Escape Room Review

7 Sins; 7 Doors… Mmmm… Sin-ful-icious – Room: 7 Deadly Sins – May 7, 2017

~ Jason

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you have any vices whatsoever, or loved the movie “7even”

Avoid if… you are a church-going, God-fearing person.

THE BASICS

Laurel House of Horror:

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

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

The Room – 7 Deadly Sins: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): “Seven Deadly Sins” is the most unique, and easily the most challenging escape room experience we’ve ever created. In five and a half “ancient” and elaborate rooms, you and a group will be tested to your absolute limits to overcome intricate puzzles, time-sensitive obstacles, and a difficult environment. More intense than our original rooms, all of your senses will be tested to escape the seven sins.

You enter through Pride (the first room) – will you leave with Pride, or be Envious of the ones that escape?

Difficulty (1-10): not listed

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Cost: $25 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

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 walk into a circular room with a table in the center, at TV on the wall, and 7 doors (including the one you walked in through).

Understanding of the Mission: Solve the puzzles to figure out how to get out with your Pride intact.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: Exactly 11 minutes.

Our Suggested Party Size: At least 6 (1 for each door)

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

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

Worth the time and money? hell,yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: No idea, other than the Five Guys nearby. (There’s a Chuck E. Cheese next door, if you’re into that sort of thing. And like terrible pizza. And annoying, bratty kids… and creepy animatronic mice)

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Curse? What Curse? Hey, Where’d This Tail Come From…? – Room: Curse of the Mummy – May 5, 2017

~ Jason ~ 4 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you like the Mummy movies or anything Egypt.

Avoid if… you don’t want to get dirty or have asthma.

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 – Curse of the Mummy:

Description (from the company website): You are archaeologists, lost in a forbidden Egyptian tomb with the stone doors sealed behind you. Air is running out & the curse of Anubis will take you! Escape is the only option. Find the secret passage to escape with your life!

Difficulty (1-10): 6/10

Time Limit: 45

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

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 first room of an Egyptian tomb. There are a number of statues along the walls, a big-ass pharaoh’s head, and some weird altar in the center, and some archaeology tools scattered among everything else.

Understanding of the Mission: Find out what happened to the (now) missing archaeologist and escape before getting cursed.

Did We Escape: Yes, and we SHOULD have made the freakin’ leader board… [Jason is still pissed about this. Mike is pissed too, but only slightly less than Jason’s all burning pissed-off-ed-ness (I hear there are creams for that)]

Time Remaining: 5:30

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 5. Six should probably be your max for this room.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Mostly

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Birgit, Whitney, and Angie

The Escape Room Guys (Mike and Jason) teamed up with Escape Room Woodbridge (Birgit, Whitney, and Angie) to solve the mystery of the missing archaeologist and avoid the mummy’s curse!

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 beer at their bar.

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We Found Fortune and Glory, Kid… Fortune and Glory – Room: Dr. Jones’ Apprentice – April 22, 2017

~ Mike K. ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you will watch any of the original three Indiana Jones movies at any point when they come on your TV, no matter how far into the movie they may be (especially Raiders of the Lost Ark).

Avoid if… you can’t find true North, even with your GPS.

THE BASICS

EscapeRoom Woodbridge:

Address: 12668 Darby Brooke Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22192 (click address for Google Map)

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

The Room – Dr. Jones’ Apprentice: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): The famous archeologist has enlisted your help to find an ancient artifact! Your career depends on making sure he finds you worthy for future excavations. Do you think you have what it takes?

Difficulty (1-10): not listed (but they consider this their hardest room)

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: R1

Party Size: Up to 10 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

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 an ancient tomb with scattered bits of furniture and scattered bits of excavation materials.

Understanding of the Mission: Find the lost artifact within 60 minutes.

Did We Escape: Yup

Time Remaining: 12:46

Our Suggested Party Size: 7-8

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Jason, Dwayne, Brad, Cornell, Scott, Julie, Antonia, and Melissa.

Team Blanks – a spinoff of Team Disturbed Friends – (Jason, Jason, Dwayne, Mike, Brad, Cornell, Scott, Julie, Antonia, and Melissa) found the hidden artifact and remained gainfully employed by Dr. Indiana Jones.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

That’s Not an Oversized Turkey Leg They’re Eating! – Room: Prehistoric Room – April 20, 2017

~ Mike K.

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you like the Flintstones and fuzzy pelts.

