Tag: Port City Escape

Port City Escape – Motel 813 (Preview)

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Location: Wilmington, NC

Players:  2-5 (We recommend 2-3)

Price: $26 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

No Vacancy

Theme:

After a long day of driving, you’ve decided you need to stop for sleep. Spying a motel on your way that doesn’t look too sketchy, you pull in and get a room. Number 813 to be exact. When you enter, the 70s vibe strikes you as odd, as do the weird decorations and creepy dolls. To add to the uneasy feeling, the lights suddenly shut off and you can’t get the door open! Figure out the mystery of the room and find a phone to call for help before whatever is in this room tires of playing with you!

First Impressions:

The aesthetic of the room is really great, and stepping in and closing the door really does transport you into a disused motel room from the 70s. Horror rooms are always exciting for me, doubly so when the room involves a supernatural theme rather than the usual fare of serial killers and mad doctors, I was definitely looking forward to this one!

High Points:

Along with the immersive set, a mysterious story regarding a family that stayed here in the past began to evolve as we solved the room’s linear puzzles. I’m always glad to see when a room evolves beyond a puzzle room and becomes a full escape experience, so exploring these story elements was a lot of fun. The space is well used and contains many hidden secrets, encouraging groups to explore every nook and cranny to piece together the enigmas. Props stay well integrated into the theme and one in particular is extremely fun and hilarious to use due to it’s unwieldly and now obsolete nature.

Low Points:

To preface, most low points were a result of the nature of the room being tested for full release. Some parts of the room felt incomplete, and a couple hidden objects felt much too well hidden for the setup. We also noticed that the story was appropriately mysterious and spooky, but unfortunately stayed that way when all was said and done. However, in our discussions with the owners, we were assured that these issues were being addressed, and were also informed of some new features that we think will really tie to room together well!

Verdict:

As this was a beta test and this is more of a preview, I will refrain from giving a concrete score to the room, as it was not 100% finalized during our visit. However, there is a lot of potential throughout and we did enjoy our time in Room 813. While parts were rough around the edges, this is to be expected for a beta test and after our discussion with the owners afterwards, we are confident that this room will be a great spooky experience! Motel 813 is now open and you can book your haunting here!

Full Disclosure: We beta tested this room at no charge. Elements may have changed since our visit.

Port City Escape – Nuclear Countdown (Review)

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Port City Escape – Nuclear Countdown (Review)

Location: Wilmington, NC

Players:  2-10 (We recommend 4-5)

Price: $26 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

We work together this time, comrade!

Theme:

It’s the middle of the Cold War and tensions are high on both sides. Luckily, however, mutually assured destruction is keeping anyone from making any rash decisions, and a razor thin détente is holding on. The posturing and fear, however, has sparked one man to take control of the nuclear launch codes and he has threatened to let them fire in one hour unless the warring nations work together to stop them!

First Impressions:

After Blackbeard’s Escape, we were excited to see what Port City would do with another historically ripe theme. The Cold War is definitely an interesting point to explore, and escape rooms are a great way to add a little historical education while having fun, as seen in rooms like Ripper – Solve the Mystery!

High Points:

Some historical props and pieces to puzzles were interesting to see and examine, even if they were not 100% able to be interacted with. There were a few puzzles were fairly interactive and supplied multiple step conundrums to solve, which led to an enjoyable puzzle thread near the end. Cluing was direct, allowing us to generally know what we needed to do next.

Low Points:

The story was a little convoluted, and as it evolved within the room, it made less and less sense to us, as the motivations of our bad guy became weirdly conflicting. The room was quite a bit sparser and felt, on the whole, a lot emptier than others we did at Port City. Puzzle props were not as high quality as in the other two rooms, and felt overall like a step down from their Blackbeard room. Puzzles came fast and furious in a non-linear fashion, but weren’t extremely exciting to us, mostly feeling banal at best, and frustratingly obtuse at worst. Set design did little to catch the eye, which was a huge departure from Port City’s other rooms, which were very immersive. Though many props were theme appropriate, the way many were presented felt sterile and non-interactive. Afterwards multiple teammates lamented that they did not feel very engaged throughout.

Verdict:

Nuclear Countdown was surprisingly average compared to Port City’s other escape experiences. The theme itself is full of potential, but overall, the game doesn’t rise to it. I definitely recommend trying out the other rooms here, but this one will need some work to become an adventure that truly stands out from the crowd. You can book your time in the bunker here.

5/10 (Mediocre)

Full Disclosure: Port City Escape provided Media Discounted tickets for our group.

Port City Escape – Blackbeard’s Escape (Review)

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Location: Wilmington, NC

Players:  2-10 (We recommend 4-5)

Price: $26 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

A pirate’s life for me!

Theme:

Blackbeard has blockaded the port of Charlestowne, SC, demanding a meeting with the governor. You are a prisoner in the brig of one of his vessels, which has currently made port in order for Blackbeard to deliver his demands, giving you only an hour to escape. You’ll need to sneak out of your cell somehow, and maybe steal some of Blackbeard’s treasure for yourself before breaking out and disappearing into the bustle of Charlestowne before anyone knows you’ve gone missing!

First Impressions:

To preface, I love pirates, or at least the romanticized version of pirates that are the norm in popular fiction, but I’ve never played a pirate themed room that has been amazing, so while I always go into new rooms optimistically, my history led me to make sure I tempered my expectations. The admittedly cheesy intro video didn’t really get my hopes up too much, but I reserved judgment for when we actually entered the room.

High Points:

The room itself was one of the best decorated pirate rooms I’d been in yet, set design was extremely well done, and no small details were glossed over. There were a few fun, but not frustrating dexterity puzzles sprinkled among more standard escape room fare that I very much enjoyed fiddling with. Puzzle flow worked well, and there were subtle hints towards what went together, which helped lead us to conclusions without simply thrusting the answer on us. Everything within the room was a piece of the puzzle, and integrated into the game seamlessly. Though there was no technology present in the room, (appropriate, due to the theme,) the game did not feel low budget or less exciting.

Low Points:

Some of the same puzzles were used to open multiple locks, which was a little redundant. More modern locks were mixed with older, theme appropriate locks, which is understandable, but breaks immersion slightly and makes the room more of a puzzle room than an escape experience.

Verdict:

Blackbeard’s Escape has the best set design and game experience of any of the pirate rooms I had done before, and is the first one of that particular theme to feel like it was much more than simply good. While it has a couple of minor flaws, it would make a great introductory room for new players, and is still a fun and challenging experience for veterans. Book your time in the brig here!

8.5/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Port City Escape provided Media Discounted tickets for our team.