ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY
Play if… enjoy dark, spooky things, don’t mind getting down and dirty, and enjoy a good story.
Avoid if… you’re afraid of the dark or have bad knees.
THE BASICS
Trapped!:
Address: 4760 Polaris Avenue Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 (click address for Google Map)
Contact and Website: 702-907-8078
https://www.trappedescaperoomvegas.com
The Room – One-Eyed Jack:
Description (from the company website): The notorious serial killer “One-Eyed Jack” is terrorizing your town. Despite the warnings to stay indoors you decided to go out with your friends for a night on the town. The last thing you remember is taking a sip from your drink. You awake groggy and confused, locked in a crude jail cell. You need to act quickly and find a way out before he returns.
This experience takes place in a low light environment. Crawling may be required.
Difficulty (1-10): N/A
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $35 (and all rooms are private bookings)
Identifier: R1
Party Size: 2-8 (games must be booked with at least 2 people, but I was able to do this on my own because I asked nicely (and it was the last time slot of the night))
Staging Area: Very large open lobby with plenty of seating and water, if you ask nicely.
Metro Access/Parking: It’s in Las Vegas, and I drove, so drive or take Uber/Lyft
OUR EXPERIENCE
This is the video we took before we entered the room:
This is the video we took just after we completed the room:
Note: The ERG were given the opportunity to try out this room for free, with the understanding that we would continue to provide an honest review and follow the same process we’ve used on all of our other ratings.
Logistics:
Description of the room: You start out locked in a cell with only a lantern for light. It’s a pretty creepy way to start. There’s a trunk outside the cell, an armoire next to it, and a fish tank. And not to mention your friend, the skeleton.
Understanding of the Mission: You got a little drunk and after blacking out, you were snagged by Jack and thrown in this cage. Legends say spirits are still trapped in Jack’s cabin. They are there to help you, if you ask for it. Jack is coming back in an hour to finish you off so hurry up!
Did We Escape: Yes
Time Remaining: 13 minutes even
Our Suggested Party Size: 2-6
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Just Jason
Worth the time and money? Yes
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It was already after midnight so I just went back to my hotel, but it’s Vegas so you can go anywhere.
| JASON says: |
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| Overall Expectation (Summary) |
| It had been a long day before getting to Vegas and this was exactly how I wanted to end my night once I got there. I had done a lot of research on escape rooms in Vegas and this was one of the few that really piqued my interest because it wasn’t creepy for the sake of being creepy and (I assume) it was deliberately vague enough to get people interested. Well, it worked on me.
And if you haven’t already watched the interview I did with the owner, Richard. |
| Story (Rating) |
| The story goes that you were out drinking the night before and had a little too much. (Hey, we’ve all been there at least once, amirite*?) Anyway, you stumble around and are eventually picked up by Jack, who will be this evening’s killer. You are awoken by a particularly loud clap of thunder and find yourself in what looks like a dungeon with nothing but a lantern. You need to find a way out before Jack comes back to finish you off.
Nothing over the top with the story itself, but it’s the background story video (see above) that really rings a bell and sets the stage for what, I assume, Jack plans on doing to you (you know, kill you). +1 for that. Rating: 6.5/10 *For the record, that was a scotch tasting that both Mike and I were at with some friends. The table was set for 7; there were 4 of us. You do the math. |
| Mission (Rating) |
| The mission was clear from the start: Get out to save your life or become another one-eyed victim. (Ok, so I don’t know about the one-eyed part, but judging by the background story video, I just assumed that was going to become my fate as well.) So, simple enough, but only one objective.
Rating: 6/10 |
| Puzzle Diversity (Rating) |
| This room starts off pretty dark but will get a little brighter for you. On the bright side, it’s kinda fun (yes, yes, pun intended). I’m just going to save you the trouble now: Yes, do exactly what you think you’re supposed to do to get that key off the wall. And no, I won’t tell you how to get the key into your hands after it’s down. (Though, come to think of it, I could have done what I did BACKWARDS and made getting the key just a tad bit easier…)
Anyway, there’s just a small number of pad/combo-locks (I can remember three). You need to use a screwdriver (I’ve only had to do this one other time… or was that a hammer? Definitely was a hammer but I swear I’ve used a screwdriver before…), there’s RFID, some visual acuity and observation, some other cool… um… let’s just say ‘breath-taking’ tech in there. Overall, it’s just a good smattering of non-traditional hardware that makes this room more fun to work through than most. Ooh, I forgot about the reading comprehension part too (if memory serves). This room’s got something for everyone (I mean, that gun rack on the wall is even part of a puzzle; when’s the last time you used one of those???) Rating: 9.5/10 |
| Puzzle Complexity (Rating) |
| I’m not sure/don’t remember what they told me the difficulty of this room was, but I would definitely not suggest it for someone’s first room. It’s too hard for that.
That said, the puzzles in the beginning are easier than those coming later, and they’re more… playful. As you progress, you see them take a turn as the story plays out. It’s really well done and one of the reasons I suggest this room to people who are going to Vegas. Considering the subject matter, the puzzles seem easy (mainly due to the items used), but once you try putting them together it’s much harder than it seems. I would gauge the mixture a 1-8 (and the low end is because of the playful nature of the start of the escape). Rating: 8.5/10 |
| Flow/Cohesiveness/Uniqueness (Rating) |
| One thing I enjoyed most about this room was how Jack’s background is explored as you progress (and his relationship with… I think it was his mother, or was it his sister?). It adds a certain something to the seeming linearity of the room (though that could have been because it kept me distracted and I was by myself). That being said, it worked well and, as I mentioned, it keeps you somewhat distracted so you forget… where some things are. I say that because I was holding an item and totally forgot where to use it (because it was basically out of sight).
Additionally, everything in the room was used (minus like two things), which is pretty awesome if you ask me. Although everything looks like decoration, it’s useful for one thing or another throughout. Pay close attention to everything or you’re going to miss something simple like I almost did. You’re also probably going to think you’re stuck because you’re holding an object and have no idea where to use/put it. Look again. It might take you a minute or three, but it’s going to be a much better feeling than asking for help and feeling stupid once you’re instructed to use something that you’re already holding (as I generally feel after asking for clues). Oh, and did I mention you were actually in Jack’s cabin? Creepy, right? It’s totally cozy, you know, for a serial killer’s lair… Rating: 10/10 |
| Fun/Amusement (Summary) |
| I had a lot of fun in this room. There were a couple instances where I wasn’t sure I was supposed to do what I was supposed to do, so I asked to confirm (and yes, I was supposed to do it). |
| Game Master (Summary) |
| Knowing who I was, he left me alone unless I was visibly struggling or asked for help. That worked just fine. |
| How Helpful Were Any Clues Given, if any (Summary) |
| I had asked for one clue, and I’m glad I did because I would never have figured it out. I didn’t feel like an idiot for doing so, either. The other one I asked for I figured out on my own right as they were giving me the hint, so we didn’t count that one. There was another that I just had everything but forgot I had to go to the other room to use it. |
| RAGE Meter OR ERG (pronounced URG, as in “we should have known better”) Score |
| No complaints here. No fists, no raging. This was pure fun for me.
Rating: 0 fists |
ESCAPE ROOM GUYS’ OVERALL SCORING 8.1/10
Final Thought: There’s good reason why this room is highly recommended. It’s clearly well done, well thought out, and well built. If the story isn’t turning you away (and it’s really not that bad), you owe it to yourself to see what Jack is made of. You might even get a visit from him on your way out…