Location: Indian Trail, NC

Players: 2-8 (We recommend 4-6)

Price: $25 per person

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

Borrowing with an Indefinite Return Date

Theme:

The Paper Street Gallery is set to receive an amazing new piece worth millions, and by sheer luck, the security detail isn’t currently in place due to a shipping error! There’s only a lone security guard there now, and he’s all that stands in the way between you and the prize of a lifetime! Figure out how to outwit him, find the artifact, and bust out of there before the police arrive and you’ll be set for life!

First Impressions:

One of the most interesting things about Framed! is that the room itself is filled with original art by a local artist, which is a great touch! Most art themed rooms I’ve done have had prints of classical artists or basic, nonspecific framed prints, but Masterpiece Escapes has gone above and beyond to make sure that this room stands out above all others! We were excited to see the usual level of polish by Masterpiece as we entered the room and met our friend the Security Guard.

High Points:

The Security Guard is a live actor within the room, and adds to the room and the puzzles in a fantastic, highly interactive way! In fact, the guard is quite the puzzle himself, which makes figuring out the early game even more engaging. As usual, the riddles in this room were greatly tactile, perfectly on theme, and intuitive to solve. The room was built from the ground up with pride, and it shows by how smoothly everything works together, and how well each new surprise is hidden until it is time for it to be found. A specific puzzle we’d seen once before and were unimpressed with was implemented in this room in a much better fashion, taking something we once thought of as a poor addition to a room and showing us that it can be done incredibly well! One other Masterpiece favorite that can be found here is the optional puzzle that unlocks a treat for the team, which is always a welcome pick-me-up during puzzling!

Low Points:

The Security Guard was a great character and fun puzzle, but there is one period in particular where the interaction feels slightly awkward. The room itself feels less complex than usual with the late game seeming a bit plainer and rougher around the edges.

Verdict:

Masterpiece escapes is one of the most consistently excellent escape room businesses in Charlotte, with four amazing rooms to choose from, I can’t recommend them enough! If you want a room with original and interactive puzzles, with extremely immersive stories, Framed! will definitely fit the bill. You can get your heist started here!

8/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Masterpiece Escapes provided media discounted tickets for our team.