Category: Durham, NC

NC Escape – Alien Escape (Review)

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Location: Durham, NC (Also available at Green Light Escape Room in Wilmington, NC)

Players: 3-8 (We Recommend 3-5)

Price: $26 per person

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

Revenge of the Aliens!

Theme:

From the NC Escape website:

You and your team awaken in what appears to be a cryogenic chamber… cold and confused in this dark space you must find your way to the control room before your captors realize you’re missing. This room is designed with experienced escape room players in mind.

First Impressions:

We had played the previous incarnation of this room at Green Light Escape in Wilmington, NC Escape’s sister location, and had a great time. Now two years later, we were interested to see how this room had evolved when it made its debut in Durham. After our previous two trips to the new and improved NC Escape, we were certain we were in for another exciting romp!

High Points:

The previous owners had housed the wholly disappointing Dreamscape within this room. What a difference new management makes, however, as the room is now completely unrecognizable, as well as leagues better than that game. In fact, compared to the original Alien Escape in Wilmington, this adventure is even cooler than the last, with updates to technology, scenery, and the addition of brand new puzzles. Though we had played this game a couple years ago, it didn’t feel like a retread, and whenever a puzzle we remembered came up, it was easy to pass it off to someone who hadn’t done it before and move to another interaction, as the non-linear experience is absolutely filled to the brim with puzzles. I’ll admit, there was one puzzle I didn’t get to do last time that I remembered thinking looked really fun, and I’m glad I was able to literally give it a whirl this go.

The set design has been updated, and looks even nicer than before, with some crazy props and tactile puzzles that work beautifully within the world of this escape. One particular large scale set piece has been upgraded quite a bit from the original, and it looks  absolutely amazing now. We really enjoyed how interactive the room felt, melding physical pieces with well hidden technology to ensure that the game was as immersive as possible. Sound design and lighting play a great part as well, and though I think Brewery Heist is the coolest set in the Durham area, Alien Escape certainly doesn’t slack off in this regard. In terms of puzzles, this room continues to be incredibly creative, and some of the new puzzles strike that great balance between seeming overwhelming at first, but becoming increasingly intuitive as we interacted with them. One puzzle in particular gave nothing away via a very minimalist presentation, but evolved into one of my favorite interactions in the room by the end. This puzzle, as well as a few other very clever enigmas, deliver some of the best ah ha moments I’ve had lately, and overall, they are just a blast to work through. The game flow is effortlessly smooth, and is paired up with some fantastically subtle signposting to ensure our group of five remained fully engaged with the adventure from start to finish.

Low Points:

There was one particular puzzle we came across that, for us, was easily hackable. In fact, we solved it in a way that it had not been done before, but we weren’t clear at all on how it was supposed to be solved until we inquired about it afterwards. The puzzle in question didn’t have a wholly intuitive way to solve in room, and could use a bit of cluing to ensure the usual method of solving makes more logical sense.

Verdict:

Alien Escape is a great adventure, and I’m glad that it has made it’s way to Durham! Even better, this game isn’t just a retread of what we played in Wilmington, but an updated and still immensely entertaining escape that was absolutely worth another look. I highly recommend checking out this room, as well as the others at the new and improved NC Escape. I cannot wait for their next creations! Book your time in the alien spaceship here!

9/10 (Excellent)

Full disclosure: NC Escape provided comped tickets for our group.

NC Escape – Brewery Heist (Review)

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Location: Durham, NC (Also available at Green Light Escape Room in Wilmington, NC)

Players: 4-10 (We Recommend 4-6)

Price: $26 per person

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

OktoberHeist

Theme:

A modern day prohibition has struck, and beer lovers everywhere have been stockpiling as much alcohol away as they can, but a much beloved cache is lost inside an old brewery! You and your boozy friends have stumbled upon that same brewery, and are looking to score the lost beer, but only have an hour to do so. You’ll need a sharp mind if you want to dull it later, so get cracking!

