The Escape Hunt Experience Houston - Houston We Have a Problem

This was so much fun, and I'm looking forward to going back with a group I know and hoping for a better outcome. Our biggest downfall was around who was in charge of communicating, and that choice lost us so much time that there wasn't a chance of recovering. There was general confusion and lack of things we needed being shared with us. One of the other astronauts and I were lucky in that we both have unique skills that let us solve puzzles without using the information that should have been shared, but for other groups this would be a huge disadvantage. Just choose wisely and you should have better luck. But either way, you will have a fun time.

Price:$$$$38 per person

Theme:★★★★A lot of time went into making this the most realistic space travel room I've ever done - extremely detailed and very well put together.

Quality:★★★This was nicely done and things generally worked well. Towards the end, however, we did something wrong and got it so stuck there was no chance we'd move past it.

Difficulty:★★★★I don't think that any individual puzzle was particularly hard. Rather, the poor decision we made about communicating early in the room made our experience here painful.

Fun:★★★Super fun - I got to wear a space suit in the room and who doesn't want to do that?

With:12 peopleEvan, Judy (with 10 others)

Outcome:☹Win

Time Left:⏰N/A

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Escape IT Houston - Escape the Titanic

The lobby is fantastic - I loved getting to do mini-puzzles and such while we were waiting. For the room, I had such huge expectations going into this game after our experience with the Egyptian room before, and while this was fun and well done, I was a little sad. There was a good use of props for the most part, but some of the areas didn't quite meet what I'd expected heading in. We had fun doing the room and I'm glad we came out and we'll be back, but for this room in particular I felt a little let down only because I'd hyped it up in my head for so long.

Price:$$$30 per person

Theme:★★★This room looked great - overall definitely a good feel. Once I got past what I thought I was playing, I enjoyed the set.

Quality:★★★★★This is one of the better rooms I've done in terms of quality - everything is so well assembled and thought out that nothing stood out as wrong for quality.

Difficulty:★★★There is a great mix of puzzles from the easy to hard, and this is perfect for hubby and I going in. As usual, our downfall was missing the obvious.

Fun:★★★We had fun, and there was a lot of energy with the movement around the experience. I was never bored, and there was always something to keep me engaged.

With:2 peopleEvan, Judy

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰15:38

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Houston Panic Room - Cabin Fever Room

The game we played was a decent game, but most of the issues we had were more with the person running our room. He wasn't particularly welcoming, and looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. This set a somewhat strange mood going into the room. Also, we had issues with getting clues on the puzzle we were on, instead of one we'd already finished, which makes it seem like they weren't paying attention.

Price:$$$25 per person

Theme:★The theme is well-defined, but I'm not sure it made the best of sense to our group. Let's offer that snow and snow plans are not things many Texans have a ton of experience with.

Quality:★★Things were pretty good, but we had some issues reaching or finding things.

Difficulty:★★★This wasn't too hard, but it included one of our least favorite types of puzzles, so that immediately made us slow down while we figured that out.

Fun:★★We had an okay time, but when we were done, we were ready to leave and not excited to do another like happens at other places.

With:5 peopleEvan, Judy, Justin, Pat, Robbie

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰13:22

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Alternate Reality Escape Rooms - Bunker 57

This room was a fun time away and definitely worth a stop in. We enjoyed the game masters we talked to, and the room was well put together and designed. We were immediately immersed into the environment, and the play on how materials were used was a unique way to physically interact with different puzzles. I wasn't prepared for some of the physicality, but everything added to the experience and made it feel more real, and we enjoyed the time here.

Price:$$$30 per person

Theme:★★★★I liked the idea, and I liked how you started out in this room. Things fit together well, and it felt like we were in a bunker for real from start to finish.

Quality:★★Things were pretty good, but there was a issue with part of the ceiling, and I was able to solve a puzzle much earlier than I should have been able to because of knowing a lot about how something is used outside of escape rooms. However, neither took away from the experience.

Difficulty:★★In terms of puzzles, nothing was too hard, but there was plenty of challenge. In terms of physical, be prepared for a bit of a workout.

Fun:★★★We had fun - I enjoyed the set and the transitions in the rooms from area to area.

With:2 peopleEvan, Judy

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰17:00

Visit The Site

Book This Room

PanIQ Room Dallas - Voodoo Spirits

After our quick exit from Wild West, we decided to jump right on into another room to wrap up the night. I'm glad we did - there were several fun puzzles in here, and everything fit together very well.

Price:$$$16 per person (with discount for rebooking the same day)

Theme:★★★★As with their other room, the theme in here was extremely well done and fun.

