendly Gamemaster provided us with a briefing on the room, and our first clue, which delivered a bit of the backstory in a much more immersion friendly way than delivery via GM, after which we were ushered into the powered down laboratory.

High Points:

The entire room, due to it’s technical theme, was extremely high-tech and futuristic feeling. In fact, during the game, the entire room responds to your actions, which is fantastic for getting you more and more immersed in the story. Many times, the room responded to us personally in ways we absolutely did not see coming, and it was an amazing treat have the room itself interact with us. Puzzles are easy to find, and solving them is incredibly satisfying, due to their technical nature and great feedback. VR is handled well in the room, and does not overstay it’s welcome, and remains a tangible challenge that involves the whole team instead of being a one-person puzzle, which is highly commendable. The story is delivered in a fun way, and though the acting is not taken too seriously, it works, and builds to a climax that is worthy of such an ambitious room.

Low Points:

For a room filled with tech, we were wary that something might go haywire to derail the game, but luckily, we only experienced one malfunction, and it was extremely minor. The room is vastly linear, so a much larger group may have members feeling left out.

Verdict:

Oblivion is an original idea that shoots for a lofty goal, and hits on almost every mark. Gameplay is well balanced with the story, and should be exciting for beginners and enthusiasts alike. I highly recommend you try it out, as this is one of the best games we saw while visiting DC! Book your time with ELIZA here!

9/10 (Excellent)

Full Disclosure: Insomnia Escape provided media discounted tickets for our game.