Avoid if… you’ve ever been worried about being eaten first in a situation where cannibalism is in play.

THE BASICS

PanIQ Escape Room Washington DC:

Address: 3283 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: (202) 735-0485
https://paniqescaperoom.com/washington-dc/escape-rooms/prehistoric
[email protected]

The Room – Prehistoric Room:

Description (from the company website): You and your buddies are prehistoric cavemen in 6,000 BC. Your group encountered a hostile tribe of cannibal cavemen. They’ve taken you back to their lair where you are being held captive. The tribe is out hunting but will be back before the Sun sets. You have 60 minutes to escape or become caveman chowder.

Difficulty (1-10): 3.5/5

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $24-36 (+ tax per person) (varies based on number of players)

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-7

Staging Area: First, ring doorbell to gain entry. Rooms are on the 3rd floor of the building. Small waiting area with couches and water cooler. Enough space for 1 team to hang out while they wait, but additional seating in stairwell area.

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:

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 tribal campground locked in a cage.

Understanding of the Mission: Escape the cannibal tribe’s lair or become caveman chowder

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 15:30

Our Suggested Party Size: 6 was good, but 4-5 would have probably been better

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes, but space – at times – limited the number of people who could work on the different puzzles.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): David, Tara and Steph.

Team Disturbed Friends (David, Tara, Jason, Steph and Mike) avoided becoming caveman chowder! Photo courtesy of PanIQ Escape Room.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s Georgetown, so there are tons of places to have dinner or grab a drink.

Continue reading →

You Abducted the WRONG Group, A#&hole! – The Kidnapping – April 17, 2017

~ Mike K. ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you think blindfolds are a great way to get the, um, adrenaline pumping.

Avoid if… the sight of even your own blood makes you faint.

THE BASICS

Breakout Games Falls Church:

Address: 1073 W Broad St. #201, Falls Church, VA 22046 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 571-297-1510
https://breakoutgames.com/dc

The Room – The Kidnapping:

Description (from the company website): The kidnapping begins with you and your fellow captives waking up handcuffed and blindfolded in a strange room. With nothing but collective brainpower, hidden clues and 60 minutes on your side, you have to free yourselves before the kidnapper returns. A heart-pumping thriller from start to finish, you can expect a rush of non-stop fun.

Difficulty (1-10): unlisted

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $26 per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Up to 7

Staging Area: a large lobby with couches and chairs, a water cooler, and a camera kiosk.

Metro Access/Parking: West Falls Church Metro, then a .7 mile walk (about 17 minutes). Location has ample parking out front.

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: A dark room with a cot and a number of pieces of furniture. It looks like a lot of people spent a short amount of time here.

Understanding of the Mission: Escape the blindfolds and handcuffs, and then solve the murders to find the key to escape the room.

Did We Escape: Yup

Time Remaining: 5:30

Our Suggested Party Size: Okay, so we actually had 8 because we bought a Groupon, but their suggested size of 7 will work if you have a few newbies in the room. If all of your team has done a few rooms, then 5-6 should suffice.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Wayne, Corey, Brittany, Heather, Mark and Katheryn.

Team Disturbed Friends (Wayne, Brittany, Corey, Heather, Mike, Jason, Mark and Katheryn) outwitted their kidnappers and solved the serial murders. Photo courtesy of Breakout Games DC’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It was later at night, so we didn’t go out. There are a number of places in Falls Church, so use Google.

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Never, EVER drink the KOOL-AID™!! – Room: Insane Asylum II – Saturday, March 25 – FAILED!

~ Mike K. ~ 3 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’ve ever wanted to experience being in a padded cell (without being actually committed).

Avoid if… you are all thumbs.

THE BASICS

PanIQ Escape Room Washington DC:

Address: 3283 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: (202) 735-0485
https://paniqescaperoom.com/washington-dc/escape-rooms/insane-asylum-2
[email protected]

The Room – Insane Asylum 2:

Description (from the company website): The year is 1956. You have been kidnapped by the CIA and are being used as a guinea-pig for their mind control program known as MK-ULTRA. Doctors have held you inside a padded room for weeks now.
There was an emergency at the other side of the institution, so the staff is gone for a while. Probably this is your last chance to escape before they completely brainwash you.

