Tag: North Carolina

A-Escape  – Mystery Lodge (Review)

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By: Cassandra Smith

Location: Asheville, NC

Players: 2-6 (We recommend 2-4)

Price: $25 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Theme:

Great Uncle Lou’s Mystery Lodge is full of all sorts of wondrous and bizarre collections! UFOs? Bigfoot? Ghosts? You name it! When a greedy businessman hatches a plot to tear down the Mystery Lodge and open a car wash, it’s up to you and your friends to solve the riddles within the Lodge and save the day! Work through cryptids, magic DVDs, and mesmerizing puzzles in this fun-filled room!

First Impressions

I’d been to A-Escape back in 2017, and had an absolute blast in their Selachi Research Lab room, long before I started reviewing rooms. Despite having a more “home-made” feel, it was a brilliant little room, with loads of interesting interactions and a mysterious vibe that stuck in my head five years later upon my return to Asheville on a couple’s retreat with my wife. I was excited to return, and I loved the idea of a room based on a cryptid “museum” of sorts. At first, we were only going to play Diner 51 (which the wonderful Johnathan Byerly reviewed here,) because there were no other time slots available, but we contacted the folks at A-Escape on a lark, hoping for a miracle, and they were more than happy to have Mystery Lodge ready for us to play as well!

High Points

The Mystery Lodge promises a wide array of cryptids and supernatural enigmas to explore, and it absolutely delivers! The decor of the room is on point, and I really loved the strange and wonderful exhibits that really seemed to take time and care to create. From jackalopes to my personal favorite, Mothman, this little lodge has it all. But what is a cute theme and well decorated room without puzzles? Luckily, this lodge is filled to the brim with them! The room was semi non linear, and despite our experience in escape rooms we found that we were given an appropriate challenge to conquer, and never felt like anything was too elementary or overly obtuse. In fact, the only hint we needed was in order to overcome our Achilles heel of finding items left out in the open. We really need a remedial class on “spotting things hidden in plain sight.” Several of the interactions in the room resulted in some interesting results, and one in particular is really well done, producing a magical result we certainly weren’t expecting! All of the puzzles in the room have some sort of way to tie the clues together, with icons or similar motifs allowing us to make connections between the plethora of clues we had at any given moment, which was a nice touch. Despite the room being full of crazy props and exhibits, there weren’t any items that stood out to us as extraneous, or as red herrings, and the game flowed very smoothly from point to point. One of the focal points of the room is the hint system, which is well delivered, and a really fun, integrated way to dole out hints without detracting from the immersion. All in all, I’m very glad we added this room on to our trip, and had an amazing time saving Great Uncle Lou’s Mystery Lodge!

Low Points

One of the items we needed in order to solve the room was broken. Luckily, it could be worked around, but it always stinks to miss out on part of the room, despite this not being 100% the fault of the business. It would probably be a good idea, however, to have some duplicate props on hand for future unfortunate events. Some parts of the room felt a little worn, and despite the theme, this wasn’t the kind of worn that looks as excellent in an escape game. There is one particular part of the room that looks really cool, keeping something truly mysterious under lock and key, but feels like a missed opportunity once it is revealed. It’s not all that bad by any stretch, but we were really hoping for more.

Verdict

We had an awesome time in what is now my favorite room at A-Escape! I loved the theming and the inclusion of loads of interesting cryptid and supernatural exhibits housed within the Mystery Lodge, not to mention the slate of excellent puzzles to solve. I absolutely recommend checking this one out, and you can book your time in the Lodge here!

8 out of 10 (Great)

A-Escape  – Diner 51 (Review)

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By: Johnathan Byerly

Location: Asheville, NC

Players: 2-6 (We recommend 2-4)

Price: $25 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Theme:

A nondescript diner in the middle of the desert.

A missing scientist.

A decoded signal from light-years away.

On the eve of humankind’s first contact with an arriving extraterrestrial fleet, you may be Earth’s final hope for discovering how it’s all connected.

First Impressions

Booking was easy and the staff were quick to respond to emails. Stopping in was a last-minute decision, so we were really happy with their responsiveness.

No video intros or instructions, the staff member is there to answer all your questions and tell you the story in person. A warm throwback to earlier days of escape rooms and happy to miss the often cheesy video introductions. After a very simple lobby and exterior, the game master led us into the diner and we were off!

Immediately we were impressed with the level of effort and detail put into the set design and theming. It was clean, shiny, and bright, much like you would expect a road-side diner.

High Points

This first room was amazing -. Bright colors, old-school diner booths, even a counter and register. It’s their newest room and their effort to make a quality room shows.

Many of the props were interactive and there were some great reveals. I loved there’s a final puzzle that you work on throughout the entire experience and the story leaves you with a critical choice that’s both fun and very thematic. Lots of backstory for those who like reading and reviewing props not directly related to solving a puzzle.

The design varied from being linear to bring us together to letting us each work on a puzzle in smaller groups or alone. There’s also some great hands-on puzzling.

