As part of our due diligence of keeping track of all the escape rooms in the metro DC area, Jason started a conversation with Zephyr, the Sales and Marketing manager at 5 Wits Adventures in Arlington, VA. He wanted to check on their timetable for the grand opening of their new location in Ballston Quarter. After a few months, Zephyr confirmed that they were ready to do a soft opening and invited us in to check out some of their experiences.
While we were there, Jason was also able to spend some time with Dawn, their Operations Manager, and find out what makes an experience at 5 Wits Adventures a bit different from your typical escape room, and how they came up with their design philosophy.
Check out the video interview below:
Please note that 5 Wits Adventures prefers not to be listed as Escape Rooms, but Adventures (they are a very different breed of interactive experience), but for purposes of consistency within our blog, this is tagged as an Escape Room Interview.
Have you done any of the adventures at this location? What was your experience like? You can add your comments to this post.
Stay tuned for our review of Espionage and the other adventures after we get a chance to do them. Check out and follow our social media channels below to be notified when new postings and interviews are published.
Are there locations or rooms you’d like us to scout out?
Description (from the company website): Dr. Prescott Joule, Physicist, has hired your team to look after his lab while he is away on a scientific mission! The moment you enter the lab you’re confident that something strange is going on. You may be in for more than you bargained for! Can you figure out what he is up to?
Difficulty: Medium
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $18 per person
Identifier: R1
Party Size: 2-10
Staging Area: a very large lobby with a reception desk, small fridge with bottled water (free to players) and some seating along the walls.
Metro Access/Parking: in Lynchburg, so you’ll have to drive or figure out the public transit system.
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 are in a high-tech lab with lots of scientific gizmos and doodads.
Understanding of the Mission: You and your team are hired to look after a lab for a wacky scientist. Little did you know that YOU have become part of his scientific research. Can you figure out what the experiment is and escape within 60 minutes?
Did We Escape: yes
Time Remaining: 13:00
Our Suggested Party Size: We had 3, which seemed to fit our group (but we’re good friends and work together pretty well). We’d likely recommend 4-5.
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Rohan
A professor thought he’d experiment on The Escape Room Guys. The Guys messed with his results.
Description (from the company website): The Elves have gone on strike. They are tired of the long hours and low pay and have hopped a plane to Palm Beach before completing the final gifts for delivery.
You have 45 minutes to complete the remaining toys and save Christmas. It is not that simple, though. These elves were particularly vindictive and have created a series of puzzles to prevent anyone from being able to finish what they started. It is up to you!
Difficulty (1-10): 6/10
Time Limit: 45 minutes
Cost: $29 per person – Use ERGUYS15 to get 15% off per person when booking your reservation for any of their rooms
Identifier: T1 – temporary theme for the holidays
Party Size: 2-8
Staging Area: EXIT Plan has a great reception area (two, actually) with lots of chairs. There is a large flight of stairs to reach the main lobby. Note: this escape room experience is not in their main location, but in a small office that is next to the main parking lot.
Metro Access/Parking: This spot is in downtown Leesburg in the historic district. Lots of street parking, and there is a small lot right behind Macdowell Brew Kitchen.
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 enter Santa’s workshop, complete with presents, Christmas tree, fireplace, and package wrapping area, along with a live “elf” sitting in a chair by the door.
Understanding of the Mission: Find the components to the remaining presents and get them into Santa’s bag before Christmas is ruined.
Did We Escape: No
Time Remaining: 0 – we probably needed another minute or two
Our Suggested Party Size: This room is rated 2-8 people, and we had 4 experienced people, which should have been enough.
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Heather and Steph
The Escape Room Guys attempted to save Christmas, and failed to complete the last task. Damn those dastardly elves!
Worth the time and money? Yes
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:
Macdowell Brew Kitchen – restaurant and bar right below EXIT Plan (the Hog Wings were awesome!)
We just found out that we were named to a list of the Top 48 Escape Room Bloggers to Follow in 2019, being ranked #11 by an escape room marketing and seo (search engine optimization) company called SEO ORB. The top 48 were chosen from over 300 escape room blogging websites.
Check out the write up on us!
Obviously, we’re honored to have made the list, which features a number of other great blogging sites. We worked hard on establishing our grading rubric to ensure that we covered all rooms we do consistently and fairly, and spend hours trying to write our reviews to provide an accurate representation of our experience, while not giving away spoilers to ruin the experience for others.
This blog started off as a hobby in February 2016… an experiment (if you will), to see if we could provide a service to the emerging escape room community and help grow the popularity of this type of event. It was also a way for us to refine our way of thinking of what escape rooms should contain to give that overall great experience., and we continue to refine as we go.
