Location: Washington DC
Players: 1-12 (We Recommend 4-5)
Price: $20 per person
Time to Escape: 60 minutes
Wanna black out and tear up some paintings?!
Theme:
As employees of a prestigious art museum, you’re gearing up for an unveiling of a brand new exhibit, the centerpiece of which is sure to bring patrons from all over the world! It’s the night before the big day, and you’ve decided to have a party at the museum after hours. Everything is going swimmingly, until the celebration gets a bit out of hand, and the priceless painting is ruined! You’ll need to fix it before the museum security locks down in one hour, or be fired, never to work in the art world again!
First Impressions:
Escape Artist DC has a great lobby filled with fantastic local art that we found was created by the owner. The customer service is excellent, and we were greeted warmly by the staff and briefed on our upcoming room after a short chat. The briefing room was nice, and provided a video going over the story of the room, as well as a succinct rules rundown.
High Points:
Escape Artist DC is different from other rooms that I’ve done, and not just from those in the DC area. The puzzles provided tend to be a bit more cerebral in nature and require a different method of thinking than your usual escape room. Puzzles are a good mix of technical interactions and basic locks, and most are impressively hand crafted. Two levels of an interesting hint system were available, and were very well implemented; I understand that more iteration is being done to continue to refine this system. Puzzles felt highly original, and those that were familiar to us had a pleasant twist to them that we enjoyed.
Low Points:
There was one technical malfunction that held us up for a while in the early game, but was fixed quickly once it was recognized. One late game puzzle felt overly convoluted, and the method for solving was fairly unsatisfying to our group, but in the middle of solving, we circumvented the solution through an accidental method. Some instances of outside knowledge are present, but aren’t as egregious as some other instances have been.
Verdict:
With Night at the Museum, Escape Artist DC delivers a unique take on escape rooms, and challenges players to think outside the box even more than usual. There are a couple blemishes here and there, but overall, this was an enjoyable experience. Beginners may find it difficult to overcome the initial learning curve, but help is available at all times, and enthusiasts will enjoy the unique experience this room has to offer. Book your Night at the Museum here!
7/10 (Good)
Escape Room Adventurer 