Author: Mike K.

Oops, We Didn’t Mean to Set Off that Booby Trap! – Room: The Lost Tomb – June 12, 2016

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love the Indiana Jones movies (the first three; we don’t recognize Crystal Skull)

Avoid if… you need constant stimulation (giggity).

THE BASICS

Escape Quest:

Address: 1127 King St, #200, Alexandria, VA 22314 (click the address for a Google map)

Contact and Website: 703-574-8175
https://escapequestdc.com/

The Room – The Lost Tomb:

Description (from the company website): You and a group of explorers stumble across a hidden temple deep in the South American jungle. Based on local legend that a hidden tomb in the area holds a golden treasure of immense value, your group decides to face the danger and attempt to enter the tomb, steal the priceless treasure and get out alive!

Difficulty (1-10): 6/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28 + tax per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Up to 10

Staging Area: Lobby has a lot of space to sit on couches and chairs, and the tables have a few puzzles to work on and get your mind revved up before starting your room. The front desk attendant will also offer a small bottle of water. Restrooms are right next to the lobby.

Metro Access/Parking: King Street metro w/ a .4 mile walk (or take the free King Street Trolley to N. Payne St.); street/garage parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter an ancient tomb, a la “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and find some scattered artifacts.

Understanding of the Mission: Find the lost treasure and escape the tomb before you get sealed in!

Did We Escape: Yup, and we weren’t chased by a giant boulder or pissed off natives either (so, we’re essentially better than Indiana Jones).

Time Remaining: About 17 minutes

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 9, which may have been a few too many, so we’ll recommend 6-8.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yeah, everyone contributed, but maybe not on multiple puzzles.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Brittany, Corey, Gina, Shanell, Dalia, Chris, and Kevin.

Team Disturbed Friends (Brittany, Corey, Gina, Shanell, Mike, Dalia, Jason, Chris and Kevin) found the idol and escaped the tomb! Photo courtesy of Escape Quest's Facebook page.
Team Disturbed Friends (Brittany, Corey, Gina, Shanell, Mike, Dalia, Jason, Chris and Kevin) found the idol and escaped the tomb! Photo courtesy of Escape Quest’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

Hocus-f%#&ing-pocus – Room: The Wizard’s Apothecary – December 19, 2015 – FAILED!!

~ Mike K. ~ 4 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’ve fantasized about getting your Hogwart’s admission letter.

Avoid if… you think the Lord of the Rings is overrated.

THE BASICS

Escape Room Live:

Address: 814 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 800-616-4880
http://www.escaperoomlive.com/our-rooms

The Room – The Wizard’s Apothecary:

Description (from the company website): The King’s Royal Wizard has gone missing! You, his faithful apprentices, have been summoned by the King to find him. Disturbingly, you find that the wizard has left behind his Spellbook…

Difficulty (1-10): 5/10

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Cost: $28 + tax per person but use ERGUYS15 when booking to save 15% off per ticket.

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 8-12

Staging Area: Escape Room Live Alexandria has a large, open space complete with cow skin rugs and couches with ample seating located in the middle of all the rooms, so there is plenty of space to hang out if you get there early. The requisite restrooms are in the back and the decor includes extremely wacky artwork.

Metro Access/Parking: King Street metro w/ a .7 mile walk (or take the free King Street Trolley to Columbus Street); street/garage parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter the wizard’s chambers nicely decorated with potion bottles, skulls, magical items, and a pedestal containing the Wizard’s spell book.

Understanding of the Mission: Find out what happened to the King’s Wizard.

Did We Escape: NO!!!

Time Remaining: *EPIC FAIL* [Wasn’t entirely that epic… -Jason]

Our Suggested Party Size: We actually had 10 because it was a special event, but we feel that was way too many, and suggest no more than 8.

Did the room challenge the entire team? No, but that’s our own fault. We overbooked the room and that left people standing around with nothing to do. We’ve learned from that mistake (we now cycle in our group of disturbed friends into the rooms).

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Jen, Brittany, Corey, Dalia, Rohan, Stephanie and Jennifer.