First Impressions:

The Attic was an astounding upgrade for NC Escape, and we were looking forward to our next room almost immediately. Brewery Heist has an original theme and promised to be a larger scale experience based in the same room we had originally completed The Study. This room absolutely blew that one out of the water!

High Points:

I had been in this room before, when it was The Study, a room the previous management had built. Usually when doing a new room in a familiar space, it gives off a palpable sense of deja vu, even with the best makeover, but that was not the case here. NC Escape’s new owners have done such an amazing job transforming the old room into such a beautiful set that I didn’t recognize the room at all. Even after the sneaky twists in The Attic, Brewery Heist proved to be just as, if not more surprising than NC Escape’s other room! A couple of moments during the game, we were astounded by how well the room magically delivered unexpected new treats. In fact, at one point we thought we had to have completed the room when much to our surprise, the room delivered a great “But wait, there’s more!” moment. This room is also one of the few which I can believe would comfortably entertain the maximum ten players via their game flow. With a great run of non-linear puzzling that comes together and branches off several times throughout the game, we remained busily engaged with the room from start to finish. One awesome puzzle had us puzzling over what could possibly be next, and the way we built towards the solution was organic and amazingly satisfying to solve once we finally put all the pieces together.

Though there wasn’t an ongoing storyline beyond exploring the secrets of the old brewery and coming out with the cache of beer, it was an original and entertaining impetus for engaging in the escape. The whole experience is full of mystery, and the final climax of the adventure comes after several very memorable moments. There are a lot of great props to engage with, and the tactile nature of the room really adds to the fun. Each stage of the room builds towards an interesting meta-puzzle, and once each one is completed, it’s a joy to see how the room reacts. The challenge is set upon a really smooth difficulty curve, and the variety of puzzle types really encouraged us to bring our A-game in regards to teamwork! The game flow remains logical and intuitive throughout, and though the room was certainly very challenging, I never felt like we were spinning our wheels or at a loss for what to do.

Low Points:

One small technical failure occurred during our run through the brewery, but it was spotted and taken care of quickly. Some of the puzzles don’t tie as well into the theme as others, popping up as somewhat strange additions. They’re fairly benign, however, and don’t disrupt immersion too terribly. One puzzle type repeats a few times, but each instance was short, causing little frustration.

Verdict:

Brewery Heist is easily one of the best rooms in the area, with an expansive and beautiful set, a great run of non-linear puzzling, and some superb surprises around every corner! Players of all experience levels will find something to enjoy here, and I absolutely recommend trying it out if you’re in the RTP area. The future of NC Escape is very bright under the new owners, and I am extremely excited to see what they come up with next! Book your time searching for the lost beer here!

9/10 (Excellent)

Full disclosure: NC Escape provided comped tickets for our group.

NC Escape – The Attic (Review)

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Location: Durham, NC

Players: 2-5 (We Recommend 2-3)

Price: $26 per person

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

Don’t tell Mom the Babysitter’s dead!

Theme:

Poor Claire! Her babysitters always seem to disappear on her before they can really start having fun. Her parents, desperate for a night out, have been seeking yet another replacement babysitter, but too many are reticent to take care of the child alone for some reason. You’ve stepped up, however, and are eager to make some extra cash, but things take a strange turn when you’re led to the spooky attic to find Claire’s stuffed animals. She wants to play within the next hour, and you’ll need all of her toys for this game. If you can’t find them, Claire will be very, very disappointed in you.

First Impressions:

NC Escape, save for their Ex Machina room, was an overall mediocre experience, but luckily, new management has taken over and given the whole place a makeover! Having been to the new owners’ other location, Green Light Escape in Wilmington, I knew this would definitely be a much better experience overall.