Quality:★★★Everything was nicely put together, even some of the tricky areas worked perfectly.

Difficulty:★This was very easy for us, and we were able to get through the puzzles and finish very quickly. With a smaller group or new players, this would be perfect, but with our group we breezed through.

Fun:★★★We had fun, and the theme highly contributed to this experience.

With:6 peopleDan, Evan, Jeff, Judy, Meredith, Tony

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰32:00

Visit The Site

Book This Room

PanIQ Room Dallas - Wild West

This was a fun night out for our team after trivia nearby, so we were ready for a really good night at the escape room. And we definitely had some fun here - right before we jumped into their other room.

Price:$$24 per person

Theme:★★★★This room looked great from start to finish, and the puzzles in the room really fit in with the theme. I feel like a lot of effort went into make the puzzles work really well with the theme.

Quality:★★★Things worked great - the only complaint would be that at the beginning it was very cramped for the size of our group.

Difficulty:★There was something in here for everyone, so things there was someone in the group who could help on everything to help get us out early.

Fun:★★★This was very fun from start to finish.

With:6 peopleDan, Evan, Jeff, Judy, Meredith, Tony

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰32:00

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Clockwise Escape Room - Party in Vegas

We made our way back for their other room and very glad we did so - this one was fun and had so many great puzzles in the room, and a lot of fun things for us to do throughout. We split up when we could and worked together when it was needed. Cannot wait to see what they come up with next!

Price:$$$31.50 per person

Theme:★★★★This is super neat - a lot of content put into the space, and the story is a good one.

Quality:★★★★Everything works so great (once you figure out what to do with it and follow the instructions you are given).

Difficulty:★★★There was something in here for all of us, and it was a good thing that we each saw things in a different way or this would have been much harder.

Fun:★★★★So many parts of this were just too much fun. This is by far the most fun room like this we've ever done and we had a good time.

With:4 peopleAndreas, Evan, Judy, Rose

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰16 minutes

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Clockwise Escape Room - Asylum

We really enjoyed this room (and afterwards signed up to come back the next day for another room). The props, decor, and puzzles were fun, and the group we were paired with were a blast. There were a few times where I'd seen similar puzzles, or the solution seemed fairly easy for me, but helping the rest of the group and letting them go was really fun to watch and this really was a good time.

Price:$$$31.50 per person

Theme:★★★★This is becoming one of my favorite types of rooms to try; I spend a bit of time thinking about how much is real and how much just plays on our fears.

Quality:★★Overall, this is okay, but there were some things that did nothing but add confusion.

Difficulty:★★A lot of this room was pretty easy, but there were some puzzles that really made you think.

Fun:★★★★The room was fun, but the group we were with was even more fun - their excitement and willingness to try things really made this a great experience.

With:8 peopleEvan, Judy (with 6 others)

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰20 minutes

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Real Escape Game - The Pop Star’s Room of Doom

This was a neat experience from start to finish, and we had a blast in this room. The idea behind this room was well thought out and well executed, and the actors that took part in the room were exceptional.

Price:$$$33 per person

Theme:★★★★This was a great idea, and the little pieces and things you do really work with the theme and make sense for the room.

Quality:★★★Very well done and kept together.

Difficulty:★★★★This was a little tricky just because it requires you to think differently than a typical escape room. Also, the final solution was a little tricky and required all of our ideas and notes to come together.

Fun:★★★★Once we figured out "how it worked" this was a quite fun room - it was great to see how the decisions we made impacted the story line, and the solutions were creative and fun.

With:9 peopleEvan, Judy (with 7 others)

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰10th try (this room is not timed; they give you ten attempts to save the pop star instead)

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Palace Games - The Edison Escape Room

We heard about this from some friends, after we told them we were going to San Francisco, and we just had to sign up for the challenge. Who doesn't want to try what they've been told is the best escape room in the country (by multiple people). Go online...see price...and found six folks Evan knows in the area to go along with us because it is a little pricey for a small group. But worth it because it is a 100 minute room. The room is fun, challenging, and really does involve everyone you bring to solve it. We had a blast and will definitely do another of their rooms when we are back that way.

Price:$$$50 per person (must book whole room for $400)

Theme:★★★★★They really make use of their location to help set the mood for this room.

Quality:★★★★Things worked very well, and the only reason I am not giving this five stars is due to a reset error that left a lock open and made it hard for us to solve one of the puzzles (but they were accommodating of this so not to worry).

Difficulty:★★★★★Strange that this was one of the hardest and most fun rooms at the same time. It just takes a LOT of team work and willingness to try things out a few times/ways before getting them right.

Fun:★★★★★SO FUN. Squealing. Running. Laughing. Smiling. Just fun!

