RATING: 3 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 11:12

Trapped on a private island? Smoke signals will definitely get you… access to the VIP Lounge?

The luxuriously wealthy Marcellus Brand requests your presence for a special event on his private island! Work together with your fellow VIPs to complete your host’s increasingly offbeat challenges to earn your safe passage back to the mainland. Prepare yourself for a goofy island full of frenzied fun, silly surprises, and loads of laughter!

This adventure begins with a briefing at the travel agency before jet setting off to Marcellus’ private island.

Travelers will board the billionaires private plane, fly to his island, and then… be trapped there until they solve a series of puzzles to gain access to the VIP lounge on the island, because escape room.

The story doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. An eccentric rich man has flown the group to his secluded land where he requires them to complete many puzzling tasks. In order to get help, beach goers must get a fire started to send up smoke signals. Successfully doing so gives them access to the on-island VIP lounge where they celebrate joyously.

Is this a dangerous island to be stuck on? Are there consequences to not getting the smoke signal sent in 60 minutes? Marcellus didn’t seem like a particularly evil mastermind, but his intent certainly isn’t clear.

Island Escape is easily one of the most uniquely designed escape games in the Philadelphia region. The scenic is both its strongest point and one of it’s weaknesses.

Housed inside a very large space on the ground floor of The Franklin Institute, the “island”, the plane, and the S.S. Franklin take up an impressive footprint.

Marcellus’ guests (victims?) begin their journey inside his plane, which quickly lands and delivers them to his private isle. The island encompasses a huge room with high, vaulted ceilings. A straw hut, a bank of lockers, a bellhop desk, and the top deck of massive sailboat fill out the space.

While the S.S. Franklin and some of the props around the room are beautifully built, the level of immersion in the game fails to sell the island experience. Painted walls, carpeted flooring, and windows looking out onto North 20th Street continually bring guests back to the reality of their situation.

Island Escape has a unique style of challenges. Any task that could be considered a puzzle is fairly straightforward and one dimensional, making this an easier game for travelers who are experienced in solving complex escape games.

Most of what Marcellus’ guests will encounter are basic “find code > input numbers into lock” tests of deduction, with a few more tangible experiences mixed in throughout the game. Two of the puzzles are solved through trial and error, which results in an unsatisfying moment of completion.

Due to the large footprint that Island Escape covers, team communication becomes an integral part of a successful experience. There are also moments in the game that require the entire group to participate in the “Challenge Circle”. This is where the game master, or Marcellus via a large TV, instructs guests to complete an activity to gain knowledge or a hint. For those who enjoy dancing randomly or hitting a beach ball in the air for sixty seconds, this will be a welcome part of Island Escape. For those who prefer to gain information through puzzle solving and discovery… well they better put their dancing sandals on.

While the “puzzles” were not that complex or compelling, they did all fit within the storyworld created by the game. Island goers will find themselves handling tropical fruit, climbing on the deck of the S.S. Franklin, and throwing beach balls all over the place.

Island Escape is a unique game that has potential to be something great. A few quirks with the physical space, paired with weak puzzles, diminish the overall immersiveness and challenge of the experience. It is a fantastic game for large groups or young children, but may leave hard-core escape enthusiasts underwhelmed.

Due to it’s location inside one of Philadelphia’s most popular museums, this game has the unique opportunity to introduce tons of new people to the escape game genre. For that, it is well executed as it is a fun challenge that will certainly be a new activity for first time players.

Island Escape was originally designed for The Franklin Institute (TFI) by Steel Owl Productions. TFI is the owner and operator of the game and has made some changes to the original design.

Venue: The Franklin Institute

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Number of Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 12 people

Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.

Cost: $28 per person, $25 with museum membership

We thank The Franklin Institute for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.