Low Points

Sadly another major reset failure (and the use of a power-related prior puzzle in Abandoned Submarine) led to us turning off the power to half the building. Seriously, if no room ever asked me to interact with a breaker box, fire alarm, interior of wall sockets/light switches, or other obvious electrical systems it would be great. To their credit, the staff leaped into action and got everything up and running again within minutes. Still, we left feeling a bit embarrassed.

The second part of the experience clearly doesn’t have as much love and attention as the first part. While we loved the “E.T. Phone Home” style capstone puzzle, it was a little flimsy and touchy to use.

Verdict

A unique take on the alien trope! I don’t know why more places don’t explore the classic diner experience, but it really made for something memorable. This is also one of the rare experiences that lets you make a choice on how your room ends.

You can book your experience by clicking here.

8 out of 10

Full Disclosure: We received a media discount on our ticket purchases

Game On Escapes & More – Sorcerer’s Mistake (Review)

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Location: Cary, NC

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

Price: $27 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Theme:

From the Game On Escapes & More website:

Abis the Sorcerer was working on something in the workshop in secret and is now missing!  A mistake must have been made.  Can you find out what the Abis was working on, help complete the mission, and escape?

High Points:

Sorcerer’s Mistake is Game On’s family friendly room, and like their holiday room Grinched, is still a lot of fun to puzzle through if you’re only a kid at heart. Though the game is intended to take 45 minutes, a full hour is given, and allows players of all skill levels and ages ample time to work through the puzzles. The set itself was small, but well decorated, and while it wasn’t the largest escape room we’d been in, it still fit our group of four comfortably. I really enjoyed the initial stages within Abis’s laboratory, as it was filled with interesting props and items, lending a magical feel to the room. While not as elaborate as some of Game On’s other rooms, the lighting and design does an excellent job evoking the desired mood. The puzzle flow worked excellently, and added in a few great interactions to ensure smaller puzzlers would be able to contribute, and while the room provided an easier level of difficulty, there was still enough of a challenge to make solving enjoyable. The game design was brilliantly thought out, and I really liked how some escape room mainstays were incorporated without feeling overdone, making this one of the better introductory style rooms I’ve encountered. Sorcerer’s Mistake is definitely one of those rooms that you can take new players to in order to get their feet wet, but still feel as though you received a full experience that isn’t dumbed down or banal. There were also a couple of great practical effects that we enjoyed seeing activate during our solves. Overall, even though this room is intended for families, I think anyone could have a brilliant time working through Abis’s magical journey!

Low Points:

One of the puzzles was an excellent tactile challenge, but we were able to easily circumvent it using the tools in an unintended, but not destructive, manner without realizing we were missing out. Enthusiasts might find this room very easy due to the family friendly nature, which isn’t a low point, just a heads up regarding the intended audience. Overall, the room was a bit dim with no flashlights, so sometimes it was a bit difficult to see, especially as we progressed into the later room that was darker.

Verdict:

Sorcerer’s Mistake is overall a wonderful room, allowing for a family friendly experience that delivers a fun challenge that allows little ones ample chance to contribute and enjoy themselves without leaving older solvers bored. I absolutely recommend checking it out for anyone looking for an introductory experience. Figure out how to correct Abis’s mistake here!

8/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Game on Escapes & More provided media discounted tickets for our team.

Game On Escapes & More – Blind Eye (Review)

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Location: Cary, NC

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

Price: $30 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Theme:

From the Game On Escapes & More website:

You find yourselves outside your neighbor’s apartment after hearing and noticing unusual behavior next door. It has been made apparent to you that all is not what it seems and there is likely a crime being committed here. He may be holding someone against their will. You’d like to involve the authorities, but first you decide the best course of action is to gain something tangible from his place to have probable cause for the authorities to search.

High Points:

We were asked to beta test Game On’s newest room, Blind Eye, and we were excited to get back to escaping! One of our first full trips out, we were excited to return to one of our favorite businesses in the area for a brand new room. The set itself was not quite as detailed as previous adventures, but as this room took place within a schlubby old guy’s apartment, it didn’t need to be as ornate in order to evoke the feel that the designers were going for. The theme was also conveyed well through story bits delivered as we solved, and though it was a darker theme, it didn’t cross any lines and become too dark. What we were there for, however, were the puzzles! There was a great mix of tech and lock based puzzling within Blind Eye, and it was spread out in a mostly non-linear fashion, separated into levels. This allowed our group of four ample opportunity to divide and conquer, and ensured that we were all engaged from start to finish! Each stage of the game drip fed clues that built upon each other until we finally reached the ah ha moment we were seeking. The difficulty curve here was also very smooth. Most of the early game puzzles did a great job delivering easy wins and the further we delved into the dingy old apartment, the more challenging the game became. One puzzle in particular was really fantastic, inviting us to think outside the room itself in order to find the answer! The game flowed really well, and we were never stuck due to a flaw in the design. Blind Eye also included an interesting easter egg for perceptive players, (that of course, we did not initially notice due to the fact that we are certainly not perceptive players.) It is really cool to see the level of attention to detail that has been given to this room, even though it is meant to be temporary, and I love that it still has that Game On polish we’ve adored in their other rooms!