Difficulty (1-10): 4.5 of 5

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $24-36 (+ tax per person) (varies based on number of players)

Identifier: R2 (Note: this says Insane Asylum II, so we’re giving this room the revamped room identifier, even though we did not do Insane Asylum I)

Party Size: 2-7

Staging Area: First, ring doorbell to gain entry. Rooms are on the 3rd floor of the building. Small waiting area with couches and water cooler. Enough space for one team to hang out while they wait, but additional seating in stairwell area.

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 (it’s open 24 hours) at Wisconsin and M, head down the hill towards K Street). We suggest Uber or Lyft.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

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.

Description of the room: You enter a padded cell. Clearly the person who inhabited the room has gone a little loco.

Understanding of the Mission: Solve the clues and figure out how to escape the cell before the asylum’s staff returns. You are close to being brainwashed and this is your last chance to escape before they succeed and you become a mindless drone in their spy program.

Did We Escape: NO! [Insert word cloud of expletives here]

Time Remaining: Less than 0.

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 6 and that worked well. We could have added a seventh and it would have been fine. We don’t suggest any less than 4 because there is a lot to do.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Alphonso, Liz and Jill

Team Disturbed Friends (Eric, Jason, Mike, Liz, Jill and Alphonzo) ended up being committed to the Asylum after failing to escape! Photo courtesy of PanIQ Escape Room DC.

Worth the time and money? Hell yes, even though we failed.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s Georgetown, so there are tons of places to have dinner or grab a drink.

Continue reading →

We’re the Bomb! – Room: Save the White House – March 20, 2017

~ Mike K. ~ 4 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you are addicted to Designated Survivor or harbor fantasies of being a hero.

Avoid if… you dislike politics.

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/save-the-white-house/

The Room – Save the White House:  – RETIRED (has become Save the White House 2)

Description (from the company website): A radical group has hidden a bomb in the Oval Office in an attempt to assassinate the President. You and the rest of your Secret Service team have intel that the bomb is set to go off in one hour. If it detonates, it will devastate the capital and fling the Free World into chaos. There is only one problem: lockdown has been initiated before you could get the President to safety.

Now, you are all trapped in the Oval Office together. Your only hope is to find the bomb and disarm it. To unravel this enthralling puzzle, you will have to rely on clever strategy and collaboration. Look carefully. Look closely. Everything in the Oval Office is a clue.

The President’s life, and the fate of the United States, rests in your hands. Do you have what it takes?

Difficulty (1-10): 2 of 3

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $27 per person plus tax

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-10

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

This is the Facebook Live video before we entered the room:

This is the Facebook Live video just after we completed the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter an L-shaped room with the front part mimicking the Oval Office. There is a desk, a long table (for Cabinet meetings?), some other furniture and artwork and photos on the walls.

Understanding of the Mission: Find the bomb and disarm it before time runs out and the entire political landscape is irrevocably changed.

Did We Escape: Yes and damn proud of it

Time Remaining: 4:14

Our Suggested Party Size: We decided to see if we could do this room on our own, so we only had the two of us. We suggest 5-8 if you have a mix of newbies and veterans (the more veterans  you have, the less the number of overall people we think you’ll need).

Did the room challenge the entire team? Um, yeah… we were challenged out the wazoo (there were only two of us in a room that holds up to 10). It was literally a lot of work.

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Zip, zero, zilch, nada.

The Escape Room Guys (Mike and Jason) took on this room on their own and found the bomb! Photo courtesy of Room Escape DC.

Worth the time and money? Oh yeah

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

We Stole the da Vinci Code(x)! – Room: da Vinci’s Workshop – March 18, 2017 – PLAY-TESTED

~ Mike K. ~ 2 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you like art and crazy inventions.

Avoid if… you think the da Vinci Code was overrated or have an unnatural hatred for Renaissance Italy.

THE BASICS

Escape Room Woodbridge:

Address: 12668 Darby Brooke Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22192 (click address for Google Map)

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

The Room – Da Vinci’s Workshop: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): As a rival inventor, you’ve been eager to discover the secrets of this mastermind. Now it’s your turn to get into his workshop and steal his sacred codex before he returns. Can you outsmart Leonardo?

Difficulty (1-10): no rating given

Time Limit: 60 minutes

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

Identifier: N1 – replaces the Adventures in Wonderland room

Party Size: 6 people max

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

Note: The ERG were invited by Escape Room Woodbridge to playtest this room before opening to the public. We provided feedback once we completed the room. Our review below is based on our experience as it was during the playtest, so some items may have been altered prior to the room opening.

