Apartment 13: Our little brother had mysteriously disappeared and a lot of weird things are happening at an apartment complex where he was last seen. We went into Apartment 13 in an attempt to find him and solve the mystery.
Submarine: Trapped on a submarine and running out of air we had to find an air source and make our way back to the surface quickly. Pros: This was our last stop on our whirlwind tour of Phoenix escape rooms. We have seen so many crazy cool sets in the rooms in the area and we were delighted to see that this room lived up to the others. The realistic materials, sounds and props created a truly immersive play experience. The puzzles also fit the nautical theme. Each puzzle consisted primarily of physical tasks to be completed. We really enjoyed the challenge. The electronic hint system notified us when we were lagging behind and the game master sent hints to help pace us. Cons: The difficulty level was high but not impossible for two people. Three to four people would no doubt fare much better. Larger groups might feel very claustrophobic. We wish the other games were open for us to play at the time we visited. But the excellence in set design in the Submarine game alone makes Escape the Room a must-visit destination. The unique puzzles moves it to the escape room fanatics bucket list. Escape the Room has earned the Escapologists' awards for Puzzle and Set Design for their Submarine escape room.
Sleuthing Santa: A naughty elf has stolen toys and you have to help Santa find the toys in time to deliver the eager children awaiting them on Christmas morning.
Pros: Although Christmas was over a week ago and the holiday spirit had long left us, we loved the festive theme of this room. Some eggnog and holiday music could have made this even more enjoyable (wishful thinking). Still we enthusiastically embarked on our puzzle solving tasks. The game flowed smoothly with puzzles themed to the storyline. We worked our way through the rooms with no hints. Cons: We were grouped with a family of six who was not too happy to see strangers added to their party. We understand that this is standard operating practice at most places but it really does not make for the best game play experience. The family complained but there was no effort to accommodate their concern. They were able to escape the room do in large part to our help and left happy nonetheless. However, everyone felt a little cheated out of the full experience. We recommend private bookings become the new standard practice at all escape rooms unless groups agree in advance to be paired up with others. Double Crossed: A wealthy benefactor invested in an archaeological excavation with the expectation of big rewards. When his hopes were dashed, he determined to break into the archaeologists office and steal the prized relic. We were just the thieves to pull off the Heist.
Pros: The owners at Constant Evolution are clearly committed to the art of escape room design. Their love of the game is evident in the attention and effort they put into crafting the theme. As game masters they kept on top of our game and offered us appropriate hints to keep the game flowing. The puzzles were numerous but logical. The durable construction of the room enhanced our game play experience. Cons: Although a solid game play experience, there was nothing extraordinary with this room. We understand however that they have big plans for their next room and we cannot wait to see what they design. If you are visiting the Sedona/Cottonwood area we definitely recommend you check out Constant Evolution. We are happy to see escape rooms popping up in small towns around the country. The Cult: An ancient cult in a modern city. A hidden stone for us to find. Only 60 minutes before the police arrived.
Pros: The story for the Cult was interesting and the video helped generate our excitement to play. The puzzles ranged from simple to challenging but all were fun to solve. we definitely appreciate logical game flow and this fit the bill for that! Cons: The set design was basic but worked with the storyline. The game masters were less than helpful from the moment we walked in the door. I won't belabor the point but let's just say that a basic level of customer service matters. Luckily we didn't need a single hint from them during the game so it no way impeded our game play. Dare to Escape AZ was a solid room escape experience recommended for beginning players. Jail Break: Captured by the mob and locked away we had to make our escape from prison.
Inheritance: Grandma and Grandpa had passed away and hidden clues to our inheritance in their house. We had to solve the mystery before the new owners arrived. Pros: The game masters at Escape Zone AZ greeted us and quickly prepped us for our games. We laughed at the unique hint system themed to each individual room. When we veered off track or requested assistance the game masters quickly and enthusiastically came to our rescue. We really appreciated their attentiveness and kindness throughout our game. The sets matched the theme of each game. The storylines were simple but effective. The games were multilinear and the puzzles mostly logical. Cons: There was nothing special about the puzzles at Escape Zone AZ. We completed the rooms with a few minutes to spare not because the puzzles were difficult but because of the sheer number of puzzles in each room. We recommend you play in groups of 4-6 for optimal play. Escape Zone AZ is the perfect escape room experience for newbies. The Heist: Our band of thieves had to pull off the greatest diamond heist in history in 60 minutes or less.
