ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY
Play if… you loved science and chemistry in high school.
Avoid if… equations give you anxiety.
THE BASICS
The Great Xcape:
Address: 8314 Browns Lane, Ste. 201, Manassas, VA 20111 (click address for Google Map)
Contact and Website: 703-334-2628
www.thegreatxcape.com
The Room – Mad Scientist:
Description (from the company website): Since the apocalypse, things just haven’t been going your way. You’ve lost all your worldly possessions, and have been trying to survive in your dystopian neighborhood with the few survivors you’ve managed to meet along the way. And your chances of survival keep getting slimmer, what with this new outbreak of a horrible virus which is fatal, and rapidly spreading. Luckily, a brilliant scientist works in your neighborhood, and he created the only known cure. Being a rather paranoid individual, he protected the formula in his lab behind a safe wall of codes and puzzles. Now that he has fallen victim to insanity, he has disappeared and left his antidote in his lab. If you and your fellow survivors can work quickly, you can acquire the antidote before the virus infects you.
Difficulty (1-10): not rated
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Cost: $30 per person, but check Yelp and their Facebook page since they often have coupons (that give codes for discounts when booking on their website)
Identifier: R1
Party Size: up to 8 people
Staging Area: A nice lobby with lots of seating near the front desk. They have bottles of water and a coffee machine(!) with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Restrooms are in the lobby of the building just before you enter their sitting room.
Metro Access/Parking: It’s Manassas, so you’re going to need to drive. Plenty of parking in the lot, however.
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 room with scientific equipment and lots of equations on the walls. The person who lived and worked here was either a genius… or crazy (or maybe a bit of both?).
Understanding of the Mission: Find the antidote to the virus before becoming infected.
Did We Escape: Yes
Time Remaining: ~7:30 remaining
Our Suggested Party Size: 6-7 is good for a group of experienced people, but you’re going to need a full 8 if you don’t have experience with escape rooms.
Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes!
Members of our team (other than the ERG): Angie, Birgit, Sasha, Fahima, and one other.
Worth the time and money? Yes
Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:
- You’ll have to use Google since we didn’t go anywhere in the area after the room.