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The Cabin: Lost in the woods, we finally found a cabin. Finding a way in, we had to gather supplies and find our way home. Pros: The set design was the BEST. Honestly, one of our top five when it comes to set design. Lots of attention to detail and emphasis on player experience. The puzzles were clear, logical and fun to solve. The number of puzzles presented quite a challenge for us but the gamemaster helped when necessary. The storyline was unique and the immersive environment helped us feel like we were really playing the part of lost hikers. Cons: None. Great escape room. Go play it! Seriously. What are you waiting for? 
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The Dark Room: Trapped in a mysterious dark room with cryptic symbols on the wall, we had to discover the secret of what happened here and find our way out safely.
The Experiment: A scientist has disappeared leaving his experiments incomplete. We had to finish the experiment and discover the truth of what happened to the professor. Pros: The Dark Room puzzles were challenging but we worked our way through the process with limited guidance. The storyline for the Experiment was very interesting and unique. We really enjoyed the puzzles in this room which were tied into the overall theme. I was most impressed by the fact that we actually learned a bit of history and science in the process. Kudos to the game designer for proving that education can be fun. The game master was helpful and attentive. We appreciated his enthusiasm and referrals to other area escape rooms. He helped generate excitement about the scavenger hunt challenge designed to encourage us to visit other escape rooms. Cons: The set design was fairly basic in both rooms and did little to add to the ambiance. We struggled with the logic of a few of the puzzles in the Experiment and required a few more hints than usual. The Dark Room seemed fairly straight-forward but we could have used more flashlights. Escape rooms are no fun in the dark! Weekend Getaway: Stranded by car trouble, our group sought refuge in a roadside motel. The problem was that something very suspicious was happening there.
Mission Improbable: RAWR! Dinosaurs extinct? Not in this world. We had to travel back in time and save them from inevitable extinction. Pros: We loved the gamemaster! Her enthusiasm and love of escape rooms clearly showed and made our experience all the more enjoyable. Weekend Getaway seemed mostly clear and logical. We enjoyed the challenge of this room and the storyline kept us on our toes throughout the game. The set of Mission Improbable was fun and we enjoyed our efforts to save the dinosaurs from extinction. This was definitely a unique storyline that we had yet to come across so we appreciated the creativity and thought put into the game. Cons: Although the puzzles in both games were mostly clear and logical, we did find ourselves stumbling through a few parts of the game and needed assistance here and there. A few minor refinements could improve the game flow and player experience. Overall we recommend Sprightly Escapes as a solid middle-of-the-road game experience. Temple of Doom: Our band of treasure hunters had to locate the ancient relic, the Golden Gato, before a competing band of treasure hunters beat us to the punch.
Pros: This room was nicely decorated with a clear storyline. Most of the puzzles made sense and were connected to the story. We did however, struggle with a few and required assistance. Minor changes to the puzzles could make them more straight-forward. We found ourselves spending lots of time searching, which can be a good thing if your group size is larger. We had a group of six and everyone had enough work to do. Cons: This was a mostly multilinear room with lots of puzzles. Groups of no more than four or five are recommended. When it becomes linear, it can be difficult to keep everyone focused but the searching in the beginning is best for larger groups. The gamemasters did their job, but their friendly people-skills were lacking during the time we were there and they grumpily instructed us to re-read the rules a few times before our game began (even though we did read the rules and also told them we had been there before). We assumed they were having an off-day, since on previous visits we had a great encounter with other employees. 1893: We were transported to Chicago in 1893 where the World's Columbian Exposition was underway. But a mysterious man and a strange hotel beckons further investigation.
Pros: Great theme. Love the book that the room is based on. The decorations fit the theme as well. The gamemaster was awesome and the introduction to the room/storyline generated much excitement. Cons: The storyline lost cohesiveness in the room and deviated from the actual story at many points. We found most of the puzzles to be actually illogical and required hints on nearly every one. We would have loved to play other games at the establishment to see if this is a trend in general for the business, but time limited our ability to play more. Next time we are in Denver, we will try to play some of their other games. The Cabin: Fleeing a crazed serial killer, our group stumbled upon a cabin in the woods. The door locked behind us and we discovered that we were now in a real-life horror movie.