We ended 2018 with 4x the number of unique visitors and hits to the website than we had the previous year, so it’s encouraging and exciting to see how our little experiment is taking off, and we’re looking forward to what the future might bring. Thank you to all of our readers, whether you are new to the site, or are a frequent visitor.
So, for a little while now, we’ve seen rumors and then brief snapshots of an Escape Room movie. Being the enthusiasts that we are, as well as loving a good thriller, we were a bit intrigued as to how the crew was going to take an escape room experience and turn it into a cinematic experience.
The local DC rep from Columbia Pictures reached out to us to see if we’d be interested in attending the DC premier of the movie. Since we already promote reviews and games, and worked with the Solver team last year on their movie, we agreed spread the word.
This movie opens in theaters on January 4.
The premise: (from the press release)
You find yourself in a room – no windows, only one door, and it’s locked. The madman who’s locked you in has set up a series of fiendishly clever and difficult puzzles that, when solved in the correct order, will lead to the key and your salvation. And to add to the difficulty, he’s set a ticking clock, with one hour to complete the puzzles and escape… or face the consequences.
What sounds like a horror movie is one of the fastest-growing entertainments in the world: the escape room phenomenon. Armed with only your wits – and the variety of strengths of the people in the room with you – players have been cracking codes, deciphering enigmas, and unlocking hidden caches as quickly as they can. Each room has a secret plot, with players piecing it together as a fun, team-building experience. Since the dawn of the concept in 2010, escape rooms have popped up all over the world at an amazing rate by satisfying human nature’s hunger for fun and escape from reality.
When producer Ori Marmur tried out an escape room with his family, he saw the potential for a film – and because audiences worldwide have embraced the concept, it could be a film whose themes had global appeal. “I thought it was very immersive and incredibly fun, sort of a living boardgame,” he says. The project seemed to be a natural fit with a classic locked-room mystery setup, and with producer Neal H. Moritz, he began to shepherd the project. Quickly, they hit on a way to raise the stakes, making the ultimate escape room: one that is not only hyper slick and incredibly dangerous – when the clock runs out, it means death.
Our Take:
We’ve done a number of rooms where a serial killer or madman has us trapped in their lab or lair, and we have to figure our way out before he/she returns. Now, we’ve even done a few rooms that had a “Saw” feeling with them, so the overall theme of the movie isn’t that far a stretch. What is interesting is that the room turns deadly AFTER the characters begin playing. From the looks of the trailer and the press packet we received, it simply looks like the six strangers have agreed to do a room together that is billed as the most immersive room yet, and has a $1 million prize for escaping. Let’s just hope none of them show up drunk or stoned (this has happened to us).
As the experience progresses, they have to make their way through and figure out their own role in the game and how the rooms were specifically created for each of them… and not die in the process.
We were pretty psyched to see that Adam Robitel, who directed Insidious: The Last Key also directed this one, so that brings some legitimacy to the movie being a true thriller.
Stay tuned for our review of the movie. Check out and follow our social media channels below to be notified when new postings and interviews are published.
Check out the trailer below (from Columbia/Sony Pictures YouTube channel):
Planning on seeing this movie? What are you most excited about?
Comment on the post below and let us know!
Logistics:
Rated PG-13 for Terror/Perilous Action & Violence, Some Suggestive Material and Language.
Columbia Pictures presents an Original Film production, Escape Room. Starring Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine, Nik Dodani, with Yorick van Wageningen. Directed by Adam Robitel. Produced by Neal H. Moritz and Ori Marmur. Screenplay by Bragi Schut and Maria Melnik. Story by Bragi Schut. Executive Producer is Rebecca Rivo. Director of Photography is Marc Spicer. Production Designer is Edward Thomas. Editor is Steven Mirkovich, ACE. Music by Brian Tyler & John Carey.
“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”
Your room has just been hit by a tornado and you’ve barely survived. But there is no time to rest! The weather authority has just reported that another tornado is heading your way! You have 60 minutes to escape the rubble before the next storm hits and finishes you off. You better act fast because…
This room will blow you away.
BONUS MISSION:
Guess who forgot to put a first-aid kit in the storm shelter? Yep, that would be you. You and your team have suffered injuries from the first storm and need medical attention! Find a first-aid kit to patch yourselves up before you exit. It would be a real shame if the storm shelter became your tomb.
Difficulty: not rated, but the escape rate for the room is 35%, and the success rate for securing the bonus is 15%
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $25 per person (plus a booking fee)
Identifier: R1
Party Size: Up to 8.
Staging Area: there is a small lobby that is located just outside the Game Masters’ control center and next to a hallway that leads to all of their rooms. Plenty of seating for small parties as they wait to enter the rooms.
Metro Access/Parking: there is a large parking lot outside, so drive away!