Team Disturbed Friends (Jen, Mike, Brittany, Jason, Corey and Rohan) failed to find the wizard! Photo courtesy of Escape Room Live's Facebook page.
Team Disturbed Friends (Jen, Mike, Brittany, Jason, Corey and Rohan) failed to find the wizard! Photo courtesy of Escape Room Live’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Probably, but not on our night. *SOUR GRAPES* (however, we’re all smiling in the photo, so we didn’t have a bad time LOL).

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s Old Town, but we recommend:

Continue reading →

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus – Room: Escape from Venus – December 27, 2016 & January 27, 2017

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’re good enough friends with someone that you don’t mind being locked up with them for up to an hour.

Avoid if… you’re claustrophobic. Or don’t have anyone you consider that good a friend.

THE BASICS

Room Escape DC:

Address: 3949A University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-865-4178
[email protected]
https://roomescapedc.com/escape-rooms/escape-from-venus/

The Room – Escape from Venus: RETIRED (Room is now Escape from Venus II: Collision Course)

Description (from the company website): You and your partner are astronauts exploring the awesome enormity of outer space. You’ve been dazzled by stars, and dodged black holes, and watched as celestial storms raged over the surface of foreign worlds.

Then: in the distance, a fast growing light. You have inadvertently flown into alien territory, and one of their defensive vessels has open-fired on your ship. Your ship has been vitally damaged. In a last-ditch effort to save yourselves, you land on the nearest planet: Venus.

Luckily, you have lost the alien trackers: for now… You only have one hour to repair your ship, and restore power, before the aliens hunt you down. The only way to tackle this captivating challenge is together.

Two brains. One hour. Zero time to waste. Can you and your partner crack this cosmic conundrum?

Difficulty (1-10): 1 of 3

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $75 for both people ($37.75 each person)

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2 people only

Staging Area: Room Escape DC has a lobby with multiple tables, couches/chairs, vending machines, a sign-in station and two restrooms.

Metro Access/Parking: No metro access, so you’ll have to drive or Lyft/Uber. But there’s plenty of parking in adjacent garages.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: The room is small, but it’s only for 2, so adequate for the people. Sparsely decorated, it’s believable enough to be in a space craft. There’s writing on the floor, lights all over, and a computer on a desk next to a large locker with multiple cabinets.

Understanding of the Mission: You are locked on a space craft that has crash landed, and you need to repair it within 60 minutes.

Did We Escape: Yes, details to come

Time Remaining: We’ll get into this later; Final Thoughts at the very bottom.

Our Suggested Party Size: Well, it’s a 2 person room, so 2.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes (thankfully hahaha)

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Dalia, Tara, Eric, Mark, & Katheryn

ERG Jason and Dalia, ERG Mike and friend, Tara and Eric, and Mark and Katheryn completed their missions and escaped from Venus. Photos courtesy of Room Escape DC’s Facebook page

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

The Horror… The Horror… – Room: Molly’s Horror Room – December 16, 2016

~ Mike K. ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you get off on ghost stories.

Avoid if… the little girls from “The Shining” scare the crap out of you.

THE BASICS

Room Escape DC:

Address: 3949A University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-865-4178
[email protected]
http://roomescapedc.com/horror-room

The Room – Molly’s Horror Room:

Description (from the company website): Molly loved songs, and dolls, and teddy bears just like any other girl. Then two years ago, little Molly disappeared…

Her room looks exactly as she left it, untouched (by the living). Lately, Molly’s parents have noticed strange and frightful disturbances. First, only bumps in the night. Now, Molly’s parents fear for their lives. They keep Molly’s room locked tight, to keep-in whatever (or whoever) is haunting them.

You and your team are from the Department of Paranormal Investigations, and you’ve been invited to investigate Molly’s room. Unfortunately, you, too, will have to be locked-in. Will you uncover the secret of missing Molly? You’ll have to rely on wit, courage, and the clues you find hidden throughout Molly’s room. This cold-case will be hard to crack, and night-lights won’t keep these ghosts at bay. Can you handle the horror?

Difficulty (1-10): 3 of 3

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $27 + tax per person, but use ERG15 to take 15% off your price on games booked between Mondays through Thursdays.

