The Exit Games – Nightmare on Front Street (Review)

Location: Wilmington, NC

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

Price: $25 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

1-2 Boogey’s coming for you..

Theme:

You wake up, disoriented and cold, standing in a strange, barely lit room facing your friends. With no memory of how or why you are here, you’ll need to search for an exit as well as keep out of the grasp of the mysterious and otherworldly Boogey Man! Figure out what’s going on and wake yourselves up, otherwise you could be trapped in the Nightmare forever!

First Impressions:

The Exit Game’s cozily comfortable lobby was well decorated for Christmas, and felt inviting. The tonal shift from that laid back atmosphere to the appropriately horrific Dreamlands was fantastic. The unnerving creepiness of the room takes hold immediately, and is incredibly well implemented.

High Points:

The Exit Games was very accommodating, as we have a teammate who doesn’t do well with jump scares involving actors, and they had no qualms removing that aspect of the game. The experience itself stood well on its own without this element as well, which is great. Usually in spooky rooms, the theme isn’t really that scary, but we all felt on edge, (in a good way,) for a good portion of the adventure. Puzzles add to the immersion and are well integrated into the theme, leading from point to point in a logical way. One great puzzle made use of the room’s space to deliver a really unexpected solution reveal, and each step of the way helped further the story as we went. The experience was also personally tailored in several spots, which was an excellent and thrilling touch.

Low Points:

There was a point we needed to move everyone through one point that was fairly awkward and felt a bit unwieldly. The later stages of the game weren’t quite as intricately decorated, which was a shame, as the intensity of the room’s décor really sold me on the immersion.

Verdict:

Nightmare on Front Street, though a seasonal room, is above and beyond what we usually come to expect from pop up or temporary rooms. Personally, I think this one deserves year round status, because it is one of the best rooms we did in Wilmington! In the mean time, get out to The Exit Games to experience this one while you can, as it is set to close at the end of the year! You can book your Nightmare here!

9/10 (Excellent)