With:8 peopleAndreas, David, Evan, Helen, Hugh, Judy, Lauren, Rose

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰2:22 (100 minute room)

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Escape Hunt Dallas - Disappearance in Dallas

This one is hard to write about without giving too much away, but I will try! I had a bit of fun in this room, and while there were moments where I didn't have much I could do, I did have plenty to do the rest of the time. There are some great puzzles mixed with some not so great necessarily, but challenging. It was definitely something that kept my brain engaged, even when I was waiting.

Price:$$$$35 per person

Theme:★★★★Okay. So. This was kinda creepy, but very well done.

Quality:★★★Most things worked great, but there were a few items that were a little torn and made one puzzle harder than necessary.

Difficulty:★★★★This was hard, and communication was super important. If you want a challenge, this is for you.

Fun:★★★I mostly had fun here, but there was a small part of time where I didn't really have much to do.

With:4 peopleDan, Evan, Judy, Tevin

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰4:26

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Conundrum Escape Adventures - Holiday Hijinks

We LOVED this room - it is definitely funny and playful, and it was great to go in and save Santa. I thought everything was playful, colorful, and did a great job of sticking to the theme and spirit of the room. Also, there was a good mix of puzzles for everyone, so Evan and I both had parts we were able to excel at, which always makes us feel good about ourselves.

Price:N/AN/A

Theme:★★★★Such a cute room - definitely will get you in the holiday mood.

Quality:★★★★★Things work together very well, and there is a lot of shiny fun to play with.

Difficulty:★★I think this is one of the easier rooms by Conundrum, but there is still plenty to keep you busy and make you think.

Fun:★★★★As stated about, we loved this room and had a blast.

With:2 peopleEvan, Judy

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰15:47

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Escape Pro - Time Machine

This was a fun night, even with a few mishaps that we had in the room because of loud music next door. I really liked some of the things closer to the beginning, but struggled at the end.

Price:$$14 per person (with coupon code on their website)

Theme:★★This was quite a jump and needed a bit of imagination. Parts of this were great by themselves, but maybe not together.

Quality:★★For the first bit of our time, things were great, but then we got to a point that things were not working, and the door opened about 20 minutes early because of the bass from the music at the bar next door.

Difficulty:★★★I'm not sure if this was hard or not. Parts we breezed through, and others we just stared at and needed clues (because two were broken).

Fun:★★I had fun with a few puzzles, but a lot of things were too confusing.

With:4 peopleDan, Evan, Judy, Meredith

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰N/A (I didn't write it down)

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Escape Artistry - The Dollhouse

Team The Cowboys The Most Successful Football Team Ever REALLY got into the killer's mind set. #escaperoom #escapechicago #the80s #timegallery #thedollhouse

A post shared by Escape Artistry (@escape.artistry) on Nov 25, 2017 at 8:39pm PST

Before we got into the room, there was a little chaos because we were a group of two and they were going to combine us with another group that threw a small temper tantrum about it (if you want a room to yourselves, book the whole room...). So, we did this room just the two of us instead of the recommended three. Sweetheart ran the room for us, and was a great help from start to finish. In the end, the record for this room on the board in their office was 11:20 left for a group of seven, and we had 11:00 left for our group of two, so I'd say this was quite a success for us.

Price:$$$30 per person

Theme:★★★★★This was a very neat concept, and the introduction was interactive and really got you ready for the room itself. Well done here!

Quality:★★★This was nicely done - everything with the room fit in perfectly with the theme.

Difficulty:★★★There is a lot going on, so the quantity of things in the room was hard for two people. However, the puzzles themselves were more fun than they were hard.

Fun:★★★★★We had a fun time in the room itself - I wouldn't say the theme is fun for all, but for us it was.

With:2 peopleEvan, Judy

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰11:00

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Escape Reality - Down the Rabbit Hole

We had such a blast in their other room, we immediately signed up for this one on employee recommendation, and very glad we did. A good room, and Evan and I both had different things to work on along they way. A good challenge and great way to spend some time.

Price:$$$32 per person

Theme:★★★★★There was no way to anticipate what was to come, but looking back, the way this room was done was perfect just for that reason. Definitely keeps in mind the original story in those regards.

Quality:★★★Nicely done and well put together. This was built in a way to really support the story.

Difficulty:★★★★★Very challenging, and we had to make use of clues (so, while we finished within the hour, our official time is slightly over). This was definitely a hard one.

Fun:★★★★This was a great time from start to finish. You didn't need to know the original story well, but this definitely made things fun.