Logistics:

Description of the room: You enter a room decorated like da Vinci’s workshop (plaster walls with some exposed brick) and decorated with artwork, inventions, scrolls of drawings, and some furniture.

Understanding of the Mission: Infiltrate Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop, solve the puzzles, and find his hidden codex (containing sketches of his inventions and plans).

Did We Escape: Yup

Time Remaining: 4:19

Our Suggested Party Size: 4-6

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Mark, Eric and Alphonzo

Team Disturbed Friends (Jason, Mark, Mike, Eric and Alphonzo) found da Vinci’s hidden codex! Photo courtesy of Escape Room Woodbridge’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

Continue reading →

Crime Doesn’t Pay – Room: Perfect Crime – March 16, 2017

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you loved playing Clue while growing up.

Avoid if… crime scenes make you uneasy.

THE BASICS

PanIQ Escape Room Washington DC:

Address: 3283 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: (202) 735-0485
https://paniqescaperoom.com/washington-dc/escape-rooms/perfect-crime
[email protected]

The Room – Perfect Crime:

Description (from the company website): An aristocratic family member has been murdered. Some are calling it the “Perfect Crime”. You and your group of brilliant investigators made a new discovery that has led to a hot pursuit which might shed new light on the truth. Maybe it wasn’t the perfect crime after all?

Difficulty (1-10): 4 of 5

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $24-36 (+ tax per person) (varies based on number of players)

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-7

Staging Area: First, ring doorbell to gain entry. Rooms are on the 3rd floor of the building. Small waiting area with couches and water cooler. Enough space for 1 team to hang out while they wait, but additional seating in stairwell area.

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 Facebook Live video before we entered the room:

This is the Facebook Live video just after we completed the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: You start off in a small room that is wallpapered with newspaper clippings and advertisements.

Understanding of the Mission: Solve the murder mystery by finding the murderer, the date the murder occurred, where the murder occurred, and the murder weapon, and then get the key to escape the room.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 17:10 remaining;

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 7, which was pretty perfect.

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

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

Team Disturbed Friends (Tara, Eric, Dalia, Mike, Jason, Mark and Katheryn) solved the murder and escaped the room! Photo courtesy of PanIQ Escape Room.

Worth the time and money? Hell yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: It’s Georgetown, so there are tons of places to have dinner or grab a drink.

Our Scoring:

JASON SAYS: MIKE SAYS:
Overall Expectation (Summary)
The description on the PanIQ site didn’t give much background, and I still don’t know why it’s called the ‘perfect crime’ other than that’s part of the story. More on that later.

It took us some time to find the place initially, as well. It’s not a storefront; it’s more a gated alleyway. Which kind of added to the intrigue. Ryan, our GM (who doesn’t like being called that), met us outside and walked us up.

 This was a new location for us, so I really had no major expectations. However, I will say that I hadn’t heard of this company before and only found them after seeing a Groupon deal, which we purchased.

Finding the location took a few minutes. It’s behind a wrought-iron gate that has a buzzer, so that was initially our first challenge (how to actually get into the location!).

The theme itself sounded interesting, but nothing that made me want to choose this room over another. We’ve done a number of detective-themed rooms, so it was a “meh, it’s another room to do.”

Again, I’ll recall the adage to never judge a book by its cover… I was pleasantly surprised.
Story (Rating)
Some high-falutin so and so has been murdered. Allegedly, the plot was so well crafted that it’s the ‘perfect crime’.

We know it’s the 1900s. We know we didn’t do it but we’re there to figure out who did. And all I have is this pencil…

Rating: 7/10

 You are a team of detectives called to a aristocratic family estate sometime in the 1900s (this was stressed multiple times by our GM before we entered the room) to investigate a murder! Man, can’t these rich people settle their arguments over polo, 25-year old single malt scotch, and cigars like normal, civilized people?

Anyhoo, murder rarely pays, unless you don’t get caught… and unfortunately for the murderer, Team Disturbed Friends was called in based on our excellent track record.

Game on!

Rating: 7/10
Mission (Rating)
Holy multiple objectives Batman! We were tasked with the following:

  1. Find out who the murderer was
  2. Find out when the murder occurred
  3. Find the murder weapon
  4. Determine the location of the murder

Once we figured those things out, we just had to make our way out of the room (my favorite, a key to unlock a door!). And I mean that, just having to find a key to unlock the point of egress is literally my favorite objective.

