Virus

We Were Cured of the Disease in this Room, but What about the Rest of My Problems…? – Room: Antidote – May 21, 2018

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’re looking forward to the Zombie Apocalypse.

Avoid if… you hate needles and anything scientific.

THE BASICS

Escapology:

Address: 930 Old Monrovia Rd NW, Huntsville, AL 35806 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: [email protected]
https://www.escapology.com/en/huntsville-al/

Room – Antidote:

Description (from the company website):

Nevada Desert, United States, May 25th, 2015.

Dr. Walter Brandt is a high-ranking chemical weapons specialist for the United States government, part of a secret department that is only recognized by a series of mysterious numbers and letters. He has been developing powerful viruses capable of eradicating enemy forces with swift pace and deadly accuracy.

Foreign powers have noted Dr. Brandt’s work and have recruited him to develop a powerful virus capable of killing their enemies in hours. He has gone rogue and has become a threat to the US and potentially the entire human race.

You are a team of scientists investigating Dr. Brandt’s abandoned laboratory. You’ve been tasked with finding the only known antidote to virus TS-51 before it gets passed into enemy hands.

However, during the investigation a clumsy member of your team bumps into a shelf, sending vials of the highly contagious virus crashing to the ground. One of them breaks and sends plumes of deadly vapour into the air.

Immediately, everyone is infected but that isn’t your biggest problem. The chemical detection sensor has picked up the threat and shutdown the facility. Total decontamination will begin in 60 minutes (eliminating all biological organisms inside)!

Your only chance of survival is to scour Dr. Brandt’s laboratory to find the antidote. He has hidden it from the government through a series of riddles, puzzles and codes that only the smartest can figure out.

If you do not find the security override code and antidote within 1 hour the facility will self-destruct, and there will be no escape.

Rely on your team, intellect, and keen sense of observation to solve the riddles and unlock the secrets to find the antidote and to escape the facility.

Time is of the essence. Do you have what it takes to defeat Dr. Brandt and save yourselves and the World from destructive chemical warfare?

Difficulty (1-10): 6.8/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $29

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-6 (not actually listed, but you can’t do this with only 1 person)

Staging Area: Stars and Strikes is a bowling alley with a small arcade, bar, private party rooms, and 3 escape rooms in the back (by the bar)

Metro Access/Parking: This place is in Huntsville, AL. I don’t recall seeing any public transit, so you’re going to want to drive. Large parking lot, though.

OUR EXPERIENCE

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

This is the video I took just after we completed the room:

Logistics:

Description of the room: The room is essentially a lab. There are cabinets, rolling carts, transparencies, tubes, beakers, etc. Felt like we were actually in a lab.

Understanding of the Mission: You’re investigating the Doctor’s lab to find the only known antidote to the virus he created and someone on your team accidentally exposes everyone. You now find it even more urgent to find the antidote and escape.

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: 2:07 remaining

Our Suggested Party Size: 4

Did the room challenge the entire team? For the most part

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Dwayne, Patrick, Mike, Jeff

Worth the time and money? Yep

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • We didn’t go anywhere: There was a bar outside the escape room.

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What’s in Your Head? ZOMBIE, ZOMBIE, ZOMBIE, Ei, Ei… – Room: Trapped in a Room with a Zombie II – April 6, 2018

~ Mike K.

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you can focus amidst a lot of distractions.

Avoid if… you don’t sing even while in the privacy of your shower.

THE BASICS

Escape Adventure DC

Address: 12280 Wilkins Ave., Rockville, MD 20852 (click address for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 202-538-7963
www.escapeadventuredc.com

Room – Trapped in a Room with a Zombie 2: Still Hungry:

Description (from the company website): You will be escorted on a tour of the dreaded Zombie Lab where the out break of the virus was first discovered, You will be taken to the very spot that Doctor Oxy has isolated the strain of the zombie virus and was working on the only vaccine.

