Thanks to Groupon, we were able to knock out three rooms for a Saturday morning family outing, escaping from Bomb Squad, Orient Express, and Anubis. We enjoyed the three rooms and were glad to add these experiences to our list of 100+ escape adventures (especially Bomb Squad!), but perhaps because we did three at once, we also saw many shortfalls that make us less inclined to go back for the last two experiences.
Parking (Timing is everything): As other reviews state, the parking situation can be an unexpected and aggravating cost if you have to use a nearby lot. We had an early appointment and were able to use street parking, which saved us about $20.
Facility (Neutral - maybe avoid winter time): The building is rundown on the outside and difficult to enter for some with mobility issues due to the front steps. Inside, it feels like a warehouse with a great atmosphere, decoration and set-up, but the size seemed to make it hard to heat. We were there for 3 hours, and had jackets on (it was January after all), but we were still shivering by the time we left. On some of the puzzles it was tough to concentrate while we kept blowing warm air into our hands.
Room Maintenance (Ok but just poor enough): All the rooms had highly-detailed and immersive decoration, but there were too many technical difficulties and issues where wear and tear created more of a distraction and disappointment then there would have been if it hadn't been there in the first place. In at least four cases, it made it harder if not impossible to complete a puzzle without gamemaster help. Customers can be destructive, but it's important for immersion and smooth operation to stay onto of upkeep and repairs, even if it seems cosmetic. As examples, train windows (monitors) that were glitching or blank and then broken and loose temple wall bricks (foam blocks) become a distraction, but worn down symbols and hieroglyphs (and damaged statues) make it harder to distinguish codes and solutions. We like puzzles that make us think harder but not just see or guess harder. The worst part was when we were at the end of Anubis, the final function didn't work. To avoid spoilers, let's just leave it at utter disappointment, like when the final July 4th display fizzles out and you don't get the satisfying finale. That kind of ending can undermine all the build-up that precedes. (In this case, almost, but not quite.)
Hint System (Average): The entire hint system seemed based on shouting and being heard from outside the room, which resulted in communication typed messages on the screen. We were the only ones in the facility, so either he wasn't watching or couldn't see what was happening in the rooms. It's always aggravating when requesting a hint requires 1 to 2 minutes of walking through everything you have done up until that point. The game master did a good job of hinting without providing outright solutions.
Staff (Started high, ended low): The game master was very friendly and engaging. He knew the business and the rooms really well. Unfortunately, we don't think he was the one who set up the rooms the night before, because the Orient Express has multiple clues hidden in the wrong places. On two occasions, we needed the game master to intervene so we could progress, just to find the last needed piece in the newly opened space. Finally, when complete, a family had come in for axe throwing, and we weren't even acknowledged as we left. No photo, no "goodbye," and no "hope to see you again." I guess they won't?