Rating: 10/10

 Your mission – should you choose to accept it – encompasses multiple objectives (oh,yeah, baby!!) where you have to find out:

  • who the murderer is
  • the exact date of the murder
  • the location where the murder occurred
  • and the murder weapon

Once you determine these items, you will find a key that will allow you to escape the room.

Hmmm… we’re in an isolated estate and have to find out who the murderer is, where it happened and with what weapon. This seems familiar?

If you are a faithful reader of this blog (*cough, cough* become a follower *cough, cough*), then you know that a room with multiple objectives is like crack to me * and I LOVED how many things we had to figure out here.

Rating: 10/10

*  DISCLAIMER: Mike absolutely denies ever having tried crack, and is only drawing a parallel to say that multiple objectives in an escape room releases endorphins in his brain mimicking a natural high (kinda like a runner’s high, which he’s also never experienced because he’s not a runner… unless someone is chasing him… with a weapon).
Puzzle Diversity (Rating)
*Wipes tears from eyes*

I…We…They…

The only thing missing from this room was a secret freaking passage.

Seriously though, this room had so many things that we hadn’t encountered before in ANY other escape rooms. There was chess, maps, mazes. Hell, even a freaking stress test (that’s what I’m calling it; you’ll understand when you do this room). I think I was still giddy when we got out of there.

Why doesn’t this rating to go 11…? Oh right, this isn’t Spinal Tap.

Rating: 10/10

 Um, wow. I was initially unimpressed, but then something happened and all was right with the world. It was like Christmas, my birthday, St. Patrick’s Day and Oktoberfest all rolled into one. I think I actually gasped.

So. Many. Types. Of. Puzzles!!!

We’ve seen some of these used in other rooms, but there was not one puzzle type that was repeated, and some of them were brand new experiences for the ERG.

The puzzles also hit two of my hobbies (spoiler below in white text, so highlight if you want to see it), so it was pretty awesome. Kind of like it was tailored to my own interests.

Mike’s Hobbies:
Genealogy & Travel

Also, you need to make sure you have someone with a steady hand with you, and that’s all I’m saying. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you do the room. What a nice nostalgic touch!

The puzzle solutions themselves led to a number of key locks and combination locks. I think there were 7(?), but maybe only 5 – I had trouble counting (one plus two, plus one, plus one – HAHAHAHA).

Rating: 10/10
Puzzle Complexity (Rating)
This room had a great range of puzzles, difficulty-wise. There were one or two that were easy, yet time consuming; others required all hands on deck (both time-consuming and not). That’s the way it should be and they really took it and ran.

I was so impressed with how well thought out they all were that I was just shocked for a few seconds. Walking in and seeing some of them was a giant WTF moment (in a good way) and also made me go MINEMINEMINE on 2 of the puzzles. 

Rating: 10/10

 So, we had no newbies with us this time, and we still needed time to get through some of these clues. They had a few easier ones  in the beginning to whet your appetite and we did have about a 3-4 minute delay when we didn’t follow our Rule #3 again, so we spent time looking for a combination that we already had. Great job, Mark for double-checking!

Then they brought in the big guns. I think that Jason and I may have accidentally run over a few of our teammates on the way to one of the puzzles (hey, they all signed liability waivers and knew what they were getting into… hmmm… DID they sign liability waivers for us? Note to self: get them to sign liability waivers), and I stubbornly went back to one of the puzzles because I couldn’t just let it beat me. SUCK IT, UNNAMED PUZZLE!!

One puzzle was so difficult that we ended up solving it, but we reverse-engineered it to get the solution. I think we actually surprised our GM that we didn’t solve it in the conventional way. Another thing to remember is that certain items are put in the room for a reason. If you get stuck, try and use a prop. I can’t believe that we missed this, but it worked out in the end anyway.

Rating: 10/10
Flow/Cohesiveness/Uniqueness (Rating)
The room was broken into 2 rooms (we were told this at the beginning, so I don’t feel bad telling you here). The bulk of the work is in the second room, but getting there was pretty fun. We had a small Rule #3 snafu (which I blame on everyone but the person that tried that particular combination, including myself), but we got in, regardless.

The second room was extremely well thought out. The bulk of the puzzles all led into other puzzles that funneled their solutions to the final puzzle to find the 4 pieces of information listed in the Mission rating above. Absolutely loved it. Brilliantly put together.

***APPLAUSE***

Rating: 10/10

 I don’t think we’ve done a room where everything JUST FIT together as well as this one did. Everything fit the theme, and it was worked so well into the storyline that I am still nodding my head in satisfaction.

