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Shelly's Escape Room Adventures

Paying to be locked in a room with my friends for fun since 2016!

Quick Escape Room Reviews

I'll keep it short and sweet. Here are some recent rooms I've done with friends and what I thought about them. The categories are of what I think are important to a good escape room. These opinions are my own and based on my own preferences, so keep in mind maybe the room isn't for me, but it could be for you!

The Rooms:

four people in a submarine-themed room

The Depths | The Escape Game | Brooklyn, NY

Category Rating Comments
Story ★★★★☆ OK, but had a twist
Puzzles ★★★☆☆ Easy, Good, OK Challenges
Set Design ★★★★★ Fabulous!
Tech ★★★★☆ Amazing!
Value ★★★☆☆ Pricey
Overall Score: ★★★☆☆

My second room with this company! The set design was amazing, but I felt the puzzles could have been better balanced in difficulty. Sometimes the puzzles were either too easy, or too hard (and sometimes time-wasters). But other than that, really interactive and fun!

a man and a woman in a scooby-doo themed room

Scooby Doo and the Spooky Castle Adventure | Escapology | Trumbull, CT

Category Rating Comments
Story ★★★★☆ Cute!
Puzzles ★★★☆☆ Interactive and easy
Set Design ★★★☆☆ Worn-down, but on-theme
Tech ★★☆☆☆ Technical difficulties
Value ★★★☆☆ Felt OK
Overall Score: ★★★☆☆

The room was super cute, fit the Scooby Doo style, and included voice acting from the characters! The puzzles were OK and approachable, but overall, the room was pretty worn-down and some of the tech was not working properly, which happened so much that it affected how I felt about the room overall.

two girls holding signs standing in front of a cabin

The Storyteller's Secret | Boxaroo | Boston, MA

Category Rating Comments
Story ★★★★★ Extremely well done!
Puzzles ★★★★★ Great balance!
Set Design ★★★★★ Phenomenal!!
Tech ★★★★★ Crazy good
Value ★★★★★ Well worth the visit
Overall Score: ★★★★★

This room is the best in all of Boston for a reason. The design of everything from the delivery of the story, the puzzles, and the room was amazing. We found ourself stuck sometimes, but never frustrated. Genuinely have never been to a room like this, and I am so glad I did it! Highly highly recommend if you're in Boston!!

two girls sitting in front of a brick wall

The Terminal | Will to Escape | Orlando, FL

Category Rating Comments
Story ★★★☆☆ It was OK
Puzzles ★★★☆☆ Mostly easy, but a good mix
Set Design ★★★★★ Really felt like home!
Tech ★★★★☆ Pretty good
Value ★★★★☆ Average Escape Room
Overall Score: ★★★★☆

This was a spontaneous choice, but ironically the room's theme was NYC's subway system. It don't think they anticipated a native New Yorker to come with the MTA map memorized, but it was really fun! I enjoyed the use of tech here and didn't find the puzzles to be overwhelmingly difficult. I think this would be a great starter room for newbies!

two girls and two boys smiling in a bright pink room

2084 | Olde City Escape Games | Philedelphia, PA

Category Rating Comments
Story ★★★★★ Trippy, but also familiar?!
Puzzles ★★★★★ Some hard, but still approachable
Set Design ★★★★★ Insanely Cool
Tech ★★★★☆ Small hiccups
Value ★★★★★ Well worth it
Overall Score: ★★★★★

An interesting take on how a dystopian future could look (especially with machines and AI) this room had a lot of puzzles that creatively used the physical space of the room. I really enjoyed the theme even though we had a few technical hiccups.

one boy and three girls smiling for a photo against a white wall

Museum Heist | Breakout | Baltimore, MD

Category Rating Comments
Story ★★★☆☆ Simple and OK
Puzzles ★★★☆☆ OK, nothing memorable
Set Design ★★☆☆☆ Felt kind of bare
Tech ★★☆☆☆ Not much around to comment on
Value ★★★☆☆ Average Price
Overall Score: ★★☆☆☆

Overall, this room felt OK, nothing unique or standout about it. I felt there were a lot of time-wasting puzzles that did not involve using logic. The story was basic and the mechanics of everything weren't anything unique. I almost felt bad this was my friends' first experience when better rooms exist.

one boy and two girls standing in front of a fireplace looking scared

The Dollhouse | Black Cat Escape Room | Virginia Beach, VA

Category Rating Comments
Story ★★★★★ OK, but had a twist
Puzzles ★★★★★ Easy, Good, OK Challenges
Set Design ★★★★★ Fabulous!
Tech ★★★★★ Amazing!
Value ★★★★★ Pricey
Overall Score: ★★★★★

You can choose your level of difficulty (and obviously we picked the most difficult one). We had a few puzzles that stumped us, but it does not deter how I feel about the room. Everything was designed with intention, and the story was unexpected! Thoroughly enjoyed the use of tech and props in this room.