Prepare to be locked in a room with up to 11 other people and a zombie that is chained to the wall! Hidden in the room is a key that will unlock the door to your freedom. To find the key, you must locate numerous clues and solve riddles. Every five minutes the hungry zombie’s chain will be released another foot. Within an hour, the zombie will be able to reach you. You have 60 minutes to the find clues, solve the puzzles, unlock the door and escape the room without getting eaten! Are you smarter than a zombie? Find out!

Difficulty (1-10): Not rated, but we were told it only has an 18-20% escape rate.

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $30 per person – BUT, use ERG45 when booking your tickets to get 45% off per person!

Identifier: R2 (this is actually Trapped in a Room with a Zombie – Still Hungry!)

Party Size: up to 12 people

Staging Area: You are escorted from the parking lot by your host, who takes you back to the Professor’s office to sign your waivers. A short film and an explanation later, you are taken through the building to a hidden elevator. Don’t worry! There are restrooms to stop at on the way to your experience.

Metro Access/Parking: Twinbrook Metro Station in Rockville is about a 15 minute (.8 mile) walk away. Otherwise, you can drive. There is ample parking in the lot, but follow your GPS closely as the address is kinda tricky.

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 small office where you are given some details about the room, and watch a short video while the Professor tries to sedate the zombie. Then your host takes you through the building to a hidden elevator where the Professor meets you and takes you down an elevator to the basement where the lab is located. The doors open and your adventure begins.

Understanding of the Mission: You have been invited to the Professor’s lab to learn more about zombies. Unfortunately, as soon as you enter the lab, something goes wrong and a self-destruct sequence is triggered. You now have 60 minutes to escape the lab by opening the locked door, saving yourselves, the brilliant (but sometimes nutty) Professor, AND the zombie (it’s a prime specimen that they don’t want destroyed). However, as you search for the way out, the zombie’s sedative wears off and it starts to come after you… with its chain getting longer every 5 minutes.

Did We Escape: Yes, but barely!

Time Remaining: 57 seconds

Our Suggested Party Size: The room holds up to 12. We had 8 and that was probably enough (if all are experienced). If you’re new to escape rooms, the maximum should work (the room is DEFINITELY big enough – at the beginning at least – for that many people).

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes

Members of our team (other than the ERG): Eric, Brittany, Tara, Mark, Corey, and Heather

The Escape Room Guys and their Disturbed Friends (Eric, Brittany, Tara, Mike, Mark, Corey, Jason, and Heather) searched for a way out of the lab that was set to self-destruct.

Worth the time and money? Yes

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • 7 Locks Brewing – we stopped in for what turned out to be some great beers after we did the room.

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Are There Any Bio-Chemists in the House? – Room: Mad Scientist – February 15, 2018

~ Mike K.

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.

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Walker? I Barely Knew Her! Room: The Rising Dead – August 9, 2017 – PLAY-TESTED

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love The Walking Dead.

Avoid if… you have a fear of hospitals… or zombies… or hospitals with zombies in them.

THE BASICS

Laurel’s House of Horror and Escape Rooms:

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

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

The Room – The Rising Horror:

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).

Difficulty (1-10): 3/5 (medium difficulty)

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Cost: $30

Identifier: R2 (revamped from Resident Horror)

Party Size: up to 8 people

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.

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Zombies Normally Feast on Brains… Ours Went a Bit Hungry That Day – Room: Resident Horror – May 7, 2017 – FAILED

~ Jason ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love zombie movies, or the Resident Evil movie or video game franchise

Avoid if… you neither like zombies nor being touched by one (or participated in way too many (in)voluntary lab experiments)

THE BASICS

Laurel’s House of Horrors:

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

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

The Room.- Resident Horror: RETIRED (Room is now Rising Dead)

Description (from the company website): Come experience our newest escape room “Resident Horror”. Work in a specially-designed laboratory to help find a cure for the un-dead break-out before it’s too late. Hit the wrong button and you’ll let the zombies loose!

