Storyteller's SecretBoxarooEscape roomIRLAn amazing room. Truly one of the top 3 I’ve done thus far. Though the “writer’s study” trope has been done time and time again, this version was a breath of fresh air. Not only were the puzzles intriguing and difficult, they were vibrant and full of life. The ideas were separate but cohesive and the final puzzle had such a smart twist I still remember it some 6 months later.
Conundrum MuseumBoxarooEscape roomIRLThough not the BEST art museum escape room I’ve done, this is FAR from the worst. The room is relatively small but that’s not to its detriment. The pieces of art around the room had a variety of working parts and ideas they excelled in. Teamwork is a main tent pole of this room and getting the final pieces in place together is satisfying.
PlaygroundThe Escape Game - New YorkEscape roomIRLMe and my friend did this room after we tackled this same location’s Prison Break which is one of my favorite rooms I’ve done. We were told there were more puzzles though they were easier. And for two seasoned players like ourselves that’s exactly what we got. Playground was simple but exciting. The puzzles were easy to understand and creatively distributed through the room. Certain puzzles were surprising to unlock and the colorful set design kept us guessing where the next puzzle laid. Starting in a classroom and extending to the schoolyard made the adventure a truly memorable one.
Prison BreakThe Escape Game - New YorkEscape roomIRLVery well could be my favorite escape room thus far because of how memorable it is. The entire time I felt that me and my buddy were truly figuring out pieces of this big puzzle; really making it out of this prison. And I’m sure prison escape rooms have been done to death but this was the first room I’d done where we started in different rooms and had to help each other, blind to what our partner could see. The physical direction was simply understood but challenging in execution and set pieces brought the whole thing together.
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle60Out MelroseEscape roomIRLPlayed this room with two new friends and an old friend of mine and though we are all escape room enthusiasts we are on different experience levels. That didn’t stop this from being an amazing room. It’s difficult and immersive in size and scope but in the best way. It’s not daunting, it really gets you in the world of Jumanji, starting you in a bedroom and choosing your character to break into the game with. With things hidden in the wall and each player have different abilities and puzzles to solve, the gameplay never felt stale. Each puzzle was fresh and understandable from the get go. Lots of fun for a group of 4 or 5.
The HeistRed Fox EscapesEscape roomIRLThough it’s another art heist room, it does the job well. Nothing too far-fetched idea-wise here. It was your standard museum fare, but that’s not a bad thing. They knew what to do and they did it well. The puzzles were clear cut and straightforward. The best part was starting in a garage (like your hideout to plan the heist) and then having to travel to the museum, all as part of the experience.
AvalancheMaze Rooms - Robertson BlvdEscape roomIRLAvalanche is an unassuming treasure trove when it comes to set design. The five rooms span the entire story, which is probably the weakest aspect of the game. The room is clean and the puzzles are inventive, using redirection and playing with players’ expectations for solving. Every door opened to a new, intriguing spot within the realm of the isolated setting, sadly becoming loosely tethered to the original plot at times. Overall a very satisfying room to explore and solve. Me and my two friends succeeded with just 3 hints and had a wonderful experience.
Wizard's Treasure60Out HollywoodEscape roomIRLI don’t want it misconstrued: I did enjoy this room. Being the newest at 60Out, I was excited to jump into it and see what it had to offer. It did not disappoint! The most disappointing thing about it was the story and that does not a bad escape room make. The majority of positives come from the room mechanics themself. The entire set was vibrant and clean. The beginning smaller room had a fun, easily graspable premise and the bigger second section had 6 main puzzles, each of which had a gimmick special to them. One puzzle had a broken piece but was easily fixed by the GM who added an entire extra level of humor to the experience. It was nothing game-breaking. The set was impressive and the puzzles were on the simpler side but it’s a great intro room nonetheless.
Chapter 2: The Elevator ShaftThe Basement : A Live Escape Room ExperienceEscape roomIRLThe Basement’s Elevator Shaft was incredibly immersive. There was smoke, water, moving parts, buttons, switches, the whole shebang. Though the room was small, the 45 minute timer keeps you on your toes and working the entire time. Some puzzles are right in front of you and some you need to work for. Let’s just say I should have looked everywhere and read everything before I started some puzzles. I was completing the last puzzle when me and my partner ran out of time and I don’t think I’ll let myself live it down for the next 3 weeks.
Turing Test60Out KoreatownEscape roomIRLMy mind was blown when I was in New York and started in a separate room from my partner. THIS room DOUBLED that. You have to play with at least 4 people because you start in FOUR SEPARATE ROOMS. Communication needs to flourish in order to get out. If you don’t talk to your teammates in other rooms you will not succeed. I say these puzzles are for experts because without nudges in the right direction from the GM, you’ll be stuck and your friends may move ahead faster than you, leaving the flow broken up and frustrating. This room changes any preconceived ideas you have about escape rooms, flipping them on their head but makes it intriguing.
