Tag: New York

Komnata Quest Brooklyn – Doctor Frankenstein (Review)

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Location: New York, NY

Price: From $35 per person (Private games are available on a sliding scale, see website for more information)

Players: 2-8 (We recommend 2-4)

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

Raise the Dead!

Theme:

From the Komnata Quest website:

In the mystical world of steam machines and airships you have only one hour to revitalize a homonculus and unravel Frankenstein’s mystery.

First Impressions:

We had originally scheduled only City of Ashes and Hex of the Chinese Jewelry Box during our trip to Komnata, but our Game Master Devon graciously let us run through our booked games back to back, and we were able to escape quickly enough to ensure we had enough time for one more game. Never one to pass up the opportunity to engage in more escapes, we booked Doctor Frankenstein and immediately got to work puzzling!

High Points:

Doctor Frankenstein boasts another beautiful set from Komnata Quest, full of set pieces and well hidden puzzles, yet streamlined to ensure that it never becomes junky or full of red herrings. The steampunk take on the Frankenstein story is evident right from the start, and meshes well with the alternate take that Komnata has on the storyline. We really enjoyed uncovering the narrative bit by bit through the game play, and the steam punk theme is extremely well conveyed via all facets of the adventure. As always, progress is measured beautifully within the theme, and there is no in game clock, which allowed us to put all other worries out of our mind and focus solely on the game world. Lighting and sound design played a large part within the adventure as well, and the technology behind the puzzles created some very responsive feedback to most interactions we had during the game, which heightened the thrilling nature of the room. The story culminated in wonderfully Franensteinian fashion, and the climax of our journey was exciting and well implemented.

The puzzles themselves are beautifully integrated into the theme, and their somewhat non-linear nature ensured that even if we were stuck on one puzzle thread, we stayed engaged while we mulled over possible solutions. Many clues were presented in plain sight, but not to the point of visual overload, and it was up to us to discern what was important, and keep those things in mind for possible future use. Connective tissue between puzzles and inputs was extremely strong however, and at no point did anything become an unintentional red herring in this regard. The whole room is incredibly intuitive, and ensures that players remain on track by creating fantastic and subtle signposts to follow throughout the adventure. On the whole, the room encourages a lot of out of the box thinking and teamwork to ensure that even larger groups will remain engaged with this electrifying escape!

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I’m sure one of these books has something about raising the dead…

Low Points:

One puzzle in particular is very interesting in theory, but required a lot of fiddling with to ensure we saw exactly what we needed to see, and even then, the solution felt somewhat iffy when we were entering the code. With no way to confirm it with the game master, we had to enter it into the lock out safe and hope for the best. Luckily, we were correct, but had we needed to guess multiple times, we may have been left twiddling our thumbs during this crucial choke point of the game. There is also a few moments of aimless scavenging, which would’ve been better served via the addition of a puzzle or clue worked into the game flow. A certain answer for one puzzle was meant to be entered into it’s corresponding lock in a completely unintuitive way, leading to fully avoidable confusion. A hint leading players to the correct way to enter this code would remove a good bit of frustration from this part of the room.

Verdict:

Komnata Quest is absolutely one of the most immersive escape room companies I’ve visited, and our time within Doctor Frankenstein is another exemplar of that fact. This room does an excellent job combining an interesting mash up of themes with an engaging puzzle flow that is intuitive, yet challenging enough for new players and enthusiasts to enjoy. I give it two (green, stitched together,) thumbs up, and recommend booking your time reviving Frankenstein’s monster here!

8/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Komnata Quest Brooklyn provided our team with media discounted tickets.

Komnata Quest Brooklyn – Hex of the Chinese Jewelry Box (Review)

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Location: New York, NY

Price: From $35 per person (Private games are available on a sliding scale, see website for more information)

Players: 2-6 (We recommend 2-4)

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

Never steal artifacts from a dig site.

Theme:

From the Komnata Quest website:

A renowned professor of artifacts was on a dig in Asia and found an artifact he did not recognize. He was found dead in his home a week later. It was a mystery what killed him. In one of his journals it was found that he found out what the artifact was and wanted to be rid of it. He was going to destroy it and burn it so no one would have to be hexed. He wasn’t successful obviously. The details of the hex were specific, if someone comes in contact within the object for 1 hour they would be hexed and meet an untimely fate.

First Impressions:

After the high octane terror of City of Ashes, I made sure to book a less scary room for my wife’s benefit, as she doesn’t enjoy pure horror as much as I do. (Though I appreciate that she goes along with it so I can enjoy them.) Hex of the Chinese Jewelry Box promised to be a more straightforward, brightly lit escape room, so it fit the bill perfectly!