Zombie: A zombie is chained to the wall and with each passing minute it inches closer to us. Our group must find a way to escape before the zombie munches on our brains for lunch. Pros: We must start by saying that we LOVED the Cabin. It was an absolutely terrifying and completely immersive room escape experience. The set design was exceptionally detailed adding to the horror theme vibe. The element of fear made the challenge of escaping even more difficult and the actors added to the fear factor. The storylines were clear and engaging. We found all of the puzzles enjoyable, logical and, most importantly, solvable. Cons: Despite our LOVE for this place, we had a few concerns. The Cabin was GREAT but we could have used a few more flashlights to avoid unnecessary frustration. Solving puzzles could have been much more enjoyable with a bit of additional light. The fear factor would still exist. Headlamps might even work better since we would have hands free to work on mechanical puzzles and hold the flashlights. Now to digress on a tangent about our experience in the Zombie Room. This is a message to escape room owners generally. It's time we had a talk. Despite what you say, more people in a room is not always a good thing. In our experience, four people is the optimal group size. More than that and half the group misses half the action. Twelve people in a room (cough, cough, Zombie Room) is WAY TOO MANY. Every room escape experience we have had with 10-12 people has been an utter disaster. People are completely confused. People are angry. People are yelling. People are stepping (literally) on other people. And that was just me. The game master is stressed, frustrated, and often down-right rude as he/she is overcome with Annoying People Overload Syndrome (APOD). APOD is our term for what occurs in your brain when you are surrounded by annoying people. Your anxiety increases, your voice gets louder in order to be heard. Your anger level rises. You get territorial about clues and information and eventually all collaboration and communication breaks down. APOD can occur in smaller group sizes, but the symptoms are usually more manageable and rarely spread to infect others in the group. However, in large groups the infection spreads rapidly and the symptoms become unbearable. The voice in your head screams: "all of these people need to SHUT UP so I can think." Eventually, you just want the game to be over. When the game finally ends, you walk out dazed and confused having lost the ability to speak coherently or make even the slightest polite eye contact. The sudden flash of the game master's camera startles you out of your stupor as he tells you: "We hope you enjoyed your escape room experience." But you are at a complete loss for words and continue staring blankly at the wall trying to remember what just happened and trying desperately to remember your name. Then some schmuck who was completely clueless for the entire game, never attempting to solve a single puzzle, cracking lame inappropriate jokes with no awareness at all that he (or others) were even playing a game, shouts out: "BEST TIME EVERRRRRRR!" To which the other dazed and confused players at first grunt in hesitant agreement but quickly catch the infectious optimistic fever and similarly shout in glee "OMG we LOVEEEED IT!" You look around in shock and confusion because clearly they DID NOT love it at all. But memory has a funny way of repainting the past so anger becomes joy, enemies become friends, and bygones become bygones. Everyone puts their arms around each other smiling gleefully with the "We Failed" and "Maybe Next Time?" signs prominently in hand. They leave happy and contented. Except for a few lone escape room addicts who walk away refusing to fall for the trick of memory and recall it for exactly what it was: chaos and anarchy culminating in an utterly inescapable escape room experience. But we would probably play it again... Thanks Great Room Escape for all the heart you put into your games! Egyptian Tomb: Trapped in an ancient Egyptian tomb our team of archaeologists to discover the mysteries of the tomb, locate a missing archaeologist, and find a way out.
The Big Game: The opposing team was trying to sabotage us on the big game day. Locked in the coach's office, our group of football players had to find a way out before the championship game. Casino Heist: Our team of robbers had to break into the casino vault and get the goods before the police arrived to haul us away to jail. Pros: The experience at Escape Works is top notch from the moment you walk in. The waiting area is nice and clean and the game masters are professional and courteous. The set in each room is simple and decorated to fit the theme. Props are minimal but the few props fit with the overall storyline. The emphasis is less on searching and more on solving the puzzles themselves, which is what we enjoy the most. The puzzles were all logical and linear and worked best with small groups of 6 or less. Smaller group sizes were also best since the rooms themselves were very small. We successfully escaped all three rooms (in spite of ourselves at times). Everybody had a great time! Cons: These rooms definitely work best for smaller groups of people since moving around can be difficult with too many people. The puzzles ranged in complexity and there were a few moments when we were completely stumped and could have used hints a little earlier. The hint system worked but was a bit delayed at times. Some of the puzzles in the Big Game were less logical and therefore delayed our progress. We loved Casino Heist but our brains definitely hurt after trying to solve the mathematical based puzzles there. On a personal note, we most enjoyed our experience in Casino Heist since we had the opportunity to work with a lovely group of women who really took the time to think through the puzzles carefully and clearly enjoyed the challenge of working together. Meeting new people is one of the best parts of playing escape games. Working with people who enjoy the challenge and spending time with each other is best of all. Thank you ladies! The Heist: Transported back in time, we found ourselves in an old west saloon tasked with pulling off the greatest bank heist of all time.
