Location: Mount Pleasant, SC

Players:  2-8 (We recommend 4-6)

Price: $28 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Beam us up!

Theme:

You’ve somehow managed to make your way into the highly classified Air Force base called Area 51 in search of the Truth you’ve heard is out there. Entering the bio-labs, the pneumatic door seals behind you and you’ve become trapped! Find out what secrets lie inside this shadowy facility and get out with the prize before the Men in Black return to wipe your memory with the flashy thing!

First Impressions:

Elite Escape Games is one of my absolute favorite businesses period. They have some of the best sets, highly original puzzles, and most innovative gameplay that I’ve ever seen, and with each new room, they continue to improve! Their staff is always top notch as well, and provide an amazing experience from start to finish. When I saw that their Area 51 room that I’d been anticipating for over a year was finally opening, I immediately began making plans to visit!

High Points:

When I am anticipating a room as much as I was this room, usually I find that I am let down in some way. This was absolutely not the case here. Area 51 is easily my new favorite in Charleston, eclipsing my previous number one, Undead Outbreak, which is saying something! The game is set up in a completely non-linear fashion, with successive levels of the facility to overcome, ensuring that even a larger group will have plenty to work on and explore. This was probably the first time I’d ever experienced a game that gave the group complete freedom to work on whatever they want from the beginning of the escape. Puzzles were very tactile and delivered highly satisfying feedback once they had been completed, and each clue was intuitive, providing extremely gratifying ah-ha moments throughout. Every time we moved to a new level of the room, I would spot new puzzles that instantly caught my eye and imagination, continually renewing my excitement to solve the next enigmas! Set design was perfect, and immersed us immediately, and each successive area was more exciting than the last! Elite Escape Games used a top of the line 3D printer to create custom props for this experience, and it truly allowed the room shine beyond any others I’d experienced in Charleston so far. The tactile nature of the room was a delight, and props included in each level of the adventure helped track our progress in a simple, but incredibly enjoyable way! The best part, however, is that Area 51 was my 153rd room, but it perfectly captured the absolute wonder and joy that accompanied my first escape room experience. Any escape room veteran can tell you that is no small feat, and I commend the crew at Elite for putting together such an awesome game! Special thanks to my girlfriend for putting up with the fact that I was physically unable to shut up about how crazy good this game was for days after.

Low Points:

After we had completed the game, we talked a while with the manager, Dan, and went over what we thought of the room. After running through the game a few times physically and in my head, I literally could not think of a moment that I did not enjoy during this adventure! Believe me, I tried to come up with some constructive feedback, but no matter what, I could not come up with any at all. For us, this experience was flawless!

Verdict:

Area 51 is the crown jewel of Elite Escape Games, truly a culmination of the best parts of their previous games. A challenging room without being obtuse, I cannot recommend this room enough! If you have time for one room in Charleston, absolutely make it this one. You can book your time in Area 51 here! Do it now!

10/10 (Phenomenal)

Full Disclosure: Elite Escape Games provided Media Discounted tickets for our game.