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A calming, post psychological terror escape room!

High Points:

Hex of the Chinese Jewelry Box seemed to be one of the less thrilling rooms on offer from Komnata Quest, but once we began working through the many puzzles on offer during the adventure, I found that it ended up being my favorite room during our New York trip! Displaying the best set of the three games we played with Komnata Quest, the professor’s home was beautifully and convincingly appointed. The set designers for this location do a fantastic job of ensuring players are removed from the Brooklyn office building their rooms are housed in and transported directly into the world of the game. The opening story, delivered over speakers in the room, presents an ominously mysterious vibe to begin the game, and sets the mood excellently. No game clock is present in the room, and it’s absence really ensured we had forgotten about the time limit and were fully focused on the game itself. After playing many games without timers in room, I can really see how this one small change can take the immersion factor through the room, and hope that this becomes more the norm for future games.

The game flow in this room is astoundingly good. There are a few meta puzzles that wind though overlapping stages of the room, and these help ensure that progress is tracked intuitively, while also giving players a steady jolt of satisfaction as the meta puzzles are slowly being completed. There’s definitely a rush that is felt every time a new, recognizable part of these long term puzzles are found, and the feeling of excitement is comparable to the wonder of discovery I felt during my first escape rooms! One of the late stage interactions presents a puzzle that is pieced together over the course of three distinct stages, and is amazingly satisfying to solve. Though we initially thought this would be a time sucking process puzzle, it ended up being one of the most memorable moments of the game. It wasn’t the only memorable moment, however, as Hex of the Chinese Jewelry Box is filled to the brim with magical moments of mysterious tech, satisfying moments of revelation, and a great climax that provided an excellent ending that celebrated our win fantastically.

Low Points:

There is quite a bit of searching to be done within this room, and while it generally isn’t too egregious, another puzzle rather than a hidden object is always preferable. That being said, Komnata Quest has somehow found a way to make most of the scavenging within this room pretty enjoyable, so it’s a very small critique. The room is plenty exciting to puzzle through, but we were hoping to learn about more about the mysterious artifact along the way, unfortunately, however, after the initial story is given, it doesn’t really develop further.

Verdict:

Hex of the Chinese Jewelry box is an amazing game, full of well clued interactions, intuitive connections, and great design all around. I wholeheartedly recommend trying it out if you find yourself in Brooklyn, as it presents a game that’s highly approachable for newcomers, yet was able to elicit that excellent sense of discovery and wonder that only the best escape rooms are able to provide. Book your time searching for the cursed artifact here!

9/10 (Excellent)

Full Disclosure: Komnata Quest Brooklyn provided our team with media discounted tickets.

Exit Escape Room NYC – Operation: Dive (Review)

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Location: New York, NY

Price: $30 per person (Private games are available on a sliding scale, see website for more information)

Players: 2-8 (We recommend 3-4)

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

Down Periscope!

Theme:

From the Exit Escape Room NYC website:

The USS Growler submarine has been decommissioned since 1964, but with the the sudden rise of a new attack threat to New York City from a hostile enemy submarine carrying a destructive missile due to be deployed in one hour, the Pentagon has ordered an immediate counter-operation. With the absence of naval submarines on the East Coast, you and your team were ordered to re-activate the Growler, submerge her and carry out “Operation Dive”. Can you stop the attack and save the city before time expires? Operation Dive is our newest and most high-tech escape room- a fully immersive and unforgettable experience.

First Impressions:

High Speed NYC was such a fantastic room, we had to return later that day for another highly recommended room, Operation: Dive. The promise of another high tech, fully immersive experience was just too much to resist! (And let’s be real, if I’m given the option of doing an escape room, very little is going to prevent me from doing said escape room.)

High Points:

Operation: Dive is certainly a very high tech room, with all puzzles, save for one, relying on some sort of technology rather than a lock. This leads to a slew of extremely original puzzling that is based within the sub itself, ensuring that everything remains well integrated into the theme. Speaking of theme, submarines have become a more ubiquitous theme for escape rooms, but Exit Escape Room NYC puts their own cool twist on things by setting up a modern day missile attack we are forced to fight off using a Cold War era sub. The set design is interestingly implemented as well, taking place within a small, narrow room, filled to the absolute brim with the trappings of an old time submarine. The use of space here was pretty amazing, hiding so many clues in plain sight, and submerging us within the world of the USS Growler effortlessly. Lighting, sound, and tech effects further added to the immersion, and though the storyline was fairly straightforward, it was superbly told via the submarine’s reactions to our puzzling.