Pros: The Heist had a cool, immersive set that helped create a realistic old west type feel. We really did feel like we were stepping back in time. The puzzles were generally logical and all aligned to the theme. The game master was friendly and provided us with clues as necessary to get us un-stuck at times. Cons: There was almost too much going on this room. Multilinear puzzle format and the need to search for the many hidden clues made it difficult to focus on anyone task at a time. The flimsy material of a few of the hints and puzzles impeded our progress. Some less than logical clues and hints also slowed us down. Colorado Escape was an overall solid middle-of-the-road room escape experience. Pike's Peak or Bust: Our group of adventurers found ourselves locked in an old miner's cabin reliving Colorado's Gold Rush past. We had to stake our claim and find the gold as quickly as possible.
Dorm of the Dead: The university had been overrun by zombies. Fleeing the science lab we desperately struggled to make our way back to the dorm in order to find a way out before we became zombie lunch. Mustache Thief: Pierre is on a quest to be the world's only mustache-bearing man. We had to find the secret to stopping him from shaving the mustaches off of his unsuspecting victims. Toys in the Attic: Stuck in an attic full of toys, we had to find the key to liberate us from our childhood prison. Conspiracy Theory: The truth is out there! Or is it in this conspiracy theorist's apartment? Leo has lots of wild theories but which one is true? Only time would tell. Pros: We played all five of their games in a single day and successfully escaped four out of the five (you can guess which game was not our favorite). Puzzle types were unique to each room and the difficulty level varied substantially. Toys in the Attic, for example, had all toy themed puzzles and was decorated like a child's play room. We had three different game masters and they were all nice and ready to provide us our three maximum clues per game. The story lines were generally simplistic and easy to follow. Our mission was made clear to us in the beginning. We especially enjoyed playing the Mustache Thief with its very unique theme and humorous puzzle elements. We still can't get the song out of our head! Cons: We repeat: We still can't get that song out of our head! But on a more serious note, we liked all of the games except Conspiracy Theory. The concept behind it was great and the set design cool. But we felt that puzzles were overly complex and less logical. We felt ourselves giving up at times which is never a good sign. Thanks for letting us play with you Epic Escape Game! Kazam: The great magician Kazam has mysteriously disappeared! Our group had to unravel the story of the magician's life in order to discover his fate. Tick Tock: A crazed maestro has set up an explosive device that is set to blow. We had to locate the device and defuse the bomb by solving the musical clues the composer left behind. The Steal: Our expert band of bank robbers had to break into a museum and steal priceless artifacts while avoiding detection. I.R.I.S.: Time machines are polluting the planet, but I.R.I.S. has a plan to solve the problem. We had to follow her guidance to save the planet. Pros: We had a great time solving the puzzles and playing three of the four games at Puzzah. Our favorite part about the experiences was that all of the puzzles tied into the storyline of the room. The puzzles were enjoyable and solvable with a few hints from the electronic game guides who helped monitor the flow and pace of the games in each room. These were some of the most unique puzzles we have seen. The puzzles challenged us on many levels, from the musical puzzles in Tick-Tock to the mechanical puzzles in the Steal. Although there was only two of us, we were able to successfully escape all three rooms. The decorations and props added to the overall theme especially in the Kazaam Room where we really felt like we were in a magician's room. Although we enjoyed and recommend all of the rooms at Puzzah, Kazaam was by far our favorite room. Cons: There were some technical difficulties with the puzzles in the Steal that slowed down our game play. The game master made up for it with his friendly assistance and helped walk us through the rest of the game. Overall, Puzzah was our FAVORITE room escape experience in Denver. Huzzah Puzzah!
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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: 352 Categories
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