Lasers in Space?! What More Can You Ask For? – Room: Starbase Command – September 15, 2017 – DISTURBED FRIENDS REVIEW – PLAY-TEST

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you like space wars and ever had lightsaber battles with flashlights as a kid.

Avoid if… you don’t know Trek from Wars, or can’t follow directions.

THE BASICS

Escape Room Woodbridge (designed in collaboration with the Escape Room Guys):

Address: 12668 Darby Brook Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22912 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-910-6015
https://www.escaperoomwoodbridgeva.com
[email protected]

The Room – Starbase Command: RETIRED

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)

Identifier: N1 (replaced Dr. Jones’ Apprentice)

Party Size: up to 8 people

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.

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Here, Kitteh, Kitteh, Kitteh… That’s a Bad Kitteh! – Room: Kingdom of Cats – July 15, 2017

~ Jason

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’re a cat person more than a dog person.

Avoid if… cats acting like humans freaks you the hell out. Where is Cartman with a big box of catnip when you need him?

THE BASICS

Omescape DC: LOCATION CLOSED

Address: 2406 18th Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20009 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 202 644 0825
[email protected]
http://omescapedc.com

The Room – Kingdom of Cats: RETIRED

Description (from the company website but cleaned up a bit to make it readable): Welcome to the Cat Kingdom. The ruler, Austin Schrodinger, holds annual championship tournaments to select the wisest cat in the kingdom. Unexpectedly, you, as a human, accidentally set foot on their championship battlefield. According to the kingdom’s law, those in the battlefield must compete in the tournament or otherwise be imprisoned here forever. You have no choice but to accept the challenge and solve puzzles and riddles in the tournament.

Difficulty: 3 of 5

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28 per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: up to 8 people

Staging Area: The lobby is up a flight of stairs and has a small number of couches and tables. Also note that it’s above a restaurant, so be prepared for some…interesting…smells in the warmer weather.

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: You start off in a parlor that is heavily decorated with cat art.

Understanding of the Mission: You are being forced to participate in the annual tournament to find the wisest cat and solve the riddles and puzzles to win the tournament… as humans… or be locked up in prison forever.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: about 26 minutes

Our Suggested Party Size: 4

Did the room challenge the entire team? No

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Valerie, Heather, Mark, and Shannon

Worth the time and money? Maybe? If you have kids.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

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The Penitentiary Was Truly a Punishment – Room: The Penitentiary – July 15, 2017 – FAILED!

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’ve always wondered what it’s like being behind bars.

Avoid if… you are claustrophobic or scared of the dark.

THE BASICS

Omescape DC: LOCATION CLOSED

Address: 2406 18th Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20009 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 202 644 0825
[email protected]
http://omescapedc.com

The Room – The Penitentiary: RETIRED

Description (from the company website) (Note: this is the most recent and differs from the original storyline we were told): Saint Temple Prison is one of the most infamous military prisons in history. No one has ever escaped it. Until one night, all the prisoners vanished. They were never seen or heard of again. Rumors say the incident was related to a rampage killer named Richard Ramirez, aka “The Night Stalker”. Another prisoner found a weird-looking machine in the cell of “The Night Stalker” and disappeared the next day…

You wake up one day and find yourself locked in a cramped cell. You are cold and alone. Silence surrounds and holds you. Suddenly, you realize this is the mysterious cell in which “The Night Stalker” died. Your heart is pounding. No matter if this is a game, you know your only goal is to escape.

Difficulty (1-10): 5/5

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-12

Staging Area: The lobby is up a flight of stairs and has a small number of couches and tables. Also note that it’s above a restaurant, so be prepared for some…interesting…smells in the warmer weather.

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

This is the video we took before we entered the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: This is supposed to be a prison, and as such you start off in cells that are opposite each other. There are 3 rooms (to start), including the 2 cells.

Understanding of the Mission: You wake up in the cell of an infamous prisoner and all you know is that everyone who stays in this cell disappears. So, you need to get the hell outta there!

Did We Escape: No; read on to find out why.

Time Remaining: :-/

Our Suggested Party Size: Minimum 6-8

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Valerie, Heather, Mark, Shannon

Worth the time and money? No

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

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Losing Our Minds Implies We Have Minds to Lose… – Room: The Haunt – June 28, 2017 – PLAY TEST

~ Jason

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you like a good urban legend about the local haunted house.

Avoid if… you dislike paintings that seem to watch you.

THE BASICS

Escape Room Woodbridge:

Address: 12668 Darby Brook Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22912 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-910-6015
https://www.escaperoomwoodbridgeva.com

The Room – The Haunt:

Description (from the company website): You and your friends have decided to explore an abandoned home. After looking through every room, all seems much ado about nothing. Then you find yourselves in the parlour….let’s see if you can get out before you go cuckoo!

Difficulty (1-10): Not listed

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28. – Use ERGUYS when booking to get either a percentage or set $$ amount off per ticket (whatever promotion is running)

Identifier: N1 (Replaced Lights, Camera, Murder! room)

Party Size: Up to 5

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

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: A dark and creepy parlor in a haunted house, set in the early-to-mid 1900s.

Understanding of the Mission: Get out with your wits intact so you don’t become one of the undead spirits in the house.

Did We Escape: We called this one a draw due to technical difficulties stopping us from getting out in time.

Time Remaining: :-/

Our Suggested Party Size: 4-5

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

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

Team Disturbed Friends (Jason, Steph, Mike & Diana) dealt with the ghost and escaped with their sanity intact.

Worth the time and money? Yes

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.

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Now Open! Starbase Command – Promo code inside

Video ~ ~ Mike K.

ESCAPE ROOM LAUNCH: RETIRED

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!

We Went Down (and Not in a Good Way) – Room: Titanic – June 16, 2017 – FAILED!

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you enjoy a good ocean cruise.

Avoid if… you have a fear of drowning, or just really, really hate Leonardo DiCaprio in that movie.

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 – Titanic:

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

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