Timed Out – West (Review)

Location: Charlotte, NC

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

Price: $28 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

For a Few Clues More

Theme:

From the Timed Out website:

We’re going back to the days of the Wild Wild West partner! There’s valuable family land at stake and your posse will have to race against the clock to prove you’re the rightful heir! But don’t be dadgum fool and blow yourself up with dynamite while you’re at it! Keep a lookout for five special gold nuggets in this adventure that’ll have you scratchin’ your noggin at the local sheriff’s office, sittin’ around a poker table for a spell, and maybe even tickling the ivories of a mysterious old piano at the town saloon. Cowboy boots, chaps and spurs optional.

First Impressions:

Having already wowed us on multiple levels with Illusion, we were excited to travel back in time with Timed Out’s Wild West themed room! After an exciting introduction, we were set loose on the old town intent on finding our family’s gold!

High Points:

Special shout out to our Game Master, Carlos! Timed Out has some great GMs, and he was no exception, giving great hints and customer service throughout our experience. The set was spectacular, with several different areas to explore in the old West town. Each segment of the game contained several awesome set pieces that contained a puzzle or two that were well integrated into the theme of the room. The majority of the props within the room gave great feedback whenever we had solved a conundrum, and there was even a particular prop that we enjoyed triggering incorrectly due to the amusing feedback it provided as well. The story itself it light, but develops naturally throughout the course of the game, giving a believable impetus for our adventure. The game flow is non-linear, allowing our larger team to split off and still have plenty to interact with during the course of our escape. All these puzzling threads wove together throughout the room to culminate into an exciting and climactic conclusion that ended the room with a bang!

Low Points:

One particular puzzle was iffy on some of the cluing, presenting an otherwise interesting riddle that needs a bit of a logical jump to fully arrive at the solution. Some labels and laminated papers take a bit a way from the immersion, though the inclusion is understandable. The doors to each room are somewhat narrow, resulting in several near collisions between teammates, perhaps a way to keep them open might help alleviate the issue. One puzzle is interesting, and culminates into a nice reveal, but the searching and process of putting everything into order drags a bit. Without a larger group, this one puzzle could become overly tedious.

Verdict:

West is a fun, beginner friendly room that is an excellent adventure for players of any experience level. While the room may be somewhat easier than Timed Out’s other offerings, there is no shortage of surprises and clever puzzling to be found within this Wild West romp! I recommend giving it a shot, especially for families that are seeking an escape room that’s perfect for all ages. You can book your search for the gold here!

8/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Timed Out provided comped tickets for our group.