Location: Charleston, SC
Players: 2-8 (We recommend 4-5)
Price: $28 per person
Time to Escape: 60 minutes
Down to the depths with ye!
Theme:
Blackbeard has attacked the Charlestowne coast, and as a crewman for the colonial navy, it is up to you to help your ship repel the barrage of cannonfire! Unfortunately, Blackbeard proved too much for you and the rest of the crew, and he has trapped in a sinking ship with no way out! Luckily, a previous crewman has left behind some puzzles to help you escape! Break out in an hour, or sink to the depths of Davy Jones Locker!
First Impressions:
Escape in 60 was the first ever escape room business I visited, years ago! I’ve always enjoyed going back, and there is a certain charm to the historic building that they are housed inside! On my most recent trip to visit family in Charleston, I decided to swing by to check out their only room I hadn’t experienced, Davy Jones Locker, and was also informed that they’d opened a new Egyptian Tomb room which we were invited to try as well! I was excited to see how the experience held up after 150+ rooms of experience!
High Points:
As a bit of background, even before I started doing live escape rooms, I started playing escape room games online as far back as 2000. This little hobby has endured and flourished over the past 18 years, and live escape games really blew my mind when I started this journey! One of my favorite things about Escape in 60 is that more than any other experience, their rooms capture the feeling of those early online escape games the best. Puzzle rooms with fun themes, interesting logic, and set pieces that open unexpectedly were the hallmark of those games, and they’re well exemplified here! Davy Jones Locker is Escape in 60’s easier game, geared more towards new players, but we still had a great time solving the riddles inside! The game flow moved well from point to point, and everything was explained in such a way as to preserve the mystery but not give away too much. Initial set design was well done, and made us feel as though we’d stepped into the hold of a rickety old ship. The room was more of an old school code and lock design, with a little extra technology here and there, but this didn’t detract from the experience, in fact, it was one of the better classic rooms I’d experienced! Game Mastery was excellently done, and as always, the customer service at Escape in 60 was amazing!
Low Points:
One puzzle involved a directional lock that had become a bit sticky, causing us to disregard the correct solution at first due to it not working a couple times, which caused a little more confusion than normal, but when we tried the code one last time, it worked. This is minor, though, and a new lock would easily fix this issue. One puzzle warranted a fair amount of explanation at the beginning, and though it was necessary, added a bit too much to the initial game master rules rundown, which could overwhelm new players. Luckily, as enthusiasts, we knew not to stick our fingers in the outlets and could focus on the new stuff! Finally, a few of the props had started to wear a bit, this being one of the older rooms on the lineup. However, we were informed that a overhaul was due for Davy Jones Locker, and this should be corrected soon! A small bit of outside knowledge was required with a particular puzzle, though the riddles involved weren’t overly taxing, but this could present a problem for some groups.
Verdict:
Although we escaped with over a half hour on the clock, we enjoyed every minute of our experience within the pirate ship! Enthusiasts might be better served by one of the more difficult rooms at Escape in 60, but beginners will really enjoy the challenge that Davy Jones Locker presents! A well tuned run of classic puzzles leading to a climactic escape is always a great introduction to the hobby. You can book your time escaping Blackbeard here!
8/10 (Great)
Full Disclosure: Escape in 60 provided comped tickets for our game.
Escape Room Adventurer 