Today, we have another great guest review from friend of the site and esteemed escape colleague, Cathy Nanni! Thanks again to her for writing these reviews!
Location: Grapevine, TX
Players: Up to 8 (We recommend 4)
Price: $31.99 per person
Time to Escape: 60 minutes
Can You Be the Artful Dodger?
Theme:
You’re on a covert mission to steal back a priceless piece of art from a vain and corrupt art dealer. Your mission, however, is as deep undercover as it gets! Law enforcement does not know that you’re going to be embarking on this mission, and should you fail, agency involvement will be disavowed and you will be on your own and behind bars. But if all goes well you’ll be hailed as heroes! You have 60 minutes to make it happen, good luck!
First Impressions:
My experience with The Escape Game began before I had left my house. As soon as you load their website, a chat window pops up asking if you have any questions. The person I chatted with was very helpful in guiding me to which room would be best suited for our group which included my husband, our seven year old son, and my mother-in-law, who had never done an escape room before.
The Escape Game Dallas is located inside the Grapevine Mills Mall. The lobby is very small with a few computers to sign waivers, a bench, and a small souvenir store section. I wish there were more signage as it’s not very easy to find.
As soon as we were checked in, we were taken to our room which began in a small gallery. Several famous paintings hang on the white walls; each painting brightly illuminated by the hanging gallery lights. After viewing the rules video and storyline video the game begins. Make sure you pay attention to the storyline video or you’ll miss some vital clues to help you escape!
High Points:
Once again The Escape Game developed an excellent set. The clues and set pieces were all very art focused, adding to the immersion of the theme. I liked that they chose recognizable works of art for their gallery, as it made the experience feel more realistic and relatable. Several puzzles required use of props in the room that made for a very interactive and tactile environment. There was a unique magic trick style puzzle that I really enjoyed as it was something I’d never seen used in a room before. I can tell from both rooms I have done at The Escape Game that immersive theming is important to them.
Low Points:
While this room was beautiful to look at it was not intuitive to solve at all, leading to a frustrating experience. Many of the puzzles required the use of several components found throughout the room but they weren’t clued well enough that you could intuitively tell what was important and what was not. One puzzle was particularly aggravating because part of it looked identical to the button you press to receive clues. We wasted a lot of time reticent to press that button, worried that it would cause us to use a clue unnecessarily. Another puzzle piece was difficult to find due to poor lighting in part of the room. It felt like they had run out of ideas and simply decided to toss it in a dark corner.
Unlike Gold Rush, I don’t feel this room is worth the extra cost of admission compared to other rooms in the area. The set was well decorated but compared to the other art gallery/heist rooms I have done, it didn’t deliver a unique experience worthy of the price.
Verdict:
The Heist was pretty to look at but frustrating to play, failing to justify it’s fairly expensive price of admission. I would definitely not recommend this room to a beginner. Veterans may be able to escape, but the experience is wholly lacking. You can, however, book your heist here.
4/10 (Subpar)
Escape Room Adventurer 