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Skull Witch: An evil witch with an evil plan. Could we rescue her victim and escape her lair? Pros: We were escorted through the creepy waiting room into the creepy escape room. Our first impression (after overcoming our sheer sense of terror) was that the set design was just WOW. Once the door closed behind us and we stopped flipping out, we cautiously began to explore the cabin. The set was seriously amazing and the puzzles were all aligned to the theme. The tech in the room added to the awesomeness of the experience. We played as a group of six and stumbled our way through the puzzles. The storyline was full of twists and turns that only enhanced the experience. We were surprised on more than one occasion but for the faint of heart, there is no need to fear. This is not a haunted house type of horror experience. Cons: We really had no idea what was going on through most of the game. We were all very motivated and ready to play. Still the puzzles were much too complex for us to grasp. Hints from the gamemaster helped move us along. The timer went off well before we completed the game. Nevertheless, we left the game happy thanks to the amazing set and fun game design. Enchambered lives up to its reputation as the best in Sacramento. Definitely check out Skull Witch - but be prepared to watch your success rate fall. 
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Escape Trump's America: The theme is self-explanatory.
Pros: We had heard much about the unique theme and were excited to check it out. When we arrived the owner greeted us and explained the storyline and rules to us. We played this game with a group of six enthusiastic newbies. Although the room was very small, we had a great time. We all immediately set to work locating clues in every nook and cranny of the office. The puzzles were all logical and relatively simple to solve. A few even made us chuckle. The game progressed rapidly thanks to the focus and determination of our group. Cons: The size of the space would probably work best for groups of four. We were lucky to be playing with a great group. The set design was also very basic but worked for the storyline. The well-designed puzzles and game-flow led to a great game-play experience. We definitely recommend you check it out. Good luck and we will meet you in Canada. Taken: A woman had been kidnapped and we had to locate and free her.
Confinement: Trapped in a creepy room in a dreamlike state we had to find a way out. Prison Break: Captured by terrorists and thrown into a dark, dank cell we had to find our way out of the torture chamber. The Gift: Our friend left a gift he bought for his girlfriend in his uncle's antique shop. We had to break in and recover the gift to help our friend out. Once Upon a Time: Trapped in a fairy tale we had to follow the clues to break the spell and find our happily ever after. Pros: When we walked into Red Door Escape Room, we were only scheduled for one game. Five games later we can definitely say we had the full Red Door experience. We are suckers for a good promotion and couldn’t resist their loyalty program. So we decided to prove our loyalty all in a single weekend in our personal quest to earn elite level and the coveted red key. The location is ideal and the waiting room looked inviting and fun. Each game begins with a rule video and a storyline video. Wit the exception of Once Upon a Time (which we loved) we found the storylines to be a bit too realistic and less fun (we felt the human trafficking storyline was not appropriate). But the general themes were typical of most rooms. The gamemasters were exceptionally enthusiastic in both the introduction and the celebration at the end of each of our games. We really enjoyed our time with each employee. The set designs were all aligned to theme. The Gift had some unique and fun set elements. Once Upon a Time had that storybook feel. They were generally well-built adding to the game play experience. Cons: In all of our games we were grouped with strangers including children under ten. We have already commented on this issue elsewhere and try to accept this as the increasingly more common reality of escape room play even as we vigorously object to this inevitably. With that issue aside, we still found the game flow difficult in all of the rooms. The puzzles were sometimes illogical or counterintuitive frequently leading to our requests for assistance from the gamemaster. In one game alone, we managed to escape with five puzzles left unsolved. This was a reflection of the limits to the game design. We had to request frequent hints in order to escape on time. We prefer games that are designed to flow flawlessly with no hints from gamemasters and guide posts to keep the game flowing. We really enjoyed our visit to Red Door Escape! Go for the rewards program and earn your own red key! Containment Breach: After a terrible mishap following an experiment, a scientist locked himself away in his lab. Our mission was to break into the lab and discover its secrets. Pros: The set design at Enchambered is A-MAZING. The immersive environment immediately engaged us in the story and enhanced our play experience. The puzzles were directly related to the science-experiment-gone-awry theme. The rooms were clutter-free, but the puzzles still challenging enough to keep us busy for nearly the entire time. The hint system was non-intrusive and perfect for the room theme. The game master helped us with a simple direct hint. Although we needed this one hint to remind us of an obvious piece of evidence that we overlooked, the room really required no hints at all, which in our book, makes it a perfect escape room. Cons: Smaller group sizes would greatly enhance the experience. We recommend playing in group sizes of four for best play experience. Even though the size limits are higher here, it would be worth it to book a less popular time in order to play with a smaller group. We HIGHLY recommend playing at Enchambered when you are in Sacramento. A top-notch escape room experience!
Pros: The game master and owners were friendly, enthusiastic and truly a joy to get to know. We loved their passion for the games and their ability to make us feel welcome. The waiting room was tidy and inviting. The rooms were beautifully designed with lots of attention to detail in the construction of the sets. It is definitely worth visiting Unlock Escape Rooms to see the sets themselves.