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 enter your house, which has been decimated by a previous tornado. Things are strewn everywhere and walls have even collapsed. How will you find what you need and escape before the next tornado hits?
Understanding of the Mission: pick your way through your destroyed house and escape before the next tornado hits.
Did We Escape: yes
Time Remaining: 7:43 (broke the current record by about 3 minutes)
Our Suggested Party Size: 6 was good
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Alex, Mark, Dylan, Erin, and Heather
We (Alex, Mark, Dylan, Erin, Mike and Heather) escaped the second tornado!
Worth the time and money? absolutely
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:
Quaker Steak & Lube – great restaurant with some awesome happy hour specials (drink discounts and half-priced appetizers) and a huge selection of wing sauces and dry rubs
Description (from the company website): You’re a team of paranormal investigators who have been requested by a hotel owner to investigate strange happenings inside the mysterious room 213. As soon as you enter the room you can sense that something else is going on. Before you can ask, your host has quickly left the room. As you hear the door lock, you realize you’ve been trapped. Can your team uncover the Mystery of Room 213?
Difficulty (1-10): 6/10 and not recommended for children under 13
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $28
Identifier: R1
Party Size: 4-6
Staging Area: A pretty large lobby with a few bar tables and chairs, and a lounge with couches and chairs and tables.
Metro Access/Parking: It’s in Herndon so you’re better off driving.
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:
Logistics:
Description of the room: You enter a hotel room that is supposedly haunted… where the occupants end up missing.
Understanding of the Mission: Pretty simple… figure out if the room is truly haunted and what happened to the former guests.
Did We Escape: Yes
Time Remaining: 3 minutes
Our Suggested Party Size: 6 was pretty good
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Heather and Steph D., plus 2 random people (not pictured)
Worth the time and money? Hell, yes! (Anything that can scare Jason into jumping is definitely worth doing LOL)
Contact and Website: 011 (if dialing from outside Croatia), then 385 91 923 1248 www.escapeart.hr
Room – Robin Hood:
Description (from the company website): Be the hero. Save the Kingdom!
The Sherwood forest
Nature’s little gem, located in Nottinghamshire. If you ever find yourself there, you may stumble upon a man in green, armed with a longbow. If you are honest and humble, have no fear, you won’t be hurt. Au contraire, you’ll be invited to share a meal. But, if you are greedy and sneaky, be careful when riding through the woods, because you might end up riding your horse backwards back to town. Buck naked, and penniless.
Who does that, you might ask? A rebel in lincoln green tights, Robin Hood. And his unavoidable band of Merry Men. Well, techincally, Robin might be a thief, but he is no common criminal. “No honor among thieves” does not apply to this rebel. He takes from the rich and gives to the poor. Although an outlaw, he is a strong supporter of the rightful king. Especially king Richard the Lionhearted.
But, to make things even more interesting, every kingdom has to have some bad guys. In this case, the culprits are greedy, corrupted Sheriff and prince John, conniving usurper brother of the king. Those two often keep Robin occupied, with their tireless plots and attempts of stealing the crown and taking the throne.
Robin Hood
A witty heroic outlaw. Highly skilled archer and swordsman. Takes from the rich and gives to the poor. Usually seen hanging out with his gang, the Merry Men, near hollow oak trees. Very much in love in lady Marion. All together, a good guy.
King Richard the Lionhearted
A valiant, competent military fighter. Wise and noble ruler. Courageous and generous. The ideal king – kind and considerate of his subjects. Compassionate man who takes good care of his whole kingdom. Also a good guy.
The Sheriff of Nottingham
Robin’s archnemesis. Greedy bastard, who abuses his authority. Rotten apple of the kingdom. Pompous, arrogant and manipulative. Also in love with Marion, the love od Robin Hood’s life. Definitely not a good guy.
The Merry Men
Robin’s band of outlaws. Trained fighters. Loyal and jolly.
Little John: Robin’s right hand. The tallest man in the group.
Friar Tuck: A Holy man who eats a lot, drinks a lot and swears a lot.
Will Scarlett: A musical, fashion obsessed dandy. Trusted friend and a merciless fighter.
Much, The Miller’s Son: Young, innocent and not too bright. Loyal to the bone.
The crown is stolen!
This is not the case of whodunit, because we already know who to blame for this – those two little weasels, Prince John and his shifty pal, Sheriff of Nottingham. Rumor has it that the crown is hidden somewhere in Sheriff’s office. Unfortunately, Robin is not in town at the moment, so it is up to you, his band of Merry Men, to fight this fight and make things right.
Luckily for you, those two are hungry little bastards, and they went out to the nearest tavern for lunch, to celebrate. But they’ll be back in 60 minutes! Get your detective cape on and jump into this window of opportunity!
Find the crown. Save the Kingdom!