With:2 peopleEvan, Judy

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰51:05 (+15 for clues, 68:05 total)

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Escape Reality - Machina

This room was fun, the employees were great to work with, and we liked the puzzles and the overall experience. We also set a record here and made it onto the record board (we are not creative sometimes, so we are in the photo above as the Cowboys.

Price:$$$32 per person

Theme:★★★★This theme was fun, and puzzles really played off of the theme.

Quality:★★★Things worked really well. Really, the only part we had issues with was the clue system, which required using a tablet to scan a barcode, and there wasn't enough light for it most of the time.

Difficulty:★★This room was fairly easy, made easier by the fact that it was obvious in most cases what we were to do next.

Fun:★★This was a fun experience, and we enjoyed the different puzzles and how they tied to the room.

With:2 peopleEvan, Judy

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰29:37

Visit The Site

Book This Room

The Escape Game Chicago: Mission: Mars

We are happy to have found this room in Chicago, since it isn't available in their Dallas location. We've done other space rooms, and with mixed results, but this one really was well built and executed. We had fun from start to finish, and the couple we were paired with were as into escape rooms are we are, so it was good we were all willing to try things and fail before getting them right.

Price:$$$$35 per person

Theme:★★★★★This is the best theme of a ship that we've done up to this point. The decor was great and really made you feel like you could be in a ship.

Quality:★★★★Everything worked as it was supposed to, if not how we tried all the things before getting them right.

Difficulty:★★★★The puzzles in here were tricky - mostly because it was not always clear what the next step should be. But we were able to make it through with a few nudges in the right direction (and trying a lot of things that didn't work).

Fun:★★★★★There was action all around, and kept us engaged with the puzzles and each other.

With:4 peopleEvan, Judy (with 2 others)

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰N/A (I forgot to take note of this one)

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Room X Escape - The Treasure

This was a fun room, and we got paired up with a fun family to complete it with. I loved how they handle clues and kept track of where you are in the room. Also, I have to put this out there, but any time my husband and I think about this room, we refer to it as "space pirates" and get a good laugh.

Price:$$$28 per person

Theme:★★At first, everything about this seems absolutely perfect to the theme, but over time things just started to seem out of place for us.

Quality:★★★This worked well, with just a complaint about a puzzle that every person in our room spent working on, and no one could solve. Turns out we didn't need to anyways, but it was a distracting thing.

Difficulty:★★This room had a good mix of easy and difficult, and enough to keep our whole group of eight engaged.

Fun:★★★★The family we were with was great and very much in the mood to make this enjoyable. Puzzles made us laugh, and we had a great time.

With:8 peopleEvan, Judy (with 6 others)

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰N/A (I forgot to write it down)

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Conundrum Escape Adventures - Redemption

This was our third Thanksgiving Day escape room, and I'm glad we wrapped up here. This was a fun room, and I think a good addition to their other rooms. While I still hold the Double Agent room as one of my favorites, this is a good prequel.

Price:N/AN/A (testing the room)

Theme:★★★This was a great introduction to another of their rooms, Double Agent. The stories feed together.

Quality:★★★Well put together and everything (even things we've seen not work in rooms at other companies) worked great.

Difficulty:★★This was a pretty quick room to run through, especially as it was designed for 30 minutes. Definitely needed a nudge or two.

Fun:★★★We had fun, especially with a couple of the puzzles at the beginning and end.

With:2 peopleEvan, Judy

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰10:31 (30 minute room)

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Room Escape Adventures - Still Hungry

It seems like forever since we did their first zombie room in Chicago, and I'm glad we took the time to do this one. It was much better than the first (in my opinion) and we had a good time. It was also nice to share this experience with a friend, and on Thanksgiving. We cannot wait to go back and try axe throwing at this location (we even have certificates to go already).

Price:$$$28 per person

Theme:★★I love this theme, and the zombie really adds to the experience.

Quality:★★★This worked well, and there are many working parts that could have gone wrong and worked perfectly. This is really well-maintained.

Difficulty:★★Most puzzles in the room were intuitive, and there were a couple of harder ones that took teamwork. Even with the easy puzzles, the zombie added a difficulty level.

Fun:★★★★★The zombie really makes this room a blast - he was great to interact with and gave an adrenaline boost with doing the unexpected.

With:8 peopleEvan, Judy, Tony (with 5 others)

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰22:46

Visit The Site

Book This Room

The Perfect Escape - Pharoah's Tomb

This was a great Thanksgiving Day adventure, and I'm glad that we made this an activity for the day. The room was fun, had some good challenges for us, and flowed well from start to finish. We loved the puzzles and the decoration in the room.

Price:$$$$30 per person

Theme:★★★★This was neat and had some nice surprises inside. The decor was good, and the puzzles really made a good use of the theme.

