Dare 2 Escape – The Dig (Review)

Location: Kissimmee, FL

Players:  2-5 (We recommend 2-4)

Price: $30 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

It belongs in a museum!

Theme:

From the Dare 2 Escape website:

Dare to face the sandstorm in the Dig of the century? Your colleague, archaeologist Dr. Eleanor Harding, has uncovered the fossilized remains of a new dinosaur species in her dig site located in the heart of the northern Sahara Desert. She has contacted you and your team of paleontologists from London to help stake claim to this find of the century. Upon arriving at her campsite, your team finds it abandoned because Dr. Harding was forced to evacuate from the path of a massive sandstorm that came through overnight. She is bunkered down in a safe refuge, but the secret location of the dig site was compromised when she radioed for help. Her longtime nemesis, Dr. Arthur Tillman, intercepted the transmission and his team is on the way to unjustly steal this once-in-a-lifetime find! Satellite images of the area show that Dr. Tillman and his team are only one hour away from the dig site. You must now use the clues that Dr. Harding left behind for you, find the dinosaur fossils, and escape from the African desert before you competition arrives and claims the find of the century for himself!

First Impressions:

The Tillman Family saga had been a great adventure so far, so we were thrilled that we were only halfway done exploring this excellent meta-story when the time for The Dig came around. Dare 2 Escape’s smallest room would also veer away from the horror themes I’m rather fond of, but with this business’s track record, I wasn’t worried at all!

High Points:

The Dig was a wholly different adventure than the previous two horror focused rooms we had experienced at Dare 2 Escape in regards to story and theme, but the level of quality we had come to expect stayed consistent. This family friendly experience had more straightforward puzzles, but did not skimp on the challenge overall. The game flow works well, and a few teamwork based puzzles keep everyone involved in the action. The game makes sense the whole way through, and the linear puzzling thread that winds through the whole room always makes sense from point to point. All clues lead nicely into each other, and we were never at a loss for what to do next. There are a lot of incredibly creative puzzles to discover within the Egyptian sands, and some of my favorites within this game were great hand crafted interactions that I had never seen before!

The set is fantastic as is usual for Dare 2 Escape and transitioning between each area of the game is natural and convincing. The tomb itself is immersive and boasts some archeological fun that players young and old will enjoy digging into! The story tied into the game cleverly, and from start to finish we enjoyed facing off against our rival Tillman, who threatened to steal away our prize. The Dig was also a great reprieve from the more intense horror based rooms we had just completed, with its bright lights and more light hearted theme, so its place in the overall chronology makes great sense for marathon players. Dare 2 Escape really knows how to make a room come to life using story, lighting, and sound, and The Dig is certainly no exception.

Low Points:

The Dig is very much a smaller room. It still is comfortable for the maximum group size, but the adventure can feel somewhat more limited due to the size of the room and the linear nature of the game flow. However, there were a lot of props to go through, and things can begin to feel cluttered if you aren’t organized and careful. At one point, there was a lock that needed a lot more finesse due to the environment in which this box was located causing it to jam. One particular puzzle felt just a smidge out of place, but it was not unenjoyable, just a little off when compared to the rest of the room’s challenges.

Verdict:

The Dig is yet another awesome chapter in the epic Tillman Saga, as well as a great room for new players and families! Though it lacked the thrills and chills I’d enjoyed in their previous rooms, this was more than made up for with the great puzzling and immersive set. I wholeheartedly recommend this room, and cannot wait to see what the masterminds at Dare 2 Escape come up with next! Book your archaeological expedition here!

8/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Dare 2 Escape provided our team with discounted tickets.