The game flow was interesting, as the small space ensured that we could see most inputs and their clues, but much of the challenge was working out what needed to be activated, when, and how. For the most part, all of this was signposted so that once something had been activated, it was very clear, though there were a few points where we tried to solve things out of order that would’ve benefited a bit from some extra feedback. On the whole, this method of giving us all the information up front was a fun way to throw us immediately into the action. By tossing us directly into the deep end, forced to figure out the game as we progressed, the feeling of being operatives on a time crunch attempting to figure out Cold War technology was expressed very cleverly. The climax of the game is great, providing some excellent pay off to the adventure via a highly satisfying final run of puzzles and interactions.

Low Points:

Though the size and shape of Operation: Dive conveys the experience of being within a submarine fairly convincingly, I think an eight player maximum is a few too many. With four, we were able to comfortably move around, but another player would’ve had us tripping over each other. The room is starting to show some signs of wear and tear, with several props and areas showing dents and dings, detracting a bit from the overall effect. One main prop was majorly banged up, and it was a shame, since it was one of the focal points of our mission. A particular type of clue is used a few times within the room, and since most of the clues to all puzzles are hidden around the sub, this can result in some unintentional red herrings that get in the way of the game’s flow. Though Operation: Dive was billed as more challenging than High Speed NYC, we found that the challenge mostly stemmed from making the connections between clues and puzzles, and that once those connections were made, the room was generally a good bit easier, overall.

Verdict:

Operation: Dive is an exciting game that does an excellent job portraying its theme through the unconventional game flow. While there are some rough edges around, and can unintentionally become rather befuddling, it is overall a good time. I recommend giving it a go, but definitely advise either taking a small group of no more than four. Book your descent on the USS Growler here!

7.5/10 (Good)

Komnata Quest Brooklyn – City of Ashes (Review)

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Location: New York, NY

Price: From $35 per person (Private games are available on a sliding scale, see website for more information)

Players: 2-8 (We recommend 2-4)

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

Monsters? They look like monsters to you?

Theme:

From the Komnata Quest website:

Population: none. You’re more than welcome here. You move forward and melt in the fog with the sound of scratching wheels and metal rattling. Long-lasting burnt odor. Anxiety and shudder. You hear the siren scream and forget how to breathe. Welcome to the City of Ashes. Tonight the silence of the city will be broken…

First Impressions:

City of Ashes was very obviously inspired by one of my favorite horror video games of all time, Silent Hill. Being a huge fan, this room seemed to be straight up my, (foggy, monster infested,) alley. After checking in with our excellent game master Devon and getting blindfolded and led into the dark city, I was extremely excited to hear some music from Silent Hill 3 begin to play over the background of the recorded introduction.

High Points:

I can easily say that this room is one of the scariest actor-less escape rooms I’ve ever experienced. While there are some jump scares, the eerie aura that is instilled in every facet of the room, along with the ability to frighten players with things that are hidden in plain sight, keeps even hardened veterans of scare experiences on their toes.  Any Silent Hill fan will enjoy the many call backs to the games and the first movie that are littered throughout City of Ashes. In fact, the inclusion of one iconic puzzle from the original game is an exciting addition for fans. City of Ashes is also one of the biggest escape rooms we experienced during our trip to New York, twisting expertly between locales in  ways reminiscent of some of the lesser known titles of the franchise. Overall, the room captures that otherworldly feel of Silent Hill organically, evoking a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of my first visit to the city’s foggy streets.

The game flow works for the most part, encouraging players to be perceptive and employ an appropriately nightmarish sort of logic to the game. When the room is at its peak, it provides some amazing feedback and unexpected twists that keep the intensity of the room at a fever pitch that only calmed down for us on a couple of occasions. The game itself is highly tactile, encouraging players to keep manipulating props and to just get a little bit closer to the horrors trapped within the room’s walls. City of Ashes should definitely be praised for its ability to engage with players and mess with them in increasingly clever ways without once using an in room actor. The meta-puzzle for the game is great, and provides players with a physical measure of their progress naturally. The climax of the game is fantastic, and ends the room off in a way that disorients and surprises satisfyingly.

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Nurse! I think there’s a problem here!