Difficulty (1-10): Not listed

Time Limit: 25 minutes

Cost: $15 per person

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Up to 8.

Staging Area: It’s an old movie theater that is supposedly haunted.

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 start off in a lab with a zombie chained up in the inner room.

Understanding of the Mission: You have to figure out how to get to the next room without getting killed by the zombie and then find the antidote to the zombie plague.

Did We Escape: NO. We needed like 3 more minutes.

Time Remaining: See above

Our Suggested Party Size: 6 (our 8 was a little crowded)

Did the room challenge the entire team? No. There were times that 1 or 2 people were standing around.

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

Worth the time and money? It’s cheaper than a normal room because it’s only 25 minutes. Probably worth tacking on as a second room of the day, but I wouldn’t go specifically for this one.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After: Just call it a day and go to Five Guys.

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It’s Just a Little Cold; Nothing to Worry About – Room: Hospital of the Black Death (a.k.a. The Cure) – December 16, 2016

~ Mike K. ~ 1 Comment

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you love the board game Pandemic or the mobile game Plague Inc., or thought learning about the Black Plague in school was fascinating.

Avoid if… you are a hypochondriac.

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]
http://roomescapedc.com/the-black-death

The Room – Hospital of the Black Death (a.k.a. The Cure):

Description (from the company website): You and your team are a group of archeologists searching for a lost, legendary treasure cache from World War II. You explore the most remote areas of Eastern Europe, imagining piles of glittering gold, and trunks full of rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. But it is not treasure you find.

You stumble upon a hospital that is not noted on any of your maps. It is decrepit. It is abandoned. Some members of your team think this lost, peculiar hospital is sure to house the treasure you so desperately seek. So, you enter. And now, you cannot get out.

You find this hospital was deserted because it was the site of a deadly virus outbreak. You and your group have all been exposed to the infamous pandemic: the Black Death. Even if you escape, you will not survive.

It is up to you and your team to devise a cure to save yourselves from this deadly pathogen. Quick: your skin is growing black, and darkness is setting in. You will have to work together to uncover the mysteries of this forsaken place. Your fate is in your hands.

Difficulty (1-10): 3 of 3

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $27 + tax per person, but use ERG15 to take 15% off your price on games booked between Mondays and Thursdays

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 2-8 people

Staging Area: Decently sized lobby with plenty of seating. Two separate restrooms located off the main lobby.

Metro Access/Parking: Parking garage around the corner, but no metro.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Logistics:

Description of the room: The room that you enter looks like a a room in an old insane asylum. Medical stuff is strewn around and you get an uneasy feeling that you’re about to be locked in this room that has some weird juju going on.

Understanding of the Mission: Find out the cure to the plague and make the cure before it kills you!

Did We Escape: Yes, and we were the first to escape from this room (it opened that night)!

Time Remaining: 2:22… close, but we did it.

Our Suggested Party Size: We had 7

Did the room challenge the entire team? Yes, and we were able to work on clues independently and help out when others got stuck.

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

Team Disturbed Friends (Katheryn, Mark, Stephanie, Mike; Tara, Jason) found the antidote and prevented the outbreak of the plague (and didn't die themselves!). Photo courtesy of Room Escape DC's Facebook page.
Team Disturbed Friends (Katheryn, Mark, Stephanie, Mike; Tara, Jason) found the antidote and prevented the outbreak of the plague (and didn’t die themselves!). Photo courtesy of Room Escape DC’s Facebook page.

Worth the time and money? Yes, and we actually got a discount for booking the entire room because we did two rooms in the same night (they also sometimes offer discounts to try out the new rooms on the opening nights/weekends).

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

  • The Green Turtle – sports bar w/ standard bar food. Karaoke was going on the night we stopped in.
  • The Wine House – stop in for a glass of wine and dessert.

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