Low Points:

There were a few extra bits and pieces that weren’t used in puzzles, which sort of cluttered up a specific area. I believe these were from excised puzzles, if I remember correctly, and it wasn’t too much of a distraction. One puzzle in particular displayed it’s information too quickly for us to process, making it more difficult that it was intended to be. Finally, there were a lot of color based puzzles during our play through, which could be a problem for color blind players and for keeping connections between puzzles clear. However, we spoke to the owner regarding these issues, as we were invited to beta test, and we’ve been assured all these have been adjusted. The only other thing I’d mention is the set is not quite as awesome as Game On’s other rooms. It’s still serviceable, especially since this is meant to be a temporary room, and doesn’t detract from the experience.

Verdict:

Blind Eye is a great new room at Game On Escapes & More, and even though it is a temporary room, the designers haven’t skimped on the puzzling! We had a fantastic time in the beta test, and are glad to hear that the small issues we found have been addressed. This spot can always be trusted to deliver a fantastic experience, and I cannot recommend them enough! Book your time in Blind Eye here!

8.5/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Game on Escapes & More provided media discounted tickets for our team.

Total Escape – Yacht Heist (Review)

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Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Price: $30 per person

Players: 2-10 (We recommend 4-6)

Time to Escape: 60 Minutes

Steal from the ultra rich and give to the poor. The poor being us.

Theme:

Your team owes a loan shark a lot of money, and in order to raise it in time, you look to your only skill set, thievery! You’ve identified a swanky yacht and have the inside scoop on a couple million dollars worth of crowns and coins hidden inside. You need to collect at least a million to get keep the knee breakers at bay, but anything beyond that will definitely make for a good nest egg! You’ve only got an hour, so get in, get the loot, and get out before the cops arrive!

First Impressions:

A few months ago, we’d tried out Total Escape’s two previous escape rooms, Temple of Tikal and Prison Break, which we had an amazing time escaping from. We just barely missed the opening of Yacht Heist the last time we came out, and couldn’t wait to return, as when they gave us a sneak peek of the build, we were absolutely floored at how awesome it already looked! To cap off our Charlotte area road trip, we visited on our way back home, and I can easily say that it was an awesome way to end our 11 room run!

High Points:

The finished set of Yacht Heist is absolutely beautiful, with an ever expanding, wonderfully spacious set of rooms that were filled to the brim with astoundingly good props, puzzles, and technical effects. Matching the great set is the excellent premise, which tasks players with stealing as much loot as they can within an hour, rather than simply escaping. One of my favorite introductions for any escape room is breaking in, rather than out, and the initial stages of the game have players doing just that, ensuring they feel like the master thieves the theme promises. As puzzles are solved and the money total ramps up, the sense of accomplishment and immersion into our roles was enormously satisfying. This room truly lived up to the hype I’d built up in my mind, and then some. We were told roughly how much loot was in the yacht from the start, and the way progression was marked was beautiful, giving us a tactile way to log our spoils, while at the same time ensuring we knew exactly where we were within the flow of the room itself. As far as the set, thematic design, and overall game mechanics go, this room was executed beautifully.

Puzzles did not disappoint either, with a non-linear run of interactions that kept our group fully engaged from start to finish. The multiple threads weave through the game fantastically, and branch off of the main path with what could be described as fun side missions as we investigated suspicious areas of the yacht and uncovered new and exciting items and loot! (and bottled water once, which was greatly appreciated.) Many of these interactions were housed within some fantastic tech, which were seamlessly implemented within the luxurious floating puzzle room and I don’t remember coming across a single basic lock! The difficulty curve works wonderfully, and delivers some easy wins on the way to some deviously clever puzzling. The gamut of challenges was also astoundingly varied, with something to appeal to all types of solvers! Our team split up and came together for various puzzles multiple times, finding conundrums that played to each of our strengths, and at no point did anyone experience any time standing around. By the time we triggered the climax of the room, we were jazzed at having solved this densely packed room, and amazed at what was certainly one of the best rooms in NC.

Low Points:

There is quite a bit to find within the titular yacht, but some of it boils down to aimless searching. As completionists, we wanted to make sure we found everything, and we did, but some of the more well hidden items were unclued. It would’ve been more interesting to have a clue or puzzle to point towards these, especially one hidden stash that seemed like it was in a place we were told would hold no secrets. This was really the only point where we hit a snag in the game flow, and luckily, we aren’t averse to taking hints when we need them, so it didn’t become overly frustrating. There is one piece of outside knowledge that wasn’t an issue for us, but the younger crowd might not know what’s being referenced.

Verdict:

Yacht Heist is my absolute favorite room at Total Escape, and that’s certainly saying something, as all of their rooms have been beautiful, top notch puzzling experiences. This business is absolutely one of those to keep an eye on, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Their rooms have evolved by leaps and bounds each time, and I highly recommend checking this, or any of their others out, as they’re some of the best around. Book your yacht heist here!

9.5/10 (Excellent)

Full disclosure: Total Escape provided media discounted tickets for our group.