Ghost PatrolTrivium GamesEscape roomIRLGhost Patrol is one of the most utterly amazing escape room experiences I’ve ever had! It’s also one of the most technologically impressive rooms I’ve ever done! Seriously, the theatrics that play every time you solve a puzzle made me feel like I was living in a real-life Zelda dungeon! Despite the name, the room is not scary. In fact, it’s so whimsical and cute! I was grinning the entire time, and I’m still smiling now thinking about it. All I wanted to do was talk for hours about my experience after my party of 2 escaped with only 2 minutes to spare. The puzzles are clever and every single oozes with creativity beyond what most typical rooms do. , Some puzzles involve a certain amazing device that functions like NFC readers at theme parks like Super Nintendo World and Disneyland. To even compare this room to those places speaks volumes! If you can make it out to San Francisco, this is a MUST PLAY!!!
The Edison Escape RoomPalace GamesEscape roomIRLWowowowow wow! The Edison is brilliant and deserving of all the hype! The major puzzle, as well as the final puzzle, are so inventive and they stand out as some of my favorite experiences in any escape room ever! I literally felt like I was in a real life Mario platformer video game at some points. The spectacle was illuminating, and the theatrics were superb! We completed as a team of 2, though we needed to call in game masters to complete some puzzles and we technically went overtime from the recommended time limit. So note that you really want at least 4 people to solve all the heavy teamwork puzzles together, but it is possible with less. The game masters were very accommodating and willing to let us see it through to the end. And the end is worth it!
Save The CityCity 13Escape roomIRLSave the City is a unique 4-hour gauntlet through 4 of this facility’s city-themed escape rooms, strung together by an engaging audio narrative about superheroes and villains. And it is absolutely phenomenal! It’s an ambitious idea to combine all your rooms into one super long experience, and on top of that, add in bonus puzzles in the “streets” hallway and an extra half room (Rick’s Robot Garage). And the fact that it’s flows so seamlessly and cleverly from one room to another is truly the crux of this marathon. Each individual room (Armory, City Reserves, Neon Diner, Cyber Station) ranges from pretty good to excellent. It’s the whole being so much greater than the sum of its parts that elevates each otherwise separate escape room to true awesomeness. I love how you have the entire 4 hours to have the whole building to yourselves! The story and characters were surprisingly captivating, though I kinda wish that there was more than audio. And earning and using superpowers felt so rewarding, and much like how I feel when I unlock skills in video games. As a bonus, there are improvised interactions with the game masters, and some worthwhile and special parting gifts. We were super exhausted by the end, and we definitely needed more hints than usual for the final room. But it was all worth it! There’s so much more I could say about Save the City, but the bottom line is if you were gonna experience any of the rooms, it’s worth saving it for the full marathon experience!
Box One By Neil Patrick HarrisTheory11 OnlineEscape roomTabletopI really don’t want to spoil anything about Box One, so I will say this is an experience that deserves to be played by fans of escape rooms and puzzles. Neil Patrick Harris’ involvement in this game is far more than just sticking his name on the box. His personality and creativity embody the box. The further you get down the riddles, the more apparent this is and the more clever and surprising the puzzles get. Try it! Also, even though it says it’s meant for one, I played with 2 players as I usually do most escape rooms. It’s technically replayable if you ever want to share the game with a friend!
Mystery Manor60 to Escape - IllinoisEscape roomIRLThe escape room nailed the mystery manor theme, with its spooky atmosphere and hidden rooms! Genuinely felt immersed in the densely packed environment and loved the puzzles. It also played Luigi’s Mansion music, which is a huge plus for a big Nintendo fan like me!
The AttractionPalace GamesEscape roomIRLFANTASTIC! Words can’t do justice to the marvel that is The Attraction! This absolutely pushes the definition of what an escape room can be, and exceeded all my expectations. It’s what would happen if you combined escape rooms, video games, and a Disneyland theme park ride and crammed it all into one theatrical masterpiece event. While there are puzzles, the ultimate focus is to progress through the story. And the game will do everything it can to make sure you complete it. The room adapts to your group size, and it provides hints without the need of a game master to tell you what to do. We had a group of 2 and finished under 2 hours! Technically, there is no time limit, so you can soak in the sights and enjoy. Again, witness this for yourself. It’s too magical and emotional a journey to pass up! Loved every single second!!
PlaygroundThe Escape GameEscape roomIRLLiteral A+! The Playground had me grinning the entire time! Grade school/playground is such a cute idea and underused theme! The story and intro video is so hilarious and fitting. I loved how puzzles reflected different subjects. It was absolute fun to play around in the playground itself, and the whole atmosphere brought back so many colorful, nostalgic memories! As someone who grew up always trying to make top grades, it was so satisfying to see every A+!
The PassageTwisted Limits Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLAmazing set design! Breathtaking moment as soon as you enter where our group collectively exclaimed “Wooooow!” The atmosphere is by far my favorite part about the room. The story, which our GM teased is part of an interconnected tale between all the rooms at Twisted Limits, was actually intriguing. I love how I just didn’t know what to expect, and it makes me want to do the other rooms here. Puzzles were a bit confusing, despite the laminated clues all over every locked case. And the keypads were a little finicky, so it was frustrating when they didn’t work but then locked you out of inputting a code after an incorrect attempt. Puzzles aside, The Passage is worth it for the immersive adventure and sights alone! Shout out to our gamemaster for the awesome help and debrief!
ZodiacFox in a Box ChicagoEscape roomIRLLegitimately scary in the best possible way! There are really creepy and unsettling parts about this room, so older players are recommended. The room was so engaging that I actually became very interested in the room’s subject matter of the Zodiac Killer following our escape!
Wizard QuestWizard QuestEscape roomIRLWizard Quest is a breathtaking one-of-a-kind experience! While you are not strictly escaping, this large attraction features multiple quests spread out across 4 elemental fantasy-themed worlds. You get around 2-3 hours to complete as many as you can. The game utilizes a tablet device for players to interact with the quest givers and to solve quizzes. Most puzzles are exploration-based, and require running around the world and closely examining the environment. It’s truly immersive, and there are hidden paths and secret buttons all over the place. There are live actors who can give hints, and you can also collect items and real, tangible prizes from finishing quests. I can’t stress enough how impressive the life-size figures and detailed environment are, not to mention the voice acting. One of the best exploration game experiences I’ve ever had! Highly recommended if you are at Wisconsin Dells!