No pressure.
Difficulty: 3 of 3 stars
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost:Cost:Cash only in Croatian kuna is accepted
150 kuna per person for 2 people, about $23.14 each
100 kuna per person for 3-4 people, about $15.43 each
90 kuna per person for 4 people, about $13.89 each
75 kuna per person for 5 people, about $11.57 each
Languages: Offered both in Croatian and English
Identifier: R1
Party Size: 2–6 people
Staging Area: A very comfortable seating area, and you are offered a beverage before you go in the room.
Metro Access/Parking: This location is on the second floor of a building down in the city center. Uber works well in Zagreb.
OUR EXPERIENCE
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: The Sheriff of Nottingham’s office, complete with medieval weapons, barrels, a desk, and some heavy doors. Check out the photos (found on Escape Art Zagreb’s website) below:
Understanding of the Mission: Prince John and his sycophant, The Sheriff of Nottingham, have stolen King Richard’s crown while he’s off fighting in the crusades. As a King Richard loyalist, you have to rescue the crown before it gives Prince John any ideas of seizing full control of the kingdom as well (and not simply acting as regent).
Did We Escape: yes… and no (see below)
Time Remaining: not applicable – we essentially did a walkthrough of this room where we played the room, but got hinted right away or told the solution (if it was a math puzzle or required a lot of calculation) since we had another room booked at a different location, but really, really wanted to check this out before we left. We’re glad we did.
Our Suggested Party Size: 6 would work fine
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Heather
Worth the time and money? Yes
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: There are lots of places within walking distance, so we recommend you use Google or TripAdvisor (or ask for a recommendation!)
Description (from the company website): Trust no one.
Question everything.
Uncover the truth.
Step inside of a thrilling mystery centered around some of the greatest conspiracies of our time. Players will need to piece together the clues and connect the dots before time runs and the truth is lost forever. Strap on your tin foil hats and uncover the truth beneath the lies.
Difficulty: Intermediate/Expert
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $31 per person, but use ERG15 to take 15% off your games booked (not valid on Saturdays)
Identifier: R1
Party Size: 4-8
Staging Area: A small waiting room with a reception desk, and small fridge with water (don’t they have a fridge here???) and some small puzzles to work on while you wait.
Metro Access/Parking: It’s in the historic part of downtown Frederick, so if you’re going to visit from DC, you’re gonna need to drive. There is a parking lot right next to the building, or ample street parking nearby.
OUR EXPERIENCE
We actually forgot to do the pre- and post-videos because we had such a good time talking (at length) with the owner. W0mp W0mp
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 walk into a room with 2 tables, a bunch of string-pointed diagrams on the walls, and what we could only guess to be a clean room in the back.
Understanding of the Mission: Uncover the clues in Icarus’ hideout, determine where he hid all the information, and get out with it before the Feds find you there.
Did We Escape: Yes
Time Remaining: 3:30
Our Suggested Party Size: We had 4 with one novice and one escape room virgin (ERV), and that was tough. We’d likely recommend 5-6.
Did the room challenge the entire team? Absolutely
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Alex and Anna
Worth the time and money? Yes
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: You’re in downtown Frederick in the historic district. Lots of places nearby to eat and drink (we don’t have a recommendation because we didn’t stop anywhere).
Detective thriller in a psychiatric hospital.
Investigate the mystery, but don’t lose your mind…
The early 1970s. You are a group of journalists sent to investigate strange things that happen around St. Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital…
An unsettling atmosphere of a mental asylum and unexpected scenario twists in the new thriller detective escape room “The Patient.”
Difficulty (1-10): 9/10
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $29/per person
Identifier: R1
Party Size: 2-8
Staging Area: The staging area was basically a lobby with a few couches and a coat rack. Note: this part of their location is located DOWNSTAIRS to the left of the main entrance..
Metro Access/Parking: The nearest Metro stop is either Tenleytown or Woodley Park metro (and then a bus), so it’s likely easier to drive/cab/Lyft in. There is street parking and one or two garages nearby.
OUR EXPERIENCE
This is the video we took before we entered the room:
Logistics:
Description of the room: A small office in what appears to be a mental institution.
Understanding of the Mission: Using our journalistic investigative skills, figure out what’s happening at St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatric Hospital.
Did We Escape: Yes
Time Remaining: About 4 minutes.
Our Suggested Party Size: 4 if you’re all experienced; otherwise, 6 will work fine.
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Ethan, Steph D., and Heather
Worth the time and money? This room is billed as their best and hardest room, and it was challenging (but not impossible).
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:
Old Europe. Authentic German food a few minutes walk. Been there twice.
Glover Park Brewery – A good brewery with a nice selection of beers. No food, but they cycle in food trucks so you can get some grub.
