Month: October 2017

Exit Strategy North – The Mansion (Review)

~ EscapeAdventurer ~ 1 Comment

Location: Charlotte, NC

Players: 2-8 (We recommend 4-6)

Price: $25 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

“Is everything alright?” “Yep, two corpses, everything’s fine.”

Theme:

You’ve been invited to a dinner party at the mansion of an eccentric billionaire! Rumored to boast 108 rooms and many secret passages, you’re certainly in for the night of your life! Walking up the steps through the stormy night, your excitement builds as the butler greets you and ushers you towards your seats. After laying out the agenda for the evening, the real party gets started, and what a party does your host have in store for you!

First Impressions:

The Mansion is another of Exit Strategy’s newest and most elaborate sets. I had previously been entirely unimpressed with Subject Zero, save for it’s set, so that in and of itself wasn’t enough to get us too excited, but what followed our initial wonder at the design redeemed Exit Strategy greatly in our eyes.

High Points:

There’s not much I can say about the story itself without giving too much away, but I can say that the introduction to The Mansion is one of the best I’ve ever experienced, things start up with a bang, and don’t really let up from there. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the movie Clue as one of the guests, this is the best, and probably the most exciting, chance you’ll get! The set itself is flawless, and contains many secrets that make it more and more believable as you go. Technology used is well integrated, and although we experienced a hiccup during one interaction, the times they popped up, it was surprising and fun to experience! Finally, our Game Master gave a standout performance, and helped deliver a immersive and extremely fun experience on top of the room itself.

Low Points:

Puzzles flow pretty well for the most part, and contain some surprises that we really enjoyed, but some moments of weird logic brought us to a dead stop now and again. The hint system was integrated well in the theme, but the speaker itself was very fuzzy and caused us to need to have hints repeated a few times, eating up more time than was necessary. One technical failure caused us a bit of grief in the early stages of the game, and the immersion was broken a little bit as the fix was done, but it was spotted and corrected quickly, so I don’t fault them too much for it.

Verdict:

The Mansion is a great room, boasting an immersive mystery and well implemented theatrics to help deliver the story. While puzzles can mess with the flow from time to time, the adventure itself is well worth the price of admission. I recommend mystery lovers and Clue fans alike to experience this room, and feel it will be great fun for both beginners and enthusiasts. Book your dinner party here!

8/10 (Great)

2017 Extra Life Charity Event

~ EscapeAdventurer ~ Leave a comment

Hi Everyone! This is a quick break from your regularly scheduled Escape Room content to bring you an announcement about Extra Life 2017.

Every year, I run a charity drive through Extra Life in order to raise money for the Duke Children’s Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital that helps care for sick kids, many from families who couldn’t otherwise afford the critical care they need. Extra Life unites thousands of gamers around the world to play games in support of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Since its inception in 2008, Extra Life has raised more than $30 million for sick and injured kids. This is our fifth year running the drive, and are looking to make this year the best one yet, but we need your help to do so! If you’ve enjoyed my site or just want to help kids in need, please consider making a donation, even as little as $5 helps a lot! 100% of your tax deductible donation stays local to fund critical treatments, healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. If you’d like to help out, just click the donate link to the right of the screen here! That would be amazingly cool of you!

Also, we have a tabletop RPG convention that we run in conjuction with our drive, Extra Life 4: A Fistful of Cheat Tokens runs annually at The Gamer’s Armory in Cary, North Carolina and features a plethora of RPG gaming to enjoy over the weekend of Nov. 4th and 5th. Sign ups for Raleigh Tabletop Roleplayers’ games are here and here. We also features tables for Dungeons and Dragons Adventurer’s League and Pathfinder/Starfinder Society. Not sure what these games are? No problem! The vast majority of tables are open to newcomers unless otherwise stated. Tables will be $5 or $15 for the weekend, and all proceeds for Convention play will go towards supporting the kids at Duke Children’s Hospital as part of the Extra Life donation drive. Donations above and beyond the registration cost are always appreciated! If you’re in the area, I hope you can attend!

Whether you are attending Extra Life 4 or just want to donate, I appreciate all the help you can give! If you have any questions about the drive, just let me know using the Contact form!

Thanks in advance!

Brandon Smith ~ Escape Room Adventurer

Experience the BlackOut – Trade Street Epidemic (Review)

~ EscapeAdventurer ~ Leave a comment

Location: Charlotte, NC

Players: 2-6 (We recommend 3-4)

Price: $30 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Weird Science

Theme:

Recently, the Agency has discovered a plot to unleash a zombification virus onto Charlotte by a brilliant scientist’s insane lab assistant, and is sending your team of BlackOut Agents into the field to find the cure he was working on!  The data was hidden away before his assistant could get to it, but the lab is currently under high security, and could possibly be home to undead creatures. It is up to you to figure out the clues left behind, and retrieve the data before the virus is let loose on the city, but stay on your toes, as time isn’t the only enemy working against you!

First Impressions:

Per usual, BlackOut’s theatrical approach brings you into the story long before you step into the room, joining a dim but comfortable lobby with a staff that remains in character throughout your experience. The briefing and transportation to your assignment are all expertly done, and do a great deal to immerse you into their world.

High Points:

Actor interactions are well timed and intense, allowing for a couple different ranges in emotion and excitement. Puzzles lead well into each other, and cluing is specific enough to allow the flow to work cohesively, if not perfectly. The theatrics push the story forward well, and add a level of pressure to the experience.