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-8

Staging Area: Decently sized lobby with plenty of seating and a sign-in station. Two separate restrooms located off the main lobby. Also has vending machines.

Metro Access/Parking: Parking garage around the corner and next door, but no metro.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: A little girl’s bedroom complete with creepy dolls and age-appropriate artwork. It doesn’t look like it’s been touched for awhile.

Understanding of the Mission: Find out what happened to Molly before time runs out and you become part of the ghost story.

Did We Escape: Or course

Time Remaining: Just over 5 minutes. *gasp*

Our Suggested Party Size: 6-8

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Tara, Steph, Mark, Katheryn

Team Disturbed Friends (Katheryn, Mark, Stephanie, Mike, Tara and Jason) solved the mystery of Molly's disappearance (we did both Horror Room and Black Death in the same night, so ignore the sign on this one). Photo courtesy of Room Escape DC's Facebook page.
Team Disturbed Friends (Katheryn, Mark, Stephanie, Mike, Tara and Jason) solved the mystery of Molly’s disappearance (we did both Horror Room and Black Death in the same night, so ignore the sign on this one). Photo courtesy of Room Escape DC’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • The Green Turtle – sports bar w/ standard bar food. There was karaoke going on the night we were there.
  • The Wine House – stop in for a glass of wine and dessert.

Continue reading →

We Stomped the Black Widow – Room: The Black Widow – August 25, 2016

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you binge-watch CSI or Criminal Minds.

Avoid if… you don’t like spiders.

THE BASICS

Escape Quest:

Address: 1127 King St, #200, Alexandria, VA 22314 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-574-8175
https://escapequestdc.com/

The Room – The Black Widow:

Description (from the company website): You and your friends are locked in the gothic lair of the beautiful and infamous Black Widow serial killer. Known for marrying and burying her husbands, you must discover how and why she killed them and get out before she returns and makes you her next victim.

Difficulty (1-10): no rating given

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28 per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Up to 8 people.

Staging Area: Lobby has a lot of space to sit on couches and chairs, and the tables have a few puzzles to work on and get your mind revved up before starting your room. The front desk attendant will also offer a small bottle of water. Restrooms are right next to the lobby.

Metro Access/Parking: King Street metro w/ a .4 mile walk (or take the free King Street Trolley to N. Payne St.); street/garage parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter the room and find yourself in the Black Widow’s parlor.

Understanding of the Mission: Find out what happened to the Black Widow’s former husbands (the how and why she killed each of them) before she returns.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 33:11. This is our fastest time to complete a room. Only one other team finished faster than we did (by 1:30), but they used two clues while we used none.

Our Suggested Party Size: There was plenty to do in this room, so we suggest 6-8, though it could be done with as few as 4.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes, at times

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Tara, Steph, Kim, and Kris

Team Disturbed Friends (Jason, Tara, Mike, Eric and Stephanie) stopped the Black Widow from claiming another victim. Photo courtesy of Escape Quest's Facebook page.
Team Disturbed Friends (Kim, Kris, Jason, Tara, Mike, Eric and Stephanie) stopped the Black Widow from claiming another victim. Photo courtesy of Escape Quest’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

It’s Pronounced "Nuc-U-Ler"… – Room: The Bunker – September 11, 2016

~ Mike K.

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love caves.

Avoid if… nuclear war is one of your paralyzing phobias.

THE BASICS

Escape Quest:

Address: 1127 King Street, Ste. 200, Alexandria, VA 22314 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-574-8175
https://escapequestdc.com/

The Room – The Bunker:

Description (from the company website): You and your team of elite soldiers are given a mission to infiltrate a top-secret military bunker and to stop a nuclear missile about to be launched . You have 60 minutes to stop the launch and escape the bunker before time runs out!

Difficulty (1-10): 7/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28 + tax per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Up to 8

Staging Area: Lobby has a lot of space to sit on couches and chairs, and the tables have a few puzzles to work on and get your mind revved up before starting your room. The front desk attendant will also offer a small bottle of water. Restrooms are right next to the lobby.

Metro Access/Parking: King Street metro w/ a .4 mile walk (or take the free King Street Trolley to N. Payne St.); street/garage parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter an underground bunker that looks like it was built during WWII. Lots of military equipment around.

