So, there is an escape room-themed movie called SOLVER coming out with a targeted release date of January 29, 2018. Watch our review video below and subscribe to our YouTube channel because we’ll be playing along with the Puzzle Hunt (more info below the videos).
SOLVER Trailer:
The movie is being produced by Empire Builder Productions. Check out their website for info on the movie and their Instagram channel (@solverfilm) for the PR campaign called Puzzle Hunt, which is a series of 12 puzzles that you play through the ClueKeeper app (download through the Apple Store for your IOS device or Google Play for your Android).
Description (from the company website): The old Chocolate Master wasn’t feeling so good. This was the first time in years when he missed an order of his famous chocolate treats. Soon after, the newspaper announced his passing. The great Chocolate Factory closed its doors forever. However, a year later there was an odd rumor that the Master was on the lookout for a successor and left behind clues on how to open the unbreakable doors. In the factory, he hid his greatest recipe. You have one hour to get into the factory, find the recipe and replicate it to become the next Chocolate Master and own the factory. Will you be able to find the clues that the old Chocolate Master left behind before time runs out?
Difficulty (1-10): n/a
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $28 (+ tax per person)
Identifier: R1
Party Size: Up to 10
Staging Area: Small lobby area with space for photos; conference room where room briefings are done.
Metro Access/Parking: This is over by White Marsh in a strip mall. Plenty of parking, but no metro access.
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 start off in a small room slightly reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s factory.
Understanding of the Mission: In order to take ownership of the factory, you need to find get into the lab, find the recipe and all ingredients, then learn how to replicate it.
Did We Escape: Yes
Time Remaining: 2:05
Our Suggested Party Size: 6-8
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Heather, Ress, Devon
Meet the new masters of the Chocolate Factory, team Disturbed Friends (Devon, Jason, Mike, Heather, and Eric)
Description (from the company website): “The Rising Dead” is inspired by the hit zombie TV series, with hints of the hospital scene from the first season. This new game is one of our scariest yet, with the added pressure and motivation of a live-actor zombie. Can you get out of the quarantine room into the hospital lab? Bring your friends — you’ll need all the help you can get!
Formerly “Resident Horror”, this escape room experience has re-launched as “The Rising Dead” starting in August. A live actor is part of the experience* (incidental, but not intentional, touching may occur due to unpredictable activities of the dead).
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
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 off in a hospital room that is connected to a hallway… and another room with a heavy lock on the door.
Understanding of the Mission: Make our way through the hospital, get to the lab, find the medicine, and escape before the zombies get us!
Did We Escape: Yes
Time Remaining: 13 minutes
Our Suggested Party Size: We’d recommend 6 if you all have escape room experience; 8 if you have some newbies or ERVs (Escape Room Virgins) with you.
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Mark, Eric, Shannon and three of the employees from Laurel’s House of Horror.
Team Disturbed Friends (Eric, Jason, Mike, Mark, and Shannon) found the cure and escaped the hospital of The Rising Dead! Zombie Heather photobombed us.
Worth the time and money? Yes
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s in a shopping center in Laurel. Lots of places to eat. We had Five Guys before doing one of the previous rooms.
Check out our interview with Megan, one of the owners, from Clue Carré while we were in New Orleans on vacation for Halloween. We’ll have reviews of The Voodoo Room and French Quarter House of Curiosities up soon.
And CONGRATULATIONS to Clue Carré on their grand opening at their Metairie, LA location on Friday, November 17. Check back tomorrow for our review of the Game Museum: Evolution of Games room!
Description (from the company website): An Elite Enemy Force has infiltrated your military compound on a distant planet. As Rebel Fighters, you’ve successfully fought them off. There is but one final task, to deactivate a deadly laser aimed at your home planet. Can you save your people from annihilation?
Difficulty (1-10): none listed
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $28 + tax per person. – Use ERGUYS when booking to get either a percentage or set $$ amount off per ticket (whatever promotion is running)
Staging Area: Simple sitting area with couches. Restrooms are located in the back of the building past the Escape Rooms.
Metro Access/Parking: No metro access. This company is located in a shopping center and has ample parking. Watch traffic delays on I-95 and leave ample time to get there.
OUR EXPERIENCE
SPECIAL NOTE: As the Escape Room Guys, Mike and Jason, worked with Escape Room Woodbridge to design this room, they felt it would be a supreme conflict of interest for them to rate something they helped develop. To that end, this review is written by Disturbed Friends, Mark and Eric, who are members of our regular team and graciously agreed to substitute for us in writing and rating our sections below. Their reviews are untouched (with the exception of fixes to grammar or punctuation), unless otherwise “noted.”
Logistics:
Description of the room: A remote intergalactic outpost (hmmm… this is very reminiscent of the Hoth scene in Empire Strikes Back).
Understanding of the Mission: Disable the laser before it destroys your home planet and the enemy reinforcements arrive. The mission was really well laid out to us before we went into the room, and we all knew exactly what we were looking for.
Did We Escape: Yes
Time Remaining: 16:40
Our Suggested Party Size: The room is rated for a max of 8 people. To get the full experience of the room, we would say that 8 is 2 people too many, and would not go in with more than 6. ERG Note: if your party of 8 consists mostly of of newbies or Escape Room Virgins (ERVs), the maximum rating will work fine.
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes. Even though we were all escape room vets, the room still presented a challenge. If you have done escape rooms before, you will complete some of the puzzles quickly, but there were still many puzzles we had never seen before, and they presented a tough challenge.
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Steph, Tara, Mark, and Aaron
Team UN-Disturbed Friends (Eric, Steph, Tara, Mark, and Aaron) saved their home planet by deactivating the laser!
Worth the time and money? Yes. The room was really well put together and the puzzles all made sense with the theme of the room it is definitely worth the time and money.
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:
Fair Winds Brewing Company – We hit up this place on a previous visit. Great place for beer flights, beers and some food truck grub.
Check out Jason’s interview with Frank, one of the owners, from Trap Door Escape Room in Morristown, NJ while he was home visiting family for the weekend.
We’re excited to announce our collaboration with Escape Room Woodbridge on their new room called Starbase Command. The ERG worked with ERW to develop and design the room and puzzles, and even created one of the props from scratch.
After watching the video, go to Escape Room Woodbridge’s website, and use ERGUYS as the promotional code when booking the room to get $7 off per person by September 25.
Please share this link on your social media channels!
And, after you’ve done the room, come back and comment here on what you thought of it!
Description (from the company website): Aboard the beautiful, new Titanic, you are surrounded by opulence on the journey of a lifetime… until you hit an iceberg. Trapped in your state room, can you find a way out using your ingenuity and wits before the water rises above the porthole?
Difficulty (1-10): 8/10
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, for Escapers only). 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
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 the room and find yourself in the opulent quarters on the unsinkable cruise ship, the Titanic.
Understanding of the Mission: Simple… escape your quarters and the level before time runs out (and your porthole fills with water).
Did We Escape: No (we needed another 30 seconds (Jason’s estimate) or 2 minutes (Mike’s estimate))
Time Remaining: grrrrrrr
Our Suggested Party Size: 6 should work fine
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes (Jason begs to differ)
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Whitney, Birgit and Mindy
Team Disturbed Friends (Mike, Whitney, Birgit, Mindy and Jason) were lost at sea when they failed to escape the Titanic. Photo courtesy of Escape Room Live Georgetown’s Facebook page.
Worth the time and money? Yes (if for nothing else than aesthetics)
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s Georgetown. Take your pick