High Points:

The Attic is one of those rooms that is saturated with surprises that can keep even the most experienced escape enthusiast on their toes for the entire experience. Though some of these surprises relate to the horror genre, many are surprising reveals and amazing game play moments that we really enjoyed. The new NC Escape is astoundingly good at ensuring their secrets remain secret, and the way they are revealed is really fantastic. The early game sets the standard for a highly tactile, and spooky experience that really nails the creeping horror theme well. It never gets overly scary, but the creepiness level is just right for a possibly haunted attic. The latter half of the game opens into a non-linear run of puzzles that ratcheted up the experience on the whole, adding a sense of urgency through the increasingly sinister happenings and revelations we uncovered. The story was woven well into the tapestry of the game, slowly revealing what really happened in this dusty old attic, and the climax of the game was appropriately exciting. Like all good horror experiences, I feel like just the right amount of the story was left mysterious, perhaps setting up a future sequel?

Puzzles we encountered during the game were inserted into the game excellently, utilizing the space to it’s fullest, and ensuring that different puzzlers would all find something that caters to their strengths. All of the puzzles also fit the theme of the game well, adding to the story in a natural way, and ensuring that our satisfying moments of revelation were bolstered by breadcrumbs that delivered hints about the overall story. Technology truly enhanced the experience, adding a enigmatic and supernatural feel to the room, allowing for some hauntingly memorable moments. The game flow was seamless, and we were always sure of what we needed to be working on, but the game definitely did not hand feed us the answers. Challenging from start to finish, it definitely was a team effort to escape Claire’s insidious attic with her toys!

Low Points:

There is a very basic puzzle type that comes up a couple times during the game, and though painless, it isn’t the most interesting interaction to run through twice. A couple of the puzzles can be somewhat ambiguous as to the correct orientation when looking at them, but it is simple to try each solution. However, a more concrete clue for these may help remove the guess and check element from the room. During the early stages of the game, the linearity may create some choke points that result in down time for players in groups bigger than three.

Verdict:

The Attic is a fantastic escape room that delivered a spookily entertaining adventure we won’t soon forget! Great for smaller groups and those looking to be trapped in their own interactive horror movie, I highly recommend checking out this room! Approachable for new players but filled with enough surprises to keep veteran escapees engaged, this is definitely one of the top rooms in the RTP region. Book your time in Claire’s Attic at the new and improved NC Escape here!

8.5/10 (Great)

Full disclosure: NC Escape provided comped tickets for our group.

Mission X – Hurricane (Beta Preview)

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Location: Durham, NC

Players: 2-8 (We recommend 3-4)

Price: $25 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Hurricane Beta

Theme:

From Mission X’s website:

You and your friends are on vacation in a rental beach house. Without warning, a category five hurricane suddenly appears in the horizon. Waves of thunderstorms and strong winds are pounding the house relentlessly. The house suffered considerable damage and is on the verge of collapsing. The power is out and you are trapped in the dark! The emergency channel warns the devastating landfall is within the hour. Staying in the house is not an option. You must escape to safety!

First Impressions:

Though the theme sounded a little bit far fetched, (a category five hurricane suddenly appearing on the horizon,) Mission X is usually a lot of fun, so we were excited to help out with their most recent beta test for Hurricane. This would would be replacing their most difficult room, Butcher Shop, so we were ready for the challenge as well!

High Points:

Taking a cue from Butcher Shop, there is an item in the room that helps direct players to answers with some slight clues, but this has been improved as the prop is a puzzle to solve in itself, adding to the experience rather than just making it simpler. A couple of highly original puzzles encourage teamwork and allow for multiple players to engage in an otherwise linear room. In fact, the initial puzzle of the room starts the whole experience off on an exciting, team based moment we really enjoyed. The soundtrack was good, bringing environmental tension to the game, but could definitely use more dynamic implementation by adding lights and perhaps by ratcheting up the intensity as the timer ticks on. The connective tissue of the game is mostly excellent, with bread crumbs leading from room to room intuitively, allowing for a couple awesome ah ha moments.