Understanding of the Mission: Rescue a comrade, find a way to stop the launch of a nuclear weapon, and escape the bunker.

Did We Escape: yes

Time Remaining: This one was close. Single digit minutes remaining.

Our Suggested Party Size: We thought 6 was perfect.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Tammy, Bill and Stephanie.

escapequest_bunker

Worth the time and money? yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

The Doctor Will See You Now – Room: Dr. Panic’s Asylum – December 11, 2016

~ Mike K. ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you have good health insurance.

Avoid if… you are even just a wee bit mentally unstable.

THE BASICS

Room Escape DC

Address: 3949A University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-865-4178
[email protected]
http://roomescapedc.com/dr-panic

The Room – Dr. Panic’s Asylum: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): You and your fellow patients have been wrongfully detained in this disturbing asylum. No matter how desperately you plead, there’s been no hope for release. Suddenly, in a stroke of luck, the supervising doctor has been called away for a single hour. Finally: a chance to escape. Except, you are not alone…

To claw your way to freedom, you must conquer the frightening Professor’s Room, the menacing Doctor’s Room, and the treacherous Mudroom. Wit and sense alone will save you now. Can you make it out without losing your sanity? Or will this sinister asylum claim you forever?

Difficulty (1-10): 2 of 3

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $27 + tax per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-8 people

Staging Area: Decently sized lobby with plenty of seating and a sign-in station. Two separate restrooms located off the main lobby.

Metro Access/Parking: Parking garage around the corner, but no metro.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: You start off in a small, sparsely decorated office in an insane asylum; you then move into two additional rooms.

Understanding of the Mission: Solve the puzzles as you progress through three rooms and find your way to escape the asylum before the Dr. comes back!

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 13 minutes?

Our Suggested Party Size: 4-6

Did the room challenge the entire team? Unfortunately, no. See our scoring below.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Mark, Katheryn, Sibel, and Cat.

Team Disturbed Friends (Mike, Eric, Mark, Katheryn, Sibel, Jason and Cat) escaped being eternally committed to the asylum by Dr. Panic! Photo courtesy of Room Escape DC's Facebook page.
Team Disturbed Friends (Mike, Eric, Mark, Katheryn, Sibel, Jason and Cat) escaped being eternally committed to the asylum by Dr. Panic!
Photo courtesy of Room Escape DC’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

Friday the 13th Was Unlucky for Jason (Vorhees) – Room: Friday the 13th – January 14, 2017

~ Mike K. ~ 3 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love camping or the Friday the 13th series.

Avoid if… you have anxiety while being stalked by a serial killer (even a pretend one).

THE BASICS

Escape Room Live Georgetown:

Address: 3345 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 800-616-4880
http://www.escaperoomlive.com/our-rooms
[email protected]

The Room – Friday the 13th:

Description (from the company website): Ch Ch Ch Ah Ah Ah! Jason is back and he just wants to play! It is Friday the 13th and you need to hole up in a cabin and keep Jason out until midnight… after all, nothing bad ever happens on Saturday the 14th!

Difficulty (1-10): 7/10

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Cost: $28 + tax per person but use ERGUYS15 when booking to save 15% off per ticket.

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 8-10

Staging Area: This is probably the swankiest location we’ve seen. Tons of seating AND A BAR (wine and beer). There are also free lockers to stash your belongings before you enter the room.

Metro Access/Parking: Rosslyn metro and then a .9 mile walk across the Key Bridge. It’s Georgetown, so parking can be difficult (so definitely carpool and use the parking garage for Georgetown Mall (at Wisconsin and M, head down the hill towards K Street). We suggest Uber or Lyft.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter the room and are in the woods outside the Camp Director’s cabin. Probably the best staging we’ve seen for a room so far. We can’t even call this a room; you have to see it.

Understanding of the Mission: Perform a series of tasks to alert the authorities, hide out in the cabin and stave off Jason until the clock strikes midnight on Saturday the 14th.

Did We Escape: Hell, yes!

