Here’s my humble opinion of what separates good from great to incredible escape rooms: FLOW.
Good ones are thematic and challenging.
Great ones are intuitive from A to B to C with tech blending into the theme.
Incredible rooms put you in the EXACT plotline and order the room wants you to go, enhancing the plot, which nudges you in the right solution direction without needing a clue.
This falls between great and incredible. All the puzzles were thematic and difficult, all the mechanisms and tech were seamless, but two important bottleneck clues were too subtle to get without a hint, which was unfortunate.
There was a “triggering” device that was used 3/4 times throughout the game, which makes thematic sense and was great subtle tech/mech. However, the correct way to use it was so subtle that only the luckiest/most astute escapists/hint would get how sensitive it was and even when I figured it out, it didn’t necessarily work the first time.
Unfortunately the most complex solution came near the end and required 3/4 layers of data analysis to grasp without a hint, and even then, it sucks up a huge amount of time for a solo player. The room is better served by 2, but no more than 3.
Other than the subtle solutions, the mech/tech was seamless and the staff are passionate and spent over an hour with me after the game talking shop and showing me insights to the design. Loved them, loved the room, and here’s to more soon.
Particularly interesting or different
Yes
Under the surface tech and no lock to lock mechanism
Particularly interesting or different
Yes
Under the surface tech and no lock to lock mechanism
Flowed well and all within theme
Flowed well and all within theme
Very subtle clues that unfortunately required hints to beat as a solo escapist under the clock.
Very subtle clues that unfortunately required hints to beat as a solo escapist under the clock.
Incredible tech under the surface
Incredible tech under the surface
Physically active
Somewhat
Physically active
Somewhat
Accessibility
Color blindness would be an issue
Accessibility
Color blindness would be an issue