An original narrative can spark the imagination, but it’s Scenic that truly brings the storyworld of a game to life. With stunning set pieces that could be instantly camera-ready locations to film the next Hollywood blockbuster, Scenic allows fantastical worlds to literally leap off the silver screen and become our own personalized escape from reality.
Escape Authority is honored to announce our 2020 Keys To Greatness – Best Scenic winners:
Tomb of Anubis
(Baton Rouge, LA)
The very best Scenic hides surprises that you could never see coming – and few will evoke the audible gasp that the massive Anubis statue is guaranteed to command. Seamlessly hidden and impeccably paced, the hidden reveal of this epic Scenic almost defines the entire expedition within Tomb of Anubis. Without question, it will catch even the most experienced players off guard. In an attraction that is already 13th Gate Escape’s most challenging game, perhaps the most difficult task of all is to regain focus and remember the sands of time are ticking away while all you really want to do is stare at the towering Egyptian God of the Dead with your jaws firmly planted at your feet.
Click Here to read our full review of Tomb of Anubis.
20,000 Leagues
(Foxborough, MA)
An entirely mundane museum quickly yields way to a massive underwater world of surprises, executed to a level only 5 Wits can truly achieve. Captain Nemo’s legendary Nautilus comes to life before our very eyes, dripping with more intricate Victorian-era charm than the water leaks it’s sprung over the years. Inspiration gives way to desperation as new dangers become apparent in each subsequent chamber of the iconic submarine, leading guests into the mother of all epic finales aboard a fully motion-simulated escape pod, surrounded with projection-driven portholes that reveal even bigger dangers that await outside the sinking vessel.
Click Here to read our full review of 20,000 Leagues.
Cutthroat Cavern
(Baton Rouge, LA)
Cutthroat Cavern has become the stuff of legends across the escape game genre, and as such we hardly doubt anyone is the least bit surprised to see this jaw-dropping 3,500 square foot beast pillage the title of Best Scenic. Its world a seamless blend of crumbling Aztec temples, hand-carved twenty foot tall rock caves, and a massive life-sized shipwreck sitting in a lake at the shores of an underground beach – yeah, you read that right – an actual lake and an actual beach – this storyworld evokes a flavor that is equal parts Pirates of the Caribbean and The Goonies, while somehow managing to maintain its own unique identity at all times.
Cutthroat Cavern is so good that it was easily qualified to be a serious contender at winning Gold Keys in Best Puzzles and Best Story, and frankly, it alone is the reason we instituted the “one win per game” stipulation, lest 13th Gate Escape send all other venues to walk the plank. And while other games can try to compete for Puzzles or Story, simply put there’s nothing outside of Disneyland that can hold a flickering candle to the Scenic world 13th Gate Escape has flawlessly brought to life.
Cutthroat Cavern wins our gold Keys To Greatness – Best Scenic honor for the second consecutive year.
Click Here to read our full review of Cutthroat Cavern.
Congratulations to our winners of the second annual Keys To Greatness – Best Scenic award!
With more than 1,000 games played across the site, being picked as one of the best three in the country is a well-earned honor to truly be proud of!
With so many deserving games worthy of recognition, our goal is to ensure these Keys To Greatness awards are attainable to all – not just those with blockbuster budgets that might be otherwise out of reach. As such, it’s important to note that we have, as much as possible, limited games to winning a single category – but every game will still be qualified to win the coveted Keys to Greatness – Best Game award, as well as the Keys to Greatness – Remote Play awards.
*Although the games I’ve personally designed are consistently very highly rated by both enthusiasts and newer players alike, I cannot in good conscience nominate an attraction I created. As such, those games and the venues that call them home have been intentionally omitted from consideration for any Keys To Greatness award.
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