Time Remaining: 15 minutes

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 8 because we didn’t book the entire room and had two random people in with us (a father-daughter team, who were pretty cool). So, 8 was good, but we could have done it with 6.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes. Plenty for everyone to do.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Mark, Steph, Catherine and Katheryn

Team Disturbed Friends (Mark, Jason, Steph, Catherine, Mike and Katheryn) avoided being killed by Jason Vorhees! Photo courtesy of Escape Room Live Georgetown's Facebook group.
Team Disturbed Friends (Mark, Jason, Steph, Catherine, Mike and Katheryn) avoided being killed by Jason Vorhees!
Photo courtesy of Escape Room Live Georgetown’s Facebook group.

Worth the time and money? yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s Georgetown, so there are plenty of places to go for food and drinks, depending on your budget. We’ll leave it to Google, since we had wine and beer at their bar.

Continue reading →

I’ve Always Wanted to Be in the Movies! – Room: Escape the Movies – July 17, 2016

~ Mike K. ~ 3 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love horror movies.

Avoid if… a little gore turns your stomach

THE BASICS

Laurel’s House of Horror & Escape Room:

Address: 935 Fairlawn Ave, Laurel, MD 20707 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 240-278-4545
http://www.laurelhaunt.com

The Room – RETIRED

Description (from the company website): You and a group will experience four distinctive rooms, with iconic scenes from your favorite record-breaking horror films including Saw, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Insidious. Solve intricate puzzles and race the clock to escape Jigsaw, Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger.  Your limits will be tested in an attempt to truly Escape the Movies… or become our next victims trapped inside the haunted theater!

Note: this room has been revamped since we did it, so your experience may not be the same.

Difficulty (1-10): none listed

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $25 + tax per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Up to 8

Staging Area: It’s in an old movie theater that is supposedly haunted, so pretty damn creepy.

Metro Access/Parking: not metro accessible at all. The theater is in a strip mall so there is plenty of parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: The theater itself was pretty cool looking. They turn it into a haunted house for the Halloween season.

The rooms themselves were very well done… we knew what movie we were supposed to be in and they added some additional decorations to help with the theme.

Understanding of the Mission: Solve the clues going through 4 rooms based on different horror movies, find the key and escape before the monsters get you!

Did We Escape: Yes, by the skin of our teeth (bad pun intended)

Time Remaining: About 45 seconds

Our Suggested Party Size: They say up to 8 can do the room, but we had only 4 (which was supposed to be 6), and that was sufficient.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes, there was plenty for all of us to do.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Steph

Worth the time and money? Yes!

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: We’re not familiar with Laurel, so we’re going to have to leave you to Google for a recommendation.

Continue reading →

It’s All About the Ending – Room: Room Ω (Omega) – October 22, 2016

~ Mike K. ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you have some time to kill and have a Groupon, or have a thing for watches.

Avoid if… you are claustrophobic.

THE BASICS

Omescape DC: LOCATION CLOSED

Address: 2406 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 202-644-0825
http://omescapedc.com

The Room – Room Omega: ROOM CLOSED

Description (from the company website): Professor Stanley, known for his theory of time travel, disappeared inside his own office three days ago. His students said he was about to publish new findings on multiple time dimensions. As his closest friend, you’ve decided to find out the truth of Professor Stanley’s mysterious disappearance. Pay attention to any clues related to time, otherwise the same thing could happen to you…

Difficulty (1-10): 6/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $27.99 + tax per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Up to 8

Staging Area: The lobby is up a flight of stairs and has a small number of couches and tables.

Metro Access/Parking: Woodley Park / National Zoo and then walk .7 miles across the Calvert Street bridge into Adams Morgan. It’s Adams Morgan, so parking at night and on weekends can be really tricky. We suggest Uber or Lyft if that’s an option.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: A small office… nothing too memorable.

Understanding of the Mission: Find out what happened to Professor Stanley before you disappear without a trace.

Did We Escape: yes

Time Remaining: don’t remember… 11 minutes?

Our Suggested Party Size: we had 6 and that was plenty.

Did the room challenge the entire team? No

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Melissa, Jess, and Jen.

Worth the time and money? Unfortunately, we had to give this one a “no,” and we had a Groupon to discount the price.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s Adams Morgan, so there are plenty of places to eat and drink. Here’s where we went:

Continue reading →