Cons: The puzzles in both of the rooms we played had serious logical fallacies. Had this been an issue with one or two puzzles in each room, it would have been easy to overlook. However, since nearly every single puzzle in both rooms was completely lacking in logic and flow, we needed assistance on every single one. But our progress came to a complete standstill approximately 15 minutes into both games as a result of the lack of any kind of hint system. We ended up wasting time for 45 minutes each game until the clock ran out and the game master entered to try to explain the illogical puzzles to us. Even after the post-game walk-through we failed to understand the logic of the puzzles. Many first-time game players and escape room newbies might not understand the inherent problems in the puzzles and conclude, as the game master tried to convince us, that we simply fell short as a result of our own lack of problem-solving skills. Since we are experienced game players with a good success rate, we concluded that our failure in both rooms 15 minutes into the games was a clear sign that the puzzles in these rooms need quite a bit of reworking. We recommend you visit some of the other great escape room experiences while in the Fresno area until Unlock Escape Rooms acknowledges the issues and works out the logical kinks in their puzzles. We have no doubt that once the puzzles are redesigned, this will be a great place to play! Pipeworks: The city is losing power. Our team of engineers had to figure out a way to restore power fast. Pros: We had previously played Crimson Storm at Bakersfield Escape Room and really enjoyed our experience there. We had high expectations for Pipeworks at Fresno Escape Room and we were not disappointed. The lobby of the Clovis room, just like the Bakersfield establishment, was neat, clean and welcoming. Although it seems like this should be a given, not all escape room businesses hold themselves to a high standard of cleanliness. The sets at Fresno Escape Room (and Bakersfield Escape Room) are likewise solidly built and themed to the room's storyline. This allows for a seamless player experience from start to finish. The focus is more on solving puzzles and less on tearing apart a room to find hidden clues. The puzzles themselves were logical and themed to the storyline of the individual game. Game masters provided assistance through monitors in the room. Cons: We struggled a bit on some of the puzzles in this room, but with the help of the game master eventually successfully restored power to the city. Fresno Escape Room and affiliated companies such as Bakersfield Escape Room are top-notch, high-quality game experiences. We highly recommend a visit when you are visiting California's Central Valley.
Temple: King Kuhli is hiding his treasure in a secret temple. Our goal was to get in and get out with the treasure before our time was up.
Murder Scene: A serial killer on the loose, and we had to track the murderer down before we became the next victim. Bunker Room: Terrorists are threatening to launch a nuclear attack against Washington D.C. We had to stop the launch sequence and save the nation. Pros: All of the rooms at Xcape Room Fresno consisted of a nice balance of searching for clues and puzzle solving. We needed hints at times to solve the puzzles successfully but the clues were mostly logical overall. The game master was helpful and assisted us as necessary. We really enjoyed the immersive set of Temple and definitely recommend it as their best room. Cons: The puzzles were logical but more like riddles and math problems and less unique. We prefer when puzzles are themed to the individual game and unique to the specific place. Overall we had a great time at Xcape Fresno and definitely recommend playing a game or three with them! Family Jewels: Our dear old aunt had recently passed away and in the process of searching her apartment we discover the secret to her hidden wealth. But we had to find its location before our cousins beat us to the punch. Skip Tracer: Our detective friend had mysteriously gone missing and we had to search his office and find him before the police arrested us as suspects in his disappearance. Escape Your Nightmare: Our neighbor has a dark secret and we were determined to discover what it was. We had to sneak into his house and get out before he returned home from his daily errands. Pros: Great storylines and fun puzzles. We found ourselves stuck on a few puzzles that could have had a more logical and less convoluted flow. The puzzles were generally enjoyable to solve in all of the rooms. Our favorite room was Escape Your Nightmare. The ambiance of the set and the added elements of fear helped enhance our game play experience. We found ourselves in a panic at the end to find our way out before our creepy neighbor returned home. A great time despite our narrow escape. Cons: We hit a few snags in Skip Tracer and Family Jewels with some logical conundrums in some of the puzzles. Overall, however, the rooms were fun to play and highly recommended. When in Clovis, don't miss playing Mind Games!  Ruins of the Tukanii: The lost ruins of the Tukanii have finally been discovered. But now our team of explorers had to discover a way out before our luck caught up with us. Pros: This was a completely immersive game playing experience (with the exception of the occasional outside noises from the store). The set and decorations completely drew us into the storyline and created the illusion of actually being trapped inside ancient ruins. We were stumped on only one occasion and needed a hint to move forward. The puzzles clearly aligned to the theme and were very difficult (but possible) to solve. We enjoyed the challenge of working our way through each puzzle in order to escape the temple. The game master mostly left us on our own (which we prefer) and it was quite possible to solve it with little intervention while still being extremely challenging. Cons: The set was AMAZING! Our only concern was in its durability moving forward. Having visited so many escape rooms, we are well aware of how much wear and tear these rooms endure over time. Some of the puzzles in this room seemed especially delicate and the technological components added potential complications in the future. We LOVED this escape room experience! Highly recommended both for first-time and more experienced escapeologists.
The Gallery: Searching for hints about what happened to a missing artist, our group had to scour through her studio in search of answers before the police arrived.
The Study: As secret agents, we had to break into the study of an inventor who kidnapped some of our agents. Pros: The game master was very enthusiastic and helped to get the group fired up about playing the games. We appreciated his excitement. Our team did well progressing through the puzzles. Some unique puzzles really challenged our thinking. Set design was basic but appropriate to the theme. Cons: The puzzles were mostly logical, but a few could be modified for more clarity. The main issue we had was with the shear number of puzzles. There were so many boxes and locks to open and puzzles to solve that it seemed like overkill at times. Often the puzzles were not relevant to the storyline and theme and felt more like busy work. Fewer and better designed puzzles would infinitely improve the game-play experience. Overall we would not recommend Escape Sacramento as an experience for first players. More advanced players however, would enjoy the challenge of the multiple puzzles. |
Cover photo taken at Countdown Live .EscapeologistsWe are escape room fanatics who have played over 300 games in the U.S. and Europe. We love the art of escapology and we wanted to share our adventures in playing room escapes with you! Our StatsRooms Played: 329 Categories
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