Low Points:

Of the three experiences that BlackOut has to offer, Trade Street Epidemic is the most basic. The décor is very banal overall and puzzling doesn’t quite rise to the level of South End Psycho and Cell Block 704. Puzzles are average and serviceable, but do little to excite, especially for seasoned escapists. One interaction feels like it has become overdone and highly predictable for the theme, and the execution does little to justify its addition. Several lock types show up multiple times, so it isn’t always clear what goes where.

Verdict:

While an alright room, Trade Street Epidemic feels like just another zombie themed room in an industry that’s already flooded with zombies. While some take the theme to new heights, like Undead Outbreak, this one feels like it is just barely above average, which is disappointing due to BlackOut’s track record for stellar theatrical experiences. This one will appeal more to beginners who haven’t yet become veterans in the fight against zombies, and unless you’re finishing up your quest for a plaque on BlackOut’s Agent wall, I’d say enthusiasts can safely skip this one. You can book your mission here!

5.5/10 (Mediocre)

Conundrum Escapes – Airship Legacy (Review)

~ EscapeAdventurer ~ 1 Comment

Location: Garner, NC

Players:  2-10 (We recommend 4-5)

Price: $27.63 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

A world of anachronism, wonder, and clockwork!

Theme:

Conundrum Labs specializes in creating interdimensional rifts in time and space in order to send agents into situations where they can help those who need it across the multiverse! In Airship Legacy, a girl named Molly needs your help to ensure she receives the inheritance her late uncle left behind for her. A brilliant clockwork inventor, Molly’s uncle hid away his plans for a new airship that’s sure to be a gold mine! Unfortunately, he died under mysterious circumstances and was unable to communicate the method of finding the plans. To make matters worse, an evil Duke is set to take everything that is rightfully Molly’s should she fail to snatch the plans from under his nose. You’ve been teleported to the presumed location of the plans, but you’ve only 60 minutes before the portal closes, so be quick!

First Impressions:

Conundrum is a fairly new business, and their lobby is still evolving, but they presented a welcoming face through their staff, as well as by presenting us with small hand made puzzle boxes to work on while we waited for our booked time to begin. These were fun little warm ups that contained a few fun surprises, and helped get us into the puzzling mindset.

High Points:

The ongoing theme of Conundrum Labs is an interesting way to tie multiple rooms with disparate themes together throughout the business, and helps with the immersion right off the bat. The original steampunk theme was well conveyed, and the room was lightheartedly themed and well focused. Puzzles ran across a good range, and were varied, allowing everyone a chance to shine. Props are true to the theme, and are great fun to interact with. Puzzles included a fair amount of original interactions and hand-built items that were obviously lovingly crafted. The climax of the room is surprising and appropriately entertaining.

Low Points:

There was one instance of outside knowledge needed for a puzzle, it was light, but I can definitely see a few groups being unable to progress if they don’t know the answer. One technical interaction felt fairly finicky, and though we had the solution correct, we had to try it several times in order to trigger the unlocking mechanism. One of the penultimate puzzles is a personal least favorite of mine, and my group agreed that it didn’t feel up to par with the rest of the room’s quality.

Verdict:

Airship Legacy is a great first room for Conundrum, combining technological and mechanical puzzles within an original theme.  For beginners, it will be a good first foray into escaping, and will provide an exciting introduction to escape room tropes, and enthusiasts will enjoy the unique theme and puzzles within. With more rooms coming just on the horizon, I recommend giving this room a shot! You can book your interdimensional travel here!

7.5/10 (Good)

Full Disclosure: Conundrum Escapes provided Media discounted tickets for our team

Rush Hour Escapes – Medieval Heist (Review)

~ EscapeAdventurer ~ Leave a comment

Location: Fuquay-Varina, NC

Players: 2-10 (We Recommend 4-6)

Price: $24 per person (Wed-Thurs) or $26 per person (Fri-Sat)

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Ocean’s 1311

Theme:

The scheming crown prince has stolen the throne from his father; unceremoniously exiling him from his own kingdom! It is up to you and your fellow rogues to break into the castle, steal back the crown, and ensure that order is restored by returning it to the rightful king! Do it quickly, however! The new king is not known for his gentle dealings with spies.

First Impressions:

We were pleasantly surprised with the more detailed set design of Medieval Heist, as well as the readily apparent realization that the room was much less linear than The Inheritance. It was already obvious that there would be several tactile interactions to be had, with several creative looking puzzles beckoning us!

High Points:

The non linear threads wove around each other expertly throughout the experience, and came together at perfect points throughout. The sheer variety to be had in this room was a lot of fun, and allowed everyone to pitch in with their areas of expertise. Puzzles were interesting and thoughtful, leading up to many eureka moments. Story was light, but everything remained on theme, and many puzzles added to the immersion by being an integral part of the heist. Even though we still had 38:54 left on the clock when we completed the room, we felt as though we’d been puzzling for much longer, as the flow of the room was extraordinarily good. All members of our 5 person party were engaged throughout, and we experienced no boring dead time. The ending was appropriately climactic, and provided an excellent capstone to the adventure.

Low Points:

One instance of outside knowledge may frustrate some players. A couple parts of the set near the beginning did not feel quite as polished to fit within the medieval theme, but this was a minor issue.

Verdict:

Medieval Heist is a rare room in that it contains an amazing game flow that didn’t lull at all! Puzzles lead from one to the next in an intuitive way, and very little ambiguity is experienced during solving. The experience is great for beginners and enthusiasts, as the room contains a lot of interesting things to do, while still maintaining an excellent cohesion. The maximum of 10 may be far too many, especially during the early game, but 5 players felt just right for us. I highly recommend checking this room out! You can book your daring heist here!

9/10 (Excellent)

Full disclosure: Rush Hour Escapes provided media discounted tickets for our group.