Low Points:

Though this may be a high point for some, City of Ashes focuses less on puzzles and more on interacting with the environment. In many ways, the experience feels more like a highly interactive haunt rather than a pure escape room, and knowing that going in helps temper expectations. Those who enter seeking a pure escape room experience might feel somewhat disappointed, but playing it for what it is, we had a good time. Some of the interactions included within the game are based on some iffy logic, leading to one point at which we were led to futz around with one area of the game a couple times so something would trigger. A lot of triggers seem to be run by the game master, so at times, it felt as though things were on a bit of a delay. At one point, my wife and I were working on two separate puzzles, and I had completed mine, but it did not trigger, while hers did, leading to me needing to complete mine a couple more times before the finale finally set off. There are a couple of places in which it is possible to get ahead of the game flow by accident, and we did so both times, leading to a somewhat confusing run of puzzles. Devon did a good job ensuring we got back on track, however.

Verdict:

City of Ashes is a lot of fun, but players should go into the experience expecting more of a interactive haunting rather than a pure escape experience. The attempt at something new is fun for those looking for a spooky adventure however, and having gone in expecting something a little different, I can definitely say we had a good time exploring Silent Hill. I recommend giving it a shot if Silent Hill, haunted houses, and light puzzling are your thing. Book your descent into the City of Ashes here!

7/10 (Good)

Full Disclosure: Komnata Quest Brooklyn provided our team with media discounted tickets.

Exit Escape Room NYC – High Speed NYC (Review)

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Location: New York, NY

Price: $30 per person (Private games are available on a sliding scale, see website for more information)

Players: 2-8 (We recommend 3-4)

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

End of the line!

Theme:

From the Exit Escape Room NYC website:

You hop on train heading to the park for a fun day, but before you know it you realize that the train has been abandoned by it’s conductor and is now moving at high speed without a driver… You must figure out how to activate the emergency systems and stop the train… before it’s too late!! High Speed NYC is an exciting, innovative, technologically advanced hi-tech game that is guaranteed to give you an escape experience like no other.

First Impressions:

If the fact that we aren’t wearing our Keyed Up! team shirts in our group picture doesn’t give it away, our trip to Exit Escape Room NYC was completely spontaneous. We were able to get set up with a room pretty quickly after giving them a call and walking over from our hotel, and we are very grateful to our game master Allison for her excellent customer service in helping us out so last minute! From looking up open games to helping us choose our adventure, to providing a choice clue or two when we started to overthink things, she did a great job.

High Points:

At the beginning of High Speed NYC, we were led into the subway car and immediately launched into the madness of an out of control train. Excellent technical touches and train announcements kept us immersed within the moment, and the consequences of failure were very apparent. Sound and set design really hammered home the theme of the room, and we were immediately transported into the New York subway system. The promise of a high-tech game was absolutely delivered on, as there were only a few classic locks inserted into the game flow, and almost every puzzle involved some sort of well themed technological magic. Clues were hidden throughout the room, sometimes in plain sight, and they delivered marvelous moments of revelation as we realized that sometimes those items that fade into the background were some of the most important once we’d taken a moment to have a really good look at them. The game contains some really clever interactions throughout, and each step of the game flow is intuitively laid out with original clues and signposting to ensure teams remain challenged, but never completely left flailing in the wind. Most puzzles involve some sort of tactile interaction as well, which is always an excellent touch that ensures the room remains highly immersive.

The game is semi-non linear, with a few moments of linearity for story’s sake, but when the room does become linear, puzzles are designed with a focus on teamwork to ensure that larger groups won’t have much, if any, down time and as the difficulty curve rises, so too does the non-linearity. The design of High Speed NYC does an awesome job weaving the puzzles into the experience, ensuring they don’t feel like puzzles for puzzles’ sake, but rather a convincing part of the game world. The climax of the mission is excellent, and a unexpected surprise kept up the fun with a new twist inserted into the story. Everything rounded out in an entertaining way, and by the end, we were left wanting more in the best of ways.

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Themed entrances to the room are always such an astoundingly good touch.

Low Points:

The room loses some of its steam during the latter parts of the game, introducing a surprising twist that offers a great reveal, but ends up taking some of the urgency and excitement out of the game that was omnipresent during the initial stages. One puzzle in particular feels out of place, and with the many other excellent interactions around, this one becomes more apparent. The late game definitely becomes more challenging, which is a plus, but the set design is a step down from the fantastic environs of the earlier levels of the adventure.

Verdict:

High Speed NYC lives up to its name as it delivers a high octane experience aboard a realistic and immersive subway car. An exciting adventure from the start, enthusiasts will find a lot to love about the excellent technology and teamwork based puzzling, and new players will love how the game makes players feel like they’re in their own, subway based version of Speed. If you’re in Manhattan looking for an escape to remember, this is definitely a solid choice. Book your time on the runaway rail car here!

8.5/10 (Great)