The decor, at first, seems confusing, but that all changes about 10 minutes into the experience. Then, you feel like you’ve been transported to this estate and are investigating a crime scene (the outline of a body is a very nice touch).

Lots of unique stuff to the room that also fit well with the theme, and all the puzzles and clues just flowed into a final climax… which can give you delayed satisfaction if you’re not 100% correct (giggity).

I have no critiques here. Absolutely stunning in how it was put together.

Rating: 10/10
Fun/Amusement (Summary)
Nope. Thought it was just terrible. (I’m kidding, obviously.) BEST. TIME. EVER!!
Game Master (Summary)
As I mentioned before, Ryan prefers not to be called a ‘game master’; he preferred to be called ‘Ryan’. So we went with that.

He was a little rushed through the background story. But he was on top of his game while we were in the room, asking if we needed help here and there (no, we didn’t) and was responsive on the walkie-talkie.

 Ryan was our GM and he added to the enthusiasm with the story outline and mission briefing. When we asked a few questions, he raised his eyebrow (which is one of my habits) and said that it was a great question that no one had ever asked before, which he followed up with “how many rooms have you done?”

He seemed a bit rushed in the beginning, but that could be because he was trying to get two groups into two different rooms (and was the GM for both of us at the same time). I’ve not seen this before (we always seemed to have our own GM specifically for our time block) but I can’t say this for sure..

We also asked what the leaderboard (the best time) and he said it was 18:00 minutes remaining. As we were tearing through the room, he would make comments every now and then about how fast we were moving.
How Helpful Were Any Clues Given, if any (Summary)
No clues needed! None were needed. Ryan actually radioed in and asked if we wanted help when we were trudging through one of the puzzles, and Jason (who had the walkie talkie) said “nope… we’ll radio you if we need you”

And note: he’s not allowed to give you any clues for the first 10 minutes, so keep at it if you get stuck initially.
Anger Level Score ERG (pronounced URG, as in “we should have known better”) Score
The only thing I can even say negative about this room is that I wish the story were a little better/more involved. That said…

Rating: 0/5 Fists

 Just a small facepalm when we realized that we were searching for something we had already found.

We need to start remembering to follow that damn rule so we don’t keep making the same mistakes that keep us off the leaderboards.

Rating: ?‍♂️?‍♂️ FacePalms – 2/5

ESCAPE ROOM GUYS’ OVERALL SCORING: 9.4/10

Final Thought: Can’t say anything more than we already have. The best we’ve seen so far. Good job, PanIQ Escape Room DC. We look forward to returning to do Insane Asylum (which the GM said was harder than Perfect Crime).

I Certainly Felt Like a Private Dick… – Room: Detective Office – March 4, 2017

~ Jason ~ 3 Comments

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you like a good detective novel and have an affinity for the 1920s.

Avoid if… you can never remember the combination to your gym locker.

THE BASICS

Escape Room LoCo:

Address: 2A Cardinal Park Dr SE, Suite #103A, Leesburg, VA 20175 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 703-468-8538
http://escaperoomloco.com
[email protected]

The Room – Detective Office: RETIRED

Description (from the company website): You and your teammates are a group of Private Investigators back in the 1920’s.  There have been a series of murders recently all with a mysterious calling card left at the scene.  All clues point to the fact that the next murder will occur in 60 minutes.  Try to solve the case and catch the murderer before time runs out!

Difficulty (1-10): 8/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $29 per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-6

Staging Area: a very simple lobby with a few chairs and a coat rack. This place has a sample of each lock for you to practice on before entering the room.

Metro Access/Parking: it’s in Leesburg, so you gotta drive, but there is plenty of parking.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Here is the Facebook Live video before we entered the room:

And here is the video after we escaped the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: a small Private Investigator’s office, set in the 1920s… and a whole hell of a lot of padlocks.

Understanding of the Mission: Investigate a series of murders and find the serial killer before he/she kills again.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 4:22

Our Suggested Party Size: 4-6

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes and no. More on that later.

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

Team Disturbed Friends (Jason, Mike, Dalia, Alphonzo and Stephanie) solved the murder and caught the serial killer!
Team Disturbed Friends (Jason, Mike, Dalia, Alphonzo and Stephanie) solved the murder and caught the serial killer!

Worth the time and money? yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • Dog Money Brewery – stop in for pub food and a flight their brews. Home-made pretzels and dipping sauces are awesome.

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