Pros: This was a mostly linear room with logical game flow. We breezed through the game with 20 minutes to spare. The storyline was simple but did the trick. This is a multi room escape and we enjoyed the last room the most. We appreciated the occasional hints provided by our game master. We played with a large group of newbies who were mostly clueless as to what was happening but were very appreciative of our help. Cons: The set design was pretty basic and minimalistic. The puzzles worked well but were not themed to the storyline or unique in any way. There was nothing really stand out about this room. This is exactly the type of room we recommend for new players. The puzzles are solid and the game was fun to play. Definitely a nice experience for beginners! Spellbound: A coven of witches dedicated to the task of keeping a group of vampires subdued needed our help. We had to slay the vampire before her awoke from his sleep. Terminal: An evil mastermind had launched a secret plot in the subway system of New York City. We had to discover the plan before it was too late. Pros: How many ways can we say awesome?! Just when we thought Phoenix couldn't get any better it did! Seriously awesome set design in both Spellbound and Terminal. The storyline for both rooms had us pumped up to play before the game even started. The immersive sets had us truly believing we were in the stories. We especially loved the puzzles in Spellbound that required a different type of thinking than the usual lock-based games. The puzzles in both rooms were all aligned to the theme. The game masters were enthusiastic about their job and about their games. We loved every second at Mindspark! Definitely go check them out. They deserve the escapeologists highest honors. http://mindsparkescape.com/tempe/
Escape from Alcatraz: The name says it all. The Legend of the 7th Stone: An ancient Egyptian mystery, a missing archaeologist, trapped inside a pyramid: this game had what it takes. But did we? The Great Outdoors: A landslide had trapped us at our camp and we had to find a way to find radio the rescue team. Pros: Wow! Escape from Alcatraz was an awesome escape room experience. First we must note that we did not escape. Still we left happy because of the fantastic experience from start to finish. The set design was top-notch and definitely among the best of the best. The subtle (and not so subtle) sound effects added to the prison ambience. The props further enhanced our game-play experience. The game master kept us on pace, interjecting hints as necessary to move us along. The progression of the game moved flawlessly. Our experience in the Legend of the 7th Stone and the Great Outdoors was equally as rewarding. Cons: The puzzles were difficult. This was not necessarily a bad thing but something to be aware of going into the game. Larger groups of 6 or so will probably do better than smaller groups. Thankfully the puzzles were all very logical and enjoyable to solve despite the difficulty. The game masters hints saved us from ourselves. Congratulations to North Valley Escape Room for earning the Escapeologists Set Design Award.  Wicked Witches Castle: Visiting the land of Oz we had to retrace Dorothy's steps to start the story anew. Runestone: A powerful wizard bent on destruction had to be stopped. But were we the wizards to do it? Case File X: UFOs, aliens, government conspiracies. Just call us Mulder and Scully. Pros: The set for Wicked Witches Castle was totally mind-blowing and by far our favorite set EVER. We will be talking about this one for quite a while.The set of Runestone was likewise pretty awesome. The game masters at Eludesions were very helpful keeping our game moving along with the electronic hint system. We absolutely loved the creative storyline. Cons: There were a few hiccups with the tech that disrupted our games. This seems to always happen in every tech-based room we play so we have come to expect it. For that reason, we often prefer good old-fashioned non-tech puzzles. Kudos though to any escape room owner willing to invest in tech since these puzzles are truly cool when working smoothly. We struggled quite a bit more than we normally do in all of their games and especially in Case File X. Some slight adjustments including signal markers to help guide players could improve overall game flow. The set design alone moves Eludesions to the top of our list and earned them the Escapeologists Set Design Award. The storylines were so unique that they earned the Escapeologists Storyline Award. Add this one to your escape room bucket list.
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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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