Quality:★★★Most everything was in great order, although there were a couple of things that were a little finicky (we got special instructions for those). Although, there is one thing in there that didn't seem particularly safe, so be careful.

Difficulty:★★★★Very neat - a great mix of things you can do to keep moving along, mixed with some strategic puzzles.

Fun:★★★★We had a good time - we loved their other room, but this one is even better than the first.

With:3 peopleEvan, Judy, Tony

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰4:35

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Blue Ops Mission - Operation: Recon

Although Evan already had poker plans, I made may way out to an escape room to try a new location out. This was a neat experience, and I got to meet some new people along the way. The room itself was decorated to fit the story, and the puzzles for the most part went along well with the story. I think the hardest thing for us is that there weren't a lot of things to do at a time, so we spent some time with four people watching another do a puzzle.

Price:$$$23 per person

Theme:★★★Everything in the room feels like you are really a part of the story. Props are realistic, the scenario seems very real, and the puzzles blend well along with the story.

Quality:★★★Everything was put together well, and really fit with the theme of the room.

Difficulty:★★Mostly this was easy, but there were a few less clear areas where we spent more time.

Fun:★★Theme theme here was interesting enough, but it didn't lend itself to being super fun (strategic, though). We did like some of the puzzles, but overall these were thinking puzzles.

With:6 peopleAmberly, Dan, Jeff, Judy, Meredith, Tevin

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰30:12

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Secret Chamber - Pirate

We breezed through this room, and had fun from start to finish. There were some fun puzzles, and the pirate who was our game master was a nice touch to the room (the window he used to check into the room was neat). We did finish quickly, but this was a fun room.

Price:$$$25 per person

Theme:★★★★★This is super nice, from the story, to the decor, to the pirate helping out. The room looks very nice and really sets the mood for the experience.

Quality:★★★This looks to be in good shape - everything worked as expected. The only downside I can think of is some of the locks are a bit hard to open, as they are loose and move a bit much.

Difficulty:★While fun, this wasn't overly difficult for us - someone in the group typically had an idea what to do next.

Fun:★★★★This was fun - some of the puzzles were great and I had a good time manipulating things.

With:4 peopleDan, Evan, Judy, Meredith

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰33:53

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Red Door Escape - The Gift

This is a room I have definitely heard great things about, and was encouraged all around to book this. I'm glad we did, and I'm glad we got paired up with a great couple (new to escape rooms but great at spotting details and taking the lead when we got a little lost at the end). We worked well together, and having a few folks with different experience levels helped when looking for details and thinking about how to use those. This room looks very nice, and I'm glad after my experience in Encounter before. On another note - I got a book safe and T-shirt after this visit, and that was a nice bonus.

Price:$$$28 per person

Theme:★★★★This room goes along well with the story, and it is nicely laid out/put together. I like the flow of the room.

Quality:★★★Everything in hear worked very well (which was expected as the room was so new). However, there is a small part of the room that seemed like something was missing, and there was another thing in the room that looked like a puzzle that we never had to use.

Difficulty:★★★This was a good mix of puzzles, both in terms of types and difficulty levels. There really is something for everyone here, and the team we had worked well together.

Fun:★★★★★This was very fun - I think we all liked different things about the room (I loved the stuff in the middle most; I think Evan liked the ending).

With:5 peopleEvan, Judy, Tony (with two others)

Outcome:☺Win

Visit The Site

Book This Room

Fort Worth Escape Games - The Gallery

I had heard a few things before doing the room, and more after from others, so I really wasn't sure what to expect going in. I do like that I had something to do the whole time, but overall there just wasn't enough for a group our size, and some of the puzzles were a little frustrating. We breezed through the room and set a new record for them (by quite a bit). A part of that is likely the experience level of our group, but there were few things that we hadn't seen or done in another room before. Also, you cannot beat this location.

Price:$$$25 per person

Theme:★The room has some neat parts to the story, but over all, the conclusion is a little hard to follow.

Quality:★★I am not quite sure about this one - things worked, but there are a few that were overly difficult because of what was used, and others look like they will be gross over time.

Difficulty:★★Overall, this was a pretty easy room. We had a hard time with a couple of things, but this was more struggling with the items than what we needed to do with them.

Fun:★★★I had fun with some puzzles, and other things were just frustrating. Thankfully, we had a large enough group that others could do those parts (it was nice to get to split up the puzzles where others did better with them than I would).

With:7 peopleDan, Evan, Judy, Meredith (with three others)

Outcome:☺Win

Time Left:⏰24:27

Visit The Site

Book This Room