Low Points:

A few of the puzzles were vaguely clued, leading us to feel as though we needed to read the minds of the designers in order to solve them. Fortunately, we were able to make several of the leaps of logic after some intense brainstorming, but for some of these issues, we needed to call for hints. While hints were delivered quickly to keep us going, GMs still enter the room in order to give them to us, and they were a bit too direct to keep the puzzle puzzling. The set itself was much more basic than we expected, as the house seemed to have sustained very little damage. It would help the immersion to have more damage showing and to perhaps have the damage seem more extensive as players make their way through the room. The linearity of the room tended to ensure that at least one member of our team of four was standing around while others solved the riddles within, making the maximum team size of eight highly dubious. Escaping felt fairly anticlimactic because the room itself didn’t really deliver a story, but was more of a puzzle room.

Verdict:

Overall, Hurricane was a fun room, but didn’t really feel as immersive as it’s predecessor, Butcher Shop. Our newest teammate, however, had a great time, so new players will probably enjoy Hurricane more than enthusiasts. This is complicated slightly due to the high difficulty rating, so newer players might want to get a room or two under their belts before taking the Hurricane on.  here!

6.5/10 (Alright)

Note: The score above is based on the beta test we completed. We, and the other beta testers, identified areas of improvement, so I expect the room will have been adjusted by the time this preview goes live.

Full Disclosure: Mission X provided comped beta testing tickets for our group.

Escape on Purpose – (T)Error in the Sky (Review)

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Location: Durham, NC

Players: 2-10 (We recommend 2-4)

Price: $26 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Airline travel done dirt cheap

Theme:

You’re on a flight to Raleigh Durham International Airport, and everything seems to be going well, until the pilot gets himself locked out of the cockpit! It’s up to you to figure out why and unlock the door before the plane runs out of fuel! All in a normal day here at Dirt Cheap Airlines, where safety comes last!

First Impressions:

Escape on Purpose’s mission is to use their business to help promote charities in the area, which is a very noble cause! We were allowed to select from the three charities they’ve partnered with when booking and a part of the game fee was donated to that cause. This is a fantastic idea, and really hoped the rooms would be as excellent as this idea as well!

High Points:

There has been effort made with the set, and though it doesn’t quite become fully immersive, some very true to life props have been used in the making of this room. The seats, overhead compartments, and drink cart are all convincing and likely real decommissioned parts from an actual plane. There are good spots of humor inside, whether its finding a pop culture themed prop or reading a particularly silly note, which is fairly rare in most rooms. Staff is very personable and warm, and provided a good introductory and GMing experience.

Low Points:

Puzzles overall were sparse, as most interactions involved scavenging around the room for a hidden code or key, which wears thin after a while. The actual puzzles themselves ranged from entirely too banal, (think puzzle books you can find at the grocery store,) to vaguely clued and weirdly hidden. In fact, for one extremely vague interaction, we not only had to find what amounted to a needle in a haystack, but our tallest person was the only one able to find it using a fairly unstable stool. In fact, I was worried, as I’d already fallen off said stool once! The room is filled with 3 and 4 number locks, as well as a few keyed ones, forcing a lot of guess and check with codes. While effort was made to present a believable set, it still fell short, coming off more as a office space that included some plane bits rather than a full fledged airplane. There is also a lot of junk to sort through, and while some random props are funny when you find them, very quickly does the room feel extremely cluttered. A maximum of 10 people in this room is entirely too many, as the space and game flow would not be sufficient for that many people, even less if you are bringing a group of enthusiasts! The ending is highly unsatisfying, leading to an escape that barely feels like one, leaving us all to wonder if we had even finished and what the purpose of our last action was.

Verdict:

We brought some new players to this room, and they seemed to enjoy the experience, having fun with the searching features and basic puzzles. Once you have a few games under your belt, though, you’re really looking for something a little more engaging. Hopefully we’ll be able to take these new players along to some more exciting rooms in the future! (T)Error in the Sky is a very basic experience, with little to excite, so I wouldn’t recommend this one unless you’re hard pressed for adventure or are brand new to the hobby. Which is a shame, since their mission to help out local charities through their business is an admirable one. You can book your time in the cabin here!

4.5/10 (Subpar)