Location: Beaufort, NC
Players: 2-8 (We recommend 4-5)
Price: $24.95 per person
Time to Escape: 60 minutes
Raise the Dead!
Theme:
During his last days, pirate and contemporary of Blackbeard, Charles Vane, hid three objects of power within his fortress. These objects were used to secret away a powerful artifact that could be used to summon forth a great power that would defeat the British Navy once and for all, ensuring that pirates would reign supreme on the high seas! Unfortunately, Vane has died and his fortress is under attack, so it is up to you to locate and use these powerful artifacts to turn the tide or die trying!
First Impressions:
Though Beaufort Escape Room has a humble exterior, once we were inside, the staff greeted us warmly and had us wait in their cozy lobby, which was filled with tabletop escape games and piratical artifacts. I’d heard good things about this room previously, and looked forward to seeing what was in store for our pirate adventure! As an aside, management was very helpful in allowing us to set up private rooms that fit our schedule, and customer service was really great during our planning of this trip!
High Points:
Blackbeard’s Quest was an amazing game full of surprises and charm! The set was smaller, but held an impressive amount of puzzles and fantastic, (sometimes antique!) props. The game flow wove flawlessly through the many non-linear puzzles, all of which provided quite a few different puzzle types, allowing for the whole team to shine! Technical and mechanical puzzles are integrated into the theme flawlessly, and feel as though they belong among the ever evolving set. There are a few puzzles that provide interesting interactions we had never seen before, including one that adds a fun side quest to the story. Presentation of the more theatrical parts of the adventure are excellently executed, and the timer is provided in a wonderfully original way. The game itself is challenging, but there never felt like a time that we absolutely had to take hints in order to overcome any of the obstacles, which is a rare feat. There is just so much to do and find in this room, weaving together a run of puzzles and story that truly create a fully immersive adventure within the walls of the pirate fortress!
Low Points:
The room itself was fairly narrow in spots, so our group of 4 was sometimes stumbling over each other to get from dot to dot. I definitely think the maximum of 8 would be overly cozy, but the game itself uses the space splendidly!
Verdict:
Blackbeard’s Quest: The Last Days of Charles Vane was definitely our group’s overall favorite room during our trip to the coast! A challenging, but fair, adventure that engaged us all through the fantastic story and tech, I cannot recommend it highly enough! Book your time in Vane’s fortress here! (After your escape, definitely head by Fins Grill afterwards, it’s just down the street and has the most fantastic seafood and a deck overlooking the waterfront!)
9.5/10 (Excellent)
Full disclosure: Beaufort Escape Rooms provided a media discount for